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BackUpWordPress

By Tom Willmot

Security & Privacy / Site Migration & Cloning

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

BackUpWordPress Review - In-Depth Analysis

Automated backups for your WordPress site made easy. BackupWordPress offers simple, scheduled backups of your database and files.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.3/10

User Rating

4.7/5 (based on 1373+ reviews)

Active Installations

80,000+

Update Frequency

Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

4 / 10 (Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

BackupWordPress was created by our friends at Human Made but is now under new ownership. We are committed to open source and WordPress and will provide free support for the many BackupWordPress fans.

We will make occasional updates to the free software. Please send us any patches you would like to see released. However, we will no longer be selling or supporting the paid add-ons for backups to Dropbox and Google Drive. It is a good idea to backup to cloud storage to protect against server-wide risks.

BackupWordPress will back up your entire site including your database and all your files on a schedule that suits you. Try it now to see how easy it is!

This plugin requires PHP version 5.3.2 or later.

Features include super simple usage, works in low memory environments, manage multiple schedules, and options to email backup files. It also allows excluding files and folders from backups and provides good support.

Comparing to Alternatives

BackUpWordPress is a popular backup plugin with several direct competitors offering similar features for WordPress site backups and restoration.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple and reliable backup solution suitable for small and straightforward websites
Easy to use with minimal configuration required
Performs complete backups of the entire site including files and database
Lightweight and does not consume excessive server resources
Free to use with no paid version required

Weaknesses

Lack of recent updates leading to compatibility issues with newer PHP versions
Known past security vulnerabilities, though fixed in recent versions
No premium version offering advanced features or dedicated support
Backup failures reported by some users, especially on newer PHP environments

User Sentiment Analysis

The plugin enjoys a strong positive reception with 92% of ratings being 4 or 5 stars, reflecting user satisfaction with its core backup functionality. However, about 7% of users report issues, mainly related to reliability and maintenance.

Positive highlights

"Reliable and easy to use for many small and simple websites." – Kollmannsberger
"Perfect for full backups and simple restores, giving peace of mind." – david
"Simply perfect: complete backups and quick restores, like a digital bodyguard for your site." – LawrenceR2
"Simple and fast, exactly as it should be." – reneewelz

Common complaints

Scheduled backups stopped working and manual backups fail
Plugin not maintained leading to backup errors and data loss risks

Weaknesses

Compatibility problems with PHP 8.4 causing silent failures
Long periods without updates causing reliability concerns
Past security vulnerabilities that required fixes

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users managing small to medium WordPress sites who need a straightforward, no-cost backup solution without advanced features.

Not ideal for

Sites requiring robust, actively maintained backup solutions with premium support or those running on the latest PHP versions needing guaranteed compatibility.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides full site backups including files and database with easy scheduling and restoration capabilities.

Final Verdict

BackUpWordPress is a dependable and user-friendly plugin ideal for simple backup needs, especially for smaller websites. Its free availability and straightforward operation make it a popular choice among users who prioritize ease of use over advanced features.

However, the plugin's lack of recent updates and known past security issues raise concerns about its suitability for sites requiring high reliability and compatibility with modern PHP versions. Users should consider these factors and explore alternatives if they need more robust or actively maintained backup solutions.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free BackUpWordPress plugin.

automated backups

wordpress backup

database backup

Screenshots

FAQ

Backups are stored on your server in /wp-content/backups, you can change the directory.

Important: By default BackUpWordPress backs up everything in your site root as well as your database, this includes any non WordPress folders that happen to be in your site root. This does mean that your backup directory can get quite large.

The issue is that your wp-cron.php is not returning a 200 response when hit with a HTTP request originating from your own server, it could be several things. In most cases, it’s an issue with the server / site.

There are some things you can test to confirm this is the issue.

 * Are scheduled posts working? (They use wp-cron as well.)   * Are you hosted on Heart Internet? (wp-cron may not be supported by Heart Internet, see below for work-around.)   * If you click manual backup, does it work?   * Try adding `define( 'ALTERNATE_WP_CRON', true );` to your `wp-config.php`. Do automatic backups work?   * Is your site private (i.e. is it behind some kind of authentication, maintenance plugin, .htaccess)? If so, wp-cron won't work until you remove it. If you are and you temporarily remove the authentication, do backups start working?