WordPress backup plugins: Site24x7

Making regular site backups helps ensure that a website crash, whether it occurs due to new feature rollouts, accidental deletion of critical files, or a hacking event, doesn't mean that the whole site needs to be rebuilt. Additionally, maintaining structured backups helps access past posts, content, and media if required. It's a good practice to try restoring backups at regular intervals and test the backup files in non-production environments to ensure that nothing is missing.

WordPress backup plugins

WordPress facilitates manual or automated and full or incremental backups in the cloud or local machines using plugins. Some examples of WordPress backup plugins currently supported include:

Name	Features	Publisher
Jetpack	Automated, real-time backup and restore. Possible to duplicate, clone, or migrate website to a staging site or to a new host.	Automatic
UpdraftPlus	Supports local and cloud backup. Manual, scheduled, and automatic backup is supported. Full and incremental backup is supported. Can be used when migrating production or staging a test site. Supports cloning. Supports several languages.	UpdraftPlus
WPvivid Backup Plugin	Migrate a copy of a WordPress site to a new host (a new domain), schedule backups, and send backups to remote storage and migration.	WPvivid Team
Total Upkeep	Allows automated and manual backups, and full or incremental backups to remote or cloud storage. Clone, duplicate, and/or migrate your site. Create staging sites to test new plugins or themes.	BoldGrid
Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule	Supports manual, automated, full, and incremental backups to the cloud. Supports staging backup and restore. Supports database backups to be encrypted. Supports cloning, migration, and selective file restore.	Revmakx
Backup and Restore WordPress	Supports manual or automatic and full or incremental backup and restore. Supports cloud backup. Can send email notifications on backup status. Works on all WordPress platforms (Linux, Windows, and even Azure). Supports restoration to a different version of WordPress. Supports the restoration, cloning, duplication, and migration of a site. Supports eight languages.	WPBackItUP

A word on backup approaches

Backups can be:

Provided by the website hosting provider or third-party providers

Most web hosting providers have backups as a standard service to subscribers, who can store them with the host or download them. Some hosting providers include options to automate full and incremental backups.
Third-party providers often offer more advanced services for a fee, and may be preferred if the hosting provider has limited features and functionalities.

Local or cloud

A local backup is made on computers or storage at your physical location. Local backups need someone to manage the files and keep track of different versions.
Cloud backups lower the possibility of data loss due to hardware crashes, but the challenge of managing the files remains even in the cloud.

Full or incremental

Full backups are best to ensure restoration of a website. The downside includes larger storage space requirements, and more time needed to back up and restore depending on the website size and complexity.
Incremental backups are for files that have been updated since last the backup. They're quicker to perform and need less space.
Using a combination of regular full and incremental backups works well for most situations.

Manual or automated

Manual backups are triggered by the administrator in a preplanned or ad hoc manner. If done haphazardly, you run the risk of losing information and content.
Automated backups ensure that disciplined approaches are in place in a planned manner. Automated backups need to be tracked for efficacy, restorability, and storage issues regularly.

Footnote on backup plugins:

To add plugins to WordPress sites, a WordPress subscription may be needed.
Some backup plugins have a free version. These versions typically have limited features, so you should review them and decide if they fit your needs before installing them.
Compare various plugin feature pages within WordPress and plugin websites to decide which one suits your requirements the best.

Summary

Making regular backups is crucial to ensure that a website stays up and functional in the event of a website crash or a cyberattack. Additionally, maintaining structured backups helps you access past posts, content, and media if required. It's a good practice to try restoring backups at regular intervals and test backup files in non-production environments to ensure that nothing is missing. WordPress supports backup plugins that facilitate manual, automated, full, incremental, local, and cloud-based backup and restore.

WordPress backup plugins