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UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus is a WordPress backup plugin that copies your site's files and database to a remote storage location—such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3—on a schedule you control. With over 3...

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Last verified: April 2026

What Is UpdraftPlus?

UpdraftPlus is a WordPress backup plugin that copies your site’s files and database to a remote storage location—such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3—on a schedule you control. With over 3 million active installs and a 4.8/5 rating on WordPress.org, it is the most widely used backup solution in the WordPress ecosystem.

Answer capsule: UpdraftPlus is a freemium WordPress plugin that automates backups of your site’s files and database, stores them in cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox, and lets you restore or migrate your site in a few clicks—without touching the command line.

What Does UpdraftPlus Actually Back Up?

UpdraftPlus backs up two things: your WordPress files (themes, plugins, uploads) and your database (posts, settings, users). You can back them up together or separately. The free version covers both, supports scheduled automatic backups, and connects to over 15 cloud storage destinations.

Why Does This Matter for Your WordPress Site?

Hosting providers do not guarantee they can restore your site after a hack, a failed plugin update, or accidental deletion. In our work across client sites, we see this failure point constantly—hosts lose backups, charge for restores, or only keep 7-day snapshots. UpdraftPlus puts a copy of your site under your own control, in your own cloud account.

Free vs. Premium: What’s the Difference?

The free version handles the core use case: scheduled backups to cloud storage, manual restores, and database-only backups. UpdraftPlus Premium (starting at $70/year as of April 2026) adds incremental backups, multisite support, automatic backup before updates, and the UpdraftClone site duplication feature. For most beginners on a single site, the free version is sufficient.

One Thing Most Guides Don’t Mention

The “Files” backup in UpdraftPlus excludes the WordPress core by default. That is intentional—core files are replaceable. But we’ve seen users assume their entire server directory is covered and discover otherwise only at restore time. Always verify your backup scope in Settings → UpdraftPlus Backups → Include in files backup before treating a backup as complete.

  • WordPress restore — the process of loading a backup back onto your site
  • WordPress migration — moving a site from one host or domain to another; UpdraftPlus Premium supports this directly
  • wp-config.php — the WordPress configuration file; included in file backups but handled carefully during restores
  • Backup retention — how many backup copies UpdraftPlus keeps before deleting older ones (configurable in free settings)
  • Remote storage — cloud destinations like Google Drive, Dropbox, or S3 where UpdraftPlus sends your backup files

Additional Reading

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