UpdraftPlus vs BackWPup – Which Is Better?

WordPress is the most popular CMS for building websites and at the same time, it is mostly targeted by hackers. 

Yearly, thousands of WordPress websites are hacked and it is an unlucky situation for site owners that have put in so much work to build their websites. 

You don’t have to be that person. 

A WordPress backup plugin can save you from website errors, crashes, or even hacks. 

Though there are many good plugins available in the market today like BackupBuddy, Duplicator and others but today, I’ll be comparing UpdraftPlus against BackWPup. 

I’ll do a detailed comparison of the two discussing everything from features, integrations, security, performance and pricing. I am sure it will help you to pick the best. 

So follow me as I compare UpdraftPlus vs BackWPup.

What Is UpdraftPlus?

UpdraftPlus is a WordPress backup, restoration, and cloning plugin. Problems like user errors, bug updates, hack, and server crashes are the reasons behind UpdraftPlus development.

Paul Kehrer initially launched the UpdraftPlus plugin in 2010. The following year, UpdraftPlus’s current head developer, David Anderson, took up the project, made some improvements, and launched the first official version of the plugin, Updraft 0.1. 

Currently, it has over 3 million active installations on the WordPress plugin repository. 

To add to its functionality, the developers acquired other WordPress utility plugins including the WP-Optimize, Metaslider, and Easy Updates Manager. 

In addition, UpdraftPlus is currently maintained by over 15 persons from different countries and it is available for free and premium users. 

UpdraftPlus is trusted by top WordPress websites such as Cisco, P&G, Microsoft, Nasa, and NBA. In addition, Forbes, DreamHost, Torque, and GoDaddy are some top websites where the plugin has previously been featured. 

What Is BackWPup?

According to its developers, BackWPup is the perfect WordPress backup plugin. It is a portmanteau of the words “Back WordPress Up”. 

The plugin has recorded over 5 million downloads with over 600,000 active WordPress installations.

Launched by the Inspyde WordPress Agency in 2010, it has been around for over 10 years. Currently, Inspyde boasts of over 40 employees managing the plugin including WordPress developers, marketing experts, and supporters. 

BackWPup is available in two versions – free and pro. Resulting from its functionality, it is a certified official WordPress VIP partner and official WooCommerce expert. 

How To Install

UpdraftPlus

The mode of installing UpdraftPlus depends on whether you are installing the free or premium version. 

For the free version, you can install it via your WordPress dashboard. Simply navigate to the Add New option under Plugins and search for “UpdraftPlus”. Listed in the WordPress plugin directory is the free version, so you’ll find the plugin among the search results.

For the premium version, visit the UpdraftPlus official website, pay, and download the plugin as a zip file. Upload the zip file from the Add New > Upload option under Plugins. Afterwards, install and activate.

BackWPup

You can install BackWPup by either uploading it or directly from the WordPress plugin directory. 

Uploading is necessary if you’re starting with a paid version of the plugin. After paying and downloading the plugin on the official website, navigate to your WordPress dashboard, then select Add New > Upload under Plugins.  

Select the file from its saved location, click upload, then install and activate.

If you’re starting with the free version, navigate to Add New under Plugins then search for “BackWPup”. Click on the Install button and activate it afterwards. 

Verdict

Whether it is UpdraftPlus or BackWPup, the installation procedure is the same and not difficult. 

File Backup

UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus supports unlimited backing up of WordPress and non-WordPress files. It can backup websites of up to 100GB size.

It features a native backup location, UpdraftVault, where you can save and manage your backups. For the free version, you can get up to 1 GB space, while for the premium plan, you can get more storage space.

It also supports incremental backups, manual, and automated backups. You can schedule backups within hour intervals, daily, monthly, or any specific time. 

Furthermore, UpdraftPlus automatically backs up your website when a plugin, theme, or WordPress version requires updates. 

BackWPup

With BackWPup, you have the flexibility to decide on how you want to backup your website files. You can run a complete backup of all your website files or select particular files to backup. 

You can back up the WordPress installation folder, plugins, content folders, themes, upload folders, etc.

If there’s a specific folder not identified by the plugin, you can define the location. Also, you can select files to exclude from backups by defining them. 

Also, you can back up the files to a specific folder on your server or to an external backup destination.

Verdict

UpdraftPlus has been proven to backup large sites and its proprietary cloud service gives it an edge over BackWPup. 

Database Backup

UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus supports backing up of WordPress and external databases. Also, it supports multi-site backups. Just like in file backups, you can back up databases to the UpdraftVault storage and then run manual or automatic backups.

You can set automatic backups that can run hourly, daily, monthly, or at any specific time. You can quickly activate Backups by clicking on the “Backup Now” button.

By default, files and databases are selected so you’ll have to uncheck the box for files before selecting Backup Now. If there’s an error with the backup, you’ll get a log report and you can encrypt database backups. 

BackWPup

BackWPup supports complete database backups. Database backup is separated from file backup; hence, you get a dedicated panel for it.

From this panel, you can select the database tables to backup and the ones to leave out. The database backup file is stored in SQL file format and you can choose to compress it via GZip to reduce its size.

Before a backup is processed, the plugin scans the database tables for corrupt data and repairs them. Furthermore, the plugin also supports a multi-site network.

Verdict

Both plugins support database backups that are easy to perform. Hence, it’s a draw in this BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus comparison category. 

External Backup Destinations

UpdraftPlus

Apart from its proprietary cloud service, UpdraftVault, UpdraftPlus supports backup to several external destinations. Relatively, it has more external backup destinations than any other WordPress plugin.

External backup destinations supported on UpdraftPlus includes Amazon S3, DropBox, Google Drive, Rackspace, Google Cloud, OneDrive, DreamObjects, MS Azure, OpenStack Swift, WebDav servers, FTP, SFTP, and email.

One interesting feature here is that UpdraftPlus lets you backup to various external destinations in a single backup. That way, you can run a single backup on Google Drive, Amazon S3, OneDrive, etc, at the same time. This is possible with the UpdraftPlus More Storage add-on.

BackWPup

Since BackWPup doesn’t have a proprietary storage option, most large backups are made to external backup destinations. Unless you have sufficient space on your server, then you can back up using the FTP option. 

Supported external backup destinations on BackWPup include HiDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, SugarSync, Rackspace, and Email. These destinations are featured when you try to create a new job on BackWPup.

You can select multiple locations at once. Upon completion, the backup file is stored in each of the selected external backup locations.

Verdict

UpdraftPlus is the winner here with support for more external backup destinations than BackWPup.

Restoration

UpdraftPlus

You can restore your site backups directly from your WordPress control panel with UpdraftPlus. Moreover, it supports automatic restoration.

From the UpdraftPlus settings option, you’ll have a list of available backups. The most recent backups come first and you can identify backups by date.

All you have to do is click on the restore button behind the backup. You can click on the view log to see the backed up files on a particular backup.

Thankfully, UpdraftPlus features an Importer add-on. With this add-on, you can restore backups from other WordPress backup plugins such as InfiniteWP, BackupWordPress, and even BackWPup.

BackWPup

BackWPup supports complete automatic restore, but you can only restore backups made using the plugin. You can quickly access the restore feature from the BackWPup menu 

If the backup is stored on your server, you can access it from the Backups section. Hence, you should click on the restore link for your preferred backup. For backups to other destinations, you’ll have to download the backup zip file. 

You can install BackWPup as a standalone backup restoration app. This is beneficial in situations where your entire WordPress installation is not available. 

Verdict

UpdraftPlus wins in this comparison section. The main reason is that it supports restoring backups from other WordPress backup plugins. 

Security & Optimization

UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus developers are more concerned about their security. The plugin utilizes encryption techniques to keep files and databases secure.

Thankfully, UpdraftPlus encrypts every database backup. Also, it encrypts files/databases while transferring them to any cloud storage like UpdraftVault and others.

Furthermore, when you perform a site clone with UpdraftPlus, the new website gets a free SSL certificate for secure browsing. Moreover, it processes cloned site files in a security-enhanced Linux environment.

Conversely, the UpdraftPlus team cannot access your data backup, not even those stored on UpdraftPlus.

BackWPup

BackWPup was prone to a security bypass vulnerability with high severity. Specifically, this was the version 3.4.1 and such vulnerability could escalate brute force attacks.

However, it is no more with the recent versions of the plugin. The most recent version of BackWPup gives you the option to encrypt files you back up. There are two encryption procedures featured i.e. symmetric and asymmetric procedures.

Both procedures make use of encryption keys and although the procedures are a bit complex, you can get around it by following instructions. 

Verdict

Encryption is the main security feature for both plugins but UpdraftPlus takes the upper hand for significant security features. 

Developer Features

UpdraftPlus

So far, UpdraftPlus hasn’t fallen short in any category but it will now. There are no features available for developers. Only in-house developers can contribute to the plugin.

A major reason could be that the plugin is closed source. When you purchase the plugin or agree to use the free version, you get a General Public License (GPL).

The most you get as a developer is the data encryption for backup and cloning procedures. However, as a developer, you can debug UpdraftPlus using Developer Tools and JavaScript console on browsers like Chrome and Firefox.

BackWPup

BackWPup might not have any major developer features but it is an open source plugin. The project is available on GitHub, so if you’re a developer, you can head over and add your contributions.

Aside from that, developers can add Amazon S3 services to the plugin’s default list programmatically. This involves using a filter hook with the specified label, region, and URL of the service.

Verdict

The winner in this BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus category is BackWPup.

Site Migration

UpdraftPlus

You can quickly migrate your WordPress site by using the UpdraftMigrator addon. This addon is included upon purchase, which depends entirely on your plan.

Using the UpdraftMigrator along with UpdraftPlus to migrate a website is easy. All you have to do is to install the plugin and add-on on both the old and new websites. Backup your files, database on the old website with UpdraftPlus, and import them on the new website with UpdraftMigrator.

You can migrate all files and databases or selected sections that you want to migrate. 

BackWPup

BackWPup doesn’t have any native support for WordPress site migration. The plugin’s capabilities are somewhat limited to backup and restore.

However, you can still migrate your WordPress website using the plugin. This will involve downloading, uploading, and installing. 

To go about this, you’ll first create a backup on the old website, download, and store it securely on your computer. Then, install BackWPup on the new website and select the backup file for upload before installing the backup. 

Verdict

Support for WordPress site migration with the UpdraftMigrator add-on gives UpdraftPlus the winning edge. 

Site Cloning

UpdraftPlus

Site cloning is possible with UpdraftPlus although it is not natively featured. Like in the case of site migration, you can perform a site clone with UpdraftPlus using an add-on, the UpdraftClone.

The UpdraftClone add-on is basically a site duplicator, it works like a copy and paste. When cloning with UpdraftClone, it is important to complete the cloning ASAP because the cloned data is temporary.

Aside from using the UpdraftClone add-on, you can also use the UpdraftMigrator to clone websites. This is ideal if you have admin access to the website you want to clone i.e you are the site owner.

BackWPup

Like in site migration, BackWPup has no support for site cloning. If you must clone a website, you’ll have to use the backup download and install method. Hence, you can only clone a website that you own.

However, you can clone your website by using the WordPress XML export option. That way, you can backup only files and databases that you can’t export as XML files.

This is particularly ideal if your site is one with lots of posts and pages. You could save space on the actual backup file.

Verdict

Once again, support for WordPress site cloning with the UpdraftClone add-on gives UpdraftPlus the edge.

Third-Party Integrations

UpdraftPlus

When it comes to UpdraftPlus’s third-party integrations, the external backup destinations are considered. 

As mentioned earlier, UpdraftPlus supports external backup to Amazon S3, DropBox, Google Drive, Rackspace, Google Cloud, OneDrive, DreamObjects, MS Azure, OpenStack Swift, WebDav servers, and email.

Furthermore, UpdraftPlus addons count as integrations as they increase the plugin’s functionality. This includes the previously mentioned Importer, UpdraftMigrator, UpdraftClone, and others including WP-Optimize, and UpdraftCentral.

Notably, with the Importer addon, UpdraftPlus somewhat integrates with other backup plugins as it can import their backups.

BackWPup

BackWPup seamlessly integrates with several external backup destinations, which include HiDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, SugarSync, Rackspace, and Email.

However, these are not the only integrations available. BackWPup also integrates with EasyCron. EasyCron is an online cron service that lets you manage cron jobs. Hence, you can automate your BackWPup backups and schedule jobs.

Verdict

UpdraftPlus wins as it supports more external backup destinations than BackWPup and it has more addons too.

Customer Support & Resources

UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus users can get support from four main support channels. The first is the FAQ section with answers to several customer questions. There are over 150 answered questions in this section. 

Next is the UpdraftPlus WordPress forum. This forum is majorly for free version users and it allows them to interact with each other, share views, and get answers. 

Third, there are several UpdraftPlus support videos on YouTube. These tutorials will walk you through on how to use the plugin.

Finally, you can contact the support team directly by submitting a contact form, but this is only for premium users. 

BackWPup

BackWPup features a documentation page with support articles on different categories including getting started with the plugin, backups, restore, settings, troubleshooting, etc. 

To reach their support team, you can open a ticket on the plugin’s WordPress page if you are a free user. You won’t get any reply if you submit a support ticket from the plugin’s official website.

In addition, only paid users can directly contact the support team from the plugin’s official website. 

Verdict

There’s nothing much to separate both platforms in this category. However, I’ll give BackWPup the win as the documentation section is more organized and easy to sort than that of UpdraftPlus.

Pricing

UpdraftPlus

Other backup tools like BackupBuddy offer only paid plans but UpdraftPlus offers a free plan as well that offers some useful features. 

The paid pricing plans are categorized into two i.e. subscription plans and manual plans. 

The subscription plans include:

• Personal Plan – $70 first payment and then $42 per year
• Business Plan – $95 first payment and then $57 per year
• Agency Plan – $145 first payment and then $87 per year
• Enterprise Plan – $195 first payment and then $117 per year
• Gold Plan – $399 per year

The manual plans include:

• Personal Plan – $70 per year
• Business Plan – $95 per year
• Agency Plan – $145 per year
• Enterprise Plan – $195 per year

BackWPup

BackWPup features a free plan and several premium plans. The paid plans include:

• Standard Plan – $69 first payment and $39 per year
• Business Plan – $119 first payment and $59 per year
• Developer Plan – $199 first payment and $99 per year
• Supreme Plan – $279 first payment and $149 per year
• Agency Plan – $349 first payment and $199 per year

Note: Their pricing plans are flexible. Visit their pricing pages for fresh information.

Similarities & Differences

Similarities

• BackWPup and UpdraftPlus are both WordPress backup and restoration plugins.
• Both plugins support automatic restoration.
• Both UpdraftPlus and BackWPup support external backup destinations.
• Both support multi sites

Differences 

• UpdraftPlus features a proprietary cloud service, unlike BackWPup. 
• UpdraftPlus has more external backup destinations than BackWPup.
• UpdraftPlus can import backups from other top WordPress backup plugins.
• BackWPup is an open-source plugin while UpdraftPlus is closed source.
• BackWPup does not natively support site cloning and migration meanwhile UpdraftPlus does.

Pros & Cons

UpdraftPlus

Pros

• Free version
• Multisite support
• External backup locations
• UpdraftVault storage
• Site cloning and migration
• Multiple add-ons
• Import from other WordPress backup plugins

Cons

• No developer features
• No direct support for few users

BackWPup

Pros

• Free version available
• Multisite support
• External backup locations
• Support for XML export 

Cons

• No proprietary storage option
• No direct migration and cloning support

UpdraftPlus vs BackWPup – Which Is Better?

Based on this UpdraftPlus vs BackWPup comparison, UpdraftPlus is the better plugin.

Besides, UpdraftPlus beats BackWPup in various aspects and it has many useful features that BackWPup lacks. Also, with the help of add-ons like UpdraftMigrator and UpdraftClone, UpdraftPlus’s functionality increases.

Not to mention, BackWPup has experienced some critical security vulnerabilities in the past, while UpdraftPlus has staunch security measures in place.