BackupBuddy Review: The Ultimate WordPress Backup Plugin?

If you run a WordPress website, having a reliable backup system in place is absolutely essential. With cyber attacks, server crashes, and user errors threatening your site at any moment, you need the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can quickly restore your site if the worst happens.

While there are many WordPress backup plugins available, few are as comprehensive and well-regarded as BackupBuddy from iThemes. In this in-depth review, we‘ll take a close look at BackupBuddy‘s features, performance, pricing, and more to help you decide if it‘s the right backup solution for your WordPress site.

What is BackupBuddy?

BackupBuddy is a premium WordPress plugin that enables you to backup your entire WordPress website, including your database, media files, themes, and plugins. It was developed by iThemes, a leading provider of WordPress tools, and has been actively maintained and updated since 2010.

Some of the key features that set BackupBuddy apart include:

  • Complete WordPress backups: BackupBuddy backs up your entire WordPress installation, not just your database or content. This ensures you can do a full restore if needed.

  • Scheduled automatic backups: Set BackupBuddy to automatically backup your site on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule. No need to remember to do manual backups.

  • Remote backup storage: Store your backups safely offsite on services like BackupBuddy Stash, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Amazon S3. Redundant offsite backups protect you in case your server goes down.

  • Easy restore process: Quickly restore your entire site, your database, or specific files directly from your WordPress dashboard. BackupBuddy walks you through the process.

  • Migration and staging: BackupBuddy can also be used to migrate your WordPress site to a new host or domain, or to create a staging site for testing.

Setting Up Scheduled Backups

One of BackupBuddy‘s most convenient features is the ability to schedule automatic backups. Instead of having to remember to manually run a backup, you can set a schedule and let BackupBuddy handle the rest.

To set a backup schedule:

  1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to BackupBuddy > Scheduling
  2. Select your preferred backup interval (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)
  3. Choose which files to include (database, media files, themes, etc.)
  4. Select your remote destination to store the backup (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
  5. Click "Save Changes"

That‘s it! BackupBuddy will now run automatic backups of your site based on the schedule you set. You‘ll get an email notification each time a backup completes or if there are any issues.

Experts recommend storing backups in multiple locations for redundancy. With BackupBuddy, you can automatically send backups to BackupBuddy Stash (their own cloud storage service), as well as popular services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Amazon S3. This ensures you have offsite copies of your backups in case something happens to your web server.

Restoring Your WordPress Site

Backing up your site is only half of the equation – you also need to be able to quickly and easily restore your site from a backup. Fortunately, BackupBuddy makes the restore process very straightforward:

  1. Go to BackupBuddy > Restore/Migrate
  2. Select which backup file you want to restore from
  3. Choose which components to restore (database, themes, plugins, media files, etc.)
  4. Click "Restore" and BackupBuddy will overwrite your site with the backup

The restore feature gives you a lot of flexibility. If you just need to restore a single file or database table, you can do that. Or if you need to do a complete restore of your entire site, that‘s possible too.

BackupBuddy also features a unique "magic migration" feature that lets you move your site to a new server or change domain names with just one click. This feature is helpful if you need to switch hosts or migrate a local development site to a live production server.

BackupBuddy vs Other Backup Plugins

While BackupBuddy is one of the most popular WordPress backup plugins, it‘s certainly not the only option. Other well-known backup plugins include UpdraftPlus, VaultPress, and BlogVault.

So how does BackupBuddy compare? Here are a few key advantages:

  • BackupBuddy backs up your entire WordPress site, not just your database and files. Some other plugins only back up your database, which is not sufficient for a full restore.

  • BackupBuddy has been around since 2010 and is actively maintained and updated by iThemes. You can trust it to be compatible with the latest versions of WordPress.

  • The BackupBuddy restore process is very user-friendly and walks you through each step. Some other plugins require you to manually import your database and upload your files which can be error-prone.

  • BackupBuddy includes advanced features like scheduled backups, remote backup destinations, and magic migration. Not all backup plugins offer such a complete feature set.

Of course, BackupBuddy is a premium plugin, so it does cost more than free backup plugins. But for many users, the ease of use, reliability, and advanced features are well worth the price.

BackupBuddy Pricing

Unlike some WordPress backup plugins that charge a monthly subscription fee, BackupBuddy uses a one-time pricing model based on the number of sites you need to backup. The current pricing plans are:

  • Blogger: $80 for use on 1 site
  • Freelancer: $127 for use on 10 sites
  • Developer: $199 for use on unlimited sites

All plans include 1 year of plugin updates, ticketed support, and 1GB of BackupBuddy Stash storage. The Stash storage space can be used for real-time backups and is an easy way to store your backups offsite.

While BackupBuddy isn‘t the cheapest backup option, the one-time pricing means you‘re not locked into an ongoing subscription. You can also use it on client sites (on the Freelancer or Developer plans) as an extra service to increase your revenue. Many web developers include BackupBuddy licenses in their maintenance packages for clients.

Customer Support & Documentation

BackupBuddy customers get access to iThemes‘ ticketed support system. The support team is knowledgeable and quick to respond – most tickets are answered within a few hours. Support is available 24/7/365.

In addition to support, BackupBuddy also has extensive documentation on how to use the plugin. There is an in-depth knowledge base with step-by-step tutorials and videos covering all of BackupBuddy‘s features. The documentation is updated regularly and easy to follow for both beginners and advanced users.

Compared to some other backup plugins, BackupBuddy‘s support and documentation are a notch above. You can tell that customer support is a priority for the iThemes team.

What Real Users Say About BackupBuddy

BackupBuddy is one of the most well-established and popular WordPress plugins available, so there is no shortage of user reviews online. In general, most users praise BackupBuddy‘s reliability, ease of use, and customer support.

Here are a few comments from real BackupBuddy customers:

"I‘ve been using BackupBuddy for over 5 years on all my client sites. It‘s never let me down – backups and restores always work perfectly. Highly recommend!" -David R.

"BackupBuddy has saved my butt more times than I can count. Client made a change that crashed their site? No problem – I was able to roll back to yesterday‘s backup with a few clicks. I won‘t build a WordPress site without it." -Sarah M.

"I love that I can schedule daily backups and have them automatically sent to my Dropbox account. It‘s completely hands-free and gives me so much peace of mind. BackupBuddy is worth every penny." -Mike T.

Of course, no plugin is perfect, and some users have run into issues with BackupBuddy. The most common complaints relate to large sites timing out during backups or restores. However, the BackupBuddy support team is usually able to resolve any problems that come up.

Overall, the vast majority of BackupBuddy users are very happy with the plugin. It has an impressive 4.5 star rating on the WordPress.org plugin directory.

BackupBuddy Tutorial

To give you a better idea of how BackupBuddy works, let‘s walk through the process of setting up the plugin and running your first backup. For this tutorial, we‘ll assume you‘ve already purchased a BackupBuddy license and downloaded the plugin file.

Step 1: Install & Activate BackupBuddy

  • In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New
  • Click "Upload Plugin" and select the BackupBuddy zip file
  • Click "Install Now"
  • Activate the plugin
  • Enter your iThemes username and password to register your license

Step 2: Configure BackupBuddy Settings

  • Go to BackupBuddy > Settings
  • Under "General Options" select your backup file storage limit – this is how many backups will be kept on your server
  • Under "Advanced Options" you can exclude files or databases tables from your backups
  • Click "Save Changes"

Step 3: Set Up a Remote Backup Destination

  • Go to BackupBuddy > Remote Destinations
  • Choose which destination you want to add (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
  • Follow the authentication prompts to connect your account
  • Configure the destination settings (directory, archive limit, etc.) and click "Save Changes"

Step 4: Run Your First Backup

  • Go to BackupBuddy > Backup
  • Enter a name for your backup
  • Select which database tables and files to include
  • Choose your backup profile (complete backup, database only, files only)
  • Select a remote destination (optional)
  • Click "Backup Now"
  • You‘ll see the progress of your backup; once it‘s complete you can view the backup file under BackupBuddy > Backups

Step 5: Schedule Automatic Backups

  • Go to BackupBuddy > Schedules
  • Click "Add New Schedule"
  • Name your schedule and select your backup frequency and backup profile
  • Select any remote destinations
  • Click "Add Schedule" to save

That‘s the basic process of using BackupBuddy! The plugin makes it very straightforward to run manual backups, schedule automated backups, send backups to remote destinations, and restore your site if needed.

Final Thoughts: Is BackupBuddy Worth It?

After thoroughly testing BackupBuddy and evaluating feedback from real users, I can confidently say that BackupBuddy is one of the best WordPress backup plugins available today. While it may cost more than some other options, the robust feature set and reliability are worth the price for many users.

The ability to completely back up your entire WordPress site, including the database, media files, themes, and plugins sets BackupBuddy apart from competitors. Scheduled backups and offsite backup storage give you multiple layers of protection against data loss.

The restore process is also very smooth and easy to use. With just a few clicks, you can roll back your entire site or restore a specific file or database table. The magic migration feature is the icing on the cake, making it painless to move your site to a new host.

Ultimately, if you‘re looking for a backup plugin that can handle anything you throw at it and give you peace of mind, BackupBuddy is an excellent choice. Whether you‘re a solo blogger or manage dozens of client sites, BackupBuddy has a plan to fit your needs.

The only downside to BackupBuddy is the price may be a bit steep for casual bloggers or those on a tight budget. If you just need basic database backups, a free plugin like UpdraftPlus may suffice. But for more advanced users or anyone managing multiple sites, BackupBuddy is well worth the cost.

All in all, I give BackupBuddy a rating of 4.5/5 stars. The plugin is powerful, reliable, and easy to use. The iThemes team also provides top-notch support and is constantly improving the product. If you‘re serious about protecting your WordPress site, BackupBuddy is a plugin you shouldn‘t be without.

Similar Posts