BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 23 features compared side by side.
Job-based WordPress backup plugin from WP Media with free scheduling to Dropbox, S3, FTP and Azure; Pro adds Google Drive, encryption and a restore…
Freemium WordPress backup, restore and migration plugin with scheduled backups to Google Drive, Dropbox, S3 and FTP, plus a Premium tier for agencies.
Choose BackWPup if…
- You need restore when the site is down
- You want the lower entry price ($49/yr vs $70/yr)
Choose UpdraftPlus if…
- You need built-in cloud storage and staging sites
- You also want multi-site dashboard
- You want the more complete feature set (83/100 vs 80/100)
- You prefer the more widely used option
BackWPup includes 1 feature that UpdraftPlus lacks, including Restore when the site is down; UpdraftPlus has 3 that BackWPup lacks, including Built-in cloud storage, Staging sites and Multi-site dashboard. Both include 17 of the 23 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
BackWPup UpdraftPlusBackups4/65/6
Free jobs run hourly, daily, weekly or monthly.
Free schedules from every 2 hours to monthly; fixed start times need Premium.
Pro sync mode uploads only changed files; database always sent in full.
Incremental backups are a Premium-only feature.
No real-time backups; jobs run on schedules or manually.
No real-time or continuous backup mode; backups run manually or on schedules.
Database-only or files-only jobs with folder and table exclusions.
Pick database and/or plugins, themes, uploads with exclusions; extra directories need Premium.
No WP Media-run backup storage; uses your own destinations.
UpdraftVault is a paid storage subscription from $35/yr; Premium includes 1GB.
Encrypted backups and restores are Pro features.
Database encryption is listed as a Premium feature.
Storage destinations6/66/6
Google Drive is a Pro destination.
Google Drive is a free destination; subfolders require Premium.
Dropbox is a free destination.
Dropbox is a free destination.
Amazon S3 is a free destination.
Amazon S3 is a free destination; enhanced S3 options are Premium.
Free S3 destination works with compatible storage providers.
Free supports generic S3-compatible storage; native Backblaze needs Premium.
OneDrive is a Pro destination.
Microsoft OneDrive is a Premium-only destination.
FTP and SFTP destinations are free.
FTP is free; SFTP and SCP require Premium.
Restore & migration5/65/6
Free restores uploaded backups in one click; Pro restores straight from cloud.
Restore from the dashboard and choose which components to restore.
Pro includes a standalone restore app usable without wp-admin.
Restores need WordPress running with UpdraftPlus installed; no standalone restorer.
Migration with URL and database updates is a Pro feature.
Free migration via backup and restore; direct site-to-site needs Premium.
Automatic URL rewriting is part of Pro migration.
Built-in search-and-replace updates URLs during migration in free and Premium.
No staging feature is offered.
Premium includes UpdraftClone tokens for temporary cloud clones; no automatic push-to-live.
Free version supports multisite; Pro adds advanced multisite workflows.
Multisite and multi-network compatibility is Premium-only.
Management3/54/5
Set how many backups to keep per destination.
Keep a set number of backups free; age-based rules need Premium.
Job logs can be emailed after backups.
Free sends a basic email report; detailed reports with checksums are Premium.
Managed centrally through MainWP's BackWPup extension.
UpdraftCentral is a separate plugin, free self-hosted; Gold plan includes central management.
WP-CLI commands are included in the free version.
WP-CLI support is listed as Premium-only.
No white-label option in any plan.
No rebranding option; Premium can only lock the settings from other admins.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
BackWPup Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Starter | $49 per year, 2 sites |
| Advanced | $99 per year, 5 sites |
| Pro | $199 per year, 20 sites |
UpdraftPlus Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Personal | $70 per year, 2 sites |
| Business | $95 per year, 10 sites |
| Agency | $145 per year, 35 sites |
| Enterprise | $195 per year, Unlimited |
| Gold | $399 per year, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
BackWPup
36,276 downloads last week
UpdraftPlus
1,467,983 downloads last week
Verdict
UpdraftPlus scores higher on our feature checklist (83/100 against 80/100) and includes built-in cloud storage, staging sites and multi-site dashboard that BackWPup does not. BackWPup still has the edge on restore when the site is down. Paid plans start at $49/yr for BackWPup and $70/yr for UpdraftPlus. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
BackWPup: not included. UpdraftPlus: via add-on. UpdraftVault is a paid storage subscription from $35/yr; Premium includes 1GB.
BackWPup: paid version (Starter). UpdraftPlus: not included. Pro includes a standalone restore app usable without wp-admin.
BackWPup: not included. UpdraftPlus: partial. Premium includes UpdraftClone tokens for temporary cloud clones; no automatic push-to-live.
BackWPup: third-party. UpdraftPlus: via add-on. UpdraftCentral is a separate plugin, free self-hosted; Gold plan includes central management.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, BackWPup or UpdraftPlus?
UpdraftPlus scores higher on our feature checklist (83/100 against 80/100) and includes built-in cloud storage, staging sites and multi-site dashboard that BackWPup does not. BackWPup still has the edge on restore when the site is down. Paid plans start at $49/yr for BackWPup and $70/yr for UpdraftPlus. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
UpdraftPlus includes 20 of the 23 features we track, against 18 for BackWPup. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is BackWPup free?
BackWPup has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $49/yr.
Is UpdraftPlus free?
UpdraftPlus has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $70/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to BackWPup or UpdraftPlus. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.