UpdraftPlus
Freemium WordPress backup, restore and migration plugin with scheduled backups to Google Drive, Dropbox, S3 and FTP, plus a Premium tier for…
83
Duplicator
WordPress migration and backup plugin that packages a site into an archive plus standalone installer; Pro adds scheduling, cloud storage and staging.
Free installs1M+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~210KLikely 110K–420K
Vendor claims1.5M+Vendor's own figure
Rating4.9/54,940 reviews
Price from$79/yrFreemium
Last updated3 Nov 2026Version 5.1.1
Overview
Duplicator began in 2011 as a site cloning tool and is now run by Awesome Motive under the Snap Creek brand. Its core idea is the backup package: an archive of files and database plus an installer.php script. Upload both to any server, run the installer in a browser and it rebuilds the site, updating URLs and paths along the way. That standalone installer is why Duplicator is popular with developers who move sites between hosts or deploy pre-built sites.
The free Lite version handles full, database-only and filtered backups with no size cap, one-click restores from wp-admin, AES-256 archive encryption and migration with automatic search and replace. It can also send backups to Duplicator Cloud, the vendor’s own storage, but that service is a separate paid subscription. Lite has no scheduler, so every backup is started by hand.
Duplicator Pro
- Scheduled backups (hourly from the Plus plan)
- Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Amazon S3, FTP/SFTP and S3-compatible providers such as Backblaze B2, Wasabi and Cloudflare R2; Basic allows one destination, Plus and up are unlimited
- Recovery points with a recovery link that works when the dashboard is unreachable
- Drag-and-drop and server-to-server imports
- Email alerts, custom search and replace and installer branding from Plus
- Staging sites, multisite networks and advanced permissions from the Pro plan
- WP-CLI commands for building backups
Limitations
Pricing is steep compared with rivals: the entry plan covers two sites and only one cloud destination, and staging and multisite sit on the $399 Pro tier. There are no incremental or real-time backups, so large sites re-archive everything each run. There is no central dashboard for managing many sites, and white-labelling is limited to the installer.
Who it suits: developers and agencies who migrate or clone sites regularly will appreciate the installer workflow, and the free version is a solid manual migration tool. Owners who mainly want hands-off scheduled backups can get that cheaper elsewhere.
Best for: Developers and agencies who regularly migrate, clone or deploy WordPress sites between servers.
Duplicator is excellent at moving and cloning sites, and its installer-based restore is a genuine safety net when a site will not load. As a routine backup tool it is less competitive: scheduling needs Pro, and the plans that unlock multiple destinations, staging and multisite are expensive.
Pros
- Standalone installer rebuilds a site on any server without WordPress
- Free version has no backup size limit and includes AES-256 encryption
- Migration with automatic URL search and replace is free
- Pro supports many S3-compatible providers, including Backblaze B2, Wasabi and R2
- Recovery points provide a rollback link that works when wp-admin is down
- WP-CLI commands for scripted backups in Pro
Cons
- Free version has no scheduled backups
- Duplicator Cloud storage costs extra even for Pro users
- Entry plan limited to two sites and one cloud destination
- Staging and multisite only on the $399 Pro plan
- No incremental or real-time backups
Key features
What Duplicator highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Full-site backups with no size limit
- Database-only and filtered backups
- Standalone installer for migrations
- Automatic search and replace
- One-click restore from wp-admin
- AES-256 archive encryption
- Duplicator Cloud connection (paid storage)
- Local backup retention
- Drag-and-drop import tool
- Works on managed hosts
Pro / paid adds From $79/yr
- Scheduled backups, hourly on Plus
- Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, S3, FTP/SFTP
- S3-compatible: B2, Wasabi, R2 and more
- Recovery points with rollback link
- Server-to-server imports
- Email failure alerts
- Installer white-labelling
- Staging sites on Pro plan
- Multisite network support
- WP-CLI backup commands
- Advanced user permissions
- WP Media Cleanup and DB Optimizer bundled
Feature checklist
20 of 23 features we track in Backup & Migration, feature score 86/100
Backups 4/6
Scheduled backups Key
Automatic backups on a schedule (daily, weekly and so on).
Lite is manual only; Pro schedules daily to monthly, hourly from Plus.
Paid version Basic
Incremental backups Key
Only backs up what changed since the last backup, saving time and space.
Not listed in the plan matrix; each backup is a full archive.
Not included
Real-time backups
Backs up changes as they happen, useful for stores with constant orders.
No real-time backup option; backups are manual or scheduled.
Not included
Choose what to back up
Database-only or files-only backups, include/exclude folders and tables.
Database-only and filtered backups in Lite; media-only and custom types on Pro plan.
Included
Built-in cloud storage
Backups stored on the vendor's own cloud, no separate storage account needed.
Duplicator Cloud is a separate paid storage plan from $29/yr for 2GB.
Via add-on
Encrypted backups
Encrypts backup archives or the database export.
AES-256 archive encryption and password protection in the free version.
Included
Storage destinations 6/6
Google Drive
Send backups to Google Drive.
Pro destination; Basic allows one cloud destination, Plus and up unlimited.
Paid version Basic
Dropbox
Send backups to Dropbox.
Pro destination; Basic allows one cloud destination.
Paid version Basic
Amazon S3
Send backups to Amazon S3.
Amazon S3 available in Pro.
Paid version Basic
S3-compatible storage
Backblaze B2, Wasabi, DigitalOcean Spaces and other S3-compatible services.
Supports Backblaze B2, Wasabi, Cloudflare R2, DigitalOcean Spaces and other S3 services.
Paid version Basic
Microsoft OneDrive
Send backups to OneDrive.
OneDrive available in Pro.
Paid version Basic
FTP / SFTP
Send backups to your own server over FTP or SFTP.
FTP and SFTP destinations are Pro-only.
Paid version Basic
Restore & migration 6/6
One-click restore Key
Restore a backup from the WordPress dashboard.
Lite restores a backup from wp-admin in one click.
Included
Restore when the site is down
Restore from outside WordPress (vendor dashboard or standalone installer) if the site won't load.
installer.php runs outside WordPress; Pro adds recovery-point links.
Included
Site migration / cloning Key
Move or clone a site to a new host or domain.
Core feature: package a site and rebuild it elsewhere with the installer.
Included
URL search & replace
Rewrites URLs and paths in the database during migration.
URLs and paths replaced automatically; custom search and replace from Plus.
Included
Staging sites
Create a staging copy to test changes, then push them live.
One-click staging sites on the Pro plan and above.
Paid version Pro
Multisite support
Back up and restore WordPress multisite networks.
Multisite network backups and subsite migration on the Pro plan.
Paid version Pro
Management 4/5
Retention rules
Keep a set number of backups or delete old ones automatically.
Local storage keeps the most recent backups automatically; Pro adds per-destination limits.
Included
Backup notifications
Email reports when backups succeed or fail.
Email alerts for backup issues from the Plus plan.
Paid version Plus
Multi-site dashboard
Manage backups for many sites from one dashboard.
No central dashboard for managing backups across sites.
Not included
WP-CLI commands
Run backups and restores from the command line.
Pro adds wp duplicator build, cleanup and info commands.
Paid version Basic
White label
Rebrand the plugin for client sites.
Installer branding only, from the Plus plan.
Paid version Plus
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Basic
$79per year2 sites
Scheduled backups, recovery points, one cloud destination; first year usually discounted.
Plus
$199per year5 sites
Unlimited destinations, hourly backups, email alerts, installer branding.
Pro
$399per year20 sites
Adds staging, multisite, advanced permissions, WP Media Cleanup and DB Optimizer.
Elite
$599per year100 sites
Adds Activity Log and premium support; 14-day money-back on all plans.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use Duplicator?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
1M+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
1.5M+
Sites/users claimed on the vendor's website. source
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~210K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: WordPress.org shows 1M+ free installs, which could mean anything from 1M to 2M. The vendor says 1.5M+ sites, so we put the free count halfway between the middle of that range and the vendor figure, at about 1.5M. About 1.5M free installs x 14% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when many key features are paid, lower for very large free bases) gives 210K. Likely range: 110K to 420K. This counts sites running the paid version, including sites whose licence has lapsed. Estimates are rough and based on public figures as of 14 Oct 2026.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
481,584 downloads last week, 58.1M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 5.1.1 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 3 Nov 2026 (0 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 6.2+, PHP 7.4+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 17 of 17 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 7 Jun 2011 |
Company & policy
| Founded | 2011 (source, 5 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Refund policy | 14-day money-back (source, 5 Oct 2026) |
Duplicator compared
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Backuply
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FAQ
Is Duplicator free?
Yes. Duplicator has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $79/yr.
How many sites use Duplicator?
WordPress.org reports 1M+ active installations of the free version. The vendor claims 1.5M+ sites in total. We estimate around 210K sites run the paid version.
Does Duplicator have scheduled backups?
Yes: paid version (Basic). Lite is manual only; Pro schedules daily to monthly, hourly from Plus.
Does Duplicator have incremental backups?
No: not included. Not listed in the plan matrix; each backup is a full archive.
Does Duplicator have one-click restore?
Yes: included. Lite restores a backup from wp-admin in one click.
Does Duplicator have site migration / cloning?
Yes: included. Core feature: package a site and rebuild it elsewhere with the installer.
Does free Duplicator schedule backups?
No. Duplicator Lite only makes backups when you start them. Scheduling, from daily to hourly, requires a Duplicator Pro licence.
What is Duplicator Cloud?
It is Duplicator's own storage for backups. It is a separate annual subscription, starting at $29 per year for 2GB, and is not included with Pro licences.
Can Duplicator restore a site that will not load?
Yes. The installer.php script runs outside WordPress, so you can upload it with the archive and rebuild the site. Pro also offers recovery points with a recovery link for quick rollbacks.
Which Duplicator plan includes staging and multisite?
Both start on the Pro plan ($399 per year for 20 sites). Basic and Plus do not include them.
Last updated 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.