How To Backup A WordPress Site For Free [Step By Step]

Are you trying to back up a WordPress site for free?

UpdraftPlus is the perfect solution for you! This tool is the most popular and well-rated backup plugin to secure a WordPress site.

It lets you back up your site automatically or manually to the cloud on a schedule you choose. You can restore the backup with just a few clicks.

In this article, I will walk you through a step-by-step process to back up a WordPress site for free using UpdraftPlus.

Please read:

UpdraftPlus Backup Plugin Overview

UpdraftPlus made the backups and restoration easy. It’s the most popular and highest-ranking backup plugin with more than 3 million active installations. You can back up your files and database to the cloud and restore them with a single click!

You can keep your backup in your preferred places like these with the free plan-

• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• Amazon S3
• Rackspace Cloud
• DreamObjects
• OpenStack Swift
• Updraft Vault
• Email
• FTP

If you try the UpdraftPlus Premium, you can get access to some additional storage, like-

• Microsoft OneDrive
• Microsoft Azure
• Google Cloud Storage
• Backblaze B2
• SFTP
• SCP
• WebDAV

How To Back Up a WordPress Site For Free

You have got a quick overview of UpdraftPlus. Now I will show you how can back up a WordPress site for free with UpdraftPlus step by step. Don’t skip any single step; you may miss many things.

Step 1: Install UpdraftPlus

To back up a WordPress site for free, you need to install the UpdraftPlus plugin first from the WordPress plugin directory. If you don’t know how to install WordPress plugins, you can check this step-by-step guide on installing WordPress plugins.

Simply go to your dashboard>>Add Plugins>>Search for UpdraftPlus from the menu bar.

Don’t forget to activate it once you have installed the plugin.

Step 2: Customise Updraft Settings

Once you have activated the plugin, go directly to your “settings.” Here you will find the “UpDraftPlus backup/restore page. Click here to customise your backup settings.

You can customise the UpdraftPlus settings according to your needs. Here you can back up your WordPress site manually anytime. To do that, you simply click on the Backup Now option.

You can also download the manual back to your local server or to a remote storage location in just a second.

Your tutorial on how to back up a WordPress site for free is done here. But I will show you some other steps that make taking backups easy with UpdraftPlus.

Step 3: How To Configure an Automatic Backup Schedule

If you find the manual backups troublesome, as many bloggers forget to keep their backups. In that case, you can set your settings to a scheduled backup option. Simply go to the Updraft backups/restoration page and set your scheduled backup period.

Here you can choose how often you wanna keep a backup. This option is best for bloggers who add content every week.

If you are the one who updates content every week, then you can choose the “Weekly” option. Don’t forget to “save changes” once you have set your backup options.

Step 4: Choose Your Remote Storage

UpdraftPlus has many remote storage solutions. You can choose your backup locations. Simply go to the settings tab, scroll down and choose your remote storage option.

You can select the remote storage, you would love to use. I have shown you the process of integration here with Google Drive. After selecting Google Drive and clicking on “Save Changes”, You will be redirected to a page like the following image.

Now click on the link, and you will be asked for your Google Account to enable UpdraftPlus and manage the files in your Google Drive.

After clicking on Allow, you will be redirected to the final page. Now all the backups will be stored in your Google Drive. If you wanna store your backup in more than one location, you can upgrade to the UpdraftPlus Premium Plan.

I hope you now know how to back up a WordPress site for free with Updraft. Now I will show you how you can restore your data in just a few clicks.

Final Step: How To Restore Backups From UpdraftPlus

People keep backups so that they can restore when necessary. The restoration process with Updraft-Plus is extremely easy. This takes just a few clicks to restore the backup files.

Simply go to the backup/restore page and select the Existing Backups tab. Here you will see some previous backups. Click on “Restore” to start restoring your files.

In the next step, you will be asked which elements you wanna restore. These consist of plugins, themes, uploads, databases, and others. If you need to restore your entire website, you must select all five options.

After selecting all five options, click on “restore” to start the restoration process. When you click on the option, there might be a few restore options.

Just keep clicking the “restore button a few more times every time it’s presented on your window. When you are done, you will see a success message like the following image.

This is how you can back up a WordPress site for free using UpdraftPlus. Some other WordPress plugins are also useful, but UpdraftPlus is the most recommended plugin among them.

UpdraftPlus Premium Features and Benefits

If you wanna add more advanced functionality to your backup tool, you can upgrade to the UpdraftPlus Premium plan. You can enjoy some awesome premium features with the upgrade that are not available on the free plan. Such as-

• Cloning & Migration: You can clone and migrate your WordPress website to a new domain without any hassle.
• Pre-update Backups: Your total website will be automatically backed up when there is any update in your theme, plugins, or WordPress.
• Extra Locations & Timed Backup: You can choose Microsoft OneDrive, Azure, Google Cloud, and so on as your remote storage. It also allows you to set an exact time to back up rather which is far better than any scheduled backup.

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How Much Does UpdraftPlus Premium Cost?

Server crashes, hacking and a simple user error can ruin your whole website anytime. So, it’s very crucial to have a backup of your WordPress website.

If you have already learned how to back up a WordPress site for free, then you should go for the premium one. The premium one comes with some premium features that give you more reliability and more hassle-free features.

UpdraftPlus Premium comes with five premium plans. Let’s have a look-

1. UpdraftPremium Personal (2 licenses)

You will get two licenses, a single UpdraftClone token, and a 1GB Updraft Vault quota only at $70 per year with this plan.

2. UpdraftPremium Business (10 licenses)

This plan will give you an additional 10 licenses and 2 UpdraftClone tokens at just $95 per year.

3. UpdraftPremium Agency (35 licenses)

You will get 35 licenses, 5 UpdraftClone tokens, and 1 GB updraftVault quota only at $145 per year with this plan.

4. UpdraftPremium Enterprise (unlimited licenses)

This plan will allow you unlimited licenses, 10 updraft clone tokens, and a 1GB updraftVault quota, only at $195 per year.

5. UpdraftPremium Gold (unlimited licenses)

You will get unlimited licenses, 10 UpdraftClone tokens, 1 GB UpdraftVault quota, and unlimited UpdraftCentral Cloud only at $399 per year.

You will get the following facilities with all the premium features-

• All add-ons
• 1 year of support
• 1 year of free updates
• 1GB of Vault storage

So, don’t be too late to grab Word’s best Backup plugin and protect your website from any disaster.

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Why You Should Use Updraft to Back Up a WordPress Site

If you run a WordPress site, you already know how important it is to protect your website data. A single crash, hack, or update error can cause serious data loss, which is why having reliable WordPress backups is non-negotiable.

I’ve tested many backup tools, but the one I recommend most to website owners is UpdraftPlus. It’s not just another backup plugin; it’s a complete backup resource trusted by millions.

Even though I know how to back up a WordPress site for free, I still choose UpdraftPlus because it combines simplicity, power, and reliability all in one.

What makes UpdraftPlus stand out is that it offers features for free that many paid plugins like Solid Backups, WP Database Backup, or even Total Upkeep, lock behind premium versions.

And while plugins like All-in-One WP Migration or WP Staging have their strengths, UpdraftPlus gives you a smoother experience straight from your WordPress dashboard.

Here’s why I strongly recommend using UpdraftPlus for your WordPress CMS backups:

1. Beginner-Friendly

You don’t need an FTP client or deep knowledge of Database Management to use this tool. With just a few clicks, you can back up your entire WordPress theme, Media Library, plugins, and even your MySQL database.

The process is so straightforward that even new website owners can schedule a files backup schedule or run a full restore with ease.

2. Trusted by Millions

More than 3 million websites & domains rely on UpdraftPlus for secure backups. With a 4.9 out of 5-star rating, it’s clear that this plugin has earned its reputation in the content management system community.

UpdraftPlus has become a go-to choice for preventing security breaches and protecting valuable website data.

3. Comprehensive Features

This is where UpdraftPlus really shines. You can set automated file backup schedules daily, weekly, or monthly and even run incremental backups to save server space and improve server performance.

It also supports real-time backup for sites that update frequently, making it perfect for eCommerce or high-traffic sites.

The restoration wizard makes it easy to recover your site in minutes. Plus, you can integrate with popular cloud storage services without worrying about storage limits.

And when it comes to website migration, UpdraftPlus ensures you can move your web property from one host to another without breaking your site structure, plugins, or WordPress themes.

Read also: Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared [Pros and Cons]

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Why Choose UpdraftPlus for WordPress Backup

If you are trying to back up a WordPress site for free, UpdraftPlus is a must-have plugin. The advanced tools of UpdraftPlus made it easy to set up and use a backup plugin. It helps to keep your site safe and secure.

Did I miss anything on how to back up a WordPress site for a free tutorial?

Don’t forget to let me know via the comment box. If you loved this tutorial, please share it with your friends who have a WordPress site and let them know how to back up a WordPress site for free.