Best WordPress Backup Plugins for News Websites: Our Top 5 Picks

In this ever-evolving digital world that we now live in, news publishers need to think of multiple ways to secure their digital content and ensure that they are covered in the event of a mishap. Unforeseen instances such as a website crash, your hosting company going bust, or even a malware attack could lead to data loss, possible downtime, or loss of timely published articles. In addition, websites could also be vulnerable to security flaws, bad plugin or theme updates, and even insecure web hosts. Due to the rise of multiple digital threats, it is imperative that news websites have security measures in place. A backup acts as ultimate insurance in case anything unforeseen happened to the website.

Backups enable publishers to restore their websites to their previous state and minimize the impact that is possibly caused by hacks or crashes. Backup plugins have now become a critical component in any publisher’s arsenal, for without one, a news website stands at risk of losing years of work, critical data, and revenue.

Thankfully, there are several WordPress backup plugins that help in maintaining the safety and security of the website. They come with features such as regular backups, easy restoration options, and even malware scanning. These plugins do all the important work for the publishers, saving them a lot of time and effort.

Why a Backup Plugin is essential?

By backing up your news website you can mitigate risk in the event of an unpredicted accident or a suspicious event. A backup plugin automates the whole process of backing up data and even restoring the website, saving a lot of time for website owners. A backup plugin is critical for news websites because:

• · It provides an easy and convenient way to restore your website in case of data loss or damage.
• · Backup plugins help ensure that all website data, including content, files, and database information, is backed up regularly.
• · It provides an extra layer of protection against security threats and hacking attempts.
• · It reduces the risk of downtime by enabling quick and easy restoration of your website.

There are several WordPress backup plugins. To help you decide, we’ve jotted down some factors to look at while selecting.

• · Backup Frequency: The plugin should allow regular backups at desired intervals.
• · Backup Location: The plugin should allow backups to be stored in a secure location, preferably offsite.
• · Backup Type: The plugin should allow full or partial backups.
• · Restore Functionality: The plugin should allow easy restoration of backups.
• · Compatibility: The plugin should be compatible with the latest version of WordPress.
• · Support: The plugin should have an active support team to assist in case of issues.
• · Cost: The plugin should be cost-effective and provide value for money.

Keeping these factors in mind, we’ve narrowed down the top five WordPress backup plugins that news website owners can consider.

1. UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus is said to be one of the most popular backup plugins for WordPress with over 3 million installs. It offers a straightforward backup process that allows digital news website publishers to schedule regular backups of their website's content and database. It comes with features like restoration help, duplication of a website, database encryption, free dedicated expert support, and a lot more.

This plugin also enables users to back up their files and databases to multiple cloud storage platforms, including UpdraftVault, Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3 (or compatible), Rackspace Cloud, FTP, DreamObjects, OpenStack Swift, and email. There is a premium version that expands your options and allows you to back up directly to Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Storage, Backblaze B2, SFTP, SCP, and WebDAV.

The UpdraftPlus Premium packages begin from $70 for the personal plan while the Business plan is priced at $95.

2. Jetpack VaultPress Backup

Jetpack VaultPress Backup is a premium plugin from Jetpack for WordPress sites, which offers a comprehensive set of features, including real-time backups of your website content and database, easy restoration options, and automatic scanning for malware and viruses.

To use this plugin, the publisher will need to have a paid Jetpack plan that includes Backup or purchase the VaultPress Backup plan for using these features. It offers on-the-go restoration with the Jetpack mobile app, and expert support, and even offers options to restore the site even if it is offline. This plugin also offers an easy migration option, making it convenient for digital news website publishers to move their websites to another hosting provider when necessary.

The Jetpack bundle plan starts from $4.95 per month, whereas the VaultPress Backup individual plugin with limited features can be accessed by paying $0.1 per month.

3. BackupBuddy

BackupBuddy is yet another popular backup plugin that offers regular backups, easy restoration options, and malware scanning. It claims to be protecting over 1 million websites.

This is a premium plugin that offers a range of pricing options, depending on the size of the website and the number of sites that require backup. BackupBuddy plans start from as low as $99 per year. BackupBuddy claims to back up all WordPress files, all files in the WordPress Media library, the websites’ WordPress themes, WordPress plugins, and more. Once BackupBuddy completes backing up, the publisher gets a downloadable zip file of their entire WordPress website.

4. Duplicator

Duplicator is a WordPress plugin that offers an easy way to migrate a website from one location to another. It also offers backup and restoration options, making it a useful tool for news website publishers.

Duplicator is easy to use, and its backups are compatible with various cloud storage platforms such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Amazon S3, and FTP/SFTP. Just like BackupBuddy, Duplicator also creates a package that bundles all the site’s plugins, themes, content, database, and WordPress files into a simple zip file.

There is a Duplicator Pro premium plan that is priced at $199.50 per year and it offers premium features like drag-and-drop support, push notifications, professional support, and much more.

5. WPvivid Backup

WPvivid Backup is a freemium backup plugin that offers backup, migration, and staging as basic features. It also allows publishers to schedule backups, send backups to leading remote storage, and clean unused images before backup and migration.

This plugin also offers advanced features such as incremental backups, which save disk space, and a custom backup schedule that allows users to choose when to back up their website. It has over 200,000+ active installations, making it a popular choice among website owners. The Pro version [begins](https://wpvivid.com/pricing) for $29 per year, and the starter plan is said to be ideal for bloggers. If you are a freelancer or a small business owner, you may want to choose a more expensive plan that offers better support and features.

Best Practices for WordPress Backup and Restore Plugins

While picking a backup plugin can be a tedious process, there are certain practices that you should follow to make the most out of it. Here are some suggestions and the best practices for backing up and restoring WordPress.

1. Chosen a comprehensive backup plugin: Your backup plugin should be capable of taking a complete backup. This must include your database, themes, plugins, uploads, and other directories. Avoid plugins that only take specific backups. Using multiple backup plugins isn’t a good idea.
2. Automatic Backups: Your plugin needs to have the option to back up the website at regular intervals. The frequency of backup will depend on how much you post on a daily basis. For news publishers we recommend taking a backup daily, topical blogs can opt for a weekly backup.
3. Incremental backup: Some backup plugins do offer the option of incremental backup. This allows only the changes made since the last backup to be backed up. This process will help save server load and we highly recommend it for websites with moderate to heavy traffic. Another advantage of incremental backup is saved storage space.
4. Backup before updates: It is a good idea to back up your website before applying an update to the WordPress core, plugins, or themes. There is a possibility that updates might break something on your website causing it to go down. Having a recent backup will help ensure minimum downtime. It will help to have a manual backup right before updating the website.
5.  Multiple storage options: Storing the backup on the same server as the website is a bad idea. If the server crashes for any reason or gets hacked you risk losing your website and the backup. If you are a publisher with moderate to heavy traffic we would recommend using a cloud for storing your backup. not the best idea.
6. Test your backup regularly: The only thing worse than having a flat tire is having a spare wheel that’s flat as well. Your backup needs to be healthy to be restored. Test out your backup in a staging environment.
7. Backup before making major changes: If you are making a major change to the website like changing themes, changing major plugins, or even making custom changes, it is a good idea to have a backup ready. You can have multiple backups as well, however having too much might inflate your storage costs.
8. Encryption and Better support: If the plugin offers encryption enable it to ensure better protection of your data. Also, ensure your plugin offers good support for restoration. You might need help if you face issues while restoring from a backup.

Looking for different plugins for your website? Check out the best WordPress plugin for you blog. We have a list of 14 plugins to choose from.