CloudScale Backup & Restore vs WP STAGING – Backups & Restore, Migration & Clone Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups

Most backup plugins fail exactly when you need them most: on your biggest site, or the site that’s grown since you installed them. All-in-One WP Migration’s free version caps imports at 512MB (its Unlimited extension costs $69/year to remove the cap). Duplicator’s free version starts failing and timing out around 500MB, with no chunking until you upgrade to Pro. UpdraftPlus has no hard site-size limit, but its free version is restricted to a single cloud storage destination, so you’re stuck with whatever free-tier space that one provider gives you. CloudScale Backup & Restore has no site-size limit, no destination limit, and no plan wall. It reads your database in 500-row chunks and never loads the whole thing into memory, so a 50MB site and a 50GB site back up the same way, reliably, without hitting your host’s memory limit or execution timeout. It backs up to five destinations at once, for free: Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and CloudScale’s own Managed Cloud Backup, and every destination you enable gets a copy of every backup. Any Size, No Limits Streams the database in 500-row chunks via $wpdb; never loads the full database into memory, regardless of size set_time_limit(0) and ignore_user_abort(true) on every backup and restore, so PHP’s execution-time limit never cuts a large operation off mid-run Restore uses a character-level SQL parser that correctly handles quoted strings, escaped characters and multi-line INSERT statements, on files of any size System Info panel shows exactly which backup and restore method, and memory limits, your server is using Back Up to Five Destinations at Once Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive, using your own accounts, free, with no destination limit CloudScale Managed Cloud Backup: $5/month for 750GB of off-site storage on Amazon S3 Glacier Instant Retrieval, no separate cloud account needed Configurable retention: keep the last N backups on every destination, deleted automatically after each run. Managed copies are additionally capped at 90 days in storage, enforced even if the site stops running; your own cloud destinations follow whatever lifecycle rules you set on your own bucket Every destination you enable receives every backup automatically What It Backs Up Choose any combination, packaged into one .zip with a descriptive filename (for example backup_db-media-plugins_2026-02-21_09-10-00.zip) that reflects exactly what it contains: Full WordPress database: all tables, all data Media uploads folder (/wp-content/uploads/) Plugins folder (/wp-content/plugins/) Themes folder (/wp-content/themes/) Optional Site Root Extras: root-level files like php.ini, robots.txt, favicon, .well-known/, and search-engine verification files Optional Server Config Snapshot: read-only reference copies of your nginx/Apache config, PHP runtime settings and MySQL variables Post-restore environment comparison flags PHP version, missing extensions, lower memory/upload limits, or MySQL version differences between the backup’s original server and the one you restored onto Every zip includes backup-meta.json: plugin version, creation timestamp, WordPress version, site URL, table prefix, and which components were included, so you can verify a backup without restoring it Automatic backups are off by default. Run your first backup manually to confirm everything works on your server, then configure a schedule if you need one. Restore Safely Clicking Restore DB opens a confirmation modal that: Shows the exact backup file name and creation date you are restoring from Displays a warning box explaining what will happen step by step Requires you to tick a checkbox: “I have taken a server snapshot and understand this will overwrite the live database” Only enables the Restore button after that checkbox is ticked During restore, WordPress’s native .maintenance file is created so visitors see the standard maintenance page. It is always removed when restore finishes, whether the restore succeeded or failed. The plugin header shows a live badge indicating whether the site is online or in maintenance mode. Disaster Recovery Failover Mode: a standby server never creates, schedules, or allows a manually- or WP-CLI-triggered backup while flagged as a failover target, and says so on every admin screen EC2 AMI Snapshots: create a full machine image of your AWS-hosted server directly from the plugin, with optional reboot for filesystem consistency, plus AMI history and status polling Security Backup directory uses a randomised, non-guessable name, not a fixed predictable path Protection covers Apache (both .htaccess syntaxes), nginx, IIS (web.config), and a silent index.php, plus 0700 permissions, not just an .htaccess that nginx and IIS ignore A daily self-check fetches its own backup URL to confirm the directory genuinely isn’t publicly readable, and warns you with the exact server rule to add if it is All passwords passed to CLI tools via environment variable, not shell arguments Developer & Automation Trigger a backup from WP-CLI or a system cron job Configurable scheduling: any interval in days, and the exact hour of day to run Full backup history: view all stored backups with filename, type label, size, creation date, and age; download any backup directly from the WordPress admin One-click migration: restore the database from any stored backup or by uploading a .zip or .sql file, on the same host or a new one External services This plugin optionally connects to third-party services when those features are configured by the site administrator. No data is sent to any external service unless the administrator has explicitly enabled the relevant integration. Telegram Bot API (optional notifications) When Telegram is configured, the plugin sends backup, restore, and plugin rollback notifications, plus error alerts, to the administrator-configured Telegram chat via the Telegram Bot API. The message contains the site name, event status, and (for error alerts) a summary of the PHP error, file name, and line number. No personal visitor data, post content, or backup data is transmitted. No data is sent unless a Telegram bot token and chat ID have been entered in the plugin’s Notifications settings. API endpoint contacted: https://api.telegram.org/bot{token}/sendMessage Terms of Service: https://telegram.org/tos Privacy Policy: https://telegram.org/privacy Telegram Bot API documentation: https://core.telegram.org/bots/api Amazon S3 (optional cloud backup) When S3 settings are configured, the plugin uploads backup zip files directly to the administrator’s own S3 bucket via the AWS S3 REST API (no external tools required). Only the backup zip file is transmitted. Credentials (bucket name, access key ID, secret access key, region) are stored in the WordPress options table and are never sent anywhere except to the AWS S3 endpoint. API endpoint contacted: https://s3.{region}.amazonaws.com/ Terms of Service: https://aws.amazon.com/service-terms/ Privacy Policy: https://aws.amazon.com/privacy/ Google Drive (optional cloud backup) When Google Drive settings are configured, the plugin transfers backup zip files to the administrator’s own Google Drive account using the Google Drive v3 REST API and OAuth 2.0. No data is sent unless the administrator has completed the OAuth authorisation flow (entered a Client ID and Client Secret from Google Cloud Console and clicked “Connect to Google Drive”). Only the backup zip file is uploaded. OAuth tokens (access token and refresh token) are stored in the WordPress options table. API endpoint contacted: https://www.googleapis.com/ and https://oauth2.googleapis.com/ Terms of Service: https://policies.google.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy Dropbox (optional cloud backup) When Dropbox settings are configured, the plugin transfers backup zip files to the administrator’s own Dropbox account using the Dropbox v2 REST API and OAuth 2.0. No data is sent unless the administrator has completed the OAuth authorisation flow (entered an App Key and App Secret from the Dropbox App Console and clicked “Connect to Dropbox”). Only the backup zip file is uploaded. OAuth tokens are stored in the WordPress options table. API endpoint contacted: https://api.dropboxapi.com/ and https://content.dropboxapi.com/ Terms of Service: https://www.dropbox.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.dropbox.com/privacy Microsoft OneDrive (optional cloud backup) When OneDrive settings are configured, the plugin transfers backup zip files to the administrator’s own Microsoft OneDrive account using the Microsoft Graph REST API and OAuth 2.0. No data is sent unless the administrator has completed the OAuth authorisation flow (entered an Azure App Client ID and Client Secret and clicked “Connect to OneDrive”). Only the backup zip file is uploaded. OAuth tokens are stored in the WordPress options table. API endpoint contacted: https://graph.microsoft.com/ and https://login.microsoftonline.com/ Terms of Service: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servicesagreement/ Privacy Policy: https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement CloudScale Managed Cloud Backup (optional, paid service) When the administrator subscribes to the optional CloudScale Managed Cloud Backup service, the plugin contacts the CloudScale broker to request a short-lived, prefix-scoped Amazon S3 access token, then uploads backup zip files directly to CloudScale’s managed S3 storage (hosted in the EU, eu-west-1). Only the site’s domain name, the subscription licence key, and the backup zip file are involved; the backup bytes are uploaded straight to S3 and do not pass through the broker. No data is sent unless the administrator has subscribed and entered a licence key. API endpoint contacted: https://api.cloudscale.consulting/ (broker) and https://cloudscale-backup-restore-global.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/ (storage) Terms of Service: https://cloudscale.consulting/terms Privacy Policy: https://cloudscale.consulting/privacy PayPal (optional, payment for Managed Cloud Backup) Subscription payments for the optional CloudScale Managed Cloud Backup service are processed by PayPal. Payment details are entered on PayPal’s own hosted checkout page and are never collected, stored, or transmitted by this plugin. When the administrator starts a subscription, the subscriber’s email address and a PayPal order amount ($5.00 USD) are sent directly from the WordPress server to the PayPal REST API (api-m.paypal.com) to create a checkout session; no payment-card data is handled by the plugin or the WordPress site. No data is sent unless the administrator chooses to subscribe to the paid service. API endpoint contacted: https://api-m.paypal.com/ (live) or https://api-m.sandbox.paypal.com/ (sandbox testing) Browser-loaded script: https://www.paypal.com/sdk/js – PayPal’s JavaScript SDK, loaded into the plugin’s admin screen only after an administrator opens the subscription checkout. PayPal requires the SDK be served from its own origin so a compromised build can be revoked, so it cannot be bundled with the plugin. Terms of Service: https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full Privacy Policy: https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/privacy-full AWS EC2 / AMI snapshots (optional, AMI snapshot feature only) When the AMI snapshot feature is used, the plugin reads instance metadata (instance ID and region) from the local EC2 Instance Metadata Service at http://169.254.169.254. This address is only reachable from within an EC2 instance and no data leaves the server at this step. AMI creation, status poll, deregister, and snapshot delete requests are then issued directly to the AWS EC2 REST API (no external tools required). The same AWS credentials (access key ID and secret key) used for S3 are used; if none are configured the plugin attempts to use the EC2 instance role via IMDS. API endpoint contacted: https://ec2.{region}.amazonaws.com/ Terms of Service: https://aws.amazon.com/service-terms/ Privacy Policy: https://aws.amazon.com/privacy/ Automatic Crash Recovery: health check probe (optional) When Automatic Crash Recovery is enabled, the plugin periodically sends an HTTP request to the administrator-configured health check URL to verify the site is responding. The URL defaults to the site’s own home URL. No personal data is transmitted. The request is a plain GET with no authentication payload. The same probe is made when the administrator clicks “Test Health Check” in the plugin settings. If a system-cron watchdog script is installed on the server, that script also probes this URL independently via curl. The health check URL is set by the administrator and is never shared with any third party. No Terms of Service or Privacy Policy apply (the request goes to a URL you own). Files written outside the plugin folder The Automatic Crash Recovery feature writes a single file outside the plugin folder when it is enabled: wp-content/fatal-error-handler.php. This is a WordPress-recognised drop-in file (documented in the WordPress Developer Handbook under get_dropins()). WordPress core checks for this file on every request; if present, it replaces the default fatal-error screen with a custom handler. The plugin uses this mechanism to show a branded recovery page to visitors while a crash is being fixed, instead of a blank white screen. The file is written using the WordPress Filesystem API (WP_Filesystem). It is only written when the feature is enabled, only overwritten if it was written by this plugin (identified by an internal marker), and is deleted when the feature is disabled or the plugin is uninstalled. No personal data is stored in this file. Privacy Policy CloudScale Backup & Restore does not collect, transmit, or store any personal data. All backups are stored locally in the cloudscale-backups/ folder inside your WordPress uploads directory. No telemetry or analytics are sent by this plugin. Optional cloud backup features (S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, AMI snapshots) transmit data only when explicitly configured by the site administrator. See the External services section above.

WordPress Backup, Restore, Staging, Cloning & Migration — All in One WP STAGING is the all-in-one WordPress backup, restore, staging, cloning, and migration plugin, built for professional workflows with 100% unit-tested code, thousands of automated tests, and extensive end-to-end testing across supported PHP versions. Create a full backup or an exact clone or copy of your website in minutes. Use it to duplicate your site, test plugin and theme updates safely, restore your site when needed, move or migrate WordPress to another server, transfer your site to a new host, or build a staging copy before making changes. WP STAGING also works as a WordPress duplicator, so you do not need a separate duplicator plugin to copy your website. WP STAGING reliably backs up, clones, and migrates WooCommerce stores too, including orders, products, and customer data. WP STAGING is developed in Germany and designed for agencies, developers, and businesses that need reliable WordPress backup, recovery, staging, restore, and migration workflows. WP STAGING | PRO also includes advanced workflows such as Remote Sync, which lets you pull a WordPress site securely from one server to another using an API key, and WP STAGING CLI, which can turn a WP STAGING backup into a local Docker-based development site. All data stays on your server unless you choose a transfer or remote storage workflow. WP STAGING is designed for speed, reliability, and low-resource environments, including shared hosting. WP STAGING automatically performs search and replace for links and paths during cloning, backup, restore, and migration workflows. This staging and backup plugin can clone your website quickly and efficiently, even if it is running on a weak shared hosting server. WP STAGING FREE – BACKUP & STAGING FEATURES Clone the entire production site into a subdirectory like example.com/staging-site. High-performance backup and cloning, even for websites with very large databases. Create full or partial backups — full-site backup, database-only, or files-only backups. Scheduled backups with automatic daily backups. Easy to use: create a clone or backup in one click. Efficient background processing without slowing down your website. No Software as a Service and no external account required. All your data stays on your server. Your data belongs to you only. No server timeouts on huge websites or weak servers. Fast backup, clone, and restore workflows depending on site size and server resources. Use the clone as part of your backup and update strategy. Only administrators can access the cloned or backup website. SEO-friendly staging sites with login protection and no-index handling. The admin bar on the staging / backup website is orange colored and shows when you work on the staging site. Extensive logging features. Supports Apache, Nginx, Microsoft IIS, and LiteSpeed Server. Every release passes extensive automated tests to keep the plugin robust, reliable, and fast. Fast and professional support team. WP STAGING | PRO – BACKUP & STAGING FEATURES The features below are available in WP STAGING | PRO. Remote Sync – Pull a WordPress site securely from one server to another. WP STAGING CLI – Turn a backup into a local Docker-based development site. Migrate and transfer WordPress to another host or domain. Push staging changes to production (staging to live), including plugins, themes, and media files, with one click. Clone a backup or staging site to a separate database. Choose a custom directory for a backup or cloned site. Select a custom subdomain destination like dev.example.com. Define user roles for accessing the clone or backup site. This can be clients or external developers. Multisite support for migration, backup, and cloning. Schedule recurring backups by time and interval. Download and upload backups to another server for migration and transfer. Backup retention settings. Custom backup names. Email notifications if a backup cannot be created. WordPress multisite backup and restore. Cloud backup, offsite backup, and remote backups to external storage providers. Backup to Google Drive. Backup to Amazon S3. Backup to (S)FTP. Backup to Dropbox. Custom backup folder destinations for cloud storage providers. Priority support. DOCUMENTATION How to Backup and Restore WordPress Backup and Restore WordPress Backup & Transfer WordPress Site to Another Host How to Migrate Your WordPress Site to a New Host Remote Sync Pull a WordPress Site from One Server to Another Local Docker Development with WP STAGING CLI WP STAGING CLI – Upgrade Now All Backup Guides All Backup Guides Working with Staging Sites Working with Staging Sites FAQ for Backup & Cloning FAQ for Backup & Cloning Troubleshooting Backup & Cloning Troubleshooting Backup & Cloning WP STAGING BACKUP & CLONING TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS & INFORMATION Works on latest version of WordPress Minimum Supported WordPress Version 3.8 Cloning and Backup work on all webhosts No extra libraries required Backup & cloning supports huge websites Custom backup format is much faster and smaller than any tar or zip compression Backup & cloning works in low memory & shared hosting environments SUPPORT WP STAGING Backup & Cloning