The last thing you want is a DDoS attack or hosting failure on your site that causes you to lose everything. All the content, images, videos, and design gone forever. That’s a lot of time and money wasted. Instead of taking the risk, consider using one of these five backup solutions for WordPress.

1. BackupBuddy

Set it and forget it is how BackupBuddy works. iThemes created this backup solution for WordPress to help people who are busy. All you have to do is set up the schedule for when you want it to back up your site. Many people choose Fridays to schedule the backup because then everything that has happened throughout the week will be saved. Other people like to schedule a backup more frequently such as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The number of times you choose to back up your site depends on how often it’s updated with new information. When BackupBuddy does back up the data on your site, it will store it on Dropbox, Rackspace Cloud, an FTP server, or send it to your email.

If something does happen to your site, use this plugin to restore all your data quickly and easily. You can simply use WordPress installation to upload your files and your site will be back up and running. If you ever need to migrate your site to another server, you can use the backup files to do that as well.

2. VaultPress

BackupBuddy operates on a schedule, but VaultPress can backup your site every time a change is made. Whenever there’s a new comment, blog post, or anything published on your site, it’s recorded for you. This is perfect for sites that change on a daily basis.

In addition to real time backups, you can benefit from this plugin’s ability to scan your site for security threats. You’ll be alerted as soon as there’s a threat, so you can take care of it before it affects your website’s visitors. For most security issues, VaultPress can repair them with a simple click. All data loss can be easily restored in a matter of minutes too.

3. Snapshot

Snapshot does just that, it takes a snapshot of your site. Just like BackupBuddy, it can back up your site automatically on a schedule you set. You can save all your data to Dropbox, SFTP, and Amazon S3.

What makes Snapshot unique is its “Time Machine” feature. It puts all your data into tables. You can then select what you want to keep and what you want to dispose of because you don’t need it anymore. You can also make notes for certain data. You may want to place dates to let you know how important the data is, or you may just want to label backups, so you can organize the information better. By having full control over your backup, you can restore what you want when you need to do it.

4. WP Migrate DB

This plugin will export your data with a MySQL data dump. The files can then be saved on your computer. While developers use it to update a local install with new data, it can be used by anyone to back up their site.

WP Migrate DB Pro Version allows you to do more. You can choose what you want to store, just like Snapshot’s Time Machine. You can use the find and replace feature as much as you want, and use all of their handy tutorials.

5. Ready! Backup

This easy to use backup plugin is best for beginners, however advanced website owners won’t mind its simpilcity. You can choose from manual or automatic backups. Data can be stored to Dropbox, FTP or email. Everything is included during the backup process such as archives and emails.

The plugin now supports larger sites (over 500 Mb). It has a new, improved user interface as well. Individuals needing a backup solution in a language other than English can easily swap the language file.

With so many backup solutions for WordPress, it can be difficult to decide which one to choose. Most people start with an easy one like Ready! Backup. Once their site grows and they become a bit more comfortable with backing their site up, they switch over to some of the others with more features. They may prefer the VaultPress, so that their site updates automatically whenever anything changes, or they may switch to Snapshot because they can clean up and organize their site before restoring it.

A solution’s user interface is definitely a deciding factor. You may like the simplicity of Ready! Backup, but prefer the additional features that BackupBuddy and WP Migrate DB provide. Since these are all affordable solutions, take the time to try the various options available until you find the one that works best for your needs. We all want peace of mind that our website is safe and secure. What do you use to backup your WordPress site?