Automated WooCommerce backups: database, plugins, external storage and restore testing

Running a WooCommerce store means protecting two things, not one: the database containing orders and customer data, and the site files with product images and uploads. Confusing the two is the most common mistake when setting up a backup "on the fly" and discovering the problem only when you need to restore.

Database or entire site: what's the difference

The database contains WooCommerce tables (orders, products, customers, meta). Files in wp-content/uploads contain product images, invoices generated by third-party plugins and any attachments uploaded by customers. A backup that saves only the database restores in seconds but leaves the site without images. A complete backup (files + database) requires more space and time, but it's the only way to get the shop back online exactly as it was.

Scheduling the plugin

UpdraftPlus is the most widely used plugin for this task: the official page on WordPress.org states that it's used by the community for WordPress site backup, restore and migration, and is actively installed on over 3 million sites worldwide. The free version includes manual and scheduled backups, one-click restore and one remote storage destination at a time. For those who prefer not to use the graphical interface, the free version works well for many stores, especially if you're comfortable with cron jobs or WP-CLI to schedule backups.

The Premium version is worth it when you need multiple destinations simultaneously or backups before every update: paying for Premium (£52 per year for 2 sites) makes sense if you want backups before each update, more than one storage destination, or a backup that also includes wp-config.php.

Plan	Sites	Price/year	Storage included
Free	unlimited	$0	-
Personal	2	$70	1 GB
Business	10	$95	1 GB
Agency	35	$145	1 GB
Enterprise	unlimited	$195	1 GB
Gold	unlimited	$399	50 GB

Source: official UpdraftPlus pricing page, verified on wordpress.org and teamupdraft.com in October 2026.

A free alternative is WPvivid: the free version offers scheduled backups, cloud storage integrations and migration tools, whilst the Pro version starts at $49 per year.

Where to save it: off-site

A backup is only useful if it's not on the same machine that might fail. When using a backup plugin, configure it to save copies off-site: some plugins do this automatically, whilst UpdraftPlus requires you to set up external storage manually. Integration with cloud storage works reliably with Google Drive, Dropbox, S3 and Backblaze already in the basic configuration: any object storage compatible with the S3 API (including your provider's own, if offered) can serve as a destination.

The test nobody runs

An unverified backup isn't a backup, it's a gamble. Before trusting it, restore it to a separate staging environment (a staging subdomain or a separate WordPress installation): import files and database from the saved copy, check that the shop opens, orders are present and product images load. Only then can the schedule be considered reliable. Repeating this test after any major hosting or backup plugin changes prevents surprises when you really need it.