All-in-One WP Migration vs UpdraftPlus Benchmark Comparison
Backup Scope
These plugins back up different data. Speed comparisons should account for scope differences.
| Component | All-in-One WP Migration | UpdraftPlus |
|---|---|---|
| Database | ||
| Plugins | ||
| Themes | ||
| Uploads | ||
| WordPress Core | ||
| wp-config.php |
Plugins that back up less data may appear faster but provide less protection.
Analysis
Written from this matchup's measurements. No editorial figures.
All-in-One WP Migration vs UpdraftPlus: the record
Across 5 recorded battles, All-in-One WP Migration leads 5 to 0. It has taken every decided run in this matchup, which is a consistent result rather than a close one. Elo currently has them at 1521 (All-in-One WP Migration) against 994 (UpdraftPlus).
Backup and restore speed
Backing up, All-in-One WP Migration averages 2.1s against 10.0s for UpdraftPlus. Restoring, it is 5.9s against 5.0s. The two phases disagree: All-in-One WP Migration takes the backup by 79% while UpdraftPlus takes the restore by 14%. Which one counts depends on what you are protecting against. Backups run on a schedule and their cost is ongoing; a restore happens once, on your worst day, and that is usually the minute you care about.
What each one actually backs up
These two do not back up the same thing, which is the part a speed chart cannot show you. UpdraftPlus archives WordPress core files and wp-config.php where All-in-One WP Migration does not. Time spent archiving more is not waste, so comparing seconds alone rewards whichever plugin does less. In practice, restoring from All-in-One WP Migration onto an empty server will not give you a working site on its own, because WordPress itself is not in the archive. That is a reasonable design if you treat core as replaceable, and a nasty surprise if you assumed otherwise.
Archive format and size
All-in-One WP Migration writes a .wpress archive, which concatenates files without compressing them, averaging 131 MB. UpdraftPlus writes a gz archive with compression, averaging 69 MB. That leaves UpdraftPlus about 62 MB smaller per backup, which compounds against every copy you retain. The gap is mostly the format rather than the engineering: compressing costs CPU on the way in and returns little on media that is already compressed, so the plugin that skips it finishes sooner and stores more. Neither choice is wrong, but they optimise for different bills.
Which should you choose?
If your backup window is the constraint, All-in-One WP Migration finishes first; if recovery time is what keeps you up, UpdraftPlus is the one that gets you back sooner; if you want the archive to stand on its own, UpdraftPlus captures more of the site; if you are paying for retention, UpdraftPlus writes less per copy. Every figure above links to the run that produced it, including the logs, so none of this has to be taken on trust.
Common questions
- Which is faster, All-in-One WP Migration or UpdraftPlus?
- On the runs recorded so far, All-in-One WP Migration backs up faster, averaging 2.1s against 10.0s. The restore goes the other way: UpdraftPlus recovers faster. Speed alone does not settle it, because the two plugins do not always archive the same content.
- Do All-in-One WP Migration and UpdraftPlus back up the same files?
- No. UpdraftPlus includes WordPress core files and wp-config.php, which All-in-One WP Migration leaves out. A smaller archive is not automatically a better one, and a faster backup is partly explained by there being less of it.
- How big are the backups?
- All-in-One WP Migration averages 131 MB per backup and UpdraftPlus averages 69 MB, measured on the same site profiles. Multiply by however many copies you keep before deciding the difference is academic.
- How does Backup Arena measure this?
- Both plugins run inside identical Docker containers against the same WordPress snapshot, on six hosting profiles ranging from constrained shared hosting to a dedicated box. Each configuration runs a discarded warm-up followed by three measured iterations, and the site is reset to a verified snapshot between every run. A backup that will not restore is a loss regardless of how quickly it was written.
- How much should I trust these numbers?
- This matchup has 5 recorded battles, which is enough to be indicative and not enough to be final. Every run is published with its logs so you can check the workings, and reruns can be requested.
Stats
By Site Profile
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