BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus Benchmark Comparison
Backup Scope
| Component | BackWPup | 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.
BackWPup vs UpdraftPlus: the record
Across 5 recorded battles, UpdraftPlus leads 3 to 1 with 1 drawn. The record is split, so the margin matters more than the tally. Elo currently has them at 1263 (BackWPup) against 994 (UpdraftPlus).
Backup and restore speed
Backing up, BackWPup averages 3.3s against 9.4s for UpdraftPlus. Restoring, it is 13.1s against 4.3s. The two phases disagree: BackWPup takes the backup by 65% while UpdraftPlus takes the restore by 67%. 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
Both plugins archive the same set of content, so the timings below compare like with like. Where that is not true, this section says so.
Archive format and size
BackWPup writes a tar archive, averaging 164 MB. UpdraftPlus writes a gz archive with compression, averaging 69 MB. That leaves UpdraftPlus about 95 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, BackWPup finishes first; if recovery time is what keeps you up, UpdraftPlus is the one that gets you back sooner; 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, BackWPup or UpdraftPlus?
- On the runs recorded so far, BackWPup backs up faster, averaging 3.3s against 9.4s. 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.
- How big are the backups?
- BackWPup averages 164 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
Looking for the arena's top-ranked option? See how SafeGuard compares.