Which is faster, BackWPup or WP Staging Pro?

On the runs recorded so far, BackWPup backs up faster, averaging 2.6s against 7.7s. The restore goes the other way: WP Staging Pro recovers faster. Speed alone does not settle it, because the two plugins do not always archive the same content.

Do BackWPup and WP Staging Pro back up the same files?

No. BackWPup includes WordPress core files and wp-config.php, which WP Staging Pro 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?

BackWPup averages 160 MB per backup and WP Staging Pro averages 102 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.

BackWPup vs WP Staging Pro Benchmark

Arena/Leaderboard/BackWPup vs WP Staging Pro

Head-to-Head · 5 Battles

BackWPup

1263+/- 11348 total battles

WP Staging Pro

1007+/- 21048 total battles

Backup Scope

These plugins back up different data. Speed comparisons should account for scope differences.

Component	BackWPup	WP Staging Pro
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 WP Staging Pro: the record

Across 5 recorded battles, WP Staging Pro 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 1263 (BackWPup) against 1007 (WP Staging Pro).

Backup and restore speed

Backing up, BackWPup averages 2.6s against 7.7s for WP Staging Pro. Restoring, it is 11.9s against 4.1s. The two phases disagree: BackWPup takes the backup by 66% while WP Staging Pro takes the restore by 66%. 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. BackWPup archives WordPress core files and wp-config.php where WP Staging Pro does not. Time spent archiving more is not waste, so comparing seconds alone rewards whichever plugin does less. In practice, restoring from WP Staging Pro 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

BackWPup writes a tar archive, averaging 160 MB. WP Staging Pro writes a wpstg archive, averaging 102 MB. That leaves WP Staging Pro about 59 MB smaller per backup, which compounds against every copy you retain. Both compress, so the difference in size reflects what each one packed rather than whether it bothered to squeeze it.

Which should you choose?

If your backup window is the constraint, BackWPup finishes first; if recovery time is what keeps you up, WP Staging Pro is the one that gets you back sooner; if you want the archive to stand on its own, BackWPup captures more of the site; if you are paying for retention, WP Staging Pro 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 WP Staging Pro?: On the runs recorded so far, BackWPup backs up faster, averaging 2.6s against 7.7s. The restore goes the other way: WP Staging Pro recovers faster. Speed alone does not settle it, because the two plugins do not always archive the same content.
Do BackWPup and WP Staging Pro back up the same files?: No. BackWPup includes WordPress core files and wp-config.php, which WP Staging Pro 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?: BackWPup averages 160 MB per backup and WP Staging Pro averages 102 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.