UpdraftPlus Pro – The Most Trusted Backup & Migration Plugin for WordPress (GPL Premium Version)

If you’ve ever experienced the panic of a broken WordPress site, you know the value of a reliable backup solution. For me, the game-changer was UpdraftPlus Pro, a plugin that not only makes backups effortless but also ensures migrations and restorations are quick and painless.

I’m sharing my hands-on experience, along with a step-by-step tutorial, so you can see why it’s worth getting from free GPL WordPress resources and using it on unlimited sites without worrying about license restrictions.

Why UpdraftPlus Pro Is My Go-To Backup Plugin

Over the years, I’ve tried several backup tools — some were too basic, others too complicated, and many lacked the reliability I needed. UpdraftPlus Pro nails the perfect balance:

One-click backup and restore
Full site or selective backups
Cloud storage integrations with Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, and more
Scheduled automatic backups so I never forget
Migration and cloning tools for moving sites without downtime

Getting the GPL Version of UpdraftPlus Pro

I downloaded my copy from UpdraftPlus GPL Pro Version, which comes with:

All premium features unlocked
GPL-compliant code — safe to use and update
Unlimited site activation — perfect for agencies managing multiple WordPress installs

It’s essentially the same powerful plugin, but without the per-site licensing limitations.

Step-by-Step Installation

Download the ZIP file.
Go to WordPress → Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
Select the file, click Install Now, then Activate.
You’ll see UpdraftPlus in the left admin menu.

From here, it’s just a few clicks to your first backup.

Creating Your First Backup

Navigate to UpdraftPlus → Backup / Restore.
Click Backup Now.
Choose whether to include database, plugins, themes, and uploads.
Click Backup Now again — and watch as the process completes in minutes.

I recommend storing backups remotely rather than just on your server.

Setting Up Automatic Backups

One of my favorite features is automated scheduling:

Go to Settings in UpdraftPlus.
Choose how often backups run (daily, weekly, monthly).
Set separate schedules for database and files.
Select a remote storage destination.

For my eCommerce sites, I do daily database backups and weekly full backups.

Cloud Storage Integration

UpdraftPlus supports over a dozen storage options:

Google Drive
Dropbox
Amazon S3
OneDrive
WebDAV
FTP / SFTP

Once linked, backups automatically upload to your chosen location, ensuring redundancy and safety.

Migrating a WordPress Site with UpdraftPlus Pro

For me, migration used to be one of the most stressful parts of WordPress management. Manual migrations required database exports, file transfers, search-and-replace operations, and troubleshooting broken URLs. UpdraftPlus Pro changed that entirely.

Here’s how I recently migrated a WooCommerce store in under an hour:

Backup the Source Site
- Create a fresh full backup from the Backup / Restore tab.
- Store it on Google Drive for easy retrieval.
Install UpdraftPlus Pro on the New Site
- You can use the same plugin copy from UpdraftPlus GPL Pro Version.
Restore the Backup
- Connect the destination site to the same storage location.
- From the Existing Backups tab, click Restore.
- Select Database + Plugins + Themes + Uploads.
Update Permalinks & Settings
- After restoring, visit Settings → Permalinks and click Save Changes.

The migration module handles serialized data, search-replace for domain changes, and keeps everything intact — no broken layouts or missing media.

Incremental Backups for Heavy Sites

Large websites, especially content-heavy blogs or WooCommerce stores, can’t afford to run full backups every few hours — it’s slow and resource-intensive. Incremental backups solve this by only backing up changes since the last run.

With Pro, you can:

Set incremental backups as frequently as every hour.
Save bandwidth and server resources.
Maintain near real-time backup protection.

I’ve used this for a client running a news portal — with hourly database incrementals — and it’s been flawless.

Disaster Recovery: Restoring After a Hack or Crash

When your site goes down unexpectedly, every minute matters. UpdraftPlus Pro’s restore process is incredibly fast:

Access UpdraftPlus in WordPress.
Locate your latest backup in Existing Backups.
Click Restore and select all components.
Within minutes, the site is back online.

I once restored a hacked site in under 15 minutes — something that would have taken hours with manual recovery.

Multisite Network Support

For agencies or developers running WordPress Multisite:

Backup the entire network or individual sites.
Restore a single subsite without affecting the others.
Use the same GPL compliant unlimited site Pro plugin solution to activate on all installs.

Security & Storage Best Practices

While UpdraftPlus ensures backups are stored safely, you can enhance security with:

Encrypted database backups
Off-site storage (Google Drive, S3, Dropbox)
Storing at least one copy offline or in a different cloud

Never rely solely on your hosting provider’s backups — if the server fails, your backups might vanish with it.

Why GPL Access Makes Sense

Buying official licenses for multiple sites can be costly. With the GPL model:

You get full premium features without recurring site-based costs.
Installation on unlimited domains is possible.
Updates remain consistent and secure.

That’s why my main backup strategy uses GPL-sourced UpdraftPlus Pro, installed across all client sites.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a freelancer managing a single site or an agency handling dozens, UpdraftPlus Pro is one of the most critical tools in your WordPress toolkit.
From effortless migrations to real-time incremental backups, it keeps your projects safe and your workflow efficient.

UpdraftPlus – The Most Trusted Backup & Migration Plugin for WordPress(free download)