Backups are your safety net. Hacks, accidental deletions, database corruption, and bad updates can all destroy your website. When that happens, a recent backup is the difference between a quick recovery and starting from scratch.
Manual backups
The simplest approach: log into your server, copy your files and database to a local machine or cloud storage. This works for any hosting setup, web hosting or VPS. The downside is that it’s manual and easy to forget. If you go this route, set a reminder and do it on a schedule.
The critical rule: store backup copies somewhere other than the server itself. If your server dies, you lose the backups too.
cPanel backups
If you’re using cPanel on a Linux VPS or web hosting plan, cPanel has a built-in backup tool. You can create full or partial backups with a few clicks. The downside is that cPanel backups typically stay on the same server. Download them to your local machine or configure cPanel to send backups to a remote location (FTP, S3, etc.).
Cloud storage backups
Store your backups in a cloud service like Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, or even Dropbox. This keeps your backups safe regardless of what happens to your hosting. If you lose access to your VPS or web hosting account, your data is still recoverable from the cloud.
WordPress backup plugins
If you run WordPress, backup plugins (like UpdraftPlus, BackWPup, or others) can automate the entire process. Schedule daily or weekly backups, send them to cloud storage, and forget about it. The plugin handles files and database together.
Our backup service
We run automated backups for sites on our web hosting platform. For VPS hosting, we offer backup plans with 4-day or 30-day retention. These are VPS-level snapshots stored on a separate cluster. We still recommend keeping your own backups as an additional layer.
The best backup strategy uses multiple layers: host backups, your own backups, and off-site copies. Contact us if you want help setting up a backup plan for your hosting.