Backup protection · Five-provider policy comparison
Web Hosting Backup Policies Compared
A hosting plan is not safely backed up merely because the sales page says “backups included.” Compare how often copies are made, how long they remain available, what data is covered, whether you can restore or download them yourself, and what conditions can prevent a backup from being created.
SiteGround and DreamHost currently publish daily automated backups on their entry web-hosting offers. Hostinger Premium includes weekly backups, with daily backups on higher plans or as an add-on. Bluehost lists weekly website backups on its shared plans. Namecheap Stellar publishes twice-weekly or maintenance backups with important size and inode limits; stronger AutoBackup features are attached to higher shared tiers.
Backup policies at a glance
| Provider / plan | Frequency | Retention | Self-service restore | Downloadable copy | Main limitation | Checked / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HostingerWeb Premium / Business | Weekly on Premium; daily on Business or add-on | Daily add-on: latest 7 days | Documented hPanel restore controls | Verify by plan/workflow | Plan and add-on dependent | July 22, 2026Official source ↗ |
| BluehostShared hosting | Weekly listed | Not clearly standardized in public plan table | Verify exact restore path | Verify exact plan/product | Frequency label does not prove retention | July 22, 2026Official source ↗ |
| DreamHostLaunch / Growth / Scale | Daily automated | Verify exact service retention | Documented restore process | Keep independent copy | Product terms can differ | July 22, 2026Official source ↗ |
| SiteGroundStartUp / GrowBig / GoGeek | Daily automated | Up to 30 daily copies | Files, databases, and email | Premium Backup required for downloads | Hosted copies can disappear after deletion | July 22, 2026Official source ↗ |
| NamecheapStellar / Plus / Business | Twice-weekly or maintenance; AutoBackup on higher tiers | Tier and policy dependent | Verify AutoBackup/tier access | Create/export your own copy | 25 GB / 200,000 inode exclusions can apply | July 22, 2026Official source ↗ |
Original decision tool
Backup Policy Scorecard
Check an item only after verifying it for the exact plan. The score measures documentation coverage, not provider performance.
The six backup questions that matter more than “included”
Frequency
A weekly copy can mean losing several days of orders, leads, comments, edits, or uploaded files. Match frequency to how often the site changes.
Retention
Seven daily copies and thirty daily copies provide different recovery windows. A problem may remain unnoticed until the oldest safe version has expired.
Covered data
Confirm whether files, databases, email, staging sites, DNS, and account settings are included. A files-only copy is not a complete WordPress recovery plan.
Restore access
Self-service restoration is faster than waiting for support. Check whether full-site and partial restores are available and whether restores cost extra.
Downloadability
A backup stored only inside the same hosting account is vulnerable to account closure, billing disputes, or provider-level problems. Keep an offsite copy you control.
Exclusions
Storage, inode, account-status, malware, or deletion rules can prevent backup creation or access. Read the limitations, not only the feature label.
Best backup policy by situation
Content site updated weekly
A reliable weekly provider copy plus a separate offsite backup may be sufficient when changes are infrequent and losing several days would not be costly.
Business or lead-generation site
Use daily backups, test the restore path, and keep an independent copy. Form submissions and email should have their own retention plan.
Ecommerce or frequently updated site
Daily may still be too infrequent. Consider on-demand or more frequent application/database backups and document the recovery-point objective.
Migration or major update
Create a manual downloadable backup immediately before DNS changes, theme updates, plugin updates, imports, or database work.
A safer WordPress backup workflow
- Use the host’s automatic backup as the first recovery layer.
- Create a second backup stored outside the hosting account.
- Record the backup frequency and oldest available restore point.
- Confirm that both files and the database are included.
- Export important email separately when the host also stores mail.
- Test a restore on staging or a noncritical copy before depending on it.
- Take a manual copy before migrations, bulk changes, or major updates.
- Do not cancel or delete the old account until the destination site and email are verified.
The strongest policy is not automatically the provider with the largest backup number. The best fit is the plan that meets your recovery needs, provides a usable restore process, and still allows an independent copy outside the provider account.
Frequently asked questions
Do web hosts keep backups forever?
No. Hosting backups use limited retention windows and may disappear when a site or account is deleted. Keep an independent offsite backup you control.
Are daily backups included with every shared hosting plan?
No. Frequency and retention vary by provider and plan. Daily, on-demand, or downloadable backups may require a higher tier or separate service.
What should I verify about a hosting backup policy?
Verify frequency, retention, covered data, restore access, download capability, storage or inode exclusions, and what happens after cancellation or site deletion.
Research method and verification record
Backup frequency, retention, restoration, and exclusions verified from official provider documentation
Published: July 22, 2026 Content reviewed: July 22, 2026. This comparison covers public entry-level shared or web-hosting information. Availability can vary by plan, country, currency, account age, and checkout session. Provider facts are kept separate from HostWebReview editorial guidance.
- HostingerOfficial source check
- BluehostOfficial source check
- DreamHostOfficial source check
- SiteGroundOfficial source check
- NamecheapOfficial source check
Page-specific update history
Updates reflect verified policy or editorial changes.
- July 22, 2026: Initial five-provider comparison, standardized matrix, original decision tool, and article-level source records published.
- Provider dates: Maintained independently in the comparison and source log.
- Future revisions: Record the previous value, new value, official source, editor, and verification date only after a substantive change.