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Full vs Incremental vs Differential Backups: Key Differences

Hey everyone! As a digital nomad I’ve learned a lot about the importance of backing up my website especially with all the moving parts involved.

There are a ton of different backup methods and it can be confusing to figure out which one is right for you.

Today I want to break down the three main types of backups: full incremental and differential.

These methods each have their pros and cons and understanding them can help you choose the best backup strategy for your needs.

Full Backups: The Comprehensive Approach

A full backup is like taking a snapshot of your entire website at a specific point in time.

It includes every single file and piece of data from your WordPress installation and database to your themes plugins images and even those silly cat memes you keep uploading.

It’s the most thorough type of backup you can do and it’s great for peace of mind.

Think of it as a complete backup of everything you’ve ever done on your website. It’s like a time capsule of your digital journey.

Here’s why full backups are awesome:

Restoring is a breeze: If you ever need to restore your site to an earlier version having a full backup makes the process fast and simple. All the files are in one place so you can restore your site to its previous state with a few clicks.
Great for migration: Want to move your website to a new server or hosting provider? Full backups make this process easy. You can simply copy all the files and data to your new location and you’re good to go.

But there’s always a catch…

They take up a lot of space: Full backups can be enormous especially if you have a large and active website. This can strain your storage space and slow down your backups.
Backup and restore times can be lengthy: With all that data full backups can take a while to create and restore. It’s not exactly the speediest process.

Therefore full backups are often best used for:

Periodic backups: Scheduling full backups weekly monthly or even less frequently can be a good strategy for creating a complete snapshot of your website at regular intervals.
Before and after major updates: It’s wise to perform a full backup right before you update your WordPress core files themes or plugins. That way you can roll back to the previous version if anything goes wrong.

Incremental Backups: Save Only the Changes

Now let’s talk about incremental backups.

These are much more efficient than full backups but they require a bit more planning.

Instead of saving everything incremental backups only store the files and data that have changed since the last backup – whether full or incremental.

Imagine it like this: you have a diary where you only write down the events of the day that are different from the previous entry. This way you’re not rewriting the whole story every day.

Here are the key advantages of incremental backups:

Save storage space: Incremental backups are much smaller than full backups because they only store the changes. This is a major advantage for websites with frequent updates or large amounts of data.
Fast backup and restore: Incremental backups are lightning fast because they’re only working with a small amount of data. This means less time spent waiting for backups to finish and faster restoration times.
Less bandwidth used: Because they’re smaller incremental backups put less strain on your server and your internet connection.

But there’s always that other side to the story…

Requires a full backup first: You need to create a full backup before you can start using incremental backups. This is because incremental backups only save the changes so they need a starting point to reference.
Restoring can take longer: When restoring from incremental backups you need to combine the full backup with all the incremental backups since the last full one. This can take a bit longer than restoring from a full backup.

Incremental backups are perfect for:

Frequent updates: If you update your website regularly incremental backups are ideal for keeping your backups up-to-date without the storage burden of full backups.
Minimizing server strain: Incremental backups are gentle on your server resources making them a good option for websites with limited resources.

Differential Backups: The Middle Ground

Last but not least we have differential backups.

These are a happy medium between full and incremental backups.

They save all the changes since the last full backup.

Unlike incremental backups which only save changes since the last backup of any type differential backups always reference the most recent full backup.

Picture this: you have a list of daily tasks you’ve completed. A differential backup would be a list of all tasks you’ve done since the start of the week whereas an incremental backup would only include the tasks you did today.

Here’s what’s great about differential backups:

Faster than full backups: They are quicker to back up and restore than full backups because they only include the changes since the last full backup.
More efficient than incremental backups: Differential backups are more efficient than incremental backups because they don’t need to reference all the previous incremental backups to restore the data.

However keep these points in mind:

Take up more space than incremental backups: Differential backups can take up more space than incremental backups because they may store duplicate files.
Dependent on previous full and differential backups: If the last full backup or differential backup fails you won’t be able to complete a differential backup.

Differential backups are a good choice when:

You want faster backups and restores than full backups: If you want the benefits of faster backups and restores without the storage overhead of full backups differential backups can be a good compromise.
You don’t need the most granular level of detail: If you don’t need to restore your site to a specific point in time and are happy with restoring to the last full backup differential backups can be an efficient option.

Combining Backup Types for Maximum Protection

Now that we’ve covered the three main types of backups I want to emphasize that using a combination of them is usually the most effective strategy for protecting your website.

You can schedule full backups monthly weekly incremental backups and even daily differential backups to ensure you have a solid backup plan in place.

Secondary Backups: Focusing on Specific Parts of Your Website

You can also use secondary backups to target specific sections of your website.

These backups are like specialized tools that you can use for specific tasks allowing you to back up specific elements without backing up the entire site.

Let’s dive into these secondary backup types:

Database-Only Backups: Protecting Your Website’s Heart

Your WordPress database is the lifeblood of your website.

It stores all your posts pages comments and other important information.

Keeping your database backed up is crucial especially if you’re constantly adding new content or making changes to your website.

Think of your database as the central control room of your website. It’s where all the important information is stored and managed.

You can create database-only backups:

Manually: Using tools like phpMyAdmin you can export your database tables as a zipped file. This gives you precise control over which tables you want to back up.
Using a plugin: Many plugins offer automated database backup solutions making the process easy and hassle-free.

Plugins-Only Backups: Safeguarding Your Website’s Functionality

Plugins are a vital part of many websites adding features and functionality that enhance your website’s capabilities.

Backing up your plugins is crucial especially before installing new plugins or updating existing ones.

This way you can easily revert to the previous version if something goes wrong.

Just like how you wouldn’t try to build a house without a solid foundation plugins are the foundation that adds functionality to your website.

You can back up your plugins:

Manually: Using an FTP client you can navigate to the plugin folder in your website’s root directory (typically in the wp_content folder) and download the entire folder.
Using a plugin: Plugins specifically designed for plugin backup can simplify the process and automate it for you.

Theme-Only Backups: Preserving Your Website’s Style

Themes are the visual backbone of your website determining the overall look and feel of your website.

It’s smart to back up your themes before installing new ones or updating existing ones.

This way you can quickly revert to the previous version if any issues arise.

Imagine your website’s theme as the architect who designs the layout and style of your website. A theme-only backup ensures you can always restore the design to its original form.

You can back up your themes:

Manually: Using an FTP client you can download the zipped theme folder located in your website’s root directory.
Using a plugin: Plugins dedicated to theme backups can handle this task automatically saving you time and effort.

Media-Only Backups: Archiving Your Visual Assets

Your website’s media library is a treasure trove of images videos and audio files that enhance your content.

Backing up your media files is essential especially if you’re uploading large files or valuable media content.

This ensures you won’t lose any of your valuable assets if something happens to your website.

Think of your media library as a digital library containing all the visual and audio resources that bring your website to life.

You can back up your media files:

Manually: Using an FTP client you can download the uploads folder located in your website’s root directory. This folder typically contains all the media files uploaded to your Media Library.
Using a plugin: Plugins designed for media backup can automate this task and make it easy to back up your entire media library.

Choosing the Right Backup Solution: Finding the Perfect Fit

With so many backup options it can be overwhelming to choose the right solution.

The best approach is to evaluate your needs and choose a backup strategy that addresses those needs.

Here are a few factors to consider when choosing a backup solution:

Frequency of updates: If you update your website frequently incremental or differential backups are often the most efficient.
Website size: Large websites may require more storage space making full backups less feasible.
Budget: Some backup solutions are free while others require a paid subscription.
Automation: Automated backup solutions can save you time and effort.
Restoration speed: Some backup solutions offer faster restoration times than others.

The Power of Real-Time WordPress Backup Plugins

There are many WordPress backup plugins available and I’ve found that real-time backup plugins offer the best protection for my website.

These plugins automatically create backups of your website as changes are made ensuring that you always have a recent version of your site available.

My top recommendation for real-time WordPress backup plugins is Jetpack Backup.

Here’s what makes Jetpack Backup stand out:

Complete incremental and differential backups: You get the best of all worlds with real-time backup options for all three types of backups offering a comprehensive backup strategy.
Offsite storage: Jetpack stores your backups offsite ensuring that your backups are safe even if your website goes down.
One-click restores: You can restore your website to an earlier version with just a few clicks making the restoration process quick and easy.
Mobile app access: You can restore your website from anywhere in the world using the Jetpack mobile app.
Reliability and security: Jetpack is built on WordPress’ infrastructure ensuring a reliable and secure backup solution.
Additional security features: Jetpack offers other security features such as malware and security scans activity logs anti-spam functionality downtime monitoring and more making it a well-rounded security solution.

The Final Word: Safeguarding Your Digital Legacy

No matter what kind of website you have backing up your data is essential.

It’s like having an insurance policy for your digital assets providing peace of mind and ensuring you can recover from any disaster.

By understanding the differences between full incremental and differential backups and exploring secondary backup options you can choose the best backup strategy for your website.

I’m a huge advocate for using real-time backup plugins like Jetpack Backup as they offer a comprehensive and secure solution for protecting your website.

And remember the best backup strategy is one that you actually use and maintain regularly.

Don’t wait until something bad happens!