Duplicator

by Syed Balkhi
Tested with WP 7.1.3 Updated 10 days ago Free, GPLv2

Our take

Duplicator is a favorite for moving WordPress sites: you build one package, upload it with the installer to the new server and the wizard does the rest, even on a server without WordPress installed. The free version handles full backups and migrations. Scheduled backups and multisite support come with Pro.

Good

  • Moves sites between hosts and domains
  • Installer works on an empty server
  • Handles large sites in small steps
  • Free version is not size-limited

Watch out

  • Scheduled backups are Pro
  • The installer step takes some getting used to

Duplicator bundles all of a WordPress site, including files, plugins, themes, media and the database, into a single archive, along with an installer script. That package works as a backup, and it is also the easiest way to move a site to a new host, change its domain or make a copy for testing.

How a migration works

Build a backup on the current site and download the archive and installer. Upload both to the new location and open the installer in your browser. It creates the database tables, replaces the old domain in the content and finishes the setup, so WordPress doesn’t even need to be installed there first.

Main features

  • Full site backups of any size, processed in chunks
  • Migration and cloning between hosts and domains
  • Installer that works on an empty server
  • Several archive engines to suit different servers

Duplicator Pro adds scheduled backups, more cloud storage options, multisite support and staging sites.