BackupEase is a WordPress backup and migration plugin from PrecisionWP that creates complete, encrypted copies of your site and sends them to the storage of your choice, no code required. This guide walks you through installing the free plugin, and (optionally) adding BackupEase Pro on top of it.

Before you begin

BackupEase needs the following on your server:

  • WordPress 5.0 or later
  • PHP 7.4 or later
  • Permission to install plugins (an Administrator account on your site)
  • Enough free disk space for at least one backup archive of your site
Where your backups go

The free plugin can store backups locally on your server or in Google Drive. BackupEase Pro adds Dropbox, OneDrive, FTP and SFTP, and can upload a single backup to several destinations at once. You don’t need to decide now, you can connect storage after the plugin is installed.

Method 1: Install from the WordPress plugin directory

This is the fastest way to install the free version of BackupEase.

  1. Open the plugin installer In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins › Add New.
  2. Search for the plugin Type BackupEase into the search box in the top right.
  3. Install Find the card titled BackupEase by PrecisionWP and click Install Now.
  4. Activate When the button changes to Activate, click it.

That’s it. BackupEase is installed, and you should now see a BackupEase item in your WordPress admin menu.

Method 2: Upload the plugin ZIP manually

Use this method if you downloaded a ZIP file directly from your PrecisionWP account or from WordPress.org.

  1. Download the ZIP Save backupease.zip somewhere you can find it.
  2. Open the uploader Go to Plugins › Add New and click Upload Plugin at the top of the page.
  3. Choose the file Click Choose File, select your ZIP, then click Install Now.
  4. Activate On the next screen, click Activate Plugin.

Installing BackupEase Pro

BackupEase Pro is an add-on plugin that unlocks premium features such as extra storage destinations (Dropbox, OneDrive, FTP and SFTP), simultaneous uploads, advanced and multiple schedules, per-destination retention rules, faster tar.zst compression, and one-click site migration. It runs alongside the free plugin, not instead of it.

Pro requires the free plugin

Pro is declared with Requires Plugins: backupease, which means WordPress will not let it activate unless the free BackupEase plugin is already installed and active. Always install the free plugin first.

  1. Make sure free is active Confirm that BackupEase appears under Plugins › Installed Plugins and is active. If it isn’t, follow Method 1 or Method 2 above first.
  2. Download BackupEase Pro Sign in to your account at precisionwp.net and download backupease-pro.zip from your purchase history.
  3. Upload the ZIP Go to Plugins › Add New › Upload Plugin, choose the file, and click Install Now.
  4. Activate BackupEase Pro Click Activate Plugin. A new License tab will appear on the BackupEase dashboard, where you’ll enter your license key.

Verifying the installation

Once active, you should see:

  • A BackupEase top-level item in the WordPress admin menu.
  • A Dashboard screen showing your backup status and a button to run your first backup.
  • A Settings link directly from the Plugins screen row for BackupEase.
  • If Pro is also active, a separate License tab inside the BackupEase dashboard, where you enter your license key.

What’s next

With BackupEase installed, everything happens inside the plugin’s dashboard. Its controls are organised into the following areas:

DashboardBackup status at a glance, last-run details, and a one-click button to start a backup now.
BackupsCreate a manual backup, then browse, download, or restore the archives you already have.
SchedulesAutomatic daily, weekly, or monthly backups. Pro adds custom cadences and multiple named schedules.
StorageConnect and manage destinations: Local and Google Drive free; Dropbox, OneDrive, FTP and SFTP with Pro.
RestoreRoll your site back from any saved archive, with a serialization-safe search-and-replace.
RetentionPer-destination cleanup rules by count, age, or both, so old archives don’t pile up.
MigrationPro only. Move a whole site to a new location with a single-use, one-click pull migration.
LicensePro only. Activate, deactivate, and check the status of your BackupEase Pro license key.

For your very first backup, head to the Creating Your First Backup with BackupEase guide. To send backups off-site, see Connecting Cloud Storage Destinations.