WordPress Backup to S3: Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2 and Wasabi
Why WordPress backups belong off the server, how S3-compatible storage works, and what to check before you send backups to Amazon S3, R2, B2 or Wasabi.
By the BackupScope team2 min read
The most common way to lose a WordPress site with "backups" is to keep every backup on the same server as the site. When the disk fails, the hosting account is suspended or the server is compromised, the backups go with it.
Why S3-compatible storage
"S3" started as Amazon's storage service, but its API became the standard. Today many providers speak it:
- Amazon S3
- Cloudflare R2
- Backblaze B2
- Wasabi
- DigitalOcean Spaces, and self-hosted options such as MinIO
Because they share the API, a backup tool that supports S3 can send backups to any of them with an endpoint, a bucket name and an access key.
What to compare between providers
Pricing changes, so check each provider's current page, but compare the same things:
- Storage price per GB per month.
- Download (egress) charges. You pay these when you restore. Some providers charge nothing or little for egress.
- Request charges for uploads and listings.
- Minimum storage duration. Some providers bill deleted files for a minimum period.
- Region, for data-protection requirements and restore speed.
Set it up safely
- Create a bucket just for backups. Keep it private.
- Create an access key just for this bucket, with permission to upload, list, download and delete in that bucket and nothing else.
- Store the key securely. BackupScope Pro stores access keys encrypted in the database.
- Never make backup files public. A WordPress backup contains
wp-config.phpand your whole database.
Upload large backups in parts
A single multi-gigabyte upload is fragile on ordinary hosting. Multipart upload splits the archive into parts that are uploaded separately and joined by the storage service. If one part fails, only that part is sent again. BackupScope Pro uploads large backups this way, retries each part up to three times and resumes after an interruption.
Decide what happens to the local copy
Keeping the local copy gives you a fast restore; removing it saves disk space. BackupScope Pro lets you choose, and off-site copies follow their own retention rule. See how many backups to keep.
Test a restore from off-site
An off-site backup is only useful if you can get it back. Once, download a backup from your bucket and restore it on a staging site. The Restore Guide covers both a manual restore and one-click restore in Pro.
Frequently asked questions
Which S3-compatible storage is best for WordPress backups?
All the major ones work. Compare price per GB stored, request and download (egress) charges, the regions on offer and minimum storage durations against how often you back up and restore.
Are WordPress backups in S3 safe?
Keep the bucket private, use a dedicated access key with limited permissions, and store that key encrypted. Never make the bucket or the backup files public.
Can I restore directly from S3?
With BackupScope Pro, yes: one-click restore can fetch a backup from off-site storage. Without it, download the archive and restore by hand.
Backup your site. Understand your storage. Clean it safely.
BackupScope makes full, verified backups of your files and database, built for large sites. Pro adds schedules, off-site copies, restore, storage analytics and safe cleanup.