Snapshoter: WordPress Backup and Migration (Free)

Free WordPress backup and restore. Your site (database + files) goes into one .smartin archive: keep it on the server, move hosts, or work locally and restore when ready.

Works with Elementor, Divi, WooCommerce, and typical shared hosting. Restore updates URLs when the domain changes. Limits are your host's memory, time, and disk, not a plugin quota.

WordPress	6.0 or newer
PHP	7.4 or newer (8.0 to 8.3 is fine)
Site type	Single-site only (not Multisite)
Server	Apache, Nginx, or LiteSpeed with MySQL or MariaDB
Platforms	Normal Linux hosts, Local, and similar. Windows IIS if WordPress already runs there

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How to use Snapshoter Free

1. Install

1. Install from a zip, or copy the snapshoter folder into wp-content/plugins/.
2. Activate under Plugins.
3. Open Snapshoter in the admin menu.

You get the Backup & Restore screen: create backups, restore, and list files on the server.

2. Create a backup

Pick one:

• Full backup: database, uploads, plugins, and themes in a .smartin file (best for migration)
• Database only: .sql file
• Files only: .zip of wp-content (no database)

Leave Full backup selected and click Start backup.

1. The archive is built in chunks so small hosts can finish.
2. The file is saved under wp-content/uploads/snapshoter/ (or a custom path if you set one in wp-config.php).
3. It shows up under Stored snapshots.

If a backup fails, check PHP memory, max_execution_time, free disk space, or security plugins that block long admin requests.

Do a full backup before big updates or a host move. Use database-only for content-only rollbacks.

3. Stored snapshots

Stored snapshots lists name, date, and size for each archive on this server.

• Check the size looks normal (not a few KB).
• Download a copy before you restore or wipe the server.
• .smartin = full site, .sql = database, .zip = files.

Click Refresh if the list is outdated. Keep a copy off this server too.

4. Restore or migrate

On the site you want to restore into:

1. Activate Snapshoter Free.
2. Under Restore from a backup, drop a .smartin file (or choose one).
3. Click Review & restore and confirm.

The plugin checks the file before it overwrites anything. On a new domain it updates URLs in the database.

Stay on this screen until it finishes. Do not open the site front end during restore.

When it is done, log in again if asked, check a few pages and the media library, and clear any page or CDN cache.

5. Move to another domain

1. On the old site: full backup, then download the .smartin.
2. On the new host: install WordPress and Snapshoter Free.
3. Upload the .smartin and run Review & restore.
4. If links look wrong: Settings → Permalinks → Save.

You usually do not need a separate search-replace plugin.

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Common problems

Problem	Likely cause
Backup stops halfway	Host PHP timeout or low memory
Cannot activate on Multisite	Free is single-site only
Site shows maintenance after restore	Wait until restore finishes
Upload is slow	Large file and host limits; leave the tab open
Cannot find the file	Look in wp-content/uploads/snapshoter/ on the server that made it

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Privacy

Backups are stored on your server. A .smartin file contains a complete copy of your site and may include personal or sensitive data. Treat it like any other database or full-site backup and store it securely.

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Source

https://github.com/smartinjos/snapshoter-wordpress-backup

License

GPL v2 or later. See license.txt.