Research method:We reviewed Kinsta’s WordPress backup and disaster-recovery documentation on July 24, 2026.
Update policy:Retention and add-on pricing vary by plan, so verify the current MyKinsta and pricing information before relying on a schedule.
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains Kinsta affiliate links. We may receive a commission when a qualifying purchase is completed through a link, generally without changing the reader’s price. Ratings and placement are not determined solely by commission. Affiliate Disclosure
Bottom line: separate restore points from offsite retention
Daily backups are only one layer
Kinsta documents daily, manual, system-generated, hourly, external, and downloadable backups. Combine pre-change restore points with offsite or local retention based on the site’s recovery objective.
- Daily
- Automatic
- Manual
- Up to five
- Download
- Weekly, 48 hours
- External
- S3 or Google Cloud
Backup types and use cases
| Type | Use | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Routine restore points | Retention depends on plan |
| Manual | Before deployments and configuration changes | Maximum five |
| System-generated | Created around selected MyKinsta actions | Understand trigger events |
| Hourly | Ecommerce, membership, and booking sites | Paid add-on |
| External | Offsite cloud retention | May require manual restore workflow |
| Downloadable | Local archive or migration | Weekly generation, 48-hour download window |
What a restore changes
Kinsta describes its snapshots as including files, database, redirects, Nginx configuration, MyKinsta settings, and domain state. Changes made after the selected restore point can be lost, so capture the current state before restoration.
Standard change workflow
- 1.Create and label a manual backup before the change.
- 2.Test plugin, theme, and PHP changes in staging.
- 3.After production deployment, test forms, payments, cron, and cache.
- 4.Before restoring, identify data created after the restore point.
- 5.Use external or downloadable copies for critical retention.
Backup frequency by site type
Low-change sites
- Daily plus manual pre-change backup
- Periodic downloadable archive
- Documented restore test
Transactional sites
- Define acceptable data-loss window
- Consider six-hour or hourly add-ons
- Document offsite and restore procedures
FAQ
How many manual backups can Kinsta store?
The documentation states up to five manual backups.
Can I download a backup?
A downloadable backup can be generated once per week and remains available for 48 hours.
Can a backup be restored to staging?
Kinsta documents restoring a backup to a staging environment.
More Kinsta guides for your decision
Official sources reviewed
- Kinsta Docs — WordPress BackupsDaily, manual, hourly, external, downloadable, and restore workflows
- Kinsta Docs — Disaster RecoveryRecovery, monitoring, and external backup considerations
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