{"id":29025,"date":"2021-08-29T15:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-08-29T13:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/?p=29025"},"modified":"2022-02-03T10:45:00","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T09:45:00","slug":"best-staging-plugins-for-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/best-staging-plugins-for-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Best Staging Plugins for WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Whenever you\u2019re about to make a substantial change to your website, your first step should be to head over to your staging site and test it first. Whether you\u2019re trying to <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-update-a-wordpress-theme-without-losing-customization\/\">update your WordPress theme<\/a> and you\u2019re afraid you might lose some customizations that you\u2019ve made, or you want to make sure that a plugin won\u2019t cause your website to crash, a staging site will provide you with a safe environment in which you can try things out.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]There are a couple of ways you can <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-setup-wordpress-staging-site\/\">set up a staging site<\/a>, and using plugins is one of them. In this article, we\u2019ll show you seven of the best staging plugins for WordPress. Our list includes:[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;22px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#blogvault\">BlogVault<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#updraft-clone\">Updraft Clone<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#wp-staging-backup-duplicator-migration\">WP Staging \u2013 Backup Duplicator &amp; Migration<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#wp-stagecoach\">WP Stagecoach<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#wp-time-capsule\">WP Time Capsule<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#wpvivid-backup-plugin\">WPVivid Backup Plugin<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=&#8221;new-top-picks-banner&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"blogvault\"><\/a>BlogVault<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"542\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BlogVault.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"BlogVault\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BlogVault.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BlogVault-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BlogVault-768x430.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BlogVault-620x347.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]There are more than a few scenarios where you could find yourself in the need of <a href=\"https:\/\/blogvault.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BlogVault<\/a>. <strong>It\u2019s one of the best-known WordPress plugins when it comes to backing up and restoring websites.<\/strong> BlogVault is also useful for site migrations and, of course, allowing you access to a staging environment.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]BlogVault\u2019s staging functionality is great for a couple of reasons. For one,<strong> it happens off-site on BlogVault\u2019s servers<\/strong>. It\u2019s easy to set up regardless of the hosting service you\u2019re using, and <strong>it offers easy merging with your live website<\/strong>. You can even <strong>choose whether you want to merge specific changes or the full staging site.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Staging is a core feature of BlogVault\u2019s product, and you can use it for free<strong> as long as you\u2019re subscribed to BlogVault with prices starting at a bit over $7 per month.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"updraft-clone\"><\/a>Updraft Clone<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Updraft-Clone.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Updraft Clone\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Updraft-Clone.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Updraft-Clone-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Updraft-Clone-768x435.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Updraft-Clone-620x351.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Staying with the most popular backup plugins that might also offer staging service, we come across UpdraftPlus and its <a href=\"https:\/\/updraftplus.com\/updraftclone\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Updraft Clone<\/a> service. <strong>The core UpdraftPlus plugin is free to use, and it offers great backup and restoration capabilities.<\/strong> It\u2019s also a requisite if you want to use Updraft Clone to create a clone of your website.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>With Updraft Clone, you can create <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-clone-wordpress-site\/\">an exact copy of your website<\/a> right then and there, from UpdraftPlus.<\/strong> The staging website will be stored temporarily in multiple data centers \u2013<strong> you\u2019ll be able to choose the region where your clone website will be hosted<\/strong>. Updraft uses encryption to keep your data safe during transmission and storage, and<strong> it offers you an easy way to migrate your clone to the live version of the website.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>Updraft Clone is a paid, token-based service.<\/strong> Creating a clone for 24 hours costs a single token. From then on, every extra week of the clone\u2019s lifetime costs an extra token. Tokens start at $15 for a bundle of five.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"wp-staging-backup-duplicator-migration\"><\/a>WP Staging \u2013 Backup Duplicator &amp; Migration<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Staging-\u2013-Backup-Duplicator-Migration.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"WP Staging \u2013 Backup Duplicator &amp; Migration\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Staging-\u2013-Backup-Duplicator-Migration.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Staging-\u2013-Backup-Duplicator-Migration-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Staging-\u2013-Backup-Duplicator-Migration-768x411.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Staging-\u2013-Backup-Duplicator-Migration-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Sometimes you don\u2019t want a plugin that will take your data and hosting on its server or some faraway data center. There are more than a few good reasons why you\u2019d want to use a plugin like <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-staging\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WP Staging<\/a>, which lets you <strong>keep all your valuable data right there on your server, where you can have complete control over it.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]WP Staging will create a clone of your website and place it in a subfolder on your website. <strong>The plugin will create the clone quickly, without causing a server timeout, to minimize the disruption.<\/strong> Only the website administrators will have access to the clone, and it will be kept away from search engines to avoid any potential issues. Finally, <strong>you\u2019ll have no trouble recognizing that you\u2019re working on the staging site and not the live one as the staging site will have an orange admin bar.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The core features of the plugin are free to use.<strong> If you opt for the Pro version of the plugin, which starts at $106 for lifetime use on a single website, you\u2019ll get access to additional features.<\/strong> These include using a custom directory for cloning, making the clone available via a subdomain, multisite support, and pushing and migration.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"wp-stagecoach\"><\/a>WP Stagecoach<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Stagecoach.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"WP Stagecoach\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Stagecoach.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Stagecoach-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Stagecoach-768x453.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Stagecoach-620x365.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Lots of staging plugins are backup plugins that offer staging as an additional service. <a href=\"https:\/\/wpstagecoach.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WP Stagecoach<\/a>, on the other hand, is a pure staging plugin.<strong> It\u2019s built with the sole purpose to safely create and edit copies of your website and then choose which changes you want to push to the live website.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The biggest selling point for this plugin is the fact that it allows you to merge databases.<strong> This is ideal if your live website has made important changes to its database while you were working on the staging site.<\/strong> The world won\u2019t stop shopping from your store while you\u2019re testing a new plugin, and WP Stagecoach understands that.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>As for the rest of the features you get for the starting price of $99 per year, they include exactly what you\u2019d need from a staging plugin.<\/strong> It\u2019s easy to use, it creates password-protected copies of your website, and it lets you import separate files, databases, or both.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"wp-time-capsule\"><\/a>WP Time Capsule<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Time-Capsule.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"WP Time Capsule\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Time-Capsule.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Time-Capsule-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Time-Capsule-768x411.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WP-Time-Capsule-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]One of the biggest reasons why people would consider using the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-time-capsule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WP Time Capsule<\/a> is the plugin\u2019s ability to detect and back up only the changes that were made to a website. <strong>If, however, you want something more than highly targeted, real-time backups, you might use the WP Time Capsule for its staging and cloning capabilities.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]WP Time Capsule lets you create clones of your website with a single push of the button.<strong> You can use the clone of your website to test updates, restore previous versions of the website, or any other change you want to create on it.<\/strong> You can easily copy the changes to your live website or use the clone to migrate the website.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The plugin is available for a 30-day free trial. After the trial passes, <strong>you\u2019ll have to sign up for a yearly subscription which starts at $49, or opt to buy the plugin for $149 for two installations.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"wpvivid-backup-plugin\"><\/a>WPVivid Backup Plugin<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WPVivid-Backup-Plugin.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"WPVivid Backup Plugin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WPVivid-Backup-Plugin.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WPVivid-Backup-Plugin-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WPVivid-Backup-Plugin-768x411.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WPVivid-Backup-Plugin-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Another versatile backup plugin, the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wpvivid-backuprestore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WPVivid Backup Plugin<\/a> doubles as a migration helper and, of course, a staging site creator. <strong>With the plugin, you can quickly and easily create a clone of your website you can then use to test whatever you\u2019re afraid might break your live website.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]WPVivid Backup plugin is full of useful staging features.<strong> It covers the basics by letting you easily create multiple staging websites, as well as lpush the changes to live with one button. It expands on them with multisite support, selective transfer options, and the ability to update the staging site using data from the live website.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]You\u2019ll be able to try all of these features out for free for two weeks. <strong>The subscription for the whole plugin starts at $49 per year.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\">Let\u2019s Wrap It Up!<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]If you want to play it safe when testing a new update to WordPress, crucial plugins, or your WordPress theme, you\u2019ll always install the update on a staging site first, to make sure it\u2019s safe to apply on your live website. You might have other reasons to search for staging plugins for WordPress, but either way, any one of these six plugins will likely get the job done.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you in need of an easy way to set up a WordPress staging site? We&#8217;ll show you a list of great plugins for creating a safe test space. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9295,"featured_media":29042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[15,39,13],"class_list":["post-29025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resources","tag-plugins","tag-tools","tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9295"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29025"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29025\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}