Have your website data completely controlled with any of these advanced but free WordPress database plugins.
Managing, maintaining, clearing, restoring, and backup up data becomes a piece of cake!
Note: Everything is stored in the WordPress website database – from old drafts and posts to images, comments and user information.
This data is ESSENTIAL for your website’s functioning.
BUT can weigh down your database and slow down your website.
This post covers:
- What makes a good WordPress database plugin?
- Best WordPress database plugins
- FAQs about WordPress database plugins
Luckily, there’s a plugin for that.
We reviewed the best to ensure the ultimate experience.
What To Look For In A Good WordPress Database Plugin?
Different webmasters have different needs, so search with your requirements in mind when picking the ideal database plugin.
For this reason, we want to share with you the most common tasks these plugins sort out, so you’ll choose the best one easier:
- Backups: This will help you create a full or partial backup of your database, website or blog.
- Cleanups: This will help you clear your database to save space, remove errors, etc.
- Restores: This will help you fully restore your database to the desired date in case of errors, bugs and other failures.
- Optimizations: This will help cache, clean and compress to make your website run smoother and faster.
In addition, we thoroughly tested each plugin by examining users’ feedback, checking for the latest WordPress version compatibility and reaching out/reading through the support/documentation for quality.
Once we have the condensed list of database plugins, we installed and activated each to further test them for user-friendliness, functions and performance.
Organize your WordPress database NOW!
Note: We also have a quick and simple guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Best WordPress Database Plugins
1. UpdraftPlus
UpdraftPlus is currently one of the most popular WordPress database plugins on the market. This plugin backs up and restores your database effortlessly.
You can backup your entire WP database and store it in the most famous clouds, like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3, UpdraftVault, and more.
UpdraftPlus is one of the greatest solutions for backups. PERIOD.
We have used it multiple times for ourselves and our clients, so we highly recommend it.
UpdraftPlus features:
- 3+ million active installations
- 4.8/5 ratings
- Great support
- One-click restoration
- Fast operation system
2. BackWPup
If you are looking for a free WordPress database plugin for backups with tons of features, this one’s for you.
You can backup your database and store it in multiple formats with the BackWPup plugin. This plugin allows you to export your backup in WordPress XML.
Note: You can choose between tar, tar.gz and zip formats.
BackWPup is ALWAYS our second option for backups, thanks to its multiple format options and check & repair function.
BackWPup features:
- 600,000+ active installations
- 4.4/5 ratings
- Storage to FTP, S3, Google Drive, Dropbox
- Database optimization
- Regular updates & improvements
3. WP-DBManager
WP-DBManager is a great and simple free WordPress database plugin to OPTIMIZE your database from the start.
You can also use the plugin to backup and restore your files.
This plugin comes with many great tools like running selected queries and dropping empty tables.
In addition, WP-DBManager repairs any broken file or table in a breeze.
In short, this plugin is an excellent choice to backup, restore and optimize your database.
WP-DBManager features:
- 80,000+ active installations
- 4.4/5 ratings
- Comprehensive admin dashboard
- Customizable optimization
- One-click repair
4. Participants Database
If you are looking for a plugin to create a separate database for user information, this plugin is what you need.
You can GENERATE a database of visitors, contacts, and other lists you need with Participants Database.
Also, you can type the contacts on your own or import them via a CSV file.
This free database plugin is for everyone who wants to keep their user data organized.
Participants Database features:
- 10,000+ active installations
- 4.9/5 ratings
- Fully-customizable database
- Manageable forms
- Comprehensive database WP shortcodes
5. Database Reset
Database Reset is a free WordPress plugin that can reset every single part of your WordPress database.
The process is VERY simple – the only thing you need to do is click one button.
Yup!
With this plugin, you will also choose one or two tables to clear out.
This plugin allows you to go back to a time when your website was running smoothly.
To sum up, Database Reset is an excellent option for all websites that want a backup plan to reset their database at a specific time.
Database Reset features:
- 20,000+ active installations
- 4.5/5 ratings
- Fast 1-click reset (!)
- Protection function
- Safe
6. WP Database Backup
If you are looking for a WordPress database plugin to backup your entire website’s database and download it on your computer, this one’s for you.
You can schedule a backup process and leave it with WP Database Backup for the future. Plus, you can set AUTOMATED email notifications when a backup process completes.
The WP Database Backup plugin is a powerful and straightforward option to backup their database on their computers and restore it whenever they want.
WP Database Backup features:
- 40,000+ active installations
- 4.6/5 ratings
- Set up in less than 60sec
- Auto backup plan
- Option to exclude tables
7. Contact Form 7 Database Addon
As the name suggests, Contact Form 7 Database Addon will help you create a separate database that will save all the contact form submission information. (We also have a tutorial on how to add a contact form in WordPress.)
This allows you to keep everything ORGANIZED in one database. However, you will have to use the Contact Form 7 plugin to run this addon.
This free database plugin is a perfect option that saves you a ton of time when collecting user messages from the contact form directly.
CFDB7 features:
- 500,000+ active installations
- 5/5 ratings
- No configuration needed
- Lightweight app
- Export data in CSV file
8. WP-Optimize
WP-Optimize is one of the most well-known database plugins on the market.
This plugin is what you need to SPEED UP your site by cleaning, compressing and caching your database. (But you may also check more WordPress caching plugins.)
This free WordPress database plugin helps you clean your database from unused data, compressing too big images and speeding up your site via caching feature.
Magical.
WP-Optimize plugin is an all-in-one tool to remove unnecessary files and optimize your database. (Lik we do!)
WP-Optimize features:
- 1+ million active installations
- 4.8/5 ratings
- You have full control
- Minification
- Multi-week backups
9. WP Reset
If you are looking for a free WordPress database plugin to scan your site for tables, comments, posts, etc., that you want to delete, this plugin is for you.
You can CLEAN UP your entire database and start your website from scratch with WP Reset.
And you can also wipe out any demo posts and media you don’t want in your database with this plugin.
WP Reset is perfect for deleting particular parts of your website, even the entire database!
WP Reset features:
- 300,000+ active installations
- 4.9/5 ratings
- Can exclude specific items
- Keeps all themes & plugins
- Undo a reset
10. Better Search Replace
Better Search Replace is a powerful plugin to help you if you are migrating your website to a new server.
This plugin will help you with many (possible) problems during a migration process like media and links not having the correct address, tables needing fixing, etc.
You can do the necessary modifications during the migration process, specific to your website.
Better Search Replace ensures you that nothing goes wrong during the migration phase.
SAFETY. FIRST.
Better Search Replace features:
- 1+ million active installations
- 4.5/5 ratings
- Multilingual theme support
- One-click search & replace tool
- WordPress Multisite compatible
11. WP-Sweep
WP-Sweep will help you clean up certain areas on your database like comments, posts, revisions and metadata.
This free WordPress database plugin allows you to eliminate the unnecessary files in your website’s database.
As we mentioned earlier, WordPress doesn’t provide you with a trash tool for a website’s database.
For this reason, a plugin like WP-Sweep (which is pretty lightweight!) is a great option to CLEAN your database every month.
WP-Sweep features:
- 100,000+ active installations
- 4.6/5 ratings
- 19 cleaning options
- Locates duplicate data
- Fully-customizable clean up
FAQs About WordPress Database Plugins
What Are WordPress Database Plugins?
WordPress database plugins manage, optimize, and backup the database of your WordPress site. They help in tasks like cleaning up unused data, repairing corrupted tables, and ensuring efficient database performance, which is crucial for your website’s overall speed and health.
Can Database Plugins Improve Website Performance?
Yes, these plugins can significantly improve website performance by optimizing your WordPress database. They remove unnecessary data, optimize table structures, and can reduce the load on your server.
Do WordPress Database Plugins Offer Backup Features?
Many WordPress database plugins offer backup features, allowing you to create complete database backups.
Are These Plugins Suitable for Beginners?
WP database plugins are generally designed with user-friendly interfaces, making them accessible to beginners. They often provide guided database optimization and management processes, reducing the risk of accidental data loss or corruption.
Can I Schedule Automatic Database Cleanups & Optimizations?
Yes, some advanced WordPress database plugins allow you to schedule automatic cleanups and optimizations. This means you can set the plugin to periodically clean up your database, ensuring ongoing optimal performance without manual intervention.
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Note: This article was originally published on April 10, 2022. But our team regularly reviews it and updates it with necessary improvements for accuracy.
