Requirements
What the app needs on your computer, and what it needs on the server. Most managed WordPress hosting with SSH access already has everything.
Your computer
| macOS | 12 Monterey or later. Universal build: Apple Silicon and Intel. |
|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. Uses the WebView2 runtime that Windows ships with. |
| Linux | x86-64, GTK 3 and WebKitGTK 4.0 (present on Ubuntu 22.04 and other current desktops). Scheduled backups while the app is closed use a systemd user timer. |
The app uses your system's ssh. On macOS and Linux it is there; on Windows 10 and 11 the built-in OpenSSH client is used. If you connect to servers with an SSH agent or keys in ~/.ssh, the app uses them the same way your terminal does.
The server
Every remote site needs SSH access to the machine it runs on: a hostname, a username, and either a key or a password to install one with. On the server, the app runs:
tar | Always. Packs the site into one compressed archive; extracts it on restore. |
|---|---|
WP-CLI (wp) | For the database export and import, updates, users, versions and the site URL. If wp is missing, the app falls back to php plus mysqldump (or mariadb-dump) for backups and restores; updates, users and scans still need WP-CLI. |
gzip | Always present where tar is. |
Test connection, in the Add-site dialog, reports exactly which of these are missing on that server, so you know before you save.
Shared hosting
Shared hosting works when SSH access and the tools above are available. Many shared hosts enable SSH on request or from the control panel; some do not offer it at all, and those cannot be used. WP-CLI is preinstalled on most WordPress-focused hosts.
Local sites
A local site is a WordPress folder on this computer. Backing it up needs tar plus WP-CLI or php and mysqldump on your own machine. New local site starts a fresh WordPress in Docker for you, which needs Docker Desktop running.
Disk space
Backups are stored on your computer, uncompressed only as far as gzip leaves them. A site with 5 GB of uploads makes a backup of roughly that size. Choose the backup folder in Preferences; an external drive works.