Your WordPress website relies heavily on its database. Important information is stored in it, including login credentials, pages, posts, plugins, and themes. However, sometimes your WordPress database can become bloated from an accumulation of data you no longer need, slowing down your site. In other cases, errors may occur, causing issues on your site.
This is where WordPress database plugins can be very useful, helping you to keep your database in good condition and your website running optimally. In this article, I review what I consider to be the best WordPress database plugins.
Choosing the Best WordPress Database Plugin
In many web hosting environments, you can manage the WordPress database through the phpMyAdmin interface. This allows you to make backups and make changes to the database tables. But, it is often more convenient to use a WordPress plugin to do these tasks.
Many WordPress database plugins are designed for at least one of the following tasks:
- Cleaning the database of unnecessary data, thus saving space and speeding up your website.
- Backing up the database to keep it safe in case of any problems.
- Resetting the database to an earlier working state.
So, the best WordPress database plugin for you depends on what you need. However, you may want to be able to do all of the above functions. It’s also worth noting that some plugins have additional functions not just specific to the database, such as backing up your entire website.
9 Best WordPress Database Plugins
When I researched this article, I found many WordPress database plugins available. I ended up with a list of more than 30 plugins. Of course, you don’t want to wade through so many, so I have narrowed them down to the nine best plugins.
UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin
🏆 Best for backing up your database along with the rest of your WordPress site.
UpdraftPlus is a popular WordPress backup plugin supporting various cloud storage platforms. It offers scheduled backups for files, plugins, themes, and databases with separate settings. In addition, the premium version provides incremental backups, integration with multiple cloud platforms, encryption, and a Migrator tool for importing databases from other websites.
Pricing: Free, with the Premium version starting at $84.
Key features:
- Back up all your WordPress files, plugins, themes, and databases – either manually or scheduled.
- Range of schedule frequencies available – from 2 hours to monthly.
- Restore backups from within the WordPress control panel.
The UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from 6,730 reviews on WordPress.org.
Pros:
- You can back up your databases and website files separately.
- Works with the leading cloud storage services, including Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive.
- Encrypted backups for increased security.
- You can easily import databases from other WordPress sites.
Cons:
- Some key features, such as multisite support and database encryption, are unavailable in the free version.
WP Reset
🏆 Best for resetting your WordPress site and database.
The WP Reset plugin is ideal for resetting a WordPress site and its database. The paid version offers options for resetting and a nuclear site reset, which deletes all site data, including themes and plugins. The Create Snapshot feature allows users to copy and restore the database. It also contains stand-alone tools for specific tasks such as purging the cache, deleting or emptying custom tables with the wp_ prefix, and removing transients.
Pricing: Free, with Pro version starting from $39 per year.
Key features:
- Undo any WordPress or plugin updates with a single click.
- Recovery tool helps users fix a broken WordPress website.
- Easily remove theme demo data that you don’t want.
- Completely reset the database with one click.
- Take automatic snapshots before any critical website changes.
WP Reset has an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars from 815 reviews on WordPress.org.
Pros:
- Restoring an entire website and database is quick and easy.
- Beginner-friendly.
Cons:
- Many of the most useful features are not available in the free version.
Advanced Database Cleaner
🏆 Best for cleaning and optimizing your WordPress database.
Advanced Database Cleaner is a WordPress plugin for optimizing databases. It includes fourteen elements: revisions, auto drafts, and spam comments. In addition, the dashboard shows the number of items to be deleted from each element, the Scheduler feature automates clean-up and specific tasks, and the Tables tab displays databases with rows and sizes. The paid version has additional features, such as identifying and classifying tables based on the creator.
Pricing: Free, with Pro version starting from $39.
Key features:
- Removes old data you no longer need – post revisions, drafts, trash, spam comments, orphaned metadata, and expired transients.
- View data before cleanup, and set it to keep recent data, to make sure you don’t make a mistake.
- View and manage database tables and options.
- Schedule the plugin to automate the database cleaning process.
Advanced Database Cleaner has an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars from 1,182 reviews on WordPress.org.
Pros:
- More advanced and reliable than some other WordPress optimization plugins.
- Fast.
- Easy to use.
Cons:
- Not all features are available in the free version.
WP-Optimize
🏆 Best for optimizing your WordPress site, including cleaning the database.
WP-Optimize is an all-in-one plugin for WordPress performance, including database cleaning, image compression, and caching. The dashboard has 12 optimization tasks that you can run one by one or all at once, and scheduling auto-optimization can be done daily, weekly, every two weeks, or monthly. The Tables tab displays all the database tables and records. WP-Optimize also works with UpdraftPlus for database backup.
Pricing: Free, with Premium version starting from $49 per year.
Key features:
- Cleans the WordPress database.
- Compresses images so that they load quicker.
- Caches your site’s pages to speed up your website.
WP-Optimize has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from 2,022 reviews on WordPress.org.
Pros:
- It’s an all-in-one plugin that doesn’t just clean your database but optimizes your whole site.
- You can run optimization tasks individually or in bulk.
- Makes your website load faster.
Cons:
- Not all features are available in the free version, although the free version will probably be enough for most people.
Participants Database
🏆 Best for creating and managing custom databases.
Participants Database is a powerful plugin allowing you to embed a form on your site and collect data that you can export. You can also take advantage of custom CSS and a duplicate checker. Setting up the plugin requires some time, and you will need to adjust permissions in WordPress.
The default fields are names, addresses, etc., but these can be modified. You can add participants from the dashboard or import/export data as a CSV file. Additionally, a shortcode lets you embed a list of records.
Pricing: Free.
Key features:
- Includes a subscription form that stores entries in its own database.
- A data duplication checker stops users from submitting the same information.
- Allows users to import data from external databases as CSV files.
Participants Database has an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars from 308 reviews on WordPress.org.
Pros:
- Versatile plugin that you can use for many purposes.
- Excellent support and documentation.
Cons:
- May not be suitable for beginners.
WP Database Reset
🏆 Best for plugin and theme developers who need to reset the database after testing products.
The WP Database Reset plugin lets you quickly and securely erase any part of your WordPress database with just one click. In addition, it offers an alternative option to reset specific tables within the database instead.
The process is relatively straightforward, and all settings are configured on the same page. You can indicate which tables should be removed while a security code is included to make sure you are doing the reset. However, to be doubly safe, it is recommended to back up the database before using this plugin.
Pricing: Free.
Key features:
- Quick and easy one-click process for resetting WordPress database tables.
- You can reset your entire WordPress database or specific tables within it.
- Secure.
- Safety feature prevents you from accidentally clicking reset.
- You can operate it from the command line if you prefer.
WP Database Reset has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from 76 reviews on WordPress.org.
Pros:
- Fast.
- Works well.
- Easy to use.
Cons:
- None that I could find.
Optimize Database After Deleting Revisions
🏆 Best for optimizing your WordPress database.
Optimize Database After Deleting Revisions is a free plugin that quickly deletes post revisions and other data with configurable settings. After saving the settings, you can run the cleanup and optimization process or analyze the database first. Additionally, you can select other data to remove, such as trashed items, spam comments, and transients. You can also set up automatic cleanup intervals. Moreover, you can easily optimize from anywhere with a one-click link in the admin bar.
Pricing: Free.
Key features:
- Quickly and easily remove unwanted items, such as post revisions, trash, and spam comments, from your WordPress database with just a few clicks.
- The scheduler feature allows you to configure the frequency of deleting revisions, with five options available.
- You can set a limit for the number of revisions that can be kept for each post or for a specific number of days.
- The one-click feature lets you easily optimize your WordPress database from the admin panel.
Optimize Database After Deleting Revisions has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from 176 reviews on WordPress.org.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Works well.
- Optimization scheduling means you can set it and forget it.
Cons:
- None that I could find.
WP-Sweep
🏆 Best for reducing the size of your WordPress database.
WP-Sweep is a great way to clean up the WordPress database, including comments, post metadata, and revisions. These can all add up and cause strain on your server, so it’s a good idea to clean them up regularly. WP-Sweep is a lightweight, effective tool that can help you do just that. It can clear out everything from unused terms to deleted comments, so you can keep your database running smoothly.
Pricing: Free.
Key features:
- Deletes unneeded old data – revisions, drafts, deleted and spam comments, orphaned and duplicated metadata, transient options.
- Optimizes the tables in your database.
- Uses proper WordPress delete functions where possible, rather than direct delete MySQL queries.
WP-Sweep has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from 117 reviews on WordPress.org.
Pros:
- Works well to clean the database – can dramatically reduce its size.
- Easy to use.
Cons:
- Not compatible with some other plugins.
WP Database Backup
🏆 Best for backing up your WordPress database.
The WP Database Backup plugin lets you back up your WordPress database with one click. You can also set it to automatically back up the database on a regular schedule. In addition, it can send the backup via various means, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, FTP, or Email, and you can receive backup reports via email. The only problem with this plugin is that it does not fully restore the entire database. To do that, you need to use phpMyAdmin.
Pricing: Free, with a complete WordPress backup plugin also available starting from $39 per year.
Key features:
- Back up your database with a single click.
- Scheduler enables you to automatically regularly back up your database.
- Send the backup to Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, FTP, or Email.
- Receive backup reports via email.
WP Database Backup has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from 72 reviews on WordPress.org.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Fast.
- Great support.
Cons:
- Plugin doesn’t fully restore the database – you need to do that with phpMyAdmin.
FAQ
Yes, WordPress utilizes a database management system named MySQL, which is open source. MySQL makes it possible for the database to store data and give you access to it. This is why you might see your database referred to as a “MySQL database.”
WordPress uses MySQL as its database system, stored on the hosting server. You may not be able to access it on shared hosting, but VPS or dedicated servers users can use command-line tools to find the database.
Yes, many database plugins are available for WordPress, depending on whether you want to optimize the database, back it up, or reset it to a previous state.
Summary
The database is crucial to the proper functioning of your WordPress website. However, sometimes things can go wrong with the database, or you just want to back it up. This is where WordPress database plugins can come in handy. Here is a recap of the nine best WordPress database plugins:
- UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin – for backing up your database along with the rest of your WordPress site.
- WP Reset – for resetting your WordPress site and database.
- Advanced Database Cleaner – for cleaning and optimizing your WordPress database.
- WP-Optimize – for optimizing your WordPress site, including cleaning the database.
- Participants Database – for creating and managing custom databases.
- WP Database Reset – for plugin and theme developers who need to reset the database after testing products.
- Optimize Database After Deleting Revisions – for optimizing your WordPress database.
- WP-Sweep – for reducing the size of your WordPress database.
- WP Database Backup – for backing up your WordPress database.
