BackupSF 3.1.0

Overview

Backing up your data is a common and necessary task nowadays, but website owners know very well that they should be extra careful with it since the chances of needing them at any given moment are fat. BackupSF is a software designed to backup your website along with the MySQL database and store it in your computer via FTP. The clear interface makes it easy for beginners to get familiar with, so that’s one more reason to try it out if you’re not a computer expert.

Installation

Installation has no difficult steps at all. Clicking “Next” is the only thing you have to do basically, as there are no settings you need to change (except for the desktop shortcut setting). The main installation procedure finishes quickly and without problems.

The setup package is clean from viruses, Trojans, spyware and other types of malware. In addition, it doesn’t include any 3^rd party software along with the main program (e.g. toolbars).

Supported operating systems are Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8.

Interface

BackupSF’s interface is split into 3 main parts: the menu bar (top), the project list area (center) and the backup information area (bottom). From the menu bar you can create a new project or edit/delete an existing one. You can also start/stop a backup process, as well as open the backup folder and the log file. The settings menu can be brought up from the menu bar too. The project list area displays all existing projects with some details, but further information and statistics are displayed in the bottom panel, including the number of FTP files backed up, number of FTP errors, total size of downloaded FTP files, number of databases backed up and others.

Pros

First of all, BackupSF is incredibly easy to use due to its simple design. Even when creating a new project you will be guided through a series of steps in order to configure all necessary settings without getting confused.

The available statistics and info give you an overview of a selected project that you can use to come to useful conclusions, such as whether all files have been downloaded or compare the sizes of your databases every time you perform backup tasks.

BackupSF works with huge databases and a large number of files, even when performing multiple backup tasks simultaneously. Downloaded FTP files and databases can be compressed if the user wishes to save space.

Cons

The main disadvantage of this program is that it can only create full backups, and not incremental or differential backups.

The number of websites you can backup with BackupSF Basic, BackupSF Pro and BackupSF Unlimited is 5, 50 and unlimited respectively. The number of MySQL databases you can dump in each of those versions are 15 (3 for each website), 500 (10 for each website) and unlimited.

Alternatives

Uranium Backup (free) is a software with enhanced functionality and many features that make it one of the best backup solutions available. It is very similar to Cobian Backup (free), which is basically a very good option for the average user.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a program to help you backup your website and databases via FTP, then BackupSF is what you need. No useless features included and no heavy tweaking needed; just effective work.