Web Hosting Backups in the Philippines: What Is Included Free and What Costs Extra

Web hosting backups in the Philippines are one of the most misrepresented features on the market.

Almost every host claims to include them. Very few mean the same thing.

Some include automatic backups for free. Some charge extra to restore. Some sell backup as a separate add-on entirely.

Others cover shared hosting but quietly exclude VPS.

This guide covers six Philippine hosting providers. Exactly what each includes, what it costs, and what the fine print actually says.

What a Good Backup System Actually Looks Like

Before comparing providers, know what you are evaluating.

Automatic: Backups run without you doing anything. You should not need to remember before every plugin update or content change.

Daily frequency: Weekly backups mean you could lose seven days of orders, content, or changes in the worst case. Daily is the standard for any active site.

Multiple restore points: One backup point is almost useless if the corruption happened before you noticed it. You want at least 7 restore points, one per day for the past week.

Self-service restoration: You should restore your own site without filing a support ticket. Every hour your site stays broken while waiting for a technician costs you visitors, sales, and credibility.

Quick Comparison:Philippine Hosting Backup Policies

Provider	Automatic ?	Frequency	Restore Points	Self-Service?	Extra Cost?
Truehost	Yes	Up to daily	Up to 7	Yes (JetBackup)	Free
Truehost(vps)	No	Not included	included	No	Paid add-on
iManila	Available	Varies	Varies	Limited	Paid add-on
Vodien	VPS only	Daily (VPS)	Varies	Limited	Paid add-on
BuyDomains.com.ph	Available	Daily (paid)	Up to 30 (paid)	Yes (paid tier)	Paid add-on
GoManilaHost	Unclear	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Unclear

Based on published hosting pages and backup policy documentation as of February 2026. Verify current terms directly with each provider before purchasing.

1) Truehost(Shared and Reseller): Best Free Backup Coverage in the Philippines

Automatic backups are included free on all shared and reseller plans, self-service restoration via JetBackup in cPanel.

Truehost is the only provider in this comparison that includes automatic web hosting backups in the Philippines at no additional cost on shared and reseller plans.

The backup system runs through JetBackup, integrated directly into cPanel. Browse your backup history. 

Select a restore point. Restore your entire site or specific files and databases. No support ticket needed.

What is included:

• Automatic backups on all shared and reseller cPanel plans, no extra charge
• Up to 7 restore points, one per day for the past week
• JetBackup in cPanel, self-service file, database, and complete account restoration
• Restore in minutes, not hours

Honest caveat: 

• Truehost attempts daily backups but does not guarantee one every single day. 
• Occasional gaps can occur. 

For most small business websites, this is adequate.

For active WooCommerce stores or booking systems where one day of lost data is a serious problem, add UpdraftPlus as a second backup layer to your own Google Drive.

Truehost VPS hosting excludes backups.

If you run a VPS without a separate backup solution, you have no recovery option if something goes wrong. Address this immediately.

Starting price: Truehost cPanel Starter from ₱90/month

2) iManila: Enterprise Focus-Backup as a Paid Add-On

Backup available but sold as a separate paid service. It is not included in standard hosting plans.

iManila is one of the most established Philippine hosting companies. Offices in Ortigas. 

A client base of prominent local corporations and government agencies. Solid infrastructure. Professional support.

Their target market is the enterprise. Their packaging reflects that.

iManila lists website backup as a separate service, distinct from core shared and cloud hosting plans. 

Want automatic backups? You pay for it as an extra line item. Backup pricing does not appear publicly. You contact their sales team for a quote.

Right for: 

Mid-to-large businesses who want a full-service Philippine hosting partner with dedicated account management and enterprise SLAs.

Not the right fit for small businesses that wish to have backup included without separate negotiation.

3)Vodien Philippines: Daily Backup on VPS, But You Pay for It

Daily backup available on VPS hosting as a premium feature. It is not included as standard.

Vodien is a Singaporean hosting company with a Philippines-facing presence.

Their VPS page highlights daily backup as a feature. But it is packaged as a value-add on higher-tier VPS plans or sold as an optional add-on, not a standard inclusion.

Shared hosting backup policy is less clearly stated on their Philippine pages. 

Pricing uses Singapore dollars or USD. That adds exchange rate exposure for Filipino customers.

Right for: 

Businesses already using Vodien for other reasons, particularly those with Singapore operations or data residency requirements. 

For a Philippine small business wanting free backup included, Vodien’s USD billing adds unnecessary cost and complexity.

4) BuyDomains.com.ph (GoDaddy Reseller):  Most Backup Features, All Behind a Paywall

Comprehensive backup product available. Every tier is a paid add-on. There is nothing included free with standard hosting.

BuyDomains.com.ph is a GoDaddy reseller operating in the Philippine market.

Their Website Backup service is feature-complete with these features:

• Daily automatic backups
• Up to 30 restore points
• Self-service restoration
• Malware scanning
• One-click site cloning which is excellent on paper.

None of it comes with their hosting plans. Website Backup is a standalone product at a separate monthly price. 

GoDaddy’s backup add-on starts at around $3-5 USD per month, approximately ₱195-325 at current rates.

A BuyDomains hosting plan plus their backup add-on costs more total than a Truehost plan that includes backup by default. 

You pay more to assemble what comes pre-bundled elsewhere.

Right for:

Businesses specifically wanting the GoDaddy ecosystem, domain management, Microsoft 365, website builder, and willing to pay the add-on cost. 

Not right for cost-conscious buyers.

5) GoManilaHost: Insufficient Public Information

Backup policy not clearly stated on public pages. Cannot be evaluated without direct inquiry.

GoManilaHost is a small Philippine hosting provider with a local focus.

Their public-facing pages do not state their backup policy. Frequency, restore points, whether it is free or paid, how restoration works, all are absent from standard plan descriptions.

It is itself a red flag. A host that values backup makes it prominent in marketing because it is a selling point.

If you evaluate GoManilaHost, ask directly and in writing:

• Are automatic backups included in my plan?
• How frequent are backups, and how many restore points are kept?
• Is restoration self-service or does it require a support ticket?
• Is there any cost to restore from a backup?

Get the answers documented before signing up.

Hidden Backup Risks Most Site Owners Miss

Backups are stored on the same server

If the hosting server suffers a catastrophic failure, backups on that same server disappear with the live site. Ask your host where backup data is physically stored.

Free backups but paid restoration

Some hosts offer free backups but charge a fee when you need to use them. Ask specifically: ‘Is there any cost to restore from a backup?’ before assuming restoration is free.

Backup gaps at high-risk moments

Your automatic backup ran at 3 am. You made significant changes at 2 pm. Something broke at 4 pm. You have an 11-hour gap. Trigger a manual backup before any plugin installation, major update, or content import.

No VPS backup anywhere without a separate solution.

VPS hosting almost universally excludes automatic backups from standard plan pricing. If you run a VPS, check your backup situation now.

The Smart Approach: Two Backup Layers

Even on a host that includes automatic backups, run a second independent layer that you control entirely.

For WordPress sites, UpdraftPlus is the standard. A free plugin that backs up files and databases to Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3.

It takes 15 minutes to set up. Runs independently of your host.

JetBackup which is included with Truehost shared hosting gives you fast server-side restoration. 

UpdraftPlus gives you insurance if the server itself has a problem. Together, they cover every failure scenario.

For non-WordPress sites, download a full cPanel account backup to your computer or cloud storage monthly.

Five minutes of manual work,a complete copy entirely under your own control.

Frequently Asked Questions

If my host does automatic backups, do I still need to do anything?

For most small business websites, hosting backups cover your day-to-day needs. But take manual action at high-risk moments.

Before installing a new plugin or theme. Before a significant content migration. Before any WordPress core update. 

Truehost JetBackup lets you trigger a manual backup from cPanel at any time, use it before making substantial changes.

How long does restoration take?

With JetBackup on Truehost cPanel hosting, restoring a full site takes 5-15 minutes, depending on site size.

You initiate from cPanel, choose your restore point, and wait, no support ticket, or technician.

Small brochure sites restore in under five minutes. Large WooCommerce stores with big databases take closer to 15.

What is the difference between a file backup and a database backup?

Your WordPress site has two components. Files, themes, plugins, uploaded images, live in your hosting file system. 

Your database, posts, pages, orders, settings, user accounts, lives in MySQL. A complete restoration requires both. JetBackup handles both together in one restore.

If you use UpdraftPlus as a second layer, configure it to back up both files and the database.

Can I test a restoration without affecting my live site?

Yes. Truehost WordPress hosting plans include a staging environment where you restore a backup copy and verify everything works before pushing to the live site.

For cPanel hosting, restore to a different subdirectory, for example, test.yourdomain.com, rather than overwriting your live site directly. 

Test a restoration before you actually need one. It confirms your backups are valid and means you know the process before you are doing it under pressure.

The Bottom Line

Web hosting backups in the Philippines are where most hosts cut corners or hide costs.

iManila, Vodien, and BuyDomains all charge extra. GoManilaHost does not disclose its policy.

Truehost  includes automatic backups and JetBackup self-service restoration free on all shared and reseller plans.

That is the difference between paying ₱90/month for hosting and paying ₱90/month plus a separate add-on to get the same coverage.

Add UpdraftPlus for a second independent layer. Your site is covered from every direction at minimal cost.

Do not pay extra for backup that should come standard. Truehost cPanel hosting includes automatic backups and JetBackup self-service restoration free, starting from ₱90/month. See current plans here.