| Snapshot | External backup | |
|---|---|---|
| Who creates it? | you, manually in the Snapshots tab | automatically every night |
| Where is it stored? | on the same storage as the server | on a separate backup server |
| How long? | until you delete it, at most 14 days | 5, 14 or 30 days back, depending on the option |
| Number | quota per plan, additional slots bookable | one point per night within the retention |
| Memory | optionally included | no |
| Restore | in seconds, whole server | whole server (a few minutes) or individual files |
| Cost | included slots in the plan, additional ones for a surcharge | booked option |
| Protects against | failed updates and configuration errors | additionally problems with the server's storage and errors noticed late |
Our recommendation
- Before every larger update: create a snapshot, check afterwards and delete it.
- Permanently: book the external backup so that you can still return to an old state days later.
- For important data, additionally keep a copy of your own elsewhere, for example regular database exports (3-2-1 rule: three copies, two types of storage, one off-site).
More: Snapshots and External backups.