How to back up or restore a VPS at Hostinger

Save and restore backups or snapshots on a Hostinger VPS

Updated 4 days ago

Hostinger provides automated backups and manual snapshots for your Virtual Private Server (VPS). These features allow you to capture the state of your server and restore it if you encounter issues or need to revert changes.

Before you start

Before performing a restoration on your VPS from a backup or snapshot, consider the following.

  • Data overwrite: The restoration will completely overwrite all current content on your server.
  • Snapshot deletion: Restoring a backup will automatically delete any existing snapshots.
  • Permanent changes: Once started, restoration must be completed before taking any other actions, and the final result is irreversible. If you have data you wish to keep, download it via an FTP client like FileZilla before proceeding.

How to manage Hostinger VPS backups

To access your backup settings:

  1. Go to hPanel → VPS
  2. Click Manage next to the server name.
  3. Select Backups & Monitoring → Snapshots & Backups from the left sidebar.

Enable or disable backups

By default, your VPS is backed up automatically every week. To change this setting:

  1. Click on Manage Schedule.

  2. Select your preferred frequency:

    1. Daily: if not purchase yet, you will get the payment optionsin the next steps. Alternatively, you can click on the Upgrade button to purchase daily backups.

    2. Weekly (default)

    3. Turn off auto-backups: Any changes made to your VPS will not be backed up. Existing backups will still be available during the retention period.

  3. Click Save to apply the changes.

Restore the server from a backup

  1. Locate the desired backup from the provided list.
  2. Click Restore next to the specific date. Note the estimated time to restore.
  3. Wait for the process to complete. Your VPS will be locked during this time.

NOTES

  • Each new daily or weekly backup replaces the oldest one, ensuring two of each type are available at a time.
  • If a specific date is not listed, a backup for that time does not exist.
  • Restoration speed can vary between 10 minutes up to a few hours depending on the backup size.
  • Once started, the restoration cannot be stopped; you must wait for completion before taking further actions.

How to manage VPS snapshots

A server snapshot allows you to capture the entire state and data of your VPS at a precise moment. Unlike backups, snapshots must be generated manually, so you have the freedom to create a snapshot whenever needed.

To generate a new snapshot, open the Snapshots & Backups page and click on Create Snapshot:

Once created, the snapshot will be displayed above the backups:

Only one snapshot is stored at a time. If you choose to create a new snapshot, it will overwrite the previous one. You can use the snapshot to restore your VPS or permanently delete it if you no longer need it. Snapshots are automatically deleted after 20 days.

Changing or reinstalling your VPS operating system will permanently delete any existing snapshot 💡

NOTES

  • After restoring your server from a backup or snapshot, it will be brought back to the state it was at the moment of backup/snapshot creation, reverting any changes made afterward.

  • Downloading backups or snapshots directly is not supported – to download files from your VPS to your local device, use FTP to download only the data that is necessary for you.