The Importance of Backups: Don’t Put All Your Trust in VPS Providers

Let's be real for a moment—systems do crash, things do break, and even major VPS providers go under. If you feel like their backup system is going to always save your bacon, then you might be in for a nasty surprise.

A Friend Lost His Website Overnight​

I have one friend who had a blog on a budget VPS. He didn't care about backups because, well, the provider assured him they had "automatic daily snapshots." One day his site just… vanished. Server crash. Support replied, "Sorry, backups are gone too."

Nobody saved him. He had no copies. Years of work were lost. That was tough on me, and I promised never to let it happen to me.

Why Trusting Only Your VPS Host is a Mistake​

You might think your host has your back. These are some things that they may not always tell you:

• They may not always back up everything. Configs and databases are omitted by some.
• They keep copies on the same server or network. When one crashes, so do both.
• Backups aren't always up to date. You can lose days of recent work.
• Restoration is cumbersome and not guaranteed. You'll wait—and pray.

Think about it: Do you give a stranger your home key and not leave a spare?

How I Back Up My VPS the Smart Way​

I've built a system that doesn't rely on luck or hope over time. It's simple, but it works.

Keep It Simple, Keep It Safe​

• I run cron jobs for automatic database and website backups daily.
• They are saved on another server, not that VPS.

Back Up More Than Once​

• I back them up to Google Drive and Dropbox using rclone.
• I also keep a duplicate on a home USB drive—just in case.

Use Tools That Make You Lazy (But Safe)​

Duplicacy, restic, and rclone make it auto.

I get email alerts when backups finish or fail, so I'm always in the loop.

Here's What You Gain With Your Own Backup Plan​

• Peace of mind. No longer do you panic when the server crashes.
• Faster recovery. You're not waiting around for someone else.
• Full control. You choose what to backup, when, and where.

Final Tip: Backup or Regret It Later​

I know—backups are a boring chore. But losing everything is much worse. You can't look over your shoulder and turn back lost data, but you can avoid it.

So don't leave someone else in control of your online life. Take it into your own hands. Make your own copies. Keep them secure. And sleep better each night knowing you are safeguarded.