WordPress Dropbox Plugins: 7 Options for Backups & Files
A WordPress Dropbox plugin can do three very different jobs: send full-site backups to off-site storage, display Dropbox files on your website, or collect visitor uploads into a Dropbox folder. Choosing a backup plugin to build a client document portal will waste time; using a file-browser plugin instead of a database backup can leave you unable to restore the site.
Quick picks by job
Free website backups: UpdraftPlus sends scheduled files and database backups to Dropbox. Dropbox folders, galleries and downloads: Out-of-the-Box costs $69 for a regular single-end-product licence. Uploads from a contact form: WPForms’ Dropbox add-on requires WPForms Pro.
For a free file browser or uploader, Easy Integration for Dropbox lists those features in its free plugin, though it has a much smaller user base than the established backup tools.
Compare the plugins · Backups and migration · Files and uploads · Set up a backup · FAQs
What kind of Dropbox integration do you actually need?
Backup and restore: you need a recoverable copy of both the WordPress database and its files, scheduled and stored outside the web server. Public or private files: you need controls for embedding, folders, downloads and permissions. Form uploads: you need an integration that takes a specific form field and routes the uploaded attachment to a Dropbox folder. These are separate product categories and are compared separately below.
Dropbox itself is not a WordPress backup plugin. Its desktop Dropbox Backup feature is for computers and external drives; connecting a Dropbox account to WordPress does not automatically create restorable database backups. Protect backup access with multifactor authentication, keep enough versions for your retention requirements, and test a restore to staging before calling any backup strategy complete.
Seven WordPress Dropbox plugins compared
| Plugin | Dropbox job | Free or paid? | Check before using |
|---|---|---|---|
| UpdraftPlus | Scheduled full-site backups and restores | Dropbox destination in free version | Premium needed for incremental backups and multiple remote destinations |
| BackWPup | Custom backup jobs | Dropbox destination in free version | Check job contents and restore path |
| XCloner | Differential backups and migration | Free plugin listing | Confirm restore procedure before a disaster |
| Out-of-the-Box | Dropbox files, galleries, folders and upload boxes | $69 regular licence | Paid-download use may require a different licence |
| Easy Integration for Dropbox | File browser, embeds and upload forms | Free core; Pro for extra integrations | Needs your own Dropbox app and has a small install base |
| WP Media Folder + Cloud add-on | Dropbox and WordPress Media Library synchronization | $69 bundle includes Cloud add-on at time of check | $49 base plugin alone is not the Cloud bundle |
| WPForms + Dropbox add-on | Transfer submitted form files to Dropbox | Requires WPForms Pro | Not a WordPress backup or public file browser |
Prices and functionality come from the respective vendors’ current product pages; compare checkout terms, applicable taxes and renewal pricing before purchasing. Dropbox storage costs are separate.
Dropbox backup plugins for WordPress
1. UpdraftPlus: scheduled WordPress backups to Dropbox
For a conventional WordPress site, UpdraftPlus covers the essentials in its free version: choose Dropbox as a remote destination, schedule backups of the database and site files, and restore components through WordPress. Its official listing also describes a manual migration workflow in the free plugin.
Why consider Premium? The vendor reserves incremental backups, multiple remote destinations, pre-update backups and advanced backup scheduling for the paid version. Those matter to stores and busy sites where recreating an entire backup every time consumes unnecessary storage. Premium is not a prerequisite for backing up an ordinary blog to one Dropbox account.
Conversion check: if you already have a working UpdraftPlus backup schedule, verify the latest Dropbox archive and a test restore before paying for extra features.
2. BackWPup: custom backup jobs and multiple storage choices
BackWPup includes Dropbox in its free remote storage destinations and lets you define backup jobs rather than treating every backup as identical. The current WordPress.org listing distinguishes free Dropbox, FTP, Azure and S3 storage from paid Google Drive and OneDrive options. Its recent changelog explicitly addresses Dropbox errors and backup-path visibility.
Useful when you want different schedules or file sets, but a Dropbox connection only proves the storage account is authorized—not that the last database and uploads archive completed. Inspect the job logs and run a restore rehearsal before switching away from a backup solution that already works.
View BackWPup’s free storage options →
3. XCloner: differential backups and migration
XCloner supports scheduled backups to Dropbox and other remote destinations. Its listing documents differential backups and the ability to split large archives into smaller parts—features relevant when hosting limits interrupt large full-site jobs.
This is more operationally involved than creating a one-off file download. Before relying on it, document where its restoration script is stored and test the process on a staging domain. Its listing describes server- and database-level migration, not a guaranteed one-click recovery from every possible outage.
Dropbox file browsers, media galleries and form uploads
4. Out-of-the-Box: Dropbox folder and document portal
Out-of-the-Box by _DeLeeuw_ is a dedicated Dropbox file-display plugin, not a site-backup tool. Its marketplace listing covers file browsers, image galleries, upload boxes, media players, private folders and shortcodes. The regular licence was listed at $69, with version 3.9.3 released in September 2026.
Consider it for a client portal or frequently changing download library where editing files in Dropbox should update what readers see on your site. Check folder permissions carefully before publishing: a working file browser is not automatically a private portal. Envato distinguishes a regular end product from one that charges end users; review its licence if paid file access is part of your business model.
View Out-of-the-Box demos and licence →
5. Easy Integration for Dropbox: a free file browser and uploader
Easy Integration for Dropbox offers free blocks and shortcodes for a Dropbox file browser, embedded folders, previews and an upload box. The developer also lists a Contact Form 7 uploader. The paid version adds broader form integrations, Media Library connection and private-user folders.
Important setup detail: its plugin page says you must create a Dropbox app and supply its App Key and App Secret. That is a different setup from a plugin that offers one-click Dropbox login. Its small number of active installations means you should test your exact account permissions, large files and mobile display before relying on it for client work.
Try the free Dropbox file manager →
6. WP Media Folder: Dropbox files inside the WordPress Media Library
WP Media Folder’s Cloud add-on connects Dropbox folders to the native WordPress Media Library. That solves a different problem from Out-of-the-Box: editors want cloud assets in their usual WordPress media workflow rather than a visitor-facing Dropbox folder browser.
Check the package. The vendor’s price table lists a $49 base plugin and a $69 plugin-plus-add-ons bundle including the Cloud add-on; purchasing only the base package does not establish that the Dropbox integration is included. Compare the licence period and future update access before buying.
Check WP Media Folder Cloud plans →
7. WPForms Dropbox add-on: collect files through forms
WPForms’ Dropbox add-on maps one or more File Upload fields in your WordPress form to folders inside the connected Dropbox account. The vendor documents conditional logic, named subfolders and the choice to keep or delete local copies after transfer.
The purchasing distinction: Dropbox requires the WPForms Pro licence level. It is not included simply because a free WPForms form can accept some types of payments or inputs. If your priority is receiving job applications, support attachments or client documents rather than full-site backup, this is the relevant workflow. Test access to sensitive files, upload size limits and successful transfer before deleting local copies.
Check WPForms Pro and Dropbox →
How to back up WordPress to Dropbox in five steps
- Install a backup plugin that supports Dropbox. In WordPress, open Plugins → Add New and install UpdraftPlus or another documented backup plugin above.
- Connect Dropbox in the plugin’s remote-storage settings. Authenticate with the intended Dropbox account and confirm its authorized folder.
- Include the database and site files. A database-only archive will not restore your uploads, themes and plugins; a file-only archive will not restore posts, settings and orders.
- Set a schedule and retention limit. Match it to how frequently the site changes and ensure Dropbox has enough free storage. Store at least one additional recoverable copy independently of the site and, ideally, outside the same account.
- Run a backup and actually restore it on staging. Inspect the archive in Dropbox, download it and rehearse the recovery. Check images, permalinks and logged-in functionality afterward.
For a broader comparison of backup storage, migration and restore features, see WPNeon’s WordPress cloud storage plugins guide.
What happened to older Dropbox plugins?
The old plugin name BackupBuddy is now generally marketed as Solid Backups; do not choose it from an old article that quotes its previous plans or promises instant restores. Likewise, older lists often mix file-embedding products with backup tools or describe Dropbox features without specifying the paid plan. Use the current product pages linked above, and do not install a discontinued plugin just to preserve an old tutorial.
Frequently asked questions
Can I back up WordPress to Dropbox for free?
Yes. UpdraftPlus and BackWPup both document Dropbox as a remote destination in their free plugins. Set schedules, include the database and uploads, and test a restore to verify the backup is recoverable.
What is the best WordPress Dropbox plugin for a file gallery?
Out-of-the-Box is a dedicated paid Dropbox browser with galleries, uploads and private-folder features. Easy Integration for Dropbox offers a free file-browser and gallery starting point, but has a smaller installed base. Neither is a substitute for a full-site backup.
Does WPForms Lite include the Dropbox add-on?
No. The vendor states that its Dropbox add-on requires WPForms Pro. It transfers files submitted through form upload fields; it does not back up your WordPress database.
Can Dropbox replace a full WordPress backup?
Dropbox is a storage destination, not the process that creates a consistent WordPress database-and-files backup. You need backup software, a verified schedule and a tested restore. Keep an additional independent copy so a compromised Dropbox account is not your only recovery path.
Can I sync Dropbox folders into the WordPress Media Library?
Yes, with a product that explicitly documents the integration, such as WP Media Folder with its Cloud add-on. Check that your chosen package includes the add-on and how synchronization handles file moves and deletions.
Choose by task: start with UpdraftPlus for backups, Out-of-the-Box for a Dropbox file portal, or WPForms Pro for submitted files. Each has a different checkout decision and a different failure mode.
