If you’re looking at Hostinger’s VPS plans and wondering what “2 daily 2 weekly” backup retention means, here’s the short answer: Hostinger’s VPS backups keep two daily copies and two weekly copies of your server data. The daily backups are stored for up to two days before being overwritten by newer ones. The weekly backups are kept for two weeks before they rotate out.
This retention policy applies to certain VPS plans, typically the KVM VPS 1 and KVM VPS 2 tiers, though higher plans may offer more copies. The system handles everything automatically, so you don’t need to trigger backups manually.
This article covers what that retention schedule actually means for your data, how the backup process works, which plans include it, and the limitations you should know about. I’ll also point out common misunderstandings and give you a practical takeaway for keeping your server safe.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Short answer | Hostinger VPS backup retention stores 2 daily backups and 2 weekly backups. |
| Applies to | KVM VPS 1 and KVM VPS 2 plans (and sometimes higher tiers, depending on the current plan structure). Check the official pricing page for exact plan details. |
| Best for | Users who need basic automated backup coverage without manual intervention, and who are comfortable with a two-day and two-week rotating window. |
| Watch out for | Backups are not kept indefinitely; older daily backups are overwritten after 2 days, and weekly backups after 2 weeks. This is not a replacement for off-site or long-term archiving. |
Hostinger VPS Backup Retention 2 Daily 2 Weekly Explained
What “2 Daily 2 Weekly” Actually Means
The notation “2 daily 2 weekly” refers to the number of backup copies retained at any given time. Hostinger’s VPS backup system takes a snapshot of your server (files, databases, configurations) on a daily and weekly schedule. It keeps the two most recent daily backups and the two most recent weekly backups.
Daily backups: A new backup is created once every 24 hours. When the third daily backup is created, the oldest daily backup is deleted. So at any moment, you have access to the last two daily backups.
Weekly backups: A weekly backup is created once every seven days. When the third weekly backup is created, the oldest weekly backup is removed. You always have the last two weekly backups.
This means the maximum recoverable time window is: up to 2 days back for daily copies, and up to 2 weeks back for weekly copies. If you need to restore a file that was deleted three weeks ago, neither the daily nor weekly backups will have it. The system is designed for short-term recovery, not long-term archiving.
How the Backup Process Works
Hostinger uses automated snapshots taken at the hypervisor level for KVM VPS plans. These are full system backups, not incremental. The process runs without any action from you.
Here’s what happens:
- A scheduled job triggers a snapshot of the entire VPS disk.
- The snapshot is compressed and stored in a separate storage location within the same data center.
- Old backups are pruned according to the retention policy.
- You can restore a full VPS from any stored backup through the hPanel interface. Partial restores (individual files) are not supported directly; you would need to restore the whole VPS and then extract files manually.
The backup schedule is fixed. You cannot change the frequency or retention period for the standard plans. If you need more frequent backups or longer retention, you would need to set up your own third-party backup solution.
Which Plans Include This Retention
Hostinger’s VPS lineup includes several tiers. The “2 daily 2 weekly” retention is typically part of the KVM VPS 1 and KVM VPS 2 plans. Higher tiers (KVM VPS 3 and above) may offer 3 daily and 3 weekly backups, or even more.
Check the official Hostinger pricing page for the current plan specifications, as they occasionally update the feature set.
The retention policy applies to all VPS plans that include automatic backups, which is standard on most KVM VPS plans. The cheaper shared hosting plans have different backup schedules, usually daily and weekly but with varying retention lengths. Cloud hosting plans also have their own backup policies.
Note: If you are using a custom VPS configuration or a self-managed VPS (like a bare metal server), the backup retention described here may not apply. Always verify the backup settings for your specific plan in the hPanel dashboard.
Limitations of the 2 Daily 2 Weekly Retention
This backup system is convenient and reliable, but it has clear limits.
Short retention window. The oldest daily backup is gone after two days. If a problem is discovered after three days, the daily backup that could have saved you is already overwritten. The weekly backups only go back two weeks.
For long-term data retention, you need an external backup strategy.
No local off-site option. The backups are stored in the same data center as your VPS. If the entire data center suffers a disaster (fire, flood, etc.), both your server and its backups could be lost. Hostinger does have redundancy across data centers, but your backups are not automatically replicated to a different region.
You should consider taking your own off-site backups.
Restore process is full-server only. You cannot restore a single file from the backup interface. You have to restore the entire VPS, which can be time-consuming and may cause downtime. For granular file recovery, you need to use an alternative backup method inside the server, like rsync or a plugin.
Backup storage counts against your disk space? No, Hostinger does not charge extra for backup storage on the VPS plans. The backups are stored in a separate pool, not your main disk. This is a positive point, but it also means you can’t control the backup storage location.
How to Manage Your Backups
You can see your available backups in the hPanel under “Backups”. From there you can:
- View the list of daily and weekly backups with timestamps.
- Restore a full VPS from any listed backup.
- Delete a backup manually (rarely needed, but possible).
There is no option to extend the retention period or increase the number of backups through the standard interface. If you want more control, you can set up your own backup scripts inside the VPS. For example, use cron jobs with rsync to copy data to a remote server, or use a tool like restic or duplicity to automate encrypted backups to cloud storage.
This is a more advanced approach but gives you unlimited retention and off-site storage.
Common Mix-ups or Things People Get Wrong
Mix-up: “I thought the 2 daily backups meant I could restore data from any day within the last 2 days.”
Reality: You can only restore from the two most recent daily backups. If you have a daily backup at 2 AM on Monday and another at 2 AM on Tuesday, then on Wednesday you have Tuesday’s and Monday’s backups. But if you wait until Thursday, the Monday backup is gone, and you only have Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s.
So the window is not a rolling 48 hours; it’s two specific snapshots.
Mix-up: “The weekly backups are kept for two weeks, so I can restore from a month ago.”
Reality: Weekly backups are kept for two weeks, not two months. If you have a weekly backup from Week 1 (say, Jan 1) and Week 2 (Jan 8), then on Jan 15, you still have Week 1 and Week 2. But when Week 3’s backup is created on Jan 15, the Week 1 backup is deleted.
So the oldest weekly backup you can reach is always no more than 9, 14 days old, depending on the exact schedule.
Mix-up: “I can use the backup to restore a single file without restoring the whole server.”
Reality: The hPanel backup interface only supports full VPS restores. To get a single file, you need to restore the entire VPS to a temporary location (or to the same server, overwriting current data), then copy the file out. This is cumbersome.
Consider using a file-level backup solution inside the server for quick file recovery.
Mix-up: “Daily and weekly backups are cumulative, so I have 4 backup copies total.”
Reality: Yes, you have 2 daily + 2 weekly = 4 backup copies at any time. But they are not duplicates. The daily backups are separate snapshots taken at different times.
The weekly backups are also separate. However, if a weekly backup happens to be taken on the same day as a daily backup, they are still two distinct copies. The system does not merge them.
What This Means for You
The 2 daily 2 weekly backup retention is a solid baseline for a personal project, a small business website, or a development server where you need to recover from recent mistakes or crashes. It’s automatic, free, and easy to use. If you accidentally delete a file or misconfigure something, you can roll back to a state from a day or two ago.
But if your site handles sensitive data, has regulatory requirements, or needs to keep backups for months or years, this built-in system is not enough. You need to layer your own backup routines. A common approach is to set up a free cron job that copies critical files to an external storage service like Google Drive, Dropbox, or a second VPS.
You can also use a plugin like UpdraftPlus for WordPress, or a script that runs mysqldump and tar and uploads the result to an S3-compatible bucket.
For most users, the Hostinger backup retention is a helpful safety net, not a comprehensive disaster recovery plan. It’s wise to test your backups periodically. Restore a full backup to a test environment every few months to make sure the data is intact and the process works.
If you are already using Hostinger VPS, you can access your backups from the hPanel. If you are shopping for a VPS plan, the inclusion of 2 daily and 2 weekly backups is a good feature, but compare it with other providers who may offer longer retention or off-site backups as standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the backup retention the same for all Hostinger VPS plans?
No. The 2 daily 2 weekly retention applies to lower-tier plans like KVM VPS 1 and KVM VPS 2. Higher-tier plans (KVM VPS 3 and above) may include 3 daily and 3 weekly backups, or more.
Check the current plan details on the official page.
Can I increase the number of daily or weekly backups?
You cannot change the retention settings through the standard hPanel interface. To get more backups, you need to set up your own backup solution inside the VPS. Hostinger’s built-in system is fixed.
How long does it take to restore a full VPS from a backup?
The restore time depends on the size of your VPS disk and the data center load. Typically, a restore takes 10, 30 minutes for a standard VPS. You can monitor the progress in hPanel.
The server will be offline during the restore process.
Do I need to pay extra for the backup storage?
No. Backup storage is included in the VPS plan price. You do not pay extra for the snapshots, and they do not count against your main disk space.
This is a standard feature of Hostinger’s KVM VPS plans.
If you are ready to set up your Hostinger VPS with the included backup retention, you can use a coupon to get a discount on the plan. This Hostinger VPS coupon gives you the best available price for the first term. For the most current deals, check the August 2026 VPS coupon page as well.
If you later decide to switch providers, you can compare the backup features with other hosts. I’ve written a detailed comparison of Hostinger vs Hostdime that covers backup policies among other factors. And if you ever need to cancel your subscription, the cancellation guide explains how to retrieve your backups before you leave.
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