Quick start guide
Get your first backup running in under 5 minutes.
VPS Snaps automates VPS snapshots, database backups, and Docker volume backups. This guide walks you through setting up your first automated backup from scratch.
Step 1 — Create an account
Sign up at vpssnaps.com/register with a permanent email address: your backup alerts go there, so temporary inboxes are refused. Then click the link in the verification email; a new account adds its first server, storage destination and backup job once its address is verified. The Free plan needs no credit card, ever — or start a paid plan and add payment from your billing page whenever you're ready.
The Free plan is one account per person or organisation, and it lasts as long as you use it: a free account with no sign-in and no successful backup for 60 days is deleted, after we email you at 14, 30 and 45 days. Paid accounts are never deleted for inactivity.
Step 2 — Add a server or provider
Go to Servers in the sidebar to add an SSH server (for database or Docker backups), or go to Providers to connect a DigitalOcean account (for VPS snapshots).
For SSH servers, you'll need your server's IP address, SSH port (usually 22), username (often root), and either a password or SSH private key.
Step 3 — Add a storage destination
Go to Storage and add an S3-compatible bucket, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox or OneDrive. VPS Snaps supports AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, DigitalOcean Spaces, Wasabi, UpCloud Object Storage, or any other custom S3-compatible endpoint — you'll need your bucket name, region, and access credentials — and Google Drive, Box and Dropbox, which you connect by signing in with Google, Box or Dropbox.
Step 4 — Create a backup job
Go to Backup Jobs → New backup job. Choose the type (VPS Snapshot, Database, or Docker), select your server or provider, pick a storage destination, set a schedule, and save.
Step 5 — Run it manually
Open your new job from Backup Jobs and click Run now to trigger an immediate backup and confirm everything is working. Check Backup History for the result.
Always run manually first before relying on the schedule. It's the fastest way to catch any configuration issues.