If your website is offering a number of downloadable files to your visitors, then you must be facing the problem of managing them. You want to track the downloads, manage the files in one place, and control the downloads. All these functionalities require advanced tools as the default WordPress download manager is pretty basic. Presenting to your rescue, here are the top 10 WordPress Download Manager Plugins.
These plugins offer you an organized and easy-to-use file system that can make file download management a breeze. There are free download plugins for WordPress as well as premium ones. Depending on the one you choose you may get password protection for your downloadable files, file tracking, file organization, etc. Some plugins also allow you to restrict access to authorized users only. There are many plugins available in the market. Here are we have gathered only the top 10 that offer the best functionality compared to the competition.
Let’s have a look at the top 10 download manager plugins for WordPress. Though they are not arranged in any particular order, you should have a look at each of them as we have reviewed each one with features and pricing.
- WordPress Download Manager
- Download Monitor
- Easy Digital Downloads
- WordPress Download Manager Pro
- WP-Filebase Pro
- File Manager Plugin for WordPress
- Groups File Access WordPress Plugin
- WordPress File Download Manager
- CM Download Manager
- WP File Download
1. WordPress Download Manager
WordPress Download Manager is among the most popular WordPress download managers. The 100k+ active installations speak for itself. Its file management system lets you track, manage, control file downloads on your WordPress site.
Features:
- With custom post type and taxonomy you can easily add downloads
- Drag and Drop functionality
- You can use the server’s file browser to attach a file directly from your server
- Support for Google, DropBox, Box.com, OneDrive
- You can control who can access your download
- Category level access control
- You can control download speed
- Password Protection
- CAPTCHA for spam protection
- IP block option
- Video file Download Protection that allows the visitors to view the video but blocks download
Pricing:
WordPress Download Manager is available for free in the WordPress Plugin Repository. There are many add-ons available. Most of these are free while others are premium.
2. Download Monitor
As the name suggests, Download Monitor helps you monitor your downloadable files. It supports multiple file versions. You can insert download links into posts. It allows you to keep a log of your downloads. It has more than 100,000 active installations and a 4.5-star rating. Download Monitor is definitely the one plugin you must consider before finalizing one for yourself.
Features:
- You can add, edit, and remove downloads from the WordPress dashboard itself
- You can sell your downloads
- It displays download links, tracking of downloads, log access, and shows file download count
- It is 100% Gutenberg compatible. It has a new Download Monitor Download Block.
- Add downloads with the quick-add panel.
- You can add multiple file versions.
- You can define alternative links per download version
- Template files to change the way download files look
Pricing:
The plugin is free to download in the WordPress Plugin Repository. There are premium add-ons available that cost $39 each.
3. Easy Digital Downloads
Easy Digital Downloads is definitely a strong contender when it comes to Download manager plugins for WordPress. With it, you can sell digital products like ebooks, WordPress plugins, PDF files and more. It has a range of extensions that adds to its functionality. This plugin has more than 60,000 active installations.
Features:
- You can provide software, documents, photos, ebooks, songs, graphics, or any other type of media files
- It provides a complete download management system
- It is translation ready
- Supports Payment Gateways like PayPal Standard, Amazon Payments, Stripe, PayPal Pro, PayPal Express, PayPal Payments Advanced, PayPal Adaptive Payments, Braintree, Authorize.Net, 2Checkout, Sofort Banking, BitPay, Coinbase.
- Features extensive add-ons library that includes Software Licensing, Recurring payments, Frontend submissions, Recurring Payments, Zapier, Recommended Products, Content Restriction, MailChimp, Aweber, etc.
- It is extensible, adaptable, and open source
Pricing:
The free plugin is available in the WordPress Plugin Repository. For Premium versions, you get Personal Pass at $99, Extended Pass at $199, Professional Pass at $299, All Access Pass at $499.
4. WordPress Download Manager Pro
You can use this plugin for download management and selling your downloads. WordPress Download Manager Pro boasts to be a complete e-commerce solution for selling digital downloads. You can sell and monitor file downloads, price variations, licensing, password protection, download visibility based on member profile, hit counter and many other things.
Features:
- You can add multiple files in a single entry
- Access control allows you to restrict downloads to certain users
- detailed Download stats
- You can override the max upload limit of the server with the chunk upload option
- Bandwidth control option lets you control download speed
- You can upload all your files via FTP
- Multi-Level Categories
- Sidebar widgets for package categories, top downloaded packages, and new packages
- CSV Import facility
Pricing:
There is a free version available. The Pro version costs $59. The Business plan costs $179. The Developer plan costs $299.
5. WP-Filebase Pro
This is the WordPress download manager with cloud support. It keeps files structured for easy organization. It features smart templates that you can use to embed files into page or post content. It is a responsive plugin with drag and drop for desktop.
Features:
- Hybrid cloud computing allows you to securely sync files with an FTP server. You can also use extensions for DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon S3, GitHub and others.
- Scalable file management allows more than 10,000 files without affecting site speed
- The plugin handles permissions, URL signing, and redirects
- Its deep file analysis can search through the contents of your downloads
- You can allow permissions based on user roles
- Custom post type generates a file page for each file
- You can attach a file on any page or post with the drag and drop feature
Pricing:
The Personal License costs $59. The Freelancer license costs $79. The Business License costs $189.
6. File Manager Plugin for WordPress
This is an advanced file manager for WordPress. It features drag and drop support, Front-end access, Cross- Browser support, Multiple themes, upload notifications, Folder Sharing, Upload/edit files, image thumbnails, Document Viewer, PDF viewer, Image Viewer, Image Editing, etc. It has been sold more than 3,300 times at CodeCanyon.
Features:
- Front-end access
- You can generate shortcodes
- Context Menu support
- It includes an Image editor
- It has a Document Viewer
- It supports Image Thumbnails
- You can ban access to specified users
- .You can enable/disable file manager
- Auto Folder Creation for All Users
- Admin Can set permissions (read/write/download) for different users
- You can create archives.
Pricing:
The Plugin costs $19 at CodeCanyon.
7. Groups File Access WordPress Plugin
This is a WordPress plugin that allows downloads access based on group membership. It allows you to provide download links for authorized users. In other words, to be able to download a file, a user must be a member of a group that is assigned to the file. This plugin has more than 1300 sales at CodeCanyon and has an average rating of 4.5-Stars.
Features:
- It restricts access to downloads to authorized user groups
- Embedded protected streaming media
- Full Multisite support
- Upload files via FTP
- You can bulk import
- Customizable File Access notification
- Flexible Shortcodes
- You can set a limited or unlimited number of downloads per user
- Key authentication file access
Pricing:
The Regular License costs $29 at CodeCanyon.
8. WordPress File Download Manager
This is yet another premium download manager plugin for WordPress available at Envato Market. The plugin has registered more than 1500 sales at CodeCanyon. It has an average rating of 4-Stars. It is a simple, straightforward plugin that works as a file manager. It is useful to give clients access to confidential files securely.
Features:
- You can upload a file in the admin panel and assign it to a user
- Users can login and download files that are accessible to them
- It automatically creates login and download page
- It is highly secure. Even if the direct file URL is known only assigned users can download the file
- Integrates with WordPress built-in file system and user system
Pricing:
The Regular License is available at $17 at CodeCanyon.
9. CM Download Manager
The CM WordPress File Download Manager comes with lots of features. It creates a secure file sharing directory to easily upload, download, and share text files, images and video files. You can protect files with passwords, restrict file access by user or user groups, and many other things. This powerful tool helps you build an online course, a community database, or an HR dashboard.
Features:
- Zip File management
- Audio Player, Video Player, Image slideshow.
- Multiple File Categories
- Integration with Google Docs allows instant file preview
- You can restrict file access
- Email notifications
- Download log and file specific stats based on download date, user, and location
- You can customize the look and feel of download page with templates
- You can use the internal search engine of your website to quickly find the files you want
- It has Download Manager Shortcodes
- Password Protection for Files
- Geolocation with a free Geolocation API key.
Pricing:
For a single site, it costs $39 and for 5 sites, it costs $69.
10. WP File Download
WP File Download is a WordPress File Manager that gives you a lot of professional features to manage files. It includes one-click file ordering, four responsive themes, AJAX navigation, SEO-friendly file URLs, remote download and many more.
Features:
- Full Drag and Drop interface
- The editor interface to manage, categorize and display files
- Customizable themes
- Download stats with Google Analytics tracking
- Restrict access
- Integration with Google Drive file Preview tool
- Search inside a document’s content with a full-text search option
- HTML5 based File upload
- User role editor
- Integration with Google Drive, DropBox, OneDrive, Google Analytics, Divi Builder, Beaver Builder, Gutenberg Editor
Pricing:
There are three plans priced at $29, $39, and $59. These vary in support and add-on included.
So this was our look at the top 10 download manager plugins for WordPress. We can surely hope that with time, better plugins will replace these with functionalities we haven’t heard of yet. While that happens in the future, let’s grab one of these download manager plugins for ourselves in the present. We hope this list saved your time aimlessly testing every download manager out there. Do let us know your views in the comments. .
