WordPress File Management Plugins That You Can Trust

Almost all website experiences kickstart with WordPress. The most popular content management system hosts more than 35% of all websites on the Internet, with a staggering market share of more than 60% of the CMS. The platform is very simple and easy to use, helping even first-time administrators to master most of the features quickly. But there is one thing that stands out from the multitude of useful features and it comes in the form of WordPress plugins. Even though we can manage Website files using a web hosting file manager, it is easier to do that using WordPress Plugins. In this article, we will introduce the best WordPress File Management Plugins that you can trust!

WordPress currently offers you more than 55 thousand tools. A well-chosen plugin can help you dramatically improve website performance and take care of many functions such as search engine optimization, security, contact forms, image optimization, and many more.

We want to talk about file management today, so read on for the basics of the process, as well as the top 10 WordPress file management plugins you should try in 2020. Let’s take a look!

Where are your WordPress files located?

To access WordPress files, you need to use a web application called File Manager. Another (more difficult) solution is to do it through the FTP client.

Using one of these two options, you can see a complete list of the main WordPress files. The main files should not be modified because they represent the essence of your website. The list of main files is long, but some of the main items include:

[dir] wp-admin
[dir] wp-includes
readme.html
wp-enable.php
wp-load.php
wp-login.php
wp-settings.php

Besides that, you can also access three types of WordPress configuration files. They control permalinks, redirects, database connections, initializations, requests, and many more.

There is also a wp-content folder that contains all the themes, plugins, and uploads of the website. You can edit these files manually but do so with extreme caution because even the smallest mistake can completely screw up a theme/plugin or even render the site down.

With everything we’ve said so far, it’s clear that most webmasters aren’t passionate about messing with WordPress files manually. This is exactly why file management plugins play such an important role in website management.

Best WordPress File Management Plugins for Your Websites

Now that you understand the essentials of WordPress file management and know that you don’t have to deal with it manually, it’s time to focus on the best-performing plugins. Here are our top 10 picks:

1. File manager

The first entry on our list is File Manager, a popular WordPress plugin with over 500,000 active installations. Webmasters love File Manager for its unprecedented simplicity and flexibility.

With this plugin at your disposal, you can create, download, edit, delete, copy, paste and upload all kinds of files and folders. Best of all, File Manager does not force you to use FTP, but allows you to work directly from the WordPress backend.

We also appreciate the File Manager’s ability to create different filters. The basic version of the plugin is free, but you can also go for the paid package. In case you go for the full package, you can get additional features like:

An integrated development environment (IDE)
Automated code reviews before saving files to make sure your site doesn’t crash when updating code
Multiple file manager themes
Simple navigation through icon and list views
Easily preview common file types, including media (video, audio, mp3, thumbnails, etc.)
Automatic file resizes after loading
File and folder browsing history
Toolbar for rich context menu and file manager functions

2. Frontend file manager plugin

Frontend File Manager Plugin is a convenient WordPress tool with a wide range of easy-to-use features. It comes in a well-designed user interface that makes it easy to find the specific option and rearrange your files in no time.

Experience taught us that the Frontend File Manager Plugin worked very efficiently by creating a special segment where users could upload external documents to their own private files. It’s a very useful feature, but we couldn’t really get any help from the developers and we had to figure everything out for ourselves because customer service doesn’t exist.

Features like secure uploader script, file details popup, tags, thumbnail images, and the like are part of the free version. But if you are willing to pay for the pro version, you can also enjoy the following benefits:

Set limits for file upload and number of files per user
Create directories
Email Notifications
Unlimited download areas.

3. WP Media Manager Lite

WP Media Manager Lite is a handy tool for webmasters who want to control files quickly and effortlessly. Thanks to its drag-and-drop function, the plug-in allows users to manage media files and folders seamlessly.

It comes with comprehensive filtering solutions, while you can also choose from many different themes from the built-in gallery. WP Media Manager Lite allows you to customize files based on size / weight, show number of media, delete all folders if necessary, and many more.

The plugin is free if you don’t need more than a handful of elementary features, but you can go for a premium plan. Such a solution guarantees many features that will enhance the overall file management experience:

Import all folders and media from the server
Light box extension
Compatibility with numerous extensions.
Optional language translations
Responsive, touch and retina ready
Complete documentation and user support

4. File Bird

File Bird is a WordPress plugin developed with a particular purpose and that is to organize thousands of WordPress media files in folders and categories at ease. This plug-in is also built on drag-and-drop functions to help you get work done quickly and save precious time.

On top of that, File Bird works flawlessly no matter the file type, including image and video formats. The tool is compatible with many libraries outside of WordPress, including commonly used builders like Visual Composer, Elementor, and Beaver Builder.

File Bird is free to use with up to 10 folders or categories, but you will have to pay for additional support. In this case, you will get a variety of additional features such as:

Supports RTL languages like Hebrew, Arabic, etc.
Multiple third-party integrations including Divi Builder, Polylang, and many more.
Both the classic and the new WordPress editor (Gutenberg)
A super efficient user support team

5. Advanced file manager

Just as the name implies, Advanced File Manager is a very complete WordPress plugin with all the file management features that a webmaster might need. It is impossible for us to mention every feature in this post, but we can point out the essentials.

First of all, you get the basics like file uploads, downloads, edits, deletions, and the like. The plugin allows for simple editing of the root directory path, while you can also enjoy easy file access that allows you to control documents from inside and outside the WordPress root directory.

Advanced File Manager comes with a clear PDF preview feature, while allowing users to hide the actual path of a file. Most of the functions can be used freely, but the pro version of the plugin is paid and offers additional benefits:

Set a theme for file manager in shortcode
Grid and list view for file manager
Allow unregistered users or visitors to access and manage files on the front-end of your website
Multiple device responsiveness

6. Easy update manager

Updates are quite important in website management, so every webmaster could use a WordPress plugin called Easy Updates Manager. What do you get out of it?

The list of features is long, but the most important solutions include automatic updates, various settings, and much more. Our favorite tricks include highly customizable file settings, the option to hide different items if necessary, disable core, plugin, theme and translation updates, and more.

Of course, the paid version of the same tool gives you additional features such as:

Safe mode updates that ensure updates are compatible with your WordPress version and your server’s PHP version
External registration to receive alerts when new updates have been registered
Anonymization that allows you to control what is sent to the WordPress API
Delayed updates in the case of frequent revisions and releases
Automatic backups

7. Enable media replacement

If you are looking for a lightweight plugin that makes media management super easy, then you can also try a tool called Enable Media Replacement. What can I do for you? The answer is easy – this plugin helps you replace an image or file in the Media Library with a completely new file.

All you have to do is select the old file and upload a new one. As you can see, Enable Media Replacement removes unnecessary functions such as renaming, deleting, and uploading files. Gets a shortcode that selects the file’s modification date and displays it in a post or page.

If you want more control over the format used to display the time, you can use the format option. The best thing about Enable Media Replacement is that you can use the plugin for free.

8. File Away Plugin

With over 10,000 active installations, File Away represents another very popular WordPress file management plugin. The platform allows you to handle WordPress files the way you want it, including standard features like uploads, deletion, deletion, etc. You can also create stylized lists and tables while accumulating download logs.

The only thing we really don’t like about File Away is the customer service as users generally have to wait a while before learning solutions to plugin problems. However, keep in mind that this is essentially a one-man team, so it’s hard to expect it to be available 24 hours. Plugin is rarely dysfunctional, so please be patient if a problem does occur.

9. WordPress Download Manager

WordPress Download Manager is a document management plugin that you can use to control and manage file downloads from the WordPress website. The platform covers it all and meets the expectations of even the most demanding webmasters.

With it, you can create custom taxonomies and post types, override upload limits, enable file protection, and perform many other actions simultaneously. The pro version of WordPress Download Manager is paid and offers you a wide range of valuable features such as:

Sales tax and coupon management
Product and price variations
Promotional prices for digital products
PayPal integration
Sell digital products safely
Automatic renewal order option
Email sales notifications
Easy implementation of the license API for the integration of the licensing system

10. Simple Download monitor

The last entry on our list is Simple Download Monitor, a WordPress plugin that helps administrators keep track of file downloads that take place on their sites. This is a very useful solution if you are anxious to know the number of downloads and identify users who show interest in the content of the website.

There is also a file protection feature that you can use to prevent downloads if necessary. Simple Download Monitor offers you a wide range of additional functions, but it is an open-source platform and therefore free. See below for some other features that might be helpful:

Specify the version number information of the download item to display to your visitors
Restrict downloads to registered users only
Ignore bot download count
Add Google reCAPTCHA to your download buttons
Add terms and conditions to your download buttons

The bottom line

Have you already tried any of these WordPress File Manager Plugins? Which one did you like the most? Let us know in the comments – we’d love to see your thoughts on WordPress file management plugins!