Best Top 10 WordPress File Manager Plugins (Pros and Cons)
Looking for the best WordPress File Manager Plugin?. While the WordPress media library is good enough to start your journey, it will not be sufficient as your files and requirements grow. So you will need the support of plugins to cater to some requirements which cannot be met using the native system. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss the top 10 WordPress File Manager Plugins in terms of their pros and cons.
1. Filester WordPress File Manager Plugin
Filester is one of the topmost file manager plugins for WordPress. It provides an attractive, grey, and blue-themed dashboard to replace the ordinary file management system in WordPress. Moreover, Filester is a customizable plugin. The right side panel shows the file hierarchy while the controls are on the top. The files will be visible in the middle. The context menu can be seen on the right, and there are more advanced settings to accommodate multiple users and networks.
This tool has a basic drag and drop functionality, folder management, and also hidden file settings that can be used to hide your confidential files somewhere on the site. You can directly extract/compress files through the plugin. This plugin can also be used to manage source files conveniently without using FTP. (File Transfer Protocol)
Pros of Filester WordPress File Manager Plugin
- Attractive and customizable interface
- Straightforward controllers
- Influencing User Interface
- Free to use
- Drag and drop features
- Supports archives
Cons of Filester WordPress File Manager Plugin
- Other site users can intervene with your settings if the user role permissions are not set in the File Manager.
2. FileBird WordPress File Manager Plugin
FileBird makes the existing WordPress media library much better by providing an attractive and modern interface with features to display files and their structures more clearly. It has a clear set of controllers such as the drag and drop feature and the ability to easily delete, edit, and create files, making the flow easier.
Apart from the free tier, FileBird also has a premium version. It provides the feasibility of adding unlimited folders and subfolders, different sorting options, and other advanced features that are not there in the free version.
If you have to use a large number of files for your website, WordPress native file manager will not provide great support for you. Hence you will have to replace it with a robust file manager plugin.
Pros of FileBird
- Easy to install and configure
- High usability
- Optimized search functionality
- Ability to bulk delete files
- Support for multiple file types
Cons of FileBird
- Erroneous upgrades have caused failures in previous versions
- The search option seems a bit slow in some scenarios
- Limited files are allowed in the free version
3. WP Media Manager Plugin
There are two versions of WP Media Manager: the Lite version, which is a free version, and the premium version. WP Media Manager is popular as a better replacement for the native WordPress File manager. While the user interface of this plugin is much similar to the FileBird and WordPress file manage, it includes more controls to help organize the files. The left pane contains the controllers and folders, the centre pane shows the files, the top pane has the selection buttons, and the right pane has settings specified for individual files. There are a variety of controls from simple add, insert, delete to advanced user settings.
This plugin is an ideal choice if you are looking for a simple media manager for less budget. It offers some useful features in the premium version, which will only cost around $17.
Pros of WP Media Manager
- User-friendly Interface
- Drag and drop feature
- Advanced file settings
- Easy integration with other plugins
- Easy installation
- Bulk delete option
Cons of WP Media Manager
- New changes are not compatible with older versions
- The free version has limited features, while many important features are only allowed in the premium version
4. File Manager WP Plugin
File Manager is another alternative that looks like a combination of the appearance of Apple-Esque and Microsoft Office. It has a similar layout to the native file manager, where the files are in the center, file hierarchy on the left, and controls are on the top as usual. Apart from the standard features, there are some additional features for locking the files, pdf sharing, and full-screen view.
The premium version offers features such as database support, customized role definition, and email notification options.
Pros of File Manager
- Improved user interface with modified controls
- Includes themes
- Efficient and seamless
- Integration with additional plugins such as GitHub and cloud storage support.
- Compatible with multiple file types
- Direct search within the UI
- Offers a database editor and code editor
Cons of File Manager
- Some important features are only allowed in the premium version
- There are reported malware and hacking activities
5. Advanced File Manager WordPress Plugin
Advanced File Manager is a free and open-source file manager plugin for WordPress, which is quite similar to the macOS file managing system.
This plugin offers features such as shortcode control, the ability to move, add, change and delete controls, PDF viewing, drag and drop operation, archive support for zipping and rare files, an image editor, file preview, video, and audio support and a whole lot more.
Pros of Advanced File Manager
- All the features are offered for free
- Simple and attractive user interface
- Built-in Image editor and pdf viewer
- Supports archives
- Drag and drop functionality
- File preview and audio, video support
Cons of Advanced File Manager
- There are no significant cons to be highlighted
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6. Wicked Folders
Wicked Folders has both free and paid alternatives, which are quite similar to the WordPress media library.
The free version allows you to organize and customize posts, use the drag and drop feature to clone folders, and perform searches within the library. Further, the premium version adds up the ability to organize users and additional plugins and forms. This plugin will also be ideal if you are planning to manage and organize WooCommerce stores.
Pros of Wicked Folders
- Stock alike yet the simple user interface
- The clone tool to be used for files
- Bulk move and edit tools
- Efficient and seamless
- Supports WooCommerce features
Cons of Wicked Folders
- Media library organization features are only allowed in the premium version
- Premium versions are pricey compared to the free version.
7. Posts Table Pro
Posts Table Pro is more than a file manager plugin and creates tables for everything in WordPress, such as files and folders, images, posts, pages, and other components on the site. These components are then organized within a table on a particular page.
Pros of Posts Table Pro
- Can be used to manage content
- Logical navigation and enhanced User Interface
- Easy installation and configuration
- Uses Ajax lazy loading in pages
Cons of Posts Table Pro
- Not a completely dedicated file manager plugin
- Only available as a paid version
8. WordPress Real Media Library Plugin
This is one of the file manager plugins compatible with page builders. This plugin is also compatible with WordPress themes and other available plugins.
Pros of WordPress Real Media Library
- Drag and drop option
- Supports WooCommerce site developments
- Supports multiple languages
- Compatible with themes and additional plugins
- Efficient and seamless
- Straightforward navigation and advanced controls
- Supports multiple file types
Cons of WordPress Real Media Library
- Only available as a paid solution
9. WordPress Media Library Folders
WordPress Media Library Folders has a simple and effective user interface. It creates a new media library to organize the content, and this feature is there in the free version. The premium version allows you to sync multiple folders and store files in cloud storage instead of WordPress.
Pros of WordPress Media Library Folders
- Improved and easy to use user interface
- Creates an entirely new media library for your content
- Allows to have customized fields
- Provides supports for multi-sites
- Ability to have organizational structures
- Easy to add images and other media to pages
Cons of WordPress Media Library Folders
- There can be confusion as it makes its own folders/directories
- Only available as a paid version
- Need to be careful when moving and copying media as it will cause complications if URLs change
10. Secure File Manager WordPress Plugin
Secure File Manager is a plugin used to boost the security and performance of websites with effective file management. It has multiple themes and is also flexible in customization.
This plugin can further be used as an administration tool to set permissions on files. It helps enhance file security, assuring your files are safe.
This plugin will also allow administrators to set file permissions.
Pros of Secure File Manager
- Free to use
- File management can be done without FTP
- Supports Multi Sites
- Download, copy, create and edit Files and Folders
- Drag-n-Drop feature
- Supports archives
- Can access the off-site files using FTP to connect to a remote network
Cons of Secure File Manager
- Some versions can cause errors and performance issues
Best WordPress File Manager Plugins Conclusion
So far, we have covered some of the best file manager plugins for WordPress. Each one might have its unique features. Therefore, you should go through them thoroughly to choose the most suitable plugin for your requirements and find a better option to handle the media types you use. You can start the flow by installing WordPress on windows and trying some free versions of the plugins discussed here.
