File download plugin wordpress

There are numerous plugins allowing you to provide the file downloads for users without much hassle. Download Monitor, WordPress Download Manager, and Prevent Direct Access plugins turn out to be the most efficient solutions to restrict access and organize media files. There should be WordPress plugins for everything. However, the above plugins offer better ways to manage your WordPress files. You can keep track of how many times each file has been downloaded.

On top of that, you can also stop unauthorized users from downloading them. In this post, we will show a detailed comparison between Download Monitor, WordPress Download Manager, and Prevent Direct Access so that you can choose the best option for downloadable file administration and security.

Download Monitor proves powerful when it comes to files organization and tracking. It enables you to upload, manage media files, and insert download links into posts and pages with an intuitive UI. WordPress Download Manager lets you manage, track, and control file downloads from your WordPress site.

The plugin brings many outstanding features, from organizing files to protecting them against bots and unwanted users. Though Prevent Direct Access has joined the market later, it still stays competitive with the other two. This plugin focuses on securing WordPress files from unauthorized users and search engines.

You can decide how many times an image, PDF, or video can be downloaded using the plugin. On the other hand, Prevent Direct Access aims to protect uploaded files from unwanted users and search engines like Google.

Download Monitor allows you to upload, edit, categorize and remove downloadable files from a section called Downloads on your WordPress admin dashboard.

All of the uploaded files are also included in your Media Library. However, they have different URLs. The plugin lets no one but members download the files. Each download is assigned its own shortcode which can be used to display the download detail in the content area or can be inserted into your posts and pages.

After installing WP Download Manager, you can handle your own file uploads on a download page in the same way as the Download Monitor plugin. There are security layers such as using passwords or user roles to control access to your files, setting up speed, and a limit on download count per user to control downloads. The plugin offers a higher level of protection by preventing a file from direct URL access and stopping search engines like Google from indexing your files.

Prevent Direct Access helps you control access through user roles, download clicks, and time expiry. Quick-add panel using shortcode of each file. Besides remarkable features, a user-friendly interface is an important factor in deciding your ideal plugin.

If you want to upgrade to the Pro versions, you need to make purchases on their sites. An email including a download URL and the license to install and activate the paid version will be sent to your email after paying. Upon installation and successful activation, Download Monitor or WordPress Download Manager plugins add a new section called Downloads to your WordPress navigation menu.

You can insert and edit files or set up features there. Most of these are free while others are premium. 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 , active installations and a 4. Download Monitor is definitely the one plugin you must consider before finalizing one for yourself. The plugin is free to download in the WordPress Plugin Repository. Easy Digital Downloads is definitely a strong contender when it comes to Download manager plugins for WordPress.

It has a range of extensions that adds to its functionality. This plugin has more than 60, active installations. The free plugin is available in the WordPress Plugin Repository. 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. There is a free version available. This is the WordPress download manager with cloud support. It keeps files structured for easy organization. To view how your file downloads are doing, just go to the WooCommerce » Reports page.

From here you will see your sales by date, by products, and by categories:. This shows you how many people have ordered your download. WooCommerce can show you the number of downloads, customers, and the files they bought. However, it will not show you what led the user to the conversion. This is really important information that helps you make important decisions about growing your business. This is where MonsterInsights comes in. For step by step instructions, see our guide on how to easily set up WooCommerce conversion tracking.

We hope this article helped you learn how to manage, track, and control file downloads in WordPress. You may also want to see our tips on the best email marketing services to better sell your digital downloads. If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook. Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission.

See how WPBeginner is funded , why it matters, and how you can support us. Trusted by over 1. Get FREE access to our toolkit — a collection of WordPress related products and resources that every professional should have! Can you advise a way? Please, I want to set a Download counter for my files to tell my visitors how many downloads each has.

I used the download monitor and download manager plugins but none gave me that. What should I do? Good tutorial. How can restrict sub-domain download link. It would depend on the method you use. Very good article. But I am looking for a plugin with which I can make files available to my visitors for download. Similar to a driver download page from a hardware supplier. Is there such a thing? Thanks for tips.

Thanks for such an informative post. Would like to know the best plugins for limiting downloads per user. Really appreciate your suggestions on this. Thanks for choosing to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our comment policy , and your email address will NOT be published. Please Do NOT use keywords in the name field.

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All Rights Reserved. On other hands, you might simply want to restrict certain files based on user roles. Tracking File Downloads in WordPress Using MonsterInsights If you offer free downloads on your website, then you may not be concerned about managing or controlling downloads. This will help you know where to invest your resources when creating new content.