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Best Free WordPress Plugins for Downloads

15 plugins compared · Updated August 2026 · Downloads

All 15 Free only Premium only 5

Choosing a WordPress plugin for downloads comes down to a few things: whether it is still actively maintained, whether real users rate it well, and whether it does the specific job you need without dragging the rest of the site down.

We ranked 15 plugins using our WPScore, which weighs the user rating (adjusted for how many people actually rated it), how many sites run it, how recently it was updated, and which WordPress version it is tested against. 15 of them have enough public data to be scored; the rest are listed below the ranked block, clearly marked, rather than being given a number we cannot justify.

How this list is funded. Some links here earn us a commission if you buy. It costs you nothing extra, and it does not move anything up the list — the order comes from the WPScore, which is calculated from public ratings, install counts and update history. See the method.

At a glance

  1. 1. File Manager Pro Best overall 89/100
  2. 2. Download Monitor 89/100
  3. 3. Easy Digital Downloads 88/100
  4. 4. Menu Cart for WooCommerce 87/100
  5. 5. Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard 87/100
  6. 6. Download Plugin 86/100
  7. 7. GravityExport Lite for Gravity Forms 86/100
  8. 8. Document Embedder 86/100
  9. 9. PDF Poster 85/100
  10. 10. Prevent Direct Access 85/100
  11. 11. WP TripAdvisor Review Slider 85/100
  12. 12. Download Manager 84/100
  13. 13. WP Menu Cart 84/100
  14. 14. Simple Download Monitor 83/100
  15. 15. FluentCart A New Era of eCommerce 83/100
1 File Manager Pro
Best overall Free by Ninja Team

File Manager Pro

Best WordPress file manager without FTP access. Edit code with built-in editor, upload files, download plugins, download themes, manage wp directory, …

4.9★
from 152 ratings
100k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
89

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
3 Easy Digital Downloads
Free by Syed Balkhi

Easy Digital Downloads

The #1 eCommerce plugin to sell digital products & subscriptions. Accept payments with Stripe & PayPal. Sell ebooks, software & more.

4.7★
from 590 ratings
40k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
88

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
6 Download Plugin
Free by Metagauss

Download Plugin

Download any plugin from your WordPress admin panel's Plugins page by just one click! Now, download themes, users, blog posts, pages, custom post …

4.5★
from 25 ratings
60k+
active installs
Updated
Jul 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
86

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
8 Document Embedder
Free by bPlugins

Document Embedder

Embed PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and 16+ file types in WordPress with a responsive viewer, FlipBook mode, download button and document library.

4.9★
from 119 ratings
9k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
86

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
9 PDF Poster
Free by bPlugins

PDF Poster

PDF Poster lets you embed PDF files in WordPress using a responsive viewer and block support, including full-screen, download, and print options.

4.5★
from 146 ratings
20k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
85

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
10 Prevent Direct Access
Free by WP Folio Team

Prevent Direct Access

A simple way to prevent search engines and the public from indexing and accessing your files without complex user authentication.

4.7★
from 295 ratings
10k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
85

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
11 WP TripAdvisor Review Slider
Free by jgwhite33

WP TripAdvisor Review Slider

Display TripAdvisor reviews in a slider or grid. Download multiple locations, store reviews locally for fast loading, and show badges, photos, and tem …

4.8★
from 135 ratings
8k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
85

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
12 Download Manager
Free by Shahjada

Download Manager

This File Management & Digital Store plugin will help you to control file downloads & sell digital products from your WP site.

4.1★
from 1,007 ratings
100k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
84

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
13 WP Menu Cart
Free by WP Overnight

WP Menu Cart

Automatically displays a shopping cart in your menu bar. Works with WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads (EDD)

4.8★
from 23 ratings
8k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
84

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
14 Simple Download Monitor
Free by mra13 / Team Tips and Tricks HQ

Simple Download Monitor

Easily manage downloadable files and monitor downloads of your digital files from your WordPress site.

4.7★
from 156 ratings
20k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
83

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org