If you host a lot of PDFs and documents on your WordPress site, you may want to consider adding a WordPress document gallery plugin. While WordPress is powerful and easily customizable, it is quite limited when it comes to managing and organizing its documents and media. If you run a small site without a lot of documents, the default media library does the job just fine. However, if you have more than a few documents, you’ll soon find that your documents become disorganized, difficult to keep track of, and frustrating for your users to find.
In a default WordPress installation, there is no way to categorize or otherwise manage documents within the media library. You could try to wrangle the media library with a custom solution, but a plugin may be the right tool for you to save time and money. With the right WordPress document gallery plugin, you will have more control and be able to easily organize, share, and showcase your documents the way you want. You can even give your website visitors the power to search, sort, and download documents quickly and easily.
Table of Contents
What To Look For in a WordPress Document Gallery Plugin
What are the Best WordPress Document Library Plugins?
The Best of the Rest
Finding the Right WordPress Document Library Plugin
What to Look for in a WordPress Document Gallery Plugin
There are many WordPress document gallery plugins available. Some are free, while others have more feature-filled, paid premium versions. The focus and features of each plugin vary. By looking through this list of the best WordPress document gallery plugins, you may find the best option for what you are looking to do on your site.
While all of these plugins help you organize your documents, some do much more than that. Some focus more on the admin area, helping your keep track of documents, while others provide features to make these files more accessible in your pages and posts. Some plugins are just about organizing, while others include more powerful features like version tracking, access control, and frontend uploading.
What are the Best WordPress Document Library Plugins?
Here are our top picks:
Document Library Pro
FileBird – WordPress Media Library Folders
WordPress Real Media Library: Media Library Folder & File Manager
Posts Table Pro
SP Project & Document Manager
Memphis Documents Library
Embed Any Document Plus
Fivo Docs
WP Docs
WP Document Revisions
1. Document Library Pro
Document Library Pro was developed by Barn2 to fill a need for listing documents in the front end. Among its features are: a built-in “document” post type, drag-and-drop in the Media Library, flexible document listing on the front end, and advanced searching. The plugin supports a wide range of file types ranging from PDFs to audio and video.
The plugin is entirely self-contained and offers a single, integrated solution for your library. This means that you don’t need try to piece together your document library from two or three different plugins. While there isn’t a free version of the plugin, the price of the subscription gives you access to personal and fast support.
Pros: Lots of features, plugin is actively supported and developed
Cons: There is no free version
Pricing
There is no free version of the plugin, but there is a 30-day money back guarantee. The pricing starts at $99/year for 1 site, $149/year for up to 5 sites, and $349/year for up to 20 sites. For $799/year, you can even get access to all Barn2 plugins.
Who Should Consider This Document Library Plugin?
The plugin is for businesses and organizations that need a full-featured plugin with professional support. If your document library is business-critical, then you can’t afford to wait for free support.
2. FileBird – WordPress Media Library Folders
With over 60,000 active installations, FileBird is one of the most popular media library plugins in the WordPress repository. It helps organize your media library and turn it into a true WordPress document library. Your files stay where they are, and their permalinks still work since FileBird creates virtual folders while leaving original files intact. The drag and drop interface makes FileBird an exceptionally easy to use solution.
FileBird integrates directly with the Media Library and offers a slick interface to create folders. It comes with a Gutenberg block to add a media gallery to your page or post. The gallery works great for images, but does not support thumbnails for other types of documents such as PDFs.
Pros: Latest update adds even more features
Cons: The free version only supports up to 10 folders or categories, no thumbnails or icons for PDFs.
Pricing
The core plugin is free. The Pro version is available in two types of licenses. The Regular License is $25, and the Extended License is $199, with an additional charge for extended support.
Who Should Consider This Document Library Plugin?
The plugin is designed primarily for organizing images and displaying them on the frontend. Photographers and those working with a lot of images will find this plugin a great tool for organizing their photos into collections.
3. WordPress Real Media Library: Media Library Folder & File Manager
Real Media Library is one of the highest rated media gallery plugins in the WordPress repository. It offers what you would expect from a robust media gallery plugin: a folder manager, drag-and-drop interface, and integration with the Media Library.
The plugin is very similar to FileBird: both have premium versions on CodeCanyon, and both free versions only support up to 10 folders or categories.
The biggest difference between the two is that Real Media Library works in tandem with Document Gallery for Real Media Library and Document Gallery to insert a gallery of documents in a post or page from a folder in WordPress Real Media Library. However, the Document Gallery plugin has not been updated in three years, so use at your own risk.
Pros: Latest update adds even more features
Cons: The free version only supports up to 10 folders or categories, no thumbnails or icons for PDFs.
Pricing
The core plugins is free. The Pro version is available on CodeCanyon. The Regular License is $39 and the Extended License is $195, with an additional charge for extended support.
Who Should Consider This Document Library Plugin?
If you like FileBird, you will also like this plugin.
4. Posts Table Pro
If you require more flexibility, you may want to consider a customizable table plugin like Posts Table Pro. Posts Table Pro is another plugin developed by Barn2. It was built to display all sorts of posts and their associated data it is completely customizable to your needs.
By following this tutorial, you can create a WordPress document gallery that is completely searchable and sortable. Documents can be stored as downloadable files or individual website pages. All of your WordPress pages, posts, and documents can be accessed by users on the frontend in a simple, customizable table. You control which information is shared in the table, which can be embedded anywhere on your site. Posts Table Pro also makes it simple to add a search box powered by Ajax, making documents even easier to find.
The tutorial offers two methods to build your document gallery. The first method gives you much more flexibility and customizability, but requires some develop chops. The second method is simpler but still need some setup. Both methods require some extra plugins to add custom post type and metadata capabilities.
Pros: The table plugin format provides ultimate flexibility
Cons: You cannot use the free version for custom post types, and some other plugins are needed.
Pricing
Even though a free version of the plugin exists, it does not support custom post types. The Pro version, which starts at $60/year, is required to build a document library.
Who Should Consider This Document Library Plugin?
Businesses that want powerful search and filter functions for their documents will benefit from this plugin. Since Posts Table Pro was built as a general-purpose display plugin, you may need some extra developer resources to configure the setup. If you are looking for a plug-and-play solution, this method may not be for you.
5. SP Project & Document Manager
SP Project & Document Manager has some features that set it apart from other WordPress document gallery options. First, it is a folder-based system that allows you to create an unlimited number of folders and subfolders to store and organize your documents. Second, it allows you to control access based on account type and even provide permissions for specific users to edit and modify files. This is a good choice when working with clients, or when collaboration is an essential part of the website’s function.
SP Project & Document Manager is a powerful tool that also comes with a lot of admin screens, so there may be some learning curve involved. The plugin comes with a lot of features but some of those features, such as Google Drive and Dropbox integration, are only available as add-ons.
Pros: Unlimited folders and subfolders are great for users who need to manage complex libraries.
Cons: Good list of features in free version but some options require purchase of add-ons.
Pricing
The core plugin is free. The premium version starts at $75 per year for a single site license. Add-ons also cost extra.
Who Should Consider This Document Library Plugin?
Businesses looking for a comprehensive solution should take a look at SP Project & Document Manager. It may not be the most user-friendly, but it has a lot of features and paid support.
6. Memphis Documents Library
If you are looking for a robust, comprehensive WordPress document gallery, Memphis Documents Library (mDocs) might be the right choice for your site. The plugin adds a custom interface to your WordPress admin page. You get access to a filing system for organizing files and advanced features like built-in document version control, download tracking, and easy import and export of your entire document library. Thumbnails are available for all documents. The latest version also adds the ability to allow users to upload documents from your site’s front end.
The plugin is not without its drawbacks. The plugin provides a ton of options, which at times can overwhelm the user interface and make it less user-friendly. Luckily, most users will not need to tweak the plugin very much to fit their needs.
The plugin does not integrate with WordPress’ native media library. Files are stored in a separate folder on the server, and there doesn’t seem to be an obvious way to import from the media library. Depending on your use case, this may or may not be a good thing.
Pros: Powerful and comprehensive with all necessary features for most uses
Cons: Some stability issues seemingly related to compatibility problems with certain themes and other plugins. Doesn’t integrate with your media library.
Pricing
The plugin is free. There is no premium version.
Who Should Consider This Document Library Plugin?
Organizations that work with a lot of different document types can use this plugin as a document distribution platform. You may want to consider having a developer on board for some extra support and customization.
7. Embed Any Document Plus
If you are looking for an alternative to storing your documents on your WordPress site, Embed Any Document Plus is a great solution for your WordPress document gallery. You can keep your documents on cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox and then embed them on your site for easy sharing. This plugin works with all popular filetypes, including PDF documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. The embed will display an interactive preview of your documents anywhere on your site while the documents remain safely stored at your cloud storage provider.
The free version, Embed Any Document, is in the WordPress plugin repository. It does not support any cloud services. However, you can add documents from your media library or from a URL.
Pros: Offers a way to host documents on another platform
Cons: The free version does not support cloud services
Pricing
The core plugin is free. The Plus version is $29 for a Regular License on CodeCanyon.
Who Should Consider This Document Library Plugin?
This plugin is great for users who don’t have a lot of documents, but want to increase engagement by including interactive previews. It is also great if you are short on server space, and want to host your documents elsewhere.
The Best of the Rest
The following are other document library plugins worth looking at.
8. Fivo Docs
Fivo Docs adds custom categories to the media library giving you a real WordPress document gallery solution. You can create categories to keep your documents, spreadsheets, and even video files organized. In addition, Fivo Docs helps you showcase your documents for site visitors with attractive, responsive designs. The document embeds are even SEO-friendly, allowing your content to be found by search engines. Using the plugin requires no programming knowledge but is flexible enough for advanced developers.
Pros: Plug-and-play setup, easy to use, elegant design
Cons: Not Gutenberg optimized
9. WP Docs
WP Docs is a WordPress document gallery plugin that can be used on any WordPress site, but it is tailored for academic and educational institution portals. You can create an unlimited number of directories and easily upload files. The files can be viewed as thumbnails and using a full document preview. One feature that makes WP Docs especially useful for learning institutions is download tracking. This way, instructors can ensure that students are downloading the files they need. The premium version of WP Docs adds even more features, including version control, social media sharing, and batch uploading.
Pros: Great option for education use
Cons: Some of the most powerful features require expensive premium upgrade
9. WP Document Revisions
If your WordPress site’s work is related to the management of critical and time-sensitive projects, you may want to consider WP Document Revisions. This plugin is a WordPress document management system that focuses on collaborations and version history. It also provides enterprise security and customizable access control to protect sensitive documents. It can store, organize, and track work across documents, spreadsheets, music, and images.
Pros: Powerful version control functionality
Cons: The plugin has not been updated for over a year. It is unclear whether support is still available.
10. Organized Docs
Organized Docs is a WordPress document gallery explicitly designed for creating and sharing product documentation. It enables you to not only organize documents using parameters and sub-headings but also create sleek, lean document lists on your website. You are required to create a new post for every document, so its uses for a large number of files can be limited.
Pros: A great solution for product documentation
Cons: Somewhat limited functionality for other uses
Finding the Right WordPress Document Library Plugin
There is an extensive list of document library plugins out there. While many of them share similar functionality, not every plugin will have the specific feature and style that fits your requirements. It may take some trial and error, but the right plugin will drastically improve your site’s user experience. In addition, you will save yourself time and frustration in keeping your files organized and accessible.
Are there any document library plugins that didn’t make the list? Drop us a line!