Download Manager vs Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Download Manager Plugins top 10: Download Manager at #1 and Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard at #4. Download Manager leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Download Manager
This File Management & Digital Store plugin will help you to control file downloads & sell digital products from your WP site.
Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard
Download installed plugins and themes in ZIP files directly from your WordPress admin dashboard, download any or all without FTP or cPanel access.
Who leads on what
Download Manager leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
Download Manager ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #4 in Download Manager Plugins.
Download Manager has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 30,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Download Manager has 1,007, Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard has 27. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Download Manager has more reviews behind its score: 1,007 against 27.
Download Manager was updated more recently, on August 21, 2026; Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard on July 24, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Download Manager
Pick Download Manager if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard
Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Download Manager vs Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard side by side
| Download Manager | Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Download Manager Plugins ranking | #1 | #4 |
| Rating | 4.1 | 4.9 |
| Reviews | 1,007 | 27 |
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 30,000+ |
| Total downloads | 11,403,797 | 869,049 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 21, 2026 | Jul 24, 2026 |
| First published | Feb 10, 2010 | Oct 1, 2016 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.0.4 |
| Requires PHP | – | 5.0.0 |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free + paid version |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Download Manager ratings
Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Download Manager nor Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Download Manager Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Download Manager vs Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard: common questions
Is Download Manager better than Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard?
Download Manager leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Download Manager ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #4 in Download Manager Plugins.
Which has more users, Download Manager or Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard?
Download Manager ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #4 in Download Manager Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Download Manager or Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard?
Download Manager has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 30,000+.
Are Download Manager and Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Download Manager is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist.
Alternatives to Download Manager and Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.