10 Best Media Library Downloader Alternatives in 2026
Updated September 7, 2026 · Ranked by how closely each plugin matches, from WordPress.org data · How this works
Media Library Downloader has 4,000+ active installs on WordPress.org. These 10 plugins share its category or its tags on WordPress.org, are actively maintained, and each has at least 100 active installs. They are ordered by how closely they match, not by our opinion.
The 10 closest alternatives to Media Library Downloader
- 1
WP-DownloadManager
Closest match4.0 (37) 3,000+ active installsAdds a simple download manager to your WordPress blog.
Shares the download, files tags on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, last updated 14 days ago.
- 2
4.5 (46) 8,000+ active installsDownload Attachments is a new approach to managing downloads in WordPress. It allows you to easily add and display download links in any post or page.
Shares the download, files tags on WordPress.org. About 2 times the installs, last updated May 26, 2026.
- 3
4.7 (21) 400+ active installsThis plugin easily displays the folders and files from a selected directory. It can be placed by shortcode in any post.
Shares the files tag on WordPress.org. 400+ installs against 4,000+, last updated 20 days ago.
- 4
4.7 (156) 20,000+ active installsEasily manage downloadable files and monitor downloads of your digital files from your WordPress site.
Shares the download tag on WordPress.org. About 5 times the installs, last updated 24 days ago.
- 5
4.3 (44) 5,000+ active installsEmail Before Download (EBD) presents your users with a form where they submit information, like their name and email address, prior to receiving a dow …
Shares the download tag on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, no update since June 17, 2024.
- 6
4.0 (28) 9,000+ active installsEasy Media Download allows you to embed download buttons on your WordPress site. Add file download functionality with this WordPress download plugin.
Shares the download tag on WordPress.org. About 2.3 times the installs, last updated 14 days ago.
- 7
Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard
Paid version available4.9 (27) 30,000+ active installsDownload installed plugins and themes in ZIP files directly from your WordPress admin dashboard, download any or all without FTP or cPanel access.
Shares the download tag on WordPress.org. About 7.5 times the installs, last updated July 24, 2026.
- 8
4.9 (48) 30,000+ active installsAllows users to export media library files as a compressed zip archive. Links Website Support
Shares the download tag on WordPress.org. About 7.5 times the installs, no update since April 5, 2023.
- 9
4.4 (27) 800+ active installsProtect attachment files from direct access using powerful and flexible restrictions. Offer safe download links for any file in your uploads folder.
Shares the media tag on WordPress.org. About a quarter of the installs, no update since February 18, 2014.
- 10
Media Cleaner: Clean your WordPress!
4.6 (769) 90,000+ active installsClean your WordPress! Eliminate unused and broken media files. For a faster, and better website.
Shares the files, library, media tags on WordPress.org. About 23 times the installs, last updated 21 days ago.
Switching from Media Library Downloader: common questions
What is the best alternative to Media Library Downloader?
WP-DownloadManager is the closest match: it shares the same WordPress.org tags and has 3,000+ active installs with a 4.0 out of 5 rating.
Which Media Library Downloader alternative has the most users?
Media Cleaner, with 90,000+ active installs reported by WordPress.org.
Which Media Library Downloader alternative is rated highest?
Simple Download Monitor, rated 4.7 out of 5 by 156 reviewers. Only plugins with at least 50 reviews are counted.
Are these Media Library Downloader alternatives free?
Every plugin listed here is free to install from WordPress.org. Where WordPress.org marks a plugin as commercial, the developer also sells a paid version or add-ons, and that is shown on each plugin.
How are alternatives chosen?
Automatically, from WordPress.org data: plugins that share a category top 10 with Media Library Downloader score highest, then plugins that appear in the same WordPress.org rankings, then plugins with the same tags, weighted so rare tags count more than common ones. Plugins by the same author and plugins rated under 4.0 are left out.
How we choose these alternatives
Nothing on this page is picked by hand. Every day we walk the whole WordPress.org directory, then score every plugin against Media Library Downloader on three signals: sharing a category top 10 counts most, then appearing in the same WordPress.org rankings, then carrying the same tags, with rare tags counting for more than common ones like "wordpress". Plugins by the same author are excluded, so an author's own add-ons cannot fill the list, and so is anything rated below 4.0 or with fewer than 100 active installs. The ten highest scores are what you see, in that order. Full methodology.
The bottom line
WP-DownloadManager is the closest match to Media Library Downloader by the data we track, and Media Cleaner has the widest reach with 90,000+ active installs. WP-DownloadManager shipped the most recent release, on August 24, 2026. The list is rebuilt every day from WordPress.org, so a plugin that stops being maintained drops out on its own.
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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.