Looking for an easy way to upload and download PDFs on WordPress? This roundup will help you find the right WordPress plugins to download PDF files!
Approximate read time: 7 minutes
A quick Google search tells you that there are loads of WordPress plugins for uploading and downloading PDF files, but each offers different features and capabilities. Some act as simple PDF reader plugins, while others only let you export blog posts as PDFs.
But a few plugins stand out above the rest if you’re looking for a quick and effective solution to download or upload PDFs on WordPress.
Instead of wasting time on trial-and-error, scroll down for our picks for the 5 best WordPress plugins for downloading PDFs and uploading them too!
But before we jump right in, let's first figure out what kind of PDF WordPress plugin you really need.
Why use a WordPress PDF download plugin?
There are lots of ways you can enhance user experience on your website with a WordPress plugin to download PDFs. Not sure what we mean? Here are a few ideas:
- Give site members access to exclusive content like templates or e-books
- Make it easy for users to find and download official forms
- Automatically generate PDF receipts for customer orders
- Create downloadable certificates for online courses
On top of that, a PDF upload plugin for WordPress can also make it much easier to insert and customize PDF download buttons, something which isn’t as simple as it should be with the default editor.
Why use a WordPress PDF plugin?
Using a WordPress plugin to upload PDF files makes it easy to upload PDFs from the front end of your website. Team members, partners, or clients no longer need to log in to the back end of your site to upload documents!
You probably use this kind of PDF uploader in online forms all the time to:
- Upload a resume for a job application
- Send proof of ID
- Attach an order confirmation to a customer support request
- Submit a purchase receipt to ask for a refund
And with a PDF upload WordPress plugin, you can give your website users this same simple solution!
Best WordPress plugins to download/upload PDF files
Without further ado, here’s our list of the best WordPress plugins for uploading and downloading PDFs.
1. Formidable Forms
Rating: 4.8 stars (1,190+ reviews) | 400,000+ active installations
Need your users to be able to upload a PDF to WordPress from the front end? Or would you like to generate a custom PDF automatically from form entries? Well then, Formidable Forms is the plugin you’re looking for.
Combined with our lightweight but powerful in-house add-ons Formidable PDF and Visual Views (both included in the Formidable Business Plan), you’ll have complete control to create fillable PDFs from form entries, upload PDFs or other media files, and offer your users PDF downloadables in WordPress. Plus, a whole lot more.
And all while seamlessly integrating with your online forms. With Formidable, you can quickly create an upload form and include either a PDF download button or a link to download the PDF on any of your WordPress website pages or posts.
You can also add automation to send download links via email or send the PDF as an attachment directly.
Pricing: Formidable Forms has a free version and a Pro plugin. Premium plans start at $39.50 for the first year
2. E2Pdf: Best PDF Download WordPress Plugin
Rating: 4.7 stars (45+ reviews) | 10,000+ active installations
E2Pdf is a straightforward PDF exporter, editor, uploader, viewer, and downloader. This multi-purpose PDF tool lets you easily export WordPress posts and pages and convert them to PDF. It also lets you export form data as a PDF document.
One thing this plugin doesn’t have? A form builder. So, you’ll need to install another form plugin if you’d like to use E2Pdf to turn form entries into PDFs or need to let users upload PDFs from a form.
Pricing: E2Pdf has a very limited free version. Premium versions with additional features start at $20/year per site.
3. WPForms
Rating: 4.9 stars (13,840+ reviews) | 6+ million active installations
WPForms is a popular WordPress form builder that allows you to create forms with file upload fields, including PDFs. Add a media upload field to the form using the drag-and-drop builder, and you can collect PDFs from form entries.
This plugin lets you print or download form entries as PDFs with limited templates and customization options.
Pricing: WPForms offers a very limited free version and four paid plans, ranging from $79/year to $599/year.
4. PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce: Best PDF Download Plugin for WordPress & WooCommerce
Rating: 5 stars (1,690+ reviews) | 400,000+ active installations
Have a WooCommerce store and need a way to create and send PDF invoices for your customers? PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce lets you automatically attach a PDF invoice to your order confirmation emails.
This WooCommerce extension comes with a basic PDF invoice template that you can customize, but you must know HTML and CSS.
Pricing: From $39-$139/year
5. Easy Digital Downloads: The Best Digital Product WordPress PDF Download Plugin
Rating: 4.7 stars (530+ reviews) | 50,000+ active installations
Digital artists, photographers, template creators, and e-book authors, this one’s for you! Upload PDF files in WordPress with this plugin to sell them directly on your website.
Easy Digital Downloads allows you to add digital products to your eCommerce site without using WooCommerce, Shopify, Etsy, or other platforms.
Pricing: From $99.50/year for 1 site
Honorable mention: Gravity PDF
Rating: 4.9 stars (315+ reviews) | 50,000+ active installations
Based on its name, you might think that Gravity PDF is an in-house add-on for Gravity Forms. But guess what? It isn’t! Gravity PDF is a completely separate third-party plugin made by a different company.
This freemium plugin lets you turn Gravity Forms submissions into PDFs. It has four PDF templates. You can create your PDF templates, but you need to know how to code.
Pricing: Free version with premium starting at $199 AUD/year + minimum $59/year for Gravity Forms license
Which PDF download or upload plugin for WordPress will you choose?
From whitepapers and pricing sheets to flyers and forms, there are so many different ways you can use PDF files on your website.
Whether you need a simple plugin to download a PDF on WordPress or want to create complex forms where users can upload PDF files, having the right plugin can make your life much easier.
Ready to get started? Get the best WordPress PDF download and upload plugin now!
How To Sell Digital Downloads on WordPress [Step by Step!]
How To Add a WordPress PDF Viewer to a Website
Print to PDF on WordPress (Posts, Form Entries, & More)
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