If your library is public, you may not need a paid plan at all.
A public document library needs layouts, search, filters and sorting. Those are the parts of FileDeck that are free, with no site limit and no document limit, so for many sites the saving against a paid plugin is the whole licence. This guide says what the free version includes, where it stops, and how to tell which side of the line your site is on.
Part of the cost guides. Free vs Pro in detail: every feature by tier.
- $0
- FileDeck Free, any number of sites and documents
- Table, grid, gallery and folder layouts, instant search, filters, sorting and document pages.
- $149
- What the best-known premium library charges for its entry plan
- Document Library Pro Essentials, one site, per year.
- 3
- Signs a site needs Pro
- Restricted documents, search inside files, or a version and review trail.
The short answer
Free covers the public library; Pro covers who may see what
FileDeck’s free version is enough when every document in the library may be seen by everyone, visitors find things by title, summary, category or tag, and you do not need to know who downloaded what. That describes most policy libraries, resource pages, product documentation and public minutes archives. Pro is for restricted documents, search inside file contents, and the records trail that goes with them.
The free version is the same plugin, not a trial. It has no site limit, no document limit, and no feature that switches off after a period. The Pro features are a separate set of modules that the free build does not contain, so there is nothing in the free plugin waiting to be unlocked and nothing that stops working.
What the free version includes
The free column of the pricing page, in plain words.
Four layouts
Table, grid, gallery and folders, chosen per library. Columns, sort order and page size are settings, not code.
Instant search and filters
Search as you type across titles and summaries, with multi-select filters by category, tag, year and date added, and counts next to each option.
Unlimited documents, unlimited sites
No document cap and no site cap. A network of twenty public libraries on the free version costs $0.
Inline embeds and document pages
PDFs, images and Google Docs display inline, and every document gets a page of its own with its details and download button.
Blocks, shortcodes and page builders
A native block, a shortcode, and support for Elementor, Bricks, Divi, WPBakery, Avada and Beaver Builder, plus theme template overrides.
External files and reference numbers
Link documents that live on Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or any URL, and give each a reference number visitors can search for.
Also free: the quick-search palette and QR codes, WPML and Polylang support, a sample library to try it with, and the library builder for designing a library in the browser. The features page lists each feature by tier.
Three signs your site needs Pro
- Some documents are not for everyone. Board papers, member resources, client files, staff policies. Pro restricts documents by role, password, named people, groups or email domain, and moves a restricted document’s file into a protected store so its direct address stops working. The free version has no access control, and a file in the Media Library is reachable by anyone with its address.
- People search for what is inside the file. A part number in a datasheet, a clause in a policy, a name in a set of minutes. Free search matches titles and summaries. Pro indexes the text of PDF, Office and text files on your own server, and can OCR scanned PDFs.
- You have to show who changed what, and when. Version history, review reminders, an activity log of downloads and changes, and document check-out. These are the records features, and they are Pro.
If none of the three applies, the free version is the right plan, and it is worth saying that a site can start free and add Pro later without rebuilding: the library, its documents and its settings carry over, because it is the same plugin.
What the free version saves against paid entry plans
For a public library with no restricted documents, the comparison is each vendor’s cheapest paid plan against $0. The paid plans include things a public library may not use; the saving is only real if yours does not.
| Published annual plan | First year | Regular renewal | Sites | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Document Library Pro Essentials, 1 site | $149 | $149 | 1 | $447 |
| Download Monitor Basic, 1 site | $69 | $138 | 1 | $345 |
| WordPress Download Manager Pro, 1 site | $99 | $99* | 1 | $297 |
| FileBird Document Library 1 site | $39 | $39* | 1 | $117 |
| Filr Single, 1 site | $49 | $49 | 1 | $147 |
Published list prices in USD, read from each vendor’s own pricing page on 13 October 2026. Totals are the first year plus regular renewals; hosting, tax and lifetime plans are not included. *This vendor publishes no renewal price, so the table assumes the listed price repeats.
Some of these vendors also offer a free version. Document Library Lite has instant search but its filter dropdowns are paid; Download Monitor and WordPress Download Manager have free versions with the basics; FileBird’s folders are free with the document library as a paid add-on. The free plugins roundup compares them on what the free versions actually do.
Questions about the free version
Is FileDeck’s free version really free, or a trial?
It is free, with no site limit, no document limit and no time limit. The free build on WordPress.org does not contain the Pro modules, so there is nothing in it that expires or unlocks. Pro is a separate download for paying customers.
Can I run the free version on more than one site?
Yes. The free version has no site limit. Pro is licensed per site, at $59 a year for one site, $99 for up to five and $179 for up to fifty.
Does the free version search inside PDFs?
No. Free search matches document titles and summaries as you type. Searching the text inside PDF, Office and text files is a Pro feature, indexed on your own server, with optional OCR for scanned PDFs.
Can I password-protect a document in the free version?
No. Password protection, role and user restrictions, client areas and protected file storage are Pro. In the free version every document is public, and a file in the Media Library can be opened by anyone who has its address, which is how WordPress itself works.
What do I lose if I start free and upgrade later?
Nothing. Pro is the same plugin with more modules. Your documents, categories, tags, libraries and settings stay as they are, and the Pro features appear in the same screens.
Start with the version that is free.
Install FileDeck from WordPress.org, load the sample library, and see whether a public library is all your site needs.
Or compare Free and Pro side by side.
Written by the FileDeck team. Competitor prices were read from each vendor’s pricing page on 13 October 2026 — read about our methods. Part of the cost guides.
Sources, as published on 13 October 2026: Document Library Pro · Download Monitor · WordPress Download Manager · FileBird Document Library · Filr.
Document Library Pro, Document Library Lite, Download Monitor, WordPress Download Manager, FileBird, Filr are trademarks of their respective owners. FileDeck is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them; the names and prices are used only to identify the products being compared. Prices are the vendors’ published list prices on the date shown and may change.