Advanced File Manager Review: WordPress Plugin Worth It?

What Is Advanced File Manager?

Advanced File Manager is a WordPress plugin that puts a full file browser right inside your WordPress admin dashboard. Think of it like having Windows Explorer or Mac Finder built into your site — you can browse, edit, search, compress, and manage every file on your server without ever touching FTP or cPanel.

What sets the pro version apart is the extras layered on top: AI-powered code editing via OpenAI, cloud storage integrations (Google Drive, Dropbox, and more), direct database access through Adminer, and embeddable frontend file upload blocks for your visitors. It's currently available as a lifetime deal on AppSumo, which is where you'll get the best pricing compared to buying directly from the developer's website.

AppSumo Pricing and Tier Breakdown

The AppSumo deal starts at $49 for Tier 1, but the tiers aren't just about how many sites you can use it on — they map directly to different plan levels on the Advanced File Manager website. This is an important distinction because each tier unlocks different feature sets.

Tier 4 at $409 is the top-end option and the only one that includes instant database access, which is a dealbreaker feature if you're doing client work. On the developer's own site, this same tier runs $600, so AppSumo saves you nearly $200 right off the bat. If you're an AppSumo Plus member, you can knock another 10% off.

For most people, I'd recommend skipping Tier 1 since it's so close to the free version. Tiers 2 through 4 all include cloud storage integration and AI features, which are the real value-adds. The AI functionality does require your own OpenAI API key, so factor that ongoing cost into your decision.

Installation and Setup

Getting Advanced File Manager running requires two plugins installed on your WordPress site. You'll need the free version from the WordPress repository as a base, and then the pro version on top of it. After purchasing from AppSumo, you'll be directed to the Advanced File Manager website to create your account and download the pro plugin.

Once both plugins are installed and activated, the file manager appears in your WordPress sidebar. Click into it and you'll see your entire server file structure laid out in front of you. The initial view shows a public folder containing all your site's files, plus any cloud storage connections you set up later.

User Interface and Basic Operations

The file manager interface gives you most of the operations you'd expect from a desktop file manager. Double-click a file to download it, right-click for a full context menu with clearly labeled options like rename, delete, copy, move, and compress. There's also a toolbar at the top with icon-based shortcuts, though honestly, the icons aren't the most intuitive — the right-click menu is where you'll want to live.

Search is impressively fast. Need to find your wp-config file? Just type it in the search bar and results appear instantly. You can select multiple files, right-click, and create archives in several formats including ZIP. Creating a backup of your uploads folder is as simple as selecting it, choosing "Create Archive," and downloading the result.

The plugin also supports a trash can feature (disabled by default) that you can enable in settings. This gives you a safety net before files are permanently deleted — something I'd recommend turning on immediately. You can resize the file manager window or go full screen if you need more room to work.

Settings and Theme Options

The settings panel is where you configure who can access the file manager, and by default it's locked to administrators only. I'd strongly recommend keeping it that way unless you have a very specific, well-thought-out reason to open it up to other user roles.

You can customize the look with several themes — I switched from Material Light to a dark theme with a single click. Other useful settings include maximum upload size (set to zero/unlimited by default), trash can toggle, and PHP debugging features that show real-time syntax errors when editing code. That last one is genuinely useful — it highlights missing commas, brackets, and other common mistakes without needing to invoke AI, much like working in a proper IDE.

There's also a code editor theme selector, so you can match your preferred coding aesthetic. It's a small touch, but if you're spending time editing files through the browser, having a comfortable editor theme matters.

AI-Powered Code Editing

The AI integration connects to OpenAI and lives inside the built-in code editor. Right-click any file, open it in the code editor, and you'll see an AI chat icon. Click it and you can ask questions about the code — have it explain what a function does, suggest fixes, or review your changes.

What's particularly nice is that the AI has context awareness. It can see your project files, so it's not just responding to isolated prompts — it understands the broader codebase you're working in. This is especially valuable when you're troubleshooting on a client site where you don't have your usual local development tools set up.

There's supposed to be an inline autocomplete feature similar to GitHub Copilot or Cursor, where AI suggests code as you type in grayed-out text that you accept with Tab. However, this didn't work during testing — it may be a feature that's still being rolled out or has a bug. The chat-based AI assistant works reliably, though, and that alone is worth having when you're editing files directly on a live site.

Cloud Storage Integration

Cloud storage integration is one of the standout features that separates the pro version from the free plugin. You can connect Google Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud services directly into the file manager interface. Once connected, your cloud storage appears as another folder alongside your WordPress files.

The practical applications are solid: drag your entire uploads folder over to Google Drive for a quick backup, pull files from cloud storage onto your site, or use Google Drive as a CDN-like solution for large downloads. You can even right-click a file in your connected Google Drive, generate a shareable link, and use that on your site — keeping large files off your server while still making them available to visitors.

Setup requires Google Cloud credentials with an OAuth screen, which is a bit technical if you've never done it before. The plugin includes documentation to walk you through it, and once you've set up OAuth for one Google integration, the process becomes second nature. One caveat: the entire connected Google Drive is visible in WordPress, with no option to exclude specific folders. Make sure you're connecting a work account, not a personal one with sensitive files.

Database Access with Adminer

Tier 4 unlocks direct database access through Adminer, which functions similarly to phpMyAdmin. Click one button inside Advanced File Manager and you're looking at the entire WordPress database — tables, records, everything.

For client work, this is a game-changer. How many times have you needed to make a quick database fix — reset a password, update an option, fix a corrupted setting — only to spend an hour going back and forth with a client who doesn't know how to find their hosting login? With this plugin installed, you skip that entire headache. Just log into WordPress and you're in.

The plugin also maintains complete file logs, so you can see exactly who did what and when. This audit trail covers downloads, deletions, uploads, and other file operations — useful for accountability when multiple people have access to a site.

Frontend File Upload Blocks

Blocks are embeddable file browsers that you can place on any page or post on your site. They essentially let you create a custom Dropbox-like experience for your visitors without relying on a third-party service.

A practical example: you run an e-commerce store and need customers to upload photos of defective products for a return request. Create a block, set the user role to "customer," restrict operations to upload-only, and place it on a dedicated returns page. Customers can drag and drop files without needing any special permissions or accounts beyond their existing customer login.

You can configure blocks for logged-in or non-logged-in users (but not both on the same block), set specific file paths for where uploads land, restrict allowed MIME types for security, control which operations are available (upload, download, delete), and customize the visual layout. Each block is independently configurable, so you can have a restrictive upload-only block for customers and a full-featured one for team members.

The key warning here is to test thoroughly before going live. Grant too many permissions and you could expose sensitive files. Set up a staging site, try to break it, and only then deploy to production.

Free Version vs. Pro: What You Actually Need

Most of the basic file management operations — browsing, searching, editing, compressing, downloading — are available in the free version on the WordPress repository. If all you need is a simple way to poke around your site's files without FTP, the free version handles that just fine.

The pro version earns its price through three main features: cloud storage integration for seamless file transfers between your site and services like Google Drive, AI-powered code editing for on-the-spot troubleshooting, and the frontend file upload blocks for building user-facing file submission experiences. Database access via Adminer is exclusive to Tier 4 and is arguably the most valuable feature for anyone doing client work.

Is a WordPress File Manager a Security Risk?

This is the elephant in the room, and it's worth addressing head-on. Yes, file manager plugins have historically been associated with security vulnerabilities. In fact, nearly every case of malicious website compromise I've seen ends with the attacker installing a file manager plugin to upload malware.

But here's the nuance that security hardliners often miss: if an attacker has enough access to install a file manager plugin, they already have enough access to do whatever they want. They can just grab one from the WordPress repository themselves. Not having a file manager installed doesn't meaningfully reduce your attack surface — it just reduces your own convenience.

The real security fundamentals matter far more: use unique passwords for your WordPress site, enable two-factor authentication, clean up old admin accounts and contractor access, keep all plugins licensed and updated, and follow standard WordPress hardening practices. These measures prevent unauthorized access in the first place, which is the actual threat vector. Avoiding useful tools out of fear is just security theater if you're not doing the basics.

Final Verdict: A 7.6 Out of 10

Advanced File Manager Pro lands at a 7.6 out of 10. It does everything you'd want from a WordPress file manager and then some — the cloud integration, AI editing, database access, and frontend blocks add genuine value beyond what free alternatives offer.

The rough edges are mostly cosmetic. The interface looks a bit dated compared to modern file browsers, the AI inline autocomplete feature doesn't seem to work yet, and there's a minor bug where the AI icon image fails to load. None of these are dealbreakers — it's a developer tool, and developer tools prioritize function over form.

If you're a WordPress professional managing client sites, this belongs in your toolkit. The database access alone can save you hours of back-and-forth with clients who can't find their hosting credentials. Even if you don't use it daily, having it ready for emergencies is worth the investment. For hobbyists or single-site owners, the free version will likely cover your needs unless you specifically want the cloud storage or frontend upload features.

Watch the Full Video

Prefer watching to reading? Check out the full video on YouTube for a complete walkthrough with live demos and commentary.