Images and other media files are essential for most websites, but the WordPress Media Library can get disorganized and bloated because it lacks native organization features. That makes files hard to find and can slow your site. The plugins below help you organize, optimize, clean, and offload media so your library stays manageable and your site performs better.
1. Optimole
Optimole focuses on image optimization and faster delivery rather than folder organization. It automatically serves the best image version for each visitor based on device and connection, improving load times regardless of how your files are organized. Key features:
– Global CDN with 450+ locations
– Compatibility with Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Gutenberg
– Custom watermarking
– Optimization and usage stats
Price: Free tier supports up to 2,000 visitors/month. Paid plans start at $22.52/month (billed annually) and add cloud offloading and support.
2. Media Library Organizer
This plugin adds folders, subfolders, and categories to the native Media Library with a drag-and-drop interface. It integrates into the WordPress media UI so no separate dashboard is needed. It’s useful for photographers, portfolios, and e-commerce sites with many product images. Key features:
– Drag-and-drop folder and subfolder creation
– Unlimited folders and categories
– File filtering in the editor
– Optional default metadata for uploads
Price: Free version available. Pro unlocks EXIF editing and an AI image assignor; pricing starts at $49/year for one site.
3. Media File Renamer
Media File Renamer helps maintain consistent, descriptive file names—especially useful for multi-author sites. It suggests optimized filenames, allows bulk acceptance, automatically updates filenames site-wide, and includes a lock to prevent unwanted renames. Key features:
– Suggested optimized filenames
– One-click and bulk rename acceptance
– Automatic site-wide updates to references
– Locking specific filenames
Price: Free version; Pro allows manual filename changes. Licenses start at $39/year.
4. Media Library Assistant
A powerful tool for advanced metadata and control. It offers shortcodes to display galleries and term lists, additional media-library columns (including where files are used), advanced editing fields, and rich filtering by size, title, date, and more. It’s great for tracking usage and adding detailed metadata. Key features:
– Shortcodes for galleries, tag clouds, term lists
– Extra columns showing file usage across posts and pages
– Advanced file fields (authors, taxonomies)
– Robust filtering and search
Price: Completely free.
5. Media Cleaner
Media Cleaner finds unused and broken files and moves them to a trash folder so you can inspect before deleting, reducing library bloat. The Pro version adds a live-site analysis option and page builder/WP-CLI compatibility for higher accuracy. Key features:
– Detect and move unused/broken media to trash
– Inspect trashed files before permanent deletion
– Live-site analysis (Pro)
Price: Free version available. Pro starts at $39/year.
6. Export Media Library
A single-purpose plugin that exports all media files as a .zip archive. You can choose folder structure and whether to compress individual files before zipping. Ideal for backups or moving media to another site. Key features:
– Export entire media library to .zip
– Choose folder structure and compression
Price: Free (no premium version).
7. Enable Media Replace
Enable Media Replace streamlines replacing files in the media library—no need to upload, delete, and rename. Features include a Replace option in the media edit screen, a shortcode to show modification dates, and compatibility with other media plugins (ShortPixel, Resize Image After Upload, Regenerate Thumbnails Advanced). Key features:
– Replace media files from the edit screen
– Shortcode for modification times
– Compatible with popular image plugins
Price: Free.
8. WP Offload Media
WP Offload Media moves media to remote storage and rewrites URLs to serve files from the cloud, reducing server storage and improving performance. Supported storage options include Amazon S3, DigitalOcean Spaces, and Google Cloud Storage. The Pro version lets you offload existing files and manage offloaded media from the dashboard, plus WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads integrations. Key features:
– Automatically store media offsite and rewrite URLs
– Supports S3, DigitalOcean Spaces, Google Cloud Storage
– Dashboard controls and e-commerce integrations (Pro)
Price: Free version available. Pro pricing starts at $69/year.
A quick recap
Keeping your Media Library organized and optimized helps you find files quickly, saves space, and can improve site speed—especially when images are optimized or offloaded. Quick summary:
– Optimole: automatic image optimization and CDN delivery
– Media Library Organizer: folders, subfolders, and categories with drag-and-drop
– Media File Renamer: consistent, SEO-friendly filenames and site-wide updates
– Media Library Assistant: advanced metadata, shortcodes, and usage tracking
– Media Cleaner: find and remove unused media safely
– Export Media Library: export media as a .zip file
– Enable Media Replace: replace files in place quickly
– WP Offload Media: offload media to cloud storage for better performance
Choose the plugins that match your needs—optimization, organization, cleanup, or offloading—to keep your media library efficient and your site fast.
Do you have questions about using these plugins to improve your WordPress Media Library? Let us know in the comments.
