Fabien Quatravaux

This plugin adds several helpers to the default WP Media Management. Each helper tries to be as tiny as possible (as a feature and as lines of code) and independent from the other helpers. Helpers can be enabled one by one.The aim is to provide a fine control and to avoid all possible conflicts.
<ul>
<li>Use an external URL as the media file and save it to the database like an uploaded media. This allow external media providers to be used inside the Media Library. You can also attach a new media to a post without specifying any file (fake media). This allows you to work on the media without having the file yet.</li>
<li>Duplicate media</li>
<li>Limit the resolution of uploaded images (WP allows you to limit the filesize, but not the resolution)</li>
<li>Update a media permalink each time its title is changed (now included in core for WP 3.5)</li>
<li>Change the parent of a previously attached media</li>
<li>Change the file of a media without creating a new media entry</li>
</ul>

media helpers

Adds several helpers to the default WP Media Management.

Dion Hulse

This plugin offers limited support. Please do not expect new features or too many bugfixes. Features may be removed at any time.
Add From Server is designed to help ease the pain of bad web hosts, allowing you to upload files via FTP or SSH and later import them into WordPress.
This plugin is NOT designed to.. 
 * Be used as a replacement for the file uploader 
 * Be used for migration of websites 
 * Re-import your files after moving webhosting 
 * Batch import media
This plugins IS designed to.. 
 * Import files which are larger than your hosting allows to be uploaded. 
 * Import files which are too large for your internet connections upload speed.
WordPress does a better job of file uploads than this plugin, so please consider your needs before you use it.
You may also want to look at using WP-CLI for media import purposes: 
https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/media/import/

Add From Server

Whenever I need to upload media files that are too big to upload directly to WordPress, I FTP them to the server and use this plugin to add them.

Great tool for those big media files you can only ftp to the server

Add From Server is designed to help ease the pain of bad web hosts, allowing you to upload files via FTP or SSH and later import them into WordPress.

media helpers vs Add From Server