Max GJ Panas

<h4>Protected Attachment Files</h4>
Media Vault cordons off a section of your WordPress uploads folder and secures it, protecting all files within by passing requests for them through a powerful, flexible and completely customizable set of permission checks.
After activating the plugin, to protect attachment files with Media Vault you can:
<ul>
<li>use the Media Uploader admin page to upload new protected attachments,</li>
<li>use the Media Vault metabox to toggle file protection on the ‘Edit Media’ admin page,</li>
<li>use the the Media Vault Protection Settings fields in the new Media Modal, or, </li>
<li>using bulk actions in your Media Library page, you can change file protection on multiple pre-existing attachments at once.</li>
</ul>
By default the only permission check that the plugin does on media files is that the user requesting them be logged in. You can change this default behavior from the ‘Media Settings’ page in the ‘Settings’ menu of the WordPress Admin. You can also change the restrictions set on attachments on an individual basis by means of either the Media Vault metabox on the ‘Edit Media’ page or the Media Vault Protection Settings fields in the new Media Modal.
You can also write your own custom restrictions using the <code>mgjp_mv_add_permission()</code> function. See <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/restrict-only-for-subscribers?replies=5" rel="ugc">this support question</a> for more details.
<h4>Safe Download Links</h4>
Creating a cross-browser compatible download link for a file is a harder task than might be expected. Media Vault handles this for you, and it does so while preserving all the file security features discussed earlier like blocking downloads to people who should not have access to the file.
The download links are available through a simple shortcode that you can use in your post/page editor screen:
<pre><code>[mv_dl_links ids="1,2,3"]
</code></pre>
where ‘ids’ are the comma separated list of attachment ids you would like to make available for download in the list.
Note: Plugin comes with styles ready for WordPress 3.8+!
Note: Now supports WordPress MultiSite!

Media Vault

Found it while looking for restriction view access - it's just what I needed, thanks a lot!



Very useful

Protect attachment files from direct access using powerful and flexible restrictions. Offer safe download links for any file in your uploads folder.

Jeff Starr

Simple Download Counter (SDC) provides a simple yet powerful way to count file downloads. Works with any file type that’s supported by WordPress (e.g., JPG, PNG, ZIP, MP4, TXT, and many more).
Important / Please Read
This plugin enables Admin-level users to add download files of any type, from anywhere on the server, or from any remote public location. Only Administrators are allowed to add download files. Please use caution and use responsibly.
<blockquote>
This plugin is incompatible with WordPress Multisite.
</blockquote>
How it works
Visit the plugin settings to add a download file. Then use the shortcode to display a download link on any post or page. The plugin will then count every download and display it in the plugin settings. You can also display the download count on the front end using a shortcode.
Features
<ul>
<li>Simple and powerful download counter</li>
<li>Supports local and remote file URLs</li>
<li>Supports any file type supported by WordPress</li>
<li>Lightweight – entire plugin size is < 160 KB</li>
<li>Super fast and built for optimal performance</li>
<li>Clean code tightly integrated with WordPress</li>
<li>No Apache/.htaccess required</li>
</ul>
Check out the screenshots below to get a better idea of the plugin settings and more.
How is this better?
There are numerous “download counter” or “download manager” plugins available, but none of them satisfy all of my specific, stringent requirements:
<ul>
<li>Current with latest WordPress</li>
<li>Clean and simple code using WP APIs</li>
<li>Lightweight with minimal useless features</li>
<li>Supports all local and remote downloads</li>
<li>No automatically created posts or pages</li>
<li>No advertisements or weird admin notifications</li>
<li>No obtuse styling of default WP Admin elements</li>
<li>Download posts are visible only in the Admin Area</li>
<li>Descriptive error handling for upload files</li>
<li>No redundant or sloppy coding practices</li>
<li>No requirement for cookies or sessions</li>
<li>No requirement for Apache/.htaccess</li>
<li>No weird database shenanigans</li>
</ul>
So I decided to build my own. Let me emphasize the utter simplicity of this plugin. It does one thing and does it well: counts the number of downloads for your files. And makes it easy to display download links and download counts anywhere on the front end.
Privacy
This plugin does not collect or store any user data. It does not set any cookies, and it does not connect to any third-party locations. The only thing this plugin does is count the number of times files are downloaded. So 100% privacy friendly for everyone.
Simple Download Counter is developed and maintained by <a href="https://x.com/perishable" rel="nofollow ugc">Jeff Starr</a>, 15-year <a href="https://plugin-planet.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">WordPress developer</a> and <a href="https://books.perishablepress.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">book author</a>.

Simple Download Counter

Thanks a lot for this great Plugin. 
It does exactly what it is supposed to do, simply count how often a file is downloaded. And the plugin is very lightweight. The additional options in connection with the shortcode leave nothing to be desired.

Simply a great Plugin

Simply counts the number of times your files are downloaded. Display download links and counts using shortcodes.

Media Vault vs Simple Download Counter