16 Best WordPress PDF Plugins 2024
When you run a blog or a website, there likely will be many instances when you want to display PDF files on the web pages. By default, WordPress does not support embedded PDF files; you can display PDF files only as links. Clicking on these links will only lead visitors away from your site to the PDF document. If you want visitors to view the files without leaving your website, you’ll need the help of WordPress PDF viewer plugins.
PDF files are popular because they help you to style documents to a great extent. Moreover, they retain the formatting consistently across all devices. PDF viewer plugins will embed the PDF files into your posts and page. Visitors can view, read, download, or print the files without leaving the post or page. They can download blog posts as PDF, too.
Below are free and premium plugins.
Best Free PDF Viewer WordPress Plugins
If you’re looking for a plugin that does the basic job of embedding PDF documents in your pages or posts, the free plugins can competently accomplish this. Some have a few additional features as well.
1. PDF Embedder
PDF Embedder allows you to embed PDF files in your site’s posts and pages with the help of JavaScript. You need to upload your file just as you do with images. The height and width of the files are automatically adjusted to fit the size of the visitors’ screens. The site-wide dimensions you set can be changed for individual pages, and some customization is possible using shortcodes.
The plugin does not rely on any third-party service or iframes, so the display is faster and more flexible. The PDF files and JavaScript are stored on your own server, so they’re more reliable.
Users can browse using a Next/Previous button, which is helpful in a multipage document. From a convenient toolbar, they can zoom, navigate, and even download the PDF file.
If you upgrade to the pro version of the plugin, users can download the files and click on hyperlinks. This version also allows pagination, better resizing, a full-screen mode, and an enhanced experience for mobile users.
More info / Download2. Google Drive Embedder
Google Drive Embedder helps embed many documents, including Word documents, Zip files, videos, and PDF files. You can also embed native Google Docs, such as spreadsheets or MS Office files. It works in combination with the Google Apps Login plugin.
Authors can access all their Google Drive files from a popup box and select the file they want to embed. This process is similar to working with the Media Library on WordPress. You can also allow inline viewing, downloads, or links that open editable files, all without help from Flash or PDF browser plugins.
However, you must set up document sharing in Google Drive for non-Google file types to enable users to access these documents in the drive. The plugin also works on WordPress multisite.
The premium plugin allows you to embed entire folders and calendars.
More info / Download3. PDF & Print by BestWebSoft
PDF & Print adds a PDF download and print button to your WordPress posts, pages, search results, archives, and custom post types. You can also add your title, featured image, custom styles, and fonts. You get to select the button position, set the button type (image, text, or image plus text), and add a custom code in the plugin’s settings page. The plugin can also execute shortcodes when generating PDFs or creating a printer-friendly version.
The pro version gives you many more options. You can disable the download as PDF buttons on specific posts or pages, add text or image watermark, set custom images for buttons, and create custom documents, complete with header and footer.
More info / Download4. Flowpaper
If you would like to add your PDF content to your website in a professional and eye-catching way, you better get your hands on Flowpaper. This WordPress PDF viewing plugin lets you embed PDF material, like catalogs, blogs, and, brochures, even portfolios, as an easy-to-flip through a flipbook. It will surely add a sophisticated touch, elevating your overall page experience. Of course, the tool supports all modern devices and browsers, ensuring it instantly adapts to any screen and platform.
When creating a neat presentation of your PDF document, you need to know that Flowpaper accepts files that do not exceed 15 MB. Flowpaper also supports some customization functions to make sure you can alter it to your branding regulations to a T. However, it is already super pretty out of the box what might make you want to just stick to the look as is.
More info / Download5. Interactive 3D FlipBook
Interactive 3D FlipBook is a powerful WordPress PDF viewer that creates a life-like experience when flipping through the book you are about to create. With the plugin, you can create a marvelous experience viewing PDF documents, images, and even HTML. In other words, Interactive 3D FlipBook is best for presenting magazines, books, booklets, and other soon-to-be printed content. Of course, this could be the final version, no need to be a printed version. After all, enjoying a magazine from our mobile or desktop devices is becoming increasingly popular.
The setup is user-friendly, ensuring everyone gets the most out of Interactive 3D FlipBook. The final product will undoubtedly capture everyone’s attention in a snap. See the plugin’s video presentation or head over to the live preview page to enjoy Interactive 3D FlipBook in action. It even has sound effects.
More info / Download6. Embed PDF Viewer
Embed PDF Viewer does a fantastic job when you are interested in embedding your PDFs to pages or posts. After you upload the content to your media library, you can instantly make it visible on your page. For your information, Embed PDF Viewer is also compatible with the new WordPress block editor, Gutenberg.
Creating a smooth presentation of your PDF document will be a breeze when you have access to a solid tool like Embed PDF Viewer. If that is the case for you and you want to enhance your website, make it happen hassle-free with a WordPress PDF viewer.
More info / Download7. WonderPlugin PDF Embed
Whether you are a brand, run a magazine, or a creative agency, you name it; chances are, you have a lot of PDF content. Bring it to the online space with the help of WonderPlugin PDF Embed. Hence, the name is a simple WordPress PDF viewer that lets you display all your compelling PDF documents on your websites. The outcome is a responsive, mobile-ready, and cross-browser-compatible PDF viewer that will engage your visitors and keep them satisfied.
To get the gist of it, do yourself a favor and first check the live preview of the plugin. Moreover, setting up and configuring WonderPlugin PDF Embed is child’s play. All you truly need to do is to upload the content and use a simple to-edit shortcode that you can then add to your page. On top of that, WonderPlugin PDF Embed is also compatible with tools like WonderPlugin Lightbox and WonderPlugin Carousel. With PDF embedded, you can go way beyond the standard PDF presentation.
More info / Download8. Algori PDF Viewer
Adding PDF content to your WordPress website or blog has never been simpler. With the right PDF viewer plugin, you can embed your content with a click. Algori PDF Viewer is a superb alternative that does the trick for all Gutenberg fans. This tool adds a new block to the editor to practice and use for your PDF files. Although a free solution, Algori PDF Viewer has many features that will do you well.
First and foremost, you only need to install the plugin, and that’s it. No need for any browser plugins and whatnot. Speaking of browsers, Algori PDF Viewer is compatible with all the popular ones and displays beautifully on mobile devices. It supports downloads, printing, presentation mode, zooming in and out, and other greatness that will improve your website experience.
More info / Download9. Gutenberg PDF Viewer Block
Hence the name, Gutenberg PDF Viewer Block is a free WordPress plugin that lets you enrich your website with a nifty PDF viewer. The final design ensures complete flexibility and responsiveness, ensuring the PDF displays beautifully on any device, smartphone, tablet, or desktop. It also works on all the major web browsers. Keep in mind that if JavaScript is disabled, Gutenberg PDF Viewer Block creates a download link, allowing the user to still enjoy the PDF.
After installing and activating the plugin, you only need to search for the block in Gutenberg and add it to your content—it’s as simple as that. You can also configure the height, width, and alignment of the viewer, making sure the PDF appears precisely how you want it.
More info / Download10. dFlip 3D Flipbook
Instead of keeping the PDFs on your website dull, spice things up with dFlip 3D Flipbook. This WordPress PDF viewer offers you to create a stunning flipbook, that creates a virtual magazine or catalog. You can even use dFlip 3D Flipbook to display your stunning portfolio or showcase the company’s annual reports. It is your imagination that will define what for you can use dFlip 3D Flipbook, as the options and possibilities are numerous.
Some of dFlip 3D Flipbook features are entirely realistic 3D appearance, deep linking, outgoing linking, RTL mode, lightbox mode and amazing customization configurations. You can also translate it into any language that you fancy. You can even use dFlip 3D Flipbook to create a flipbook using images only, no need for a PDF.
More info / Download11. Custom Post Type Attachment
If you need more WordPress PDF viewer alternatives, by all means, keep on enjoying the plugins on this list. Yes, we still have several more for you to peek at. If you feel like testing out a few before settling down on one, by all means, get to work, most of them are free of charge anyway.
As far as Custom Post Type Attachment plugin goes, you can upload up to ten different PDF files to one post or page. The item also works flawlessly with custom post types.
Although Custom Post Type Attachment gets you going, you can upgrade to the pro version anytime. It unlocks even more features and functions to create a truly unforgettable experience. But first, install and activate the free plugin, upload a PDF file and see it in action.
More info / Download12. CopySafe PDF Protection
This particular plugin is slightly different from all the rest, but you figured that out already just by reading the name. While adding PDF content to your websites is fun and games, there is a chance it gets stolen. If you have some precious material, you can now protect it with CopySafe PDF Protection. The plugin works online and offline, ensuring your content is always safe and secure.
Some of the features of CopySafe PDF Protection are dynamic embeds using JavaScript, different protection on page and post levels, and width and height control. CopySafe PDF Protection also protects your content from print screens and other screen-capturing software. Better be safe than sorry, and download and activate CopySafe PDF Protection now.
More info / Download13. WooCommerce PDF Invoices
The WooCommerce PDF Invoices plugin is a good fit if you use WooCommerce on your website. It lets you generate PDF invoices and attach them to any email you send to customers. Because you can automate everything, you save a lot of time.
You’ll need the premium version of the plugin to generate invoices in bulk, customize them, or issue them in different languages.
More info / Download14. BSK PDF Manager
BSK PDF Manager is a file manager for PDF files on a WordPress site. If you upload several PDF files regularly to your WordPress, you may need some help managing them. This plugin helps admins slot them into categories or display them in a single list. Readers can also download an entire category with a single click.
It’s not hard to use this plugin. You merely need to copy the shortcodes into the pages or posts where you want the links to display. Since the plugin supports widgets, the PDF list can display in a widget area. You may not need this plugin if you have only a few PDF files on your WordPress. The premium plugin offers some additional features.
More info / DownloadOne other free plugins that you can look up is PDF Poster, which allows you to embed any number of PDF files.
Premium PDF Viewer WordPress Plugins Plugins
The premium plugins are feature-rich and offer many options besides embedding PDF files. Besides, they come with a higher degree of support.
15. PDF Viewer for WordPress
PDF Viewer for WordPress is one of the best plugins for viewing and displaying PDF documents on WordPress. The plugin is fully responsive and compatible with most major browsers. With over 3,000 in sales, it’s among the top-selling PDF plugins on CodeCanyon.
You can add toolbar icons to help users navigate, zoom, print, download, or share the PDF. You can also enable or disable these features as needed. All the embedded PDFs are responsive, so visitors can view them on all screens.
More info / Purchase16. Real3d FlipBook WordPress Plugin
Real3d FlipBook WordPress Plugin will help you display PDF documents in a magazine style. You can upload your PDF documents and then use a shortcode to display these flipbooks easily. In addition, you can create as many flipbooks as you want.
The plugin uses the Web Graphics Library, a JavaScript library, to render interactive graphics within the browser. It creates stunning HTML5 pages for your documents and works perfectly on all devices because it’s responsive.
You’ll find that the plugin matches any theme since it allows you to customize the menu colors, button colors, shape, size, border, and shadows, as well as hide buttons that you don’t need. Using shortcodes, you can enable the lightbox, full-screen mode, single-page look, RTL, and interactive content within the flipbook. Refer to this post for WordPress themes that cater to the newspaper and magazine niche.
More info / PurchaseA PDF document is a welcome addition to a WordPress website. It enables readers to view a document the same way it was formatted. Moreover, it is the preferred format for many official documents. The WordPress plugins on this list make it easy to include them on your blog or website. Users can save, print, or download them without difficulty. If we’ve missed your favorite PDF viewer plugin, do share it with us in the Comments section.
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Hi Priya.
Thanks for this detailed article. You’re absolutely right, nowadays you need to engage visitors to keep them on your website longer. I was also looking for an easy to use software or plugin that helps me with embedding my PDF documents into my WordPress blog. I’ve tested different viewer plugins and came to the decision that page turning flipbooks perform best (at least for my fashion blog). Visitors can flip through the pages, watch my fashion videos from within the flipbook, etc.
Thanks again and kind regards – Catherine
I’m looking for a plugin (or theme with this built in as an option) that will allow visitors to a business’s site to see a grid of available quarterly reports which opens a pdf of the report (in a new tab, not a lightbox, so they can download it if they wish) when they click on it. Everything I’ve found so far displays either images, or uses a tree or accordion layout, which won’t work for what I’m trying to do.
I need to be able to create more than one of these grids, so that I can have a page for quarterly analysis reports and one for quarterly financial statements. It would also be awesome if the plugin had a feature that allows you to upload into the grid itself (when editing the page, or within the plugin editor), instead of uploading it as a general post or media item and adding tags to get it into the grid.
Help needed!!
Have tried a number of these and find them slow to load when we are dealing with large PDF’s of a magazine – like 25 meg. Would be interested in thoughts on what is best way to create a digital archive of quarterly publications (25 megs or more each) that would be searchable??
Ed,
Plugins themselves does not affect load time of PDFs. The main difference comes from your hosting provider and or CDN if you use one. To host such a large files you definitely need a high grade hosting such as Kinsta that we also use for our web projects. They also offer CDN as part of the deal to improve website and especially large file loading further.
Aigars,
Thanks for the reply. A follow on question is would not a lazy load plugin still help in speeding up a pdf load?? Any suggestions on where to find out more about setting up an archive of magazines that are in that 25 + meg range that are in pdf format?? Thanks Ed
Lazy load just delays the loading and not speeds it up. It might help only if you try to load many PDF documents on the same page but give absolutely nothing if you load one big file on a page.