WordPress, by default, prevents you from uploading large files to the Media Library, larger than 25MB in most cases. That’s where third-party or cloud file storage comes in handy. They allow you to store and share heavy images, audio, and videos effortlessly.
In order to upload your files to these places, you should make use of the WP Offload Media plugin to add files to DigitalOcean, Amazon S3, or even Google Cloud Storage.
But is WP Offload Media that convenient and powerful? As a matter of fact, it’ll upload your files to the server first, then copy them to other storage. At the same time, it replaces the file’s original URL with their respective S3 links. This process is not preferable though.
That’s why many site owners desire a WP Offload Media alternative that can handle the issue. In this article, we’ll introduce S3 Smart Upload (SSU), one of the best WordPress Amazon S3 & Wasabi Smart file uploads plugins so far. We’ll cover its ease of use, key features, and compatibility.
Before getting to know this powerful plugin, let’s briefly go over some advantages of using cloud storage as well as what to look for in a cloud plugin.
Why Storing WordPress Files in the Cloud
Saving heavy files in third-party storage brings you enormous benefits. Not only can you increase your page speed but it also saves the hosting cost.
- Improve site performance: Pages with large images slow down the loading time which directly affects visitors’ experience. Uploading heavy files to Amazon S3 reduces requests to the server and improves the page speed.
- Save cost: Many huge videos and audio use up your storage quota. There are different pricing plans for S3’s storage to choose from. And it would be much more reasonable than the cost of traditional hosting storage and bandwidth.
- Make the site migration faster: Since your files are saved in an additional area and detached from your site, it’d be much easier to move the website to another hosting provider. You just need to move PHP files and don’t have to touch any media files.
What to Look for in an Amazon S3 Offload Plugin
The collection of WordPress offload media plugins is endless. You have tons of plugins to select from, both free and premium. To pick the ideal one for your site, consider these important factors.
Ease of use
First and foremost, make sure how easy is it to set up the plugin and connect media with Amazon S3. The plugin’s friendly UI should be taken into account too. Not all of us are tech-savvy and familiar with WordPress, so pick the one that is simple to use and comes with clear documentation and tutorials.
Features
There are almost no perfect offload plugins with all features you seek but a fit one will offer as many useful functionalities for your demand as possible. Besides uploading files, remember to check if the tool provides basic capabilities. For example, granting other users permission to upload files, upload media from the frontend, view Wasabi files on the Library, and more.
Cost
You have a bunch of WP Offload Media alternative options available on the WordPress repository. Some of them also come with premium versions. You can start with free plugins first to check their performance and think about upgrading later on for advanced features.
Compatibility
If you’re running an online store, it’s important to note that your Amazon S3 uploader can integrate with WooCommerce and other plugins. This enables you to offload digital and downloadable products such as ebooks and video courses to the cloud. You can store product images there too.
SSU – The Best WP Offload Media Alternative
Smart S3 Uploader, aka SSU, turns out to be one of the most simple yet effective plugins to offload WordPress files to Amazon S3 and Wasabi bucket. It meets all the requirements of a must-have plugin, from the ease of use to features and compatibility.
Ease of Use
Unlike many WordPress offload plugins that are clunky and confusing, SSU is a breeze. SSU doesn’t charge any penny letting you install and get started using it with just a few clicks. Simply follow the guide below to have it ready on your site.
- Go to Plugins → Add New in your WordPress admin dashboard
- Type “ SSU – WordPress Amazon S3 & Wasabi Smart File Uploads Plugin” in the keyword box
- Install and activate the plugin
- Open S3 Smart Upload under the Media section
- Configure S3 access keys in your wp-config.php file
- Reload the settings page and drag and drop your file to upload
S3 Smart Upload Features
SSU stands out from its competitors with the ability to upload local files directly to your Amazon S3 & Wasabi bucket. Unlike WP Offload Media, it uses a custom file upload and frees you from adding files to the server first. The plugin supports really huge file sizes, up to 5GB for each upload.
Its friendly UI simplifies the upload process. Since then, viewing and managing all Amazon S3 and Wasabi directories and files within the WordPress admin dashboard is no longer a hassle. You have the right to decide which folder to upload files to.
Over and above uploading files as an admin, you’re enabled to grant other users permission to add media to Wasabi buckets. Simply insert define(‘SSU_CAPABILITY’, ‘capability’) into your wp-config.php file.
SSU greatly assists users in uploading files to Amazon S3 or Wasabi bucket from the frontend with this shortcode [ssu_upload button=”Upload to S3″].
In terms of file names, Amazon S3 will overwrite existing files if they have the same name as new uploads. However, SSU will add suffixes allowing you to duplicate files. There should be no worry about removing different files with an exact name.
Compatibility of SSU Plugin
S3 Smart Upload integrates seamlessly with most WordPress themes, plugins, and page builders. Noticeably, it works well with WooCommerce and Dokan to let users offload files from the product pages.
Particularly, the plugin is compatible with PDA Gold to protect your WordPress media files. Thanks to this great integration, you can secure WooCommerce digital products hosted on Amazon S3 and Wasabi with ease.
Decide Your Ideal WP Offload Media Alternative
If you’re looking to improve your WordPress site performance and save hosting costs, storing your media files and digital products on Amazon S3 has you covered. This is a good chance to migrate your site without putting a lot of effort into moving media files.
WP Offload Media is the pioneer in storing media in Amazon S3. However, it requires you to upload them to the server before making a copy to this storage. Luckily, you have SSU, the best WP Offload Media alternative, to handle this case swimmingly.
Download S3 Smart Upload to directly offload your files to Amazon S3 and Wasabi bucket today!
You can also learn more about Amazon S3 file protection with our PDA Gold plugin and Amazon S3 extension.
