WordPress PDF viewer plugins come in every shape and price point, but choosing the one that works for your unique use case is a decision worth careful consideration.
PDFs are still one of the easiest methods for disseminating information in a convenient package that can be viewed, downloaded, and opened without a fuss on every platform: they’re integral to many WordPress websites, intranets, and workflows.
So when it comes to embedding PDFs in your WordPress blog, what method do you use? If you’d like to start passing out eBooks, short stories, contract templates, product manuals, design documents, registration forms, performance review templates, or any of a thousand other PDF options, consider these 12 WordPress PDF viewer plugins.
These plugins range from drag-and-drop solutions to feature-dense platforms, with prices all across the board.
1. WP-PDF Embedder Plugin
Easily one of the top available WordPress PDF viewer plugins, WP-PDF Embedder by Lever Technology LLC is simple to use, has multiple pricing tiers for different user levels, and has a clean interface.
One of the key features of PDF Embedder is its ability to scale PDFs automatically, finding a natural size for the available space and embedding the PDF. This includes desktop, mobile, and hybrid devices. Fortunately for those who like to have a little more control, the dimensions can be set manually as well.
Free PDF Plugin. The free version offers embedding, resizing, and all viewing features.
PDF Embedder Premium. The premium version offers continuous scrolling, fully functional hyperlinks, full-screen mode, and more. Users can also download the PDF with a simple button (if you enable the feature), and the number of downloads can be tracked by in-app features. The premium version also removes the wp-pdf.com branding in the link, allowing for a cleaner URL.
The premium version of the app is available currently at $20 for a single-site license, $30 for two to five sites, and $50 for unlimited sites. All of which are extremely affordable for any WordPress site looking to host their PDFs long-term.
PDF Embedder Secure. The secure plugin is the best solution for encrypting sensitive PDFs and ensuring that only authorized users can download and view your PDFs. It also options additional security features, like the ability to disable right-clicking (for saving the PDF as an image), and adding a custom waterpark to help track where your PDF ends up.
PDF Embedder Secure costs $30 for a license for one site, $40 for two to five sites, and $60 for an unlimited license. Not a bad price tag for securing your sensitive documents, and also getting all the benefits of the PDF Embedder Premium plugin as well.
PDF Thumbnails. This plugin is basically a simple tool to create thumbnails of any (and all) of the PDFs in your WordPress media library. The thumbnails are created automatically from the first page of the PDF in question, allowing you to create a simple, clickable, visually distinctive icon for any PDF on your site.
PDF Thumbnails has the same pricing structure as the Premium plugin: $20 for one site, $30 for two to five sites, and $50 for an unlimited license.
2. Algori PDF Viewer
Algori PDF viewer is an open-source software that slots right into WordPress’s Gutenberg Block system. It’s simple to install, allows PDF loading and embedding right in WordPress’s native media upload section and is available in free or premium versions.
The free version works great for most simple uses, allowing embedding, dimension adjustment, downloading, bookmarking, and zooming. The premium version will set you back $20 or $25, depending on whether you want 6 or 12 months of support.
With the premium version, you get the ability to tune PDFs to your liking, including customizing a non-first page start for readers, the default zoom size, whether it’s downloadable or not, themes, and alignment. Plus, obviously, six more months of technical support.
3. PDF Poster
PDF Poster is a WordPress PDF viewer plugin that offers four tiers of licensing with a different feature list for users at any level of expertise or need.
The first tier is the free license, which applies to one site and has slightly fewer features. The second tier is $20 and includes a license for three different sites. At the third tier, $40 lands you a license for five sites, while you can drop $100 at the fourth tier for unlimited use.