Media Vault
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…
Consider an alternative
Media Vault shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 800+ sites, is rated 4.4/5 and was last updated 13 years ago, and scores 41/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (800+ active installs)
- No update in 12 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.7 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Media Vault stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| attachments | >100 |
| downloads | >100 |
| media | >100 |
| protection | >100 |
| security | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.4 from 27 reviews
About Media Vault
From the official readme · v0.8.12Description
Protected Attachment Files
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:
- use the Media Uploader admin page to upload new protected attachments,
- use the Media Vault metabox to toggle file protection on the ‘Edit Media’ admin page,
- use the the Media Vault Protection Settings fields in the new Media Modal, or,
- using bulk actions in your Media Library page, you can change file protection on multiple pre-existing attachments at once.
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 mgjp_mv_add_permission() function. See this support question for more details.
Safe Download Links
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:
[mv_dl_links ids="1,2,3"]
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!
Installation
Install Through your Blog’s Admin
This sometimes does not to work on localhost, so if you’re running your site off your own computer it’s simpler to use the second method.
- Go to the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress and select ‘Add New’.
- Type ‘Media Vault’ in the Search Box and press the ‘Search’ button.
- When you find ‘Media Vault’, click ‘Install Now’ and after reading it, click ‘ok’ on the little alert that pops up.
- When the plugin finishes installing, simply click ‘Activate Now’.
Downloading from WordPress.org
- Clicking the big ‘Download’ button on the right on this page (wordpress.org/plugins/media-vault/) will download the plugin’s
zipfolder (mediavault.zip). - Upload this
zipfolder to your server; to the/wp-content/plugins/directory of the site you wish to install the plugin on. - Extract the contents of the
zip. Once it is done you can delete themediavault.zipfile if you wish. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
Once you have Media Vault activated and fully enabled don’t forget to go and check out the plugin’s settings on the ‘Media Settings’ page under the admin ‘Settings’ menu.
Changelog
fixed bug in mv-file-handler.php causing php Notice and corrupted files. Big thanks to user ikivanov for pointing it out and providing the solution!
0.8.12
fixed bug in mv-file-handler.php causing php Notice and corrupted files. Big thanks to user ikivanov for pointing it out and providing the solution!
0.8.11
- fixed bug in
mv-metaboxes.phpcausing php Notice. Thank you user ikivanov for pointing it out! - fixed bug in
mv-metaboxes.phpcausing metabox stylesheet not to be served
0.8.10
Fixed typo causing php error in mv-extra-activation-steps.php. Thank you user wwn2013 for pointing it out!
0.8.9
- Added Attachment Edit fields to the new Media Modal to make it easier to manage which files are protected with Media Vault and what permissions are set on each protected file.
- Fixed visual bug with IE8 and the general sibling selector not showing permissions in the Media Vault Metabox on the attachment edit admin page.
- Organized minified js code into seperate folder
0.8.8
fixed bug in mv-file-handler.php that allowed files to be viewed in the protected folder when ‘Save uploads in year/month folders’ was not selected. Thanks to WayneHarris for pointing the issue out.
0.8.7
added a body class to the WP admin to let Media Vault know to use the new 3.8+ styles
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Media Vault alternatives
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FAQ
Media Vault: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 30, 2026
Is Media Vault free?
Yes. Media Vault is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Media Vault safe to use in 2026?
Media Vault shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 800+ sites, is rated 4.4/5 and was last updated 13 years ago, and scores 41/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Media Vault?
Media Vault is active on 800+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 17,788 times since it launched in October 2013. It was downloaded 125 times in the last 30 days.
Does Media Vault work with WordPress 7.1?
Media Vault is officially tested up to WordPress 3.7.41, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Media Vault last updated?
The latest version, 0.8.12, was released on February 18, 2014 (13 years ago).
Who makes Media Vault?
Media Vault is developed and maintained by Max GJ Panas.
What are the best alternatives to Media Vault?
The most popular alternatives to Media Vault are Export media with selected… (40K+ installs), File Upload Types by WPForms (40K+ installs) and Lightbox with PhotoSwipe (20K+ installs).
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