Looking for the best Google Drive plugins for WordPress to streamline file sharing, media embeds, or cloud backups? You’re not alone.
With so many options available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially when some plugins break layouts or limit access.
As someone who’s tested dozens of tools across client sites and content-heavy projects, I’ve found a handful that truly deliver without the clutter or confusion.
Whether you’re trying to embed Google Drive files in WordPress, sync uploads, or organize galleries, this guide has you covered.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the top 5 free and reliable plugins that connect WordPress with Google Drive—plus the real pros and cons of using each. Let’s get into it.
What Is Google Drive Plugins for WordPress?
Google Drive Plugins are designed to enhance your website’s functionality by integrating Google Drive, allowing you to manage, share, and embed files directly within your WordPress site.
By implementing these plugins, you can streamline your workflow, save storage space, and improve user experience. Google Drive plugins for WordPress function by connecting your Google Drive account to your WordPress site. Once connected, you can perform various actions such as:
- File Management: Upload, download, rename, move, copy, delete, and organize files and folders directly from your WordPress dashboard.
- Embedding Files: Embed Google Drive files like documents, spreadsheets, and presentations into your posts or pages using shortcodes or Gutenberg blocks.
- Frontend Access: Allow users to browse and download files from specific folders on your site without accessing your Google Drive account directly.
- Role-Based Permissions: Set permissions to control which user roles can access or modify specific files and folders.
- Media Galleries: Display images and videos from your Google Drive in a gallery format on your site.
These functionalities help you leverage Google Drive’s cloud storage capabilities while maintaining control over how and where your files are accessed on your WordPress site.
Top 5 Best Google Drive Plugins for WordPress
If you’re wondering which plugin works best for embedding, syncing, or managing Google Drive files in WordPress—without code or clunky interfaces—this section is for you.
Each plugin below is free, actively maintained, and personally tested for real-world use like media embedding, file sharing, and WordPress backups to Google Drive.
Whether you’re a blogger, agency, educator, or small business owner, these tools help you connect and control your cloud files with ease.
1. File Manager for Google Drive
After exploring how these plugins can streamline file control, embedding, and collaboration, let’s start with one of the most versatile tools on this list: File Manager for Google Drive.
If you’ve ever wished for a drag-and-drop Drive file manager right inside your WordPress dashboard, this plugin nails it.
It turns your WordPress admin area into a live, synced file control panel, making it perfect for client portals, digital downloads, course material hubs, and remote team workflows.
Unlike typical file-sharing plugins that only offer basic embedding, this one brings full Google Drive folder access, granular permission settings, and even frontend file browsing for logged-in users.
Whether you’re managing project documents or offering gated downloads, it saves you from back-and-forth uploads and cluttered local hosting.
Key Features
- Google OAuth 2.0 Integration: Connect your Google Drive securely in just a few clicks; no code or API key setup is required.
- Real-Time File Syncing: Changes made in Google Drive (like adding or renaming files) instantly reflect inside WordPress.
- Frontend File Browsing: Easily display folders or specific files to site visitors using shortcodes or Gutenberg blocks.
- Role-Based Access Control: Limit which user roles can view, edit, or manage folders and files.
- File Preview and Download: Visitors or team members can view PDFs, images, and other file types without downloading.
- Responsive, Drag-and-Drop UI: Use a file manager interface that feels just like working in Google Drive directly from your WP dashboard.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to setup, no developer needed. | No built-in gallery or visual media. |
| Clean UI with drag-drop support | Limited styling options. |
| Useful for client portals | Advanced controls need 3rd party extensions |
| Reliable folder syncing | Some users report slight delay while large folders. |
This plugin is a strong contender for anyone needing full Google Drive access and control within WordPress. Next up, let’s look at a plugin focused more on cleanly embedding specific files like PDFs, Sheets, or Docs into your content.
2. Embed Files from Google Drive
After seeing how “File Manager for Google Drive” gives you full backend access and folder syncing, let’s shift gears to something simpler but equally useful: embedding Google Drive files directly into your posts and pages.
If your goal is to showcase a PDF, a Google Doc, or a Spreadsheet right inside a blog post without messy links, iframes, or layout breaks, this plugin is built for that.
Embed Files from Google Drive (also known as Google Drive Embedder) makes it easy to drop Drive-hosted files into your content, complete with a clean, in-page viewer that keeps your readers engaged on the page.
Whether you’re publishing course handouts, whitepapers, lesson materials, or internal docs, this tool gets the job done in just a few clicks, no shortcode wizardry required.
Key Features
- One-Click File Embed Tool: Easily browse your connected Google Drive account and insert any file directly into a post or page via the WordPress editor.
- Built-In Viewer: PDFs, Docs, Sheets, and Slides are shown inside a Google-powered viewer, keeping formatting clean and ensuring users don’t have to download or leave the page.
- Google Apps Support: Compatible with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Drawings, great for educators, nonprofits, or content teams.
- Secure OAuth Connection: Uses official Google OAuth login to securely connect your Drive account to your site, with no need for public sharing links.
- Permission-Aware Access: Honors your Drive file permissions. If a file is private, it won’t be viewable unless the user is authorized.
- No Coding or Shortcodes Needed: The plugin adds an “Add Google File” button directly into the Classic Editor (and works with block editors using shortcode blocks).
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Super easy file embedding, no tech skills needed. | Doesn’t support folder browsing or bulk file embeds. |
| Works with all major Google file types. | Limited customization for viewer size or style. |
| Keeps formatting consistent across devices. | No native Gutenberg block. |
| Lightweight, with minimal performance impact. | Slight learning difficulty. |
If you’re only looking to display individual files cleanly and don’t need a full drive manager or sync system, this plugin is a perfect match.
Up next, let’s explore a plugin made just for image and video galleries pulled from Google Drive, ideal for photographers, creators, and media-rich sites.
3. Image and Video Gallery from Google Drive
We’ve just seen how Embed Files from Google Drive is perfect for inserting single files like PDFs and Docs into your content. But what if your site relies heavily on visual content, especially large batches of photos or videos?
If you’re a photographer, digital creator, educator, or just someone with a media-rich WordPress site, you’ll want a tool built specifically for showcasing visual assets pulled from your Google Drive.
That’s exactly where the Image and Video Gallery from the Google Drive plugin shines. Rather than manually uploading and organizing hundreds of files into your media library, this plugin lets you turn any Google Drive folder into a clean, mobile-friendly gallery right inside WordPress.
It’s one of the best free Google Drive plugins for WordPress users looking to offload hosting strain without sacrificing design.
Key Features
- Folder-Based Gallery Integration: Instead of uploading media one by one, simply connect a Drive folder. All images and videos inside it are auto-displayed as a responsive gallery.
- Customizable Layout Styles: Choose between grid, masonry, or lightbox views, giving you control over how your images and videos appear. Great for portfolio sites and visual storytelling.
- Native Google Drive Video Playback: Videos don’t get downloaded; they stream directly using Google’s built-in video player. That means fast loading and zero extra compression needed.
- Access-Control Support: You control who can view your gallery by adjusting Google Drive sharing permissions, which is helpful for private client galleries, event footage, or school use.
- Shortcode and Gutenberg Block Ready: Whether you’re using the Classic Editor or Gutenberg, the plugin works out of the box with simple shortcodes or dedicated blocks for easy embedding.
- No Media Library Bloat: Since files are streamed directly from Google Drive, they don’t fill up your server or Media Library keeping your site fast and lightweight.
- Minimal Setup, No API Hassles: The plugin uses Google Picker API, but setup is beginner-friendly with clear documentation and no coding required.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Perfect for portfolios, classrooms, or team folders. | Requires Google Drive folder sharing settings. |
| Lightweight and server-friendly. | Limited customization out of the box. |
| Mobile-optimized layouts. | Single-folder limitation. |
| Auto-updating content & support image and videos. | No built-in download or watermarking features. |
If you regularly publish or showcase photo albums, video libraries, or visual portfolios, this plugin is a smart, stress-free way to deliver Drive-hosted content without clogging your WordPress backend.
It’s one of the most user-friendly options I’ve tested for Drive-based galleries and especially valuable if you’re looking to save storage while keeping galleries dynamic and beautiful.
4. Embed Google Drive
After exploring plugins for visual galleries and document-specific embeds, let’s talk about something more flexible: an all-in-one solution that lets you embed any type of Google Drive content.
Documents, folders, spreadsheets, even videos right into WordPress posts or pages. If you’re managing course materials, collaborative projects, nonprofit resources, or internal documentation, Embed Google Drive is one of the best free Google Drive plugins for WordPress.
It doesn’t just embed files. It lets you display full folders, control layout styles, and even preview content with interactive viewers.
It’s a great pick if you want to avoid juggling multiple plugins for different file types.
Key Features
- Universal File Embedding: Easily embed any Google Drive content—Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDFs, folders, and even videos using shortcodes or blocks. No extra tools or plugins required.
- Folder Embedding & Navigation: You can embed entire Google Drive folders as browsable file lists inside WordPress. Users can click through files, making it ideal for resource hubs, shared workspaces, or learning portals.
- Customizable Display Modes: Choose from Grid, List, or Table views to match your site layout. You can adjust size, pagination, and file count for each embedded element.
- Built-In File Previews: Files open in Google’s secure preview window without downloading. Docs, PDFs, and even videos stream in-page, keeping visitors engaged without redirecting them.
- Google OAuth 2.0 Authentication: Securely connect your Google Drive using official OAuth; no manual API key generation or coding is required.
- Shortcode Generator & Gutenberg Block: Quickly add files or folders with the built-in block, or use the shortcode builder to fine-tune display settings like width, file type, and layout.
- Permission-Aware Embeds: Embeds respect your original Drive sharing settings. Private files stay private unless shared by you.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Works with all major Google Drive file types and folders. | No advanced file filtering. |
| Includes layout customization (grid/list/table). | Doesn’t support file uploads from frontend. |
| Beginner-friendly, no coding or API setup needed. | Custom styling is limited without CSS tweaks. |
| Clean, interactive file previews with Google Viewer. | Only one folder can be embedded at a time per block. |
If you’re wondering how to embed Google Drive files in WordPress using plugins without dealing with clunky iframes or link pasting, this tool is a lifesaver.
It’s ideal for site owners who want to keep things simple but functional, especially in use cases like sharing learning materials on an education site. Displaying project documents on nonprofit pages Embedding live spreadsheets or reports for transparency.
Creating download sections without using server storage. Up next, let’s dive into a plugin that takes things a step further, one that helps you sync files directly between your WordPress Media Library and Google Drive, making media management and backups seamless.
5. Integration for Google Drive
After exploring all-in-one embed tools and gallery-focused solutions, let’s wrap up with a plugin that’s perfect for media library syncing, backups, and offloading hosting stress: integration for Google Drive.
If your WordPress site is starting to slow down due to heavy media use or you’re tired of hitting hosting storage limits, this plugin can be a game-changer.
Instead of manually uploading files to both Google Drive and your WordPress media library, this tool syncs them automatically, keeping things organized, lightweight, and cloud-powered.
It’s ideal for photographers, bloggers, and anyone working with large media files who wants to keep their WordPress Media Library clean and backed by Google Drive.
Key Features
- Media Library Syncing: Automatically sync files from your WordPress Media Library to Google Drive, or vice versa. Ideal for offloading large images, videos, and documents.
- Bi-Directional File Sync: You can upload files to either Google Drive or your Media Library, and they’ll appear on both ends, perfect for collaborative workflows or remote content management.
- Folder Selection & Mapping: Choose which Google Drive folder to connect with WordPress, and map it directly to your media uploads, great for organized backups or project-based folders.
- Scheduled Backups: Enable automated backup scheduling so your media files are safely stored in Google Drive without manual intervention.
- Secure OAuth 2.0 Authentication: Uses official Google login methods to connect your account safely without requiring an API key.
- Admin Interface for Drive Files: View, manage, and preview your Drive-stored media directly from the WordPress dashboard with a clean, integrated UI.
- Avoids Server Storage Bloat: Files hosted in Drive are loaded in WordPress via links or sync, which helps reduce strain on your hosting environment, especially for shared or budget servers.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Seamless integration with the Media Library. | No support for embedding Drive files directly into posts. |
| Great for backups and storage offloading. | Doesn’t include file viewer or gallery layout. |
| Works without API key setup. | Not ideal for public file sharing or frontend access. |
| Beginner-friendly setup with clear UI | Requires Drive folder configuration. |
| Saves hosting space and improves site speed. | Requires API setup & permissions. |
If you’re looking for WordPress backup plugins that store files directly to Google Drive, this one’s a top pick. It’s not flashy, but it’s powerful where it counts behind the scenes.
It helps you stay organized, keeps your media safe, and makes your site faster by avoiding heavy local file storage.
Whether you’re a content-heavy blogger, a media-focused brand, or just someone tired of upload limits, this is one of the best free Google Drive plugins for WordPress to handle file syncing and smart backups effortlessly.
Comparison: Best Google Drive WordPress Plugins
Not sure which Google Drive plugin fits your needs best? This side-by-side comparison makes it easy to see how each tool stacks up.
Whether you need to embed files, sync media, or display dynamic galleries, this table shows the key features at a glance so you can pick the right solution without second-guessing.
We’ve included essential criteria like embed support, media syncing, gallery layout, whether it requires an API, and if it’s completely free or has a paid tier.
| Plugin | Use Case | Embedded Option | Media Sync | Gallery View | API Needed | Free/Paid |
| File Manager for Google Drive | Client file management. | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Free |
| Embed Files from Google Drive | Embed Docs & PDFs. | Yes | No | No | No | Free |
| Image and Video Gallery from Google | Image/Video galleries. | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Free |
| Embed Google Drive | Flexible embed (all types). | Yes | No | Yes | No | Free |
| Integration for Google Drive | WP Media Library sync. | No | Yes | No | Yes | Free |
No matter your use case, whether it’s syncing media files to save server space, embedding documents without breaking your layout, or building dynamic galleries from Drive folders, there’s a plugin here that fits.
This table helps you skip the guesswork and choose the best Google Drive plugin for WordPress based on real features, not hype. Just match your goal with the right tool, and you’ll be up and running in minutes no code, no clutter.
FAQs—About the Best Google Drive Plugins for WordPress
1. How do I embed Google Drive files in WordPress without code?
You can use plugins like Embed Files from Google Drive or Embed Google Drive to insert files directly into your posts or pages. They offer simple blocks or shortcodes—no coding or manual iframe setup needed.
2. Can I use Google Drive to host my media library in WordPress?
Yes! The Integration for Google Drive plugin lets you sync and offload your WordPress media files to Google Drive, helping reduce server load and simplify backups.
3. Are these plugins safe to use with private Drive files?
Most plugins use secure OAuth 2.0 authentication and respect your Drive’s sharing settings. Just make sure to review plugin ratings, update history, and support to ensure it’s actively maintained and secure.
4. Do these plugins work with Elementor or Gutenberg?
Absolutely. All plugins in this list were tested with both Elementor and Gutenberg. Many even include native blocks or widgets for smoother integration into your page builder workflow.
Choose the Right Google Drive Plugin
Choosing the best Google Drive plugin for WordPress comes down to your use case. For syncing large media files or saving hosting space, go with Integration for Google Drive.
Need a full file management system for clients or teams? File Manager for Google Drive is your best bet. If you’re displaying visual content, Image and Video Gallery from Google Drive creates dynamic, clean galleries right from your Drive folders.
For simple, flexible embeds of folders, videos, and more, use Embed Google Drive. And if you’re just looking to display PDFs or Docs inside posts, Embed Files from Google Drive keeps it simple and clean.
Pick what fits your workflow and let Google Drive do the heavy lifting.