Simple Download Counter

77 Quality Score

Active Installs

15/30

With around 2,000 active installs, it is a niche plugin but it scores well above the baseline for its size bracket, suggesting strong fit among its small user base.

Update Freshness

25/25

A full maintenance score is earned thanks to a recent update in April 2026 and confirmed compatibility with WordPress 7.0.

User Rating

15/15

A 98 out of 100 from 19 reviewers is excellent, though the small sample size means you should weigh it alongside the install count rather than treat it as proven at scale.

Support Health

8/15

Only one support thread exists, and it was resolved, which is fine for a plugin this size but leaves little public evidence for how the author handles trickier issues.

WP Compatibility

15/15

It is tested with WordPress 7.0 and only requires PHP 5.6.20, so it will run on virtually any current hosting environment.

Scores higher than 55% of indexed plugins

About

Simply counts the number of times your files are downloaded. Display download links and counts using shortcodes.

Active Installs 2k+

Rating ★★★★½ 4.9/5

Last Updated 2026-08-09 4:52pm GMT

Requires WordPress 5.0+

Tested Up To 7.1

Requires PHP 5.6.20+

Security History

5 known vulnerabilities, all patched

5 Medium

Most recent: March 25, 2026

View details ▸

Simple Download Counter <= 2.3 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'text' Shortcode Attribute Medium

March 25, 2026 Patched in ["2.3.1"] CVE-2026-4278

Simple Download Counter <= 2.2.2 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Arbitrary File Read via Path Traversal Medium

December 9, 2025 Patched in ["2.2.3"] CVE-2025-13677

Simple Download Counter <= 2.2 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting Medium

April 22, 2025 Patched in ["2.2.1"] CVE-2025-46240

Simple Download Counter <= 2.0 - Authenticated (Author+) Arbitrary File Read Medium

February 28, 2025 Patched in ["2.1"] CVE-2025-1730

Simple Download Counter <= 1.6 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting Medium

September 8, 2023 Patched in ["1.6.1"] CVE-2023-4838

What It Does

Simple Download Counter tracks how many times files are downloaded on your WordPress site and displays those counts alongside download links using shortcodes. It is a lightweight, no-frills counter that logs each download event and surfaces the totals in posts, pages, or widgets.

Who It's For

This plugin fits small sites that distribute a modest library of digital files, such as indie creators, course operators, or small studios that just need a clean download count next to each link. It is not built for high-volume stores or anyone needing licensing, expiring links, or detailed analytics.

Who Should Skip It

If you run a large digital storefront, need expiring or member-only download links, or want rich analytics with conversion funnels, skip this and look at Download Monitor or a proper ecommerce platform instead.

The Bottom Line

Simple Download Counter is a tidy, well-maintained utility that does exactly what its name promises and nothing more, earning a 76.98 overall quality score. It is a strong pick for small creators who want a simple counter, but larger sites should graduate to Download Monitor for richer features.

Pick Burst if you need general sitewide traffic analytics rather than per-file download counts.

Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 92/100

Pick Independent Analytics if you want privacy-friendly, dashboard-based site stats without a Google account.

Download Monitor 90/100

Pick Download Monitor if you outgrow Simple Download Counter and need a full download manager with categories, versions, and access control.

File Manager 88/100

Pick File Manager if your main need is browsing and editing files on the server rather than tracking downloads.

GA Google Analytics – Connect Google Analytics to WordPress 87/100

Pick GA Google Analytics if you already use Google Analytics and just need a simple connector rather than a dedicated counter.