Free File Uploader Scripts for Websites

• 5 minutes READ

Do you know that each second almost 1,000 photos are uploaded to Instagram?

It means that when you finish reading this article, Instagram will become richer by nearly 200,000 pictures. And that is just one platform. With this passion for images, it is not surprising that file uploading has become essential for the majority of websites. Almost every service lets you upload stuff and manipulate it. File uploaders are not just used for images. They are designed to operate with different formats, including doc, pdf, txt, etc. Consider Fine Uploader and Droply.js.

Fine Uploader is a popular, time-tested script that comes with numerous helpful features such as a progress bar, drag and drop area, file chunking, integration with mobile cameras, and most importantly a validator. The latter is increasingly vital since you can specify restrictions applied to size, format, number of files to download simultaneously and dimension. What’s more, you are even welcome to create your own rules for validation.

Easy File Uploading

Script with Helpful Features

Unlike the previous example, Droply.js is less sophisticated. I dare say it is hugely oversimplified. However, it supports jpg, mp4, mp3, png, gif, txt, doc, pdf, and docx and has a clean and intuitive interface with a relatively big area to drop files. Being created with pure jQuery it easily integrates with forms. It is enough for small- and mid-sized projects.

Scripts for small- and mid-sized projects

Compare the previous pair to DropZone.js  and Filepond. These two are also great and fantastic tools proven by times. They include:

  • A handy, neat interface based on drag and drop
  • Image previews for better perception
  • Ability to upload files by portion

They are lightweight and dependency-free, and Filepond has an image optimization and conversion instrument. However, they do not support generic formats and are limited to images. This can be enough for many projects.

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Lightweight and dependency-free Script
Lightweight and dependency-free Script

Another great tool to consider is Uppy.io. It is a powerful file uploading library that can fetch files from Google Drive, Instagram and Dropbox. Its main advantage is that it also comes with several external plugins that can greatly improve functionality.

Powerful File Uploading Library

Expanding Functionality

File uploading is available by default in HTML. It is a generic DOM element. It has a primitive interface represented as a basic button that opens up a dialog window where you can choose a file. Consider pens by André Rusakow or Boris Karastanev. Both personal projects depict carefully crafted interfaces of standard file uploading. They have a dignified and even stylish appearance, but nothing more.

Standard File Uploading with Stylish Appearance
Standard File Uploading with Stylish Appearance

Connect these solutions to a server using PHP. At first, it seems that JavaScript plugins are fancy ways of letting users upload files. However, they are much more. Not only do they offer an eye-pleasing interface, but they also enhance and advance this basic functionality. They take it to the next level by adding extra options such Ajax upload or cross-domain uploads like SimpleUpload, a simple yet viable JavaScript library, or a real-time progress indicator or custom error messages like PekeUpload.

Simple yet Viable JavaScript Library

PekeUpload, much like Custom drag file upload by Aaron Vanston, was made with Bootstrap. It leverages classes and can be quickly worked into any project created on top of this boilerplate.

JavaScript Plugin

JavaScript Plugin

So, what should you consider when it comes to selecting a file uploader? There are several important things to take into account:

  • Formats that uploader supports
  • Cross-browser compatibility
  • Drag and drop interface
  • Dependency-free
  • Handy API
  • Last but not least, documentation

One more thing to do is to familiarize yourself with configuration options. It is vital to have an ability to set a limit for size and number of files to upload simultaneously. These tiny preventive measures can save your platform from unintentional, yet destructive, user actions.

Simple Solutions

Those who find the Uppy.io too complicated can opt for simpler solutions like HTML5 File Uploader, HTML5 Drag & Drop Ajax File Uploader or jQuery Ajax File Uploader Widget.

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HTML5 File Uploader is a dependency-free JavaScript library that works well across popular browsers. It is primitive, yet it works perfectly fine.

Primitive Dependency-free JavaScript Library

The script by Devbridge Group speaks for itself. It is created with HTML5, has a drag and drop option and uses Ajax for seamless loading in the background.

Library with Drag-and-drop Option

The concept by Daniel Morales is a lightweight version of a basic uploading file that uses async technologies such as Ajax. Having a clean and neat design, it has native support for queue and progress tracking.

Lightweight Version of a Basic Uploading File

Last, But Not Least

File uploaders are a generic component, so that you can create one by yourself with ease. There is a good tutorial by Joseph Zimmerman featured in Smashing Magazine, “How To Make A Drag-and-Drop File Uploader With Vanilla JavaScript.”

File Uploader Tutorial

And if you are in search of a simple file uploader with a nifty design, then look through the Codepen. There are always some fantastic code snippets out there like File Upload or Responsive File Uploader.

The code snippet by Matt Litherland is based on vanilla Javascript. It has a drag and drop area and an image preview. Whereas the pen by burnaDLX features a primitive but elegant file uploading area with beautiful animation.

The code snippet is Based on Vanilla Javascript
A Simple File Uploader yet with a Nifty Design

Wrap Up

File uploading is a common element that is native to HTML and does not need extra manipulations from the client-side languages like JavaScript to work. Still, lots of developers find it tricky or challenging to customize and add extra functionality. The above solutions solve lots of issues, saving developers from boring and tedious routines.

Which file uploading script do you use in projects? Do you have favorites? Do you have experience building a file upload system by yourself?

Nataly Birch

Nataly is an exceptional web designer and developer with a master's degree in computer science. She is highly skilled in helping clients establish a strong online presence and achieve their digital marketing goals across various sectors, including email design, email marketing, and web development. Nataly remains at the forefront of the industry by staying updated with the latest trends through continuous learning.

Posts by Nataly Birch