Why I Still Use (Need) a Third-Party Media Manager

In a recent Etch release, the team introduced a new media manager for the builder. It’s a brilliant implementation that adds features like built-in image compression (which is outstanding) and media folders. For many projects, that’s more than enough — especially if you’re the only person managing the site.

Etch continues to lead the way in builder capabilities while showing little concern for the non-builder-oriented client — the Bevs of the world.

The issue isn’t whether Etch’s media manager is good — it is very good. The issue is where it lives.

Today, taking advantage of both image compression and media folders requires working inside the Etch builder. For developers, that’s not necessarily a problem. For clients, it’s a different story.

One of the reasons many of us moved to Etch is that clients rarely, if ever, need to enter the builder. Everything we create translates into native WordPress content, allowing editors to work from the familiar WordPress admin. The media manager is currently the exception.

Clients don’t upload media from the Etch builder. They upload media while creating posts, pages, products, and other content in WordPress. That’s where they need access to media organization and automatic image optimization. Any media workflow that requires entering the builder fundamentally changes who owns that workflow.

That’s why I still rely on Wicked Folders (my preferred choice) or HappyFiles for media organization, along with CIMO for automatic image compression. My clients can continue working where they expect to work, and images are organized and optimized without requiring them to learn another interface.

The idea that I, as the developer, should become responsible for uploading and organizing a client’s media simply because that’s where the tooling exists doesn’t align with how I build WordPress sites. My goal has always been to empower clients to manage their own content without needing me for routine editorial tasks.

The Etch team has publicly stated that, in the short term, they intend to rely on third-party developers to bring the Etch media experience into the core WordPress Media Library. That’s a perfectly reasonable strategy, but it also reinforces something I believe strongly: avoid unnecessary vendor lock-in whenever possible. When a workflow can remain native to WordPress while still leveraging specialized tools, that’s usually the better long-term solution.

That’s why I created the Media Bridge for Etch.

The bridge synchronizes media folders between Etch and either Wicked Folders or HappyFiles, allowing developers to use whichever interface best fits the task without maintaining two separate folder structures. Developers can organize media inside Etch if they choose, while clients continue working from the standard WordPress Media Library they already know.

I genuinely hope this plugin eventually becomes unnecessary.

Etch’s compression engine is exceptional, and its media organization features are more than adequate for many websites. If those capabilities eventually become available throughout the WordPress Media Library — not just inside the builder — I would happily retire the bridge.

Until then, I prefer a balanced approach. Etch provides an outstanding builder experience, while proven WordPress media management plugins continue to provide the best editorial experience for the Bevs of the world. The Media Bridge simply keeps those two worlds in sync.