Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) vs Advanced Custom Fields: Widget Area… (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
2.0M+ active installs
Free
Advanced Custom Fields: Widget Area…
400 active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Advanced Custom Fields: Widget Area… has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 5 reviews) while Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) leads in active installations (2.0M+ vs 400). Both are free WordPress plugins. Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) has accumulated 69M+ total downloads while Advanced Custom Fields: Widget Area… has 13K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) | Advanced Custom Fields: Widget Area… | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ► | 4.8/5 |
| Total Reviews | 1,428 | ◄ | 5 |
| Active Installs | 2.0M+ | ◄ | 400 |
| Total Downloads | 69M+ | ◄ | 13K+ |
| Support Resolution | 43% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 5 days ago | ◄ | 11 years ago |
| First Released | 2011 | 2013 | |
| Age | 15 years | 13 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.2+ | 3.4+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 6.8.0 | 1.0.0 |
Rating Breakdown
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Advanced Custom Fields: Widget Area…
Download Trends
Recent Reviews
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) Reviews
Must Have Tool
One of the best plugins I’ve used. Makes custom fields super easy to manage. Works smoothly and is very flexible. tnx to devs, really helped in my projects 👍
Flexible Fields Tool
ACF really helps when adding custom fields to posts n pages. Setup is pretty simple and very flexible. Took a little time to learn at first, but works great once you get used to it. Tnkz devs.
I just want to display the content
The back-end set up is great and clearly this is a powerful plugin. However, this plugin requires either the paid version or custom PHP theme to display the content on the front end! There are no bloc
Advanced Custom Fields: Widget Area… Reviews
No reviews yet
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.