CMB2 vs Custom PHP Settings (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, CMB2 has a higher user rating (5/5 from 91 reviews) and leads in active installations (300K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. CMB2 has accumulated 5.0M+ total downloads while Custom PHP Settings has 408K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | CMB2 | Custom PHP Settings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 5/5 | ◄ | 4.4/5 |
| Total Reviews | 91 | ◄ | 15 |
| Active Installs | 300K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 5.0M+ | ◄ | 408K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 2 years ago | ► | 4 months ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2019 | |
| Age | 12 years | 7 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.8.0+ | 4.1.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.11.0 | 2.4.1 |
Rating Breakdown
CMB2
Custom PHP Settings
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, CMB2 averaged approximately 561 daily downloads while Custom PHP Settings averaged 54.
Recent Reviews
CMB2 Reviews
Super useful!
Thank you for your hard work!One of the best plugin for developers. Simple and effective.
Simple and free and much better than advance custom fields
Simple and free and much better than advance custom fields
Powerfull
Powerfull, Simple and Clean
Custom PHP Settings Reviews
very bad
THE worst
Bad got worse
The plugin is badly coded… could be handy but since last updates it has decided you needed a premium to set vars like post_max_size This topic was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by cantoute
Amazing so Simple
This is an awesome plugin, works like a charm. Thank you. This topic was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by deffectrix.
More Settings Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as CMB2 and Custom PHP Settings
Import your demo content, widgets and theme settings with one click. Theme authors! Enable simple theme demo import for your users.
Theme Options UI Builder for WordPress. A simple way to create & save Theme Options and Meta Boxes for free or premium themes.
Astra theme customizer offers several settings for header/footer layout, sidebar and blog designs, colors, backgrounds, typography and much more.
Catch Themes Demo Import is a simple and easy-to-use demo importer WordPress plugin that allows you to import the theme demo data Based on One Click D …
This plugin provides a very flexible way to show posts anywhere on a site using a shortcode. It works with any theme. Weaver Show Posts is by far the …
Easily create custom variables that can be accessed globally in Wordpress and PHP. Retrieval of information is extremely fast, with no database calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CMB2 or Custom PHP Settings more popular?
Which has better ratings — CMB2 or Custom PHP Settings?
Are CMB2 and Custom PHP Settings free?
Which plugin has better support — CMB2 or Custom PHP Settings?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.