Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) vs Custom Meta (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
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Custom Meta has a higher user rating (5/5 from 1 reviews) while Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) leads in active installations (2.0M+ vs 800). Both are free WordPress plugins. Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) has accumulated 69M+ total downloads while Custom Meta has 37K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) | Custom Meta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 1,428 | ◄ | 1 |
| Active Installs | 2.0M+ | ◄ | 800 |
| Total Downloads | 69M+ | ◄ | 37K+ |
| Support Resolution | 43% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 5 days ago | ◄ | 17 years ago |
| First Released | 2011 | 2009 | |
| Age | 15 years | 17 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.2+ | 2.2+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 6.8.0 | 1.0 |
Rating Breakdown
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Custom Meta
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
Custom Meta Reviews
No reviews yet
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) or Custom Meta more popular?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.