PluginSift

Meta Box vs Essential Content Types (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Meta Box

Meta Box

4.8(162)

500K+ active installs

Free

Updated 5 days ago
View Meta Box
VS
Essential Content Types

Essential Content Types

3(2)

20K+ active installs

Free

Updated 10 months ago
View Essential Content Types

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Meta Box has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 162 reviews) and leads in active installations (500K+ vs 20K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Meta Box has accumulated 23M+ total downloads while Essential Content Types has 880K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.8/5Meta Box
◄
Essential Content Types3/5
Total Reviews
162Meta Box
◄
Essential Content Types2
Active Installs
500K+Meta Box
◄
Essential Content Types20K+
Total Downloads
23M+Meta Box
◄
Essential Content Types880K+
Support Resolution
0%Meta Box
Essential Content TypesN/A
Last Updated
5 days agoMeta Box
◄
Essential Content Types10 months ago
First Released
2011Meta Box
Essential Content Types2017
Age
15 yearsMeta Box
Essential Content Types9 years
WP Requires
6.5+Meta Box
Essential Content Types5.9+
PHP Requires
7.4+Meta Box
Essential Content Typesfalse+
Business Model
FreeMeta Box
Essential Content TypesFree
Latest Version
5.11.4Meta Box
Essential Content Types2.3

Rating Breakdown

Meta Box

4.8/5(162 reviews)
5
91%
4
5%
3
1%
2
1%
1
2%

Essential Content Types

3/5(2 reviews)
5
50%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
50%

Recent Reviews

Meta Box Reviews

by jameshgordy

Does everything without taking much space

I love this as an alternative to ACF – it’s much more intuitive and takes a healthier modular approach; much more adaptable when working with various frameworks and much better gui for the non technic

by alamea

Best Performance and works with Breakdance Visual Builder

The performance is impressive, and the plugin is constantly maintained. It’s especially nice that it works seamlessly with Breakdance Visual Builder. Thanks to sample code from Metabox (thanks for the

by zentyx

Outstanding Plugin and Incredible Support!

MetaBox has been a game-changer for my WordPress development workflow. The usability is intuitive and highly functional — everything just makes sense and works seamlessly. What truly sets MetaBox

Essential Content Types Reviews

by wprocket

Simple and Easy Plugin

I used this plugin to showcase my Portfolio which is really nice. I was searching for way to show my Portfolio as separate form post as when I use category “Portfolio” and use it as post, it also show

by paddington63

portfolio in essential content crashes

The portfolio part of this plug-in crashes the editor. Tried to contact support but no reply. There are some nice features but the portfolio part was my reasson to install and now the same reasson to

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Meta Box or Essential Content Types more popular?
Meta Box has 500K+ active installations while Essential Content Types has 20K+. Meta Box is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Meta Box or Essential Content Types?
Meta Box has a 4.8/5 rating from 162 reviews, while Essential Content Types has a 3/5 rating from 2 reviews.
Are Meta Box and Essential Content Types free?
Meta Box is free and Essential Content Types is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Meta Box or Essential Content Types?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Meta Box was last updated 5 days ago and Essential Content Types was last updated 10 months ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.