Meta Box vs Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields
100K+ active installs
Free
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 100K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Meta Box has accumulated 23M+ total downloads while Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields has 5.1M+. Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields has a higher support resolution rate (94% vs 0%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Meta Box | Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 | |
| Total Reviews | 162 | ► | 416 |
| Active Installs | 500K+ | ◄ | 100K+ |
| Total Downloads | 23M+ | ◄ | 5.1M+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | ► | 94% |
| Last Updated | 6 days ago | ◄ | 2 weeks ago |
| First Released | 2011 | 2008 | |
| Age | 15 years | 18 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.5+ | 6.3+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 7.2+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 5.11.4 | 3.3.8 |
Rating Breakdown
Meta Box
Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Meta Box averaged approximately 11,838 daily downloads while Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields averaged 2,185.
Recent Reviews
Meta Box Reviews
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
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
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
Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields Reviews
So powerful I’ll barely scratch the surface
Thank you for this amazing plugin and for making it so robust. Prefer to support a totally open-source community project like this when possible rather than commercial projects. Thanks also for adding
All in one solution
Great! All in one free solution for custom post type, fields, taxonomies
Great lightweight custom fields solution
Absolutely love PODS! I used it on quite a few sites, and the framework is as robust as it is ligthweight! Highly recommend id!
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.