Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) vs Meta Extension (2026)

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

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)

4.5(1,428)

2.0M+ active installs

Free

Updated 5 days ago
View Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
VS
Meta Extension

Meta Extension

0(0)

10 active installs

Free

Updated 15 years ago
View Meta Extension

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) has a higher user rating (4.5/5 from 1,428 reviews) and leads in active installations (2.0M+ vs 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) has accumulated 69M+ total downloads while Meta Extension has 3.5K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.5/5Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta ExtensionN/A
Total Reviews
1,428Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta Extension0
Active Installs
2.0M+Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta Extension10
Total Downloads
69M+Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta Extension3.5K+
Support Resolution
43%Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta ExtensionN/A
Last Updated
5 days agoAdvanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta Extension15 years ago
First Released
2011Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta Extension2010
Age
15 yearsAdvanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta Extension16 years
WP Requires
6.2+Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta Extension2.0.2+
PHP Requires
7.4+Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta Extensionfalse+
Business Model
FreeAdvanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta ExtensionFree
Latest Version
6.8.0Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
Meta Extension1.0.3

Rating Breakdown

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)

4.5/5(1,428 reviews)
5
84%
4
2%
3
1%
2
1%
1
12%

Meta Extension

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

Recent Reviews

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) Reviews

by tyriqsuth

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 👍

by albertowadsworth

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.

by annafjmorris

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

Meta Extension Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) or Meta Extension more popular?
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) has 2.0M+ active installations while Meta Extension has 10. Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) or Meta Extension?
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) has a 4.5/5 rating from 1,428 reviews, while Meta Extension has a 0/5 rating from 0 reviews.
Are Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) and Meta Extension free?
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) is free and Meta Extension is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) or Meta Extension?
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?
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) was last updated 5 days ago and Meta Extension was last updated 15 years ago.

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