Meta Tag Manager vs Smart Custom Fields (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Smart Custom Fields has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 20 reviews) while Meta Tag Manager leads in active installations (70K+ vs 50K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Meta Tag Manager has accumulated 1.1M+ total downloads while Smart Custom Fields has 346K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Meta Tag Manager | Smart Custom Fields | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 80 | ◄ | 20 |
| Active Installs | 70K+ | ◄ | 50K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.1M+ | ◄ | 346K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 2 weeks ago |
| First Released | 2009 | 2014 | |
| Age | 17 years | 12 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.6+ | 6.4+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.3 | 5.0.7 |
Rating Breakdown
Meta Tag Manager
Smart Custom Fields
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Meta Tag Manager averaged approximately 202 daily downloads while Smart Custom Fields averaged 451.
Recent Reviews
Meta Tag Manager Reviews
Amazing plugin!
Amazing plugin, use it everywhere. One small type that’s important:<meta name=”og:type” content=”webssite” /> <- webssite
Awesome and free, one of my favorites
Simple to use, lightweight and it’s totaly free ! I totally recommend as it’s one of my favorite rare gems in the WordPress extensions store
Meta tag manager
I have used meta tag manager for many years. It definitely helps a lot in the search engine rankings. Great plug in.
Smart Custom Fields Reviews
very simple and great
very simple and great
Great simple product but needs update
This is a great, simple product, but it hasn’t been updated for four months. At this time it has a critical vulnerability and needs to be updated.
image
How can we display image field, like ACF: <?php $image = get_field(‘hero_image’); ?> ” alt=”<?php echo $image[‘alt’]; ?>” /> SCF: <?php echo SCF::get(‘img’)[0]; ?> isn’t work.
More Meta Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Meta Tag Manager and Smart Custom Fields
ACF helps customize WordPress with powerful, professional and intuitive fields. Proudly powering over 2 million sites, WordPress developers love ACF.
Get the Official Meta for WooCommerce plugin for powerful ways to help grow your business.
All-in-one enhancement suite that improves WordPress & Advanced Custom Fields.
This is a very simple SEO plugin. You can easily set and customize meta tags and OGP tags for each page.
Easily redirect pages/posts or custom post types to another page/post or external URL by specifying the redirect URL and type (301, 302, 307, meta).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Meta Tag Manager or Smart Custom Fields more popular?
Which has better ratings — Meta Tag Manager or Smart Custom Fields?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.