CMB2 vs Simple Settings (2026)

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

CMB2

CMB2

5(91)

300K+ active installs

Free

Updated 2 years ago
View CMB2
VS
Simple Settings

Simple Settings

5(2)

10 active installs

Free

Updated 12 years ago
View Simple Settings

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, CMB2 has a higher user rating (5/5 from 91 reviews) and leads in active installations (300K+ vs 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. CMB2 has accumulated 5.0M+ total downloads while Simple Settings has 2.0K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
5/5CMB2
Simple Settings5/5
Total Reviews
91CMB2
Simple Settings2
Active Installs
300K+CMB2
Simple Settings10
Total Downloads
5.0M+CMB2
Simple Settings2.0K+
Support Resolution
0%CMB2
Simple SettingsN/A
Last Updated
2 years agoCMB2
Simple Settings12 years ago
First Released
2014CMB2
Simple Settings2013
Age
12 yearsCMB2
Simple Settings13 years
WP Requires
3.8.0+CMB2
Simple Settings3.0.1+
PHP Requires
7.4+CMB2
Simple Settingsfalse+
Business Model
FreeCMB2
Simple SettingsFree
Latest Version
2.11.0CMB2
Simple Settings1.2

Rating Breakdown

CMB2

5/5(91 reviews)
5
99%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
1%

Simple Settings

5/5(2 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

CMB2 Reviews

by suiramus

Super useful!

Thank you for your hard work!One of the best plugin for developers. Simple and effective.

by paknejad

Simple and free and much better than advance custom fields

Simple and free and much better than advance custom fields

by Aditya Thok

Powerfull

Powerfull, Simple and Clean

Simple Settings Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CMB2 or Simple Settings more popular?
CMB2 has 300K+ active installations while Simple Settings has 10. CMB2 is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — CMB2 or Simple Settings?
CMB2 has a 5/5 rating from 91 reviews, while Simple Settings has a 5/5 rating from 2 reviews.
Are CMB2 and Simple Settings free?
CMB2 is free and Simple Settings is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — CMB2 or Simple Settings?
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?
CMB2 was last updated 2 years ago and Simple Settings was last updated 12 years ago.

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