Special Text Boxes vs ACF Color Swatches (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, ACF Color Swatches has a higher user rating (5/5 from 1 reviews) while Special Text Boxes leads in active installations (2.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Special Text Boxes has accumulated 254K+ total downloads while ACF Color Swatches has 19K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Special Text Boxes | ACF Color Swatches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 3.2/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 21 | ◄ | 1 |
| Active Installs | 2.0K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 254K+ | ◄ | 19K+ |
| Support Resolution | N/A | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 month ago | ◄ | 7 years ago |
| First Released | 2009 | 2018 | |
| Age | 17 years | 8 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.6+ | 4.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 6.5 | 1.0.7 |
Rating Breakdown
Special Text Boxes
ACF Color Swatches
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Special Text Boxes averaged approximately 24 daily downloads while ACF Color Swatches averaged 4.
Recent Reviews
Special Text Boxes Reviews
Was Working Well, Until it Didn’t
I’ve been using this plugin for many years and it did exactly what I wanted it to, until recently. After a few updates to WordPress and the improves with PHP, I can no longer type into the “Content” b
old-fasioned
It looks as if the plugin was developed 10 years ago and has not been updated This topic was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by Nikita.
Did not work for me
Gave error message. Don’t know why.
ACF Color Swatches Reviews
The missing ACF color swatch
Great addition to the ACF family.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Special Text Boxes or ACF Color Swatches more popular?
Which has better ratings — Special Text Boxes or ACF Color Swatches?
Are Special Text Boxes and ACF Color Swatches free?
Which plugin has better support — Special Text Boxes or ACF Color Swatches?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.