Advanced Custom Fields vs Meta Box (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Custom Field Plugins top 10: Advanced Custom Fields at #1 and Meta Box at #10. Advanced Custom Fields leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Advanced Custom Fields
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
ACF helps customize WordPress with powerful, professional and intuitive fields. Proudly powering over 2 million sites, WordPress developers love ACF.
Meta Box
Meta Box – A Framework for Dynamic Websites
Meta Box plugin is a powerful, professional developer toolkit to create custom meta boxes and custom fields for your custom post types in WordPress.
Who leads on what
Advanced Custom Fields leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track.
Advanced Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #10 in Custom Field Plugins.
Advanced Custom Fields has more users: 2 million+ active installs against 500,000+.
Meta Box is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 165 reviews, against 4.5 from 1,440 reviews.
Advanced Custom Fields has more reviews behind its score: 1,440 against 165.
Meta Box was updated more recently, on October 20, 2026; Advanced Custom Fields on September 10, 2026.
Advanced Custom Fields was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 484,097 times against 275,954.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Advanced Custom Fields
Pick Advanced Custom Fields if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Meta Box
Pick Meta Box if the review score matters most to you or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Advanced Custom Fields vs Meta Box side by side
| Advanced Custom Fields | Meta Box | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Field Plugins ranking | #1 | #10 |
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 1,440 | 165 |
| Active installs | 2 million+ | 500,000+ |
| Total downloads | 77,327,691 | 25,133,785 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 484,097 | 275,954 |
| Last updated | Sep 10, 2026 | Oct 20, 2026 |
| First published | Mar 25, 2011 | Nov 7, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Advanced Custom Fields ratings
Meta Box ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Advanced Custom Fields nor Meta Box can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Custom Field Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Advanced Custom Fields vs Meta Box: common questions
Is Advanced Custom Fields better than Meta Box?
Advanced Custom Fields leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Advanced Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #10 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which has more users, Advanced Custom Fields or Meta Box?
Advanced Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #10 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Advanced Custom Fields or Meta Box?
Advanced Custom Fields has more users: 2 million+ active installs against 500,000+.
Are Advanced Custom Fields and Meta Box free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Advanced Custom Fields may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Meta Box may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Advanced Custom Fields and Meta Box
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.