Advanced Custom Fields vs Pods (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 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 Pods at #2. Advanced Custom Fields leads on 3 of the 5 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.
Pods
Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields
Pods is a framework for creating, managing, and deploying customized content types and fields for any project.
Who leads on what
Advanced Custom Fields leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Advanced Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #2 in Custom Field Plugins.
Advanced Custom Fields has more users: 2 million+ active installs against 100,000+.
Pods is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 418 reviews, against 4.5 from 1,438 reviews.
Advanced Custom Fields has more reviews behind its score: 1,438 against 418.
Pods was updated more recently, on August 31, 2026; Advanced Custom Fields on August 27, 2026.
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 or you want the score backed by more reviews.
Pods
Pick Pods if the review score matters most to you or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Advanced Custom Fields vs Pods side by side
| Advanced Custom Fields | Pods | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Field Plugins ranking | #1 | #2 |
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 1,438 | 418 |
| Active installs | 2 million+ | 100,000+ |
| Total downloads | 76,099,770 | 5,496,585 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 27, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 |
| First published | Mar 25, 2011 | Oct 8, 2008 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.2 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Advanced Custom Fields ratings
Pods 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 Pods 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 Pods: common questions
Is Advanced Custom Fields better than Pods?
Advanced Custom Fields leads on 3 of the 5 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 #2 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which has more users, Advanced Custom Fields or Pods?
Advanced Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #2 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Advanced Custom Fields or Pods?
Advanced Custom Fields has more users: 2 million+ active installs against 100,000+.
Are Advanced Custom Fields and Pods free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Advanced Custom Fields may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Pods may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Advanced Custom Fields and Pods
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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- Advanced Custom Fields vs WCK
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- Advanced Custom Fields vs PPOM
- Custom Field Template vs Pods
- Flexible Checkout Fields vs Pods
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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.