Advanced Custom Fields vs Smart Custom Fields (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 Smart Custom Fields at #5. Advanced Custom Fields leads on 4 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.
Smart Custom Fields
Smart Custom Fields is a simple plugin for managing custom fields.
Who leads on what
Advanced Custom Fields leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
Advanced Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #5 in Custom Field Plugins.
Advanced Custom Fields has more users: 2 million+ active installs against 50,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Advanced Custom Fields has 1,438, Smart Custom Fields has 20. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Advanced Custom Fields has more reviews behind its score: 1,438 against 20.
Advanced Custom Fields was updated more recently, on August 27, 2026; Smart Custom Fields on July 16, 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, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Smart Custom Fields
Smart Custom Fields does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Advanced Custom Fields vs Smart Custom Fields side by side
| Advanced Custom Fields | Smart Custom Fields | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Field Plugins ranking | #1 | #5 |
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.9 |
| Reviews | 1,438 | 20 |
| Active installs | 2 million+ | 50,000+ |
| Total downloads | 76,099,770 | 378,623 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 27, 2026 | Jul 16, 2026 |
| First published | Mar 25, 2011 | Oct 9, 2014 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 6.8.8 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| 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
Smart Custom Fields 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 Smart Custom Fields 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 Smart Custom Fields: common questions
Is Advanced Custom Fields better than Smart Custom Fields?
Advanced Custom Fields leads on 4 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 #5 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which has more users, Advanced Custom Fields or Smart Custom Fields?
Advanced Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #5 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Advanced Custom Fields or Smart Custom Fields?
Advanced Custom Fields has more users: 2 million+ active installs against 50,000+.
Are Advanced Custom Fields and Smart Custom Fields free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Advanced Custom Fields may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Smart Custom Fields may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Advanced Custom Fields and Smart Custom Fields
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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