Admin Columns vs Secure Custom Fields (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: Admin Columns at #12 and Secure Custom Fields at #3. Secure Custom Fields leads on 3 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Admin Columns
Take control of your WordPress admin list tables. Add, remove, and reorder columns for posts, users, media, and more - no coding needed.
Secure Custom Fields
Secure Custom Fields boosts content management with custom fields and options. It deactivates Advanced Custom Fields to prevent duplicate code errors.
Who leads on what
Secure Custom Fields leads on 3 of the 6 measures we track.
Secure Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #12 in Custom Field Plugins.
Both report 100,000+ active installs on WordPress.org.
Admin Columns is rated higher: 4.9 out of 5 from 1,652 reviews, against 4.8 from 69 reviews.
Admin Columns has more reviews behind its score: 1,652 against 69.
Secure Custom Fields was updated more recently, on October 21, 2026; Admin Columns on October 7, 2026.
Secure Custom Fields was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 85,121 times against 82,344.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Admin Columns
Pick Admin Columns if the review score matters most to you or you want the score backed by more reviews.
Secure Custom Fields
Pick Secure Custom Fields if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Admin Columns vs Secure Custom Fields side by side
| Admin Columns | Secure Custom Fields | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Field Plugins ranking | #12 | #3 |
| Rating | 4.9 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 1,652 | 69 |
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Total downloads | 3,470,403 | 850,792 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 82,344 | 85,121 |
| Last updated | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 |
| First published | Nov 27, 2011 | Nov 21, 2024 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Admin Columns ratings
Secure 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 Admin Columns nor Secure Custom Fields can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Custom Field Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Admin Columns vs Secure Custom Fields: common questions
Is Admin Columns better than Secure Custom Fields?
Secure Custom Fields leads on 3 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Secure Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #12 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which has more users, Admin Columns or Secure Custom Fields?
Secure Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #12 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Admin Columns or Secure Custom Fields?
Both report 100,000+ active installs on WordPress.org.
Are Admin Columns and Secure Custom Fields free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Admin Columns is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. Secure Custom Fields is a community plugin with no paid version.
Alternatives to Admin Columns and Secure Custom Fields
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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