Custom Field Template vs Secure 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: Custom Field Template at #9 and Secure Custom Fields at #3. Secure Custom Fields leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Custom Field Template
The Custom Field Template plugin extends the functionality of custom fields.
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 4 of the 5 measures we track.
Secure Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #9 in Custom Field Plugins.
Secure Custom Fields has more users: 90,000+ active installs against 30,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Custom Field Template has 24, Secure Custom Fields has 64. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Secure Custom Fields has more reviews behind its score: 64 against 24.
Secure Custom Fields was updated more recently, on August 20, 2026; Custom Field Template on August 11, 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.
Custom Field Template
Custom Field Template does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Secure Custom Fields
Pick Secure 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.
Custom Field Template vs Secure Custom Fields side by side
| Custom Field Template | Secure Custom Fields | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Field Plugins ranking | #9 | #3 |
| Rating | 4.0 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 24 | 64 |
| Active installs | 30,000+ | 90,000+ |
| Total downloads | 1,236,293 | 750,376 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 11, 2026 | Aug 20, 2026 |
| First published | Sep 4, 2008 | Nov 21, 2024 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.4 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | – | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Custom Field Template 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 Custom Field Template 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.
Custom Field Template vs Secure Custom Fields: common questions
Is Custom Field Template better than Secure Custom Fields?
Secure 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. Secure Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #9 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which has more users, Custom Field Template or Secure Custom Fields?
Secure Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #9 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Custom Field Template or Secure Custom Fields?
Secure Custom Fields has more users: 90,000+ active installs against 30,000+.
Are Custom Field Template and Secure Custom Fields free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Custom Field Template may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Secure Custom Fields is a community plugin with no paid version.
Alternatives to Custom Field Template and Secure Custom Fields
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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- Custom Field Template vs PPOM
- Flexible Checkout Fields vs Secure Custom Fields
- Pods vs Secure Custom Fields
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