Custom Post Type UI vs Meta Box (October 2026)
Updated October 23, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Custom Post Type Plugins top 10: Custom Post Type UI at #1 and Meta Box at #8. They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Custom Post Type UI
Admin UI for creating custom content types like post types and taxonomies
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
They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most.
Custom Post Type UI ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #8 in Custom Post Type Plugins.
Custom Post Type UI has more users: 1 million+ active installs against 500,000+.
Meta Box is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 165 reviews, against 4.6 from 276 reviews.
Custom Post Type UI has more reviews behind its score: 276 against 165.
Meta Box was updated more recently, on October 20, 2026; Custom Post Type UI on July 14, 2026.
Meta Box was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 275,954 times against 110,134.
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 Post Type UI
Pick Custom Post Type UI 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.
Meta Box
Pick Meta Box if the review score matters most to you, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Custom Post Type UI vs Meta Box side by side
| Custom Post Type UI | Meta Box | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Post Type Plugins ranking | #1 | #8 |
| Rating | 4.6 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 276 | 165 |
| Active installs | 1 million+ | 500,000+ |
| Total downloads | 24,850,895 | 25,133,785 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 110,134 | 275,954 |
| Last updated | Jul 14, 2026 | Oct 20, 2026 |
| First published | Feb 26, 2010 | Nov 7, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.7 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Custom Post Type UI 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 Custom Post Type UI nor Meta Box can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Custom Post Type Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Custom Post Type UI vs Meta Box: common questions
Is Custom Post Type UI better than Meta Box?
They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Custom Post Type UI ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #8 in Custom Post Type Plugins.
Which has more users, Custom Post Type UI or Meta Box?
Custom Post Type UI ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #8 in Custom Post Type Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Custom Post Type UI or Meta Box?
Custom Post Type UI has more users: 1 million+ active installs against 500,000+.
Are Custom Post Type UI and Meta Box free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Custom Post Type UI may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Meta Box may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Custom Post Type UI and Meta Box
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
-
Pods
100,000+ installs · 4.8 from 418 reviews
-
WCK
10,000+ installs · 4.7 from 97 reviews
-
MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies
10,000+ installs · 4.7 from 13 reviews
-
Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types
10,000+ installs · 4.4 from 46 reviews
-
Advanced Custom Fields
2 million+ installs · 4.5 from 1,440 reviews
More Custom Post Type Plugins comparisons
- Custom Post Type Permalinks vs Custom Post Type UI
- Custom Post Type Permalinks vs Meta Box
- Custom Post Type UI vs Custom Post Type Widgets
- Custom Post Type UI vs Display Post Types
- Custom Post Type UI vs Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types
- Custom Post Type UI vs MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies
- Custom Post Type UI vs Pods
- Custom Post Type UI vs Post Types Unlimited
- Custom Post Type UI vs WCK
- Custom Post Type Widgets vs Meta Box
- Display Post Types vs Meta Box
- Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types vs Meta Box
Weekly · free
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.