Display Post Types vs Meta Box (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Custom Post Type Plugins top 10: Display Post Types at #10 and Meta Box at #8. Meta Box leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Display Post Types
Display Post Types – Post Grid, post list and post sliders
Display list of posts, pages or any custom post types anywhere using block and widget. Show as grid, list or posts slider.
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
Meta Box leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
Meta Box ranks higher on WordPress.org: #8 against #10 in Custom Post Type Plugins.
Meta Box has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 7,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Display Post Types has 26, Meta Box has 165. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Meta Box has more reviews behind its score: 165 against 26.
Meta Box was updated more recently, on September 3, 2026; Display Post Types on August 23, 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.
Display Post Types
Display Post Types does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Meta Box
Pick Meta Box 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.
Display Post Types vs Meta Box side by side
| Display Post Types | Meta Box | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Post Type Plugins ranking | #10 | #8 |
| Rating | 5.0 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 26 | 165 |
| Active installs | 7,000+ | 500,000+ |
| Total downloads | 139,287 | 24,691,825 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 23, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 |
| First published | Aug 23, 2019 | Nov 7, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.2 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Display Post Types 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 Display Post Types 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.
Display Post Types vs Meta Box: common questions
Is Display Post Types better than Meta Box?
Meta Box leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Meta Box ranks higher on WordPress.org: #8 against #10 in Custom Post Type Plugins.
Which has more users, Display Post Types or Meta Box?
Meta Box ranks higher on WordPress.org: #8 against #10 in Custom Post Type Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Display Post Types or Meta Box?
Meta Box has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 7,000+.
Are Display Post Types and Meta Box free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Display Post Types may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Meta Box may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Display Post Types and Meta Box
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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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.