Gravity Forms + Custom 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: Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types at #7 and Meta Box at #8. Meta Box leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types
Map your Gravity-Forms-generated posts to a custom post type and/or custom 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
Meta Box leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types ranks higher on WordPress.org: #7 against #8 in Custom Post Type Plugins.
Meta Box has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types has 46, Meta Box has 165. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Meta Box has more reviews behind its score: 165 against 46.
Meta Box was updated more recently, on September 3, 2026; Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types on August 4, 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.
Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types
Pick Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them.
Meta Box
Pick Meta Box if 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.
Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types vs Meta Box side by side
| Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types | Meta Box | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Post Type Plugins ranking | #7 | #8 |
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 46 | 165 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 500,000+ |
| Total downloads | 549,428 | 24,691,825 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 4, 2026 | Sep 3, 2026 |
| First published | Feb 21, 2011 | Nov 7, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.4 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 5.6 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Gravity Forms + Custom 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 Gravity Forms + Custom 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.
Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types vs Meta Box: common questions
Is Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types better than Meta Box?
Meta Box leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types ranks higher on WordPress.org: #7 against #8 in Custom Post Type Plugins.
Which has more users, Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types or Meta Box?
Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types ranks higher on WordPress.org: #7 against #8 in Custom Post Type Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types or Meta Box?
Meta Box has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types and Meta Box free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Meta Box may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Gravity Forms + Custom 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.