Meta Box 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: Meta Box at #10 and Secure Custom Fields at #3. Meta Box leads on 3 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
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.
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
Meta Box leads on 3 of the 6 measures we track.
Secure Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #10 in Custom Field Plugins.
Meta Box has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 100,000+.
Both are rated 4.8 out of 5 (165 and 69 reviews).
Meta Box has more reviews behind its score: 165 against 69.
Secure Custom Fields was updated more recently, on October 21, 2026; Meta Box on October 20, 2026.
Meta Box was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 275,954 times against 85,121.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
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 being installed faster right now.
Secure Custom Fields
Pick Secure Custom Fields if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Meta Box vs Secure Custom Fields side by side
| Meta Box | Secure Custom Fields | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Field Plugins ranking | #10 | #3 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 165 | 69 |
| Active installs | 500,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Total downloads | 25,133,785 | 850,792 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 275,954 | 85,121 |
| Last updated | Oct 20, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 |
| First published | Nov 7, 2011 | Nov 21, 2024 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Meta Box 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 Meta Box 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.
Meta Box vs Secure Custom Fields: common questions
Is Meta Box better than Secure Custom Fields?
Meta Box 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 #10 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which has more users, Meta Box or Secure Custom Fields?
Secure Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #10 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Meta Box or Secure Custom Fields?
Meta Box has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 100,000+.
Are Meta Box and Secure Custom Fields free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Meta Box may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Secure Custom Fields is a community plugin with no paid version.
Alternatives to Meta Box and Secure Custom Fields
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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