Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) vs Custom Post Type UI
Updated 22 Oct 2026. 18 features compared side by side.
Long-standing custom fields plugin by WP Engine: build field groups visually, register post types, and add repeaters, blocks and options pages with ACF PRO.
Free WebDevStudios plugin for registering custom post types and taxonomies from the admin; CPT UI Pro adds display blocks and admin tools.
Choose Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) if…
- You need visual field group builder and repeater fields
- You also want wide range of field types and relationship fields
- You want the more complete feature set (90/100 vs 26/100)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose Custom Post Type UI if…
- You need listings & views without code
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) includes 10 features that Custom Post Type UI lacks, including Visual field group builder, Wide range of field types and Repeater fields; Custom Post Type UI has 1 that Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) lacks, including Listings & views without code. Both include 5 of the 18 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Custom Post Type UIFields7/70/7
Field groups built in the admin with location rules for where they appear.
Registers post types and taxonomies only; no field groups.
30+ field types in the free plugin; Gallery and the layout fields are PRO.
No custom field types; pair with a fields plugin.
Repeater field with unlimited rows of sub-fields is a PRO feature.
No fields, so no repeaters.
Flexible Content field for building pages from layouts is PRO-only.
No flexible-content fields.
Relationship, post object, user and taxonomy fields, with optional bidirectional sync.
No relationship fields.
Free conditional logic shows or hides fields based on other field values.
No fields, so no conditional field logic.
Options pages (UI since PRO 6.2, or acf_add_options_page in code) need PRO.
No options pages.
Content modelling3/42/4
Post types can be registered from the ACF interface in the free plugin.
Core feature: register post types with full argument control.
Taxonomies are registered from the same free ACF interface.
Core feature: register and attach custom taxonomies.
Fields can be attached to users, taxonomy terms, media and comments.
No user, term or comment fields.
Values are stored in the standard WordPress meta tables; no custom table option.
Uses standard WordPress post and term tables.
Displaying data2/41/4
ACF Blocks and full Block Bindings support (PRO 6.8.1+) are in ACF PRO.
No field display; Pro blocks list posts but do not show custom fields.
acf_form() renders field groups on the front end to create or edit posts.
No front-end submission forms.
Elementor Pro, Bricks, Breakdance and others read ACF fields through their own integrations.
No builder dynamic data; builders read post types natively.
No built-in listing builder; add-ons such as Advanced Views provide this.
Paid CPT UI Pro add-on: block with 10 layouts and filter blocks.
Developer features3/33/3
Per-group 'Show in REST API' setting (since 5.11); WPGraphQL via the free WPGraphQL for ACF plugin.
Show in REST and REST base for post types/taxonomies; no fields.
Local JSON saves field groups to the theme, with sync and WP-CLI commands.
Get Code exports PHP; docs snippet saves settings to theme JSON files.
Field groups, post types and taxonomies can be exported and imported as JSON.
Copy-and-paste import/export of post types and taxonomies.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Personal | $49 per year, 1 site |
| Freelancer | $149 per year, 10 sites |
| Agency | $249 per year, Unlimited |
Custom Post Type UI Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| CPT UI Pro | $99 one-off, 1 site |
Downloads trend
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)
105,683 downloads last week
Custom Post Type UI
33,749 downloads last week
Verdict
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) scores higher on our feature checklist (90/100 against 26/100) and includes visual field group builder, repeater fields and wide range of field types that Custom Post Type UI does not. Custom Post Type UI still has the edge on listings & views without code. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): included. Custom Post Type UI: not included. Field groups built in the admin with location rules for where they appear.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): paid version (Personal). Custom Post Type UI: not included. Repeater field with unlimited rows of sub-fields is a PRO feature.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): included. Custom Post Type UI: not included. 30+ field types in the free plugin; Gallery and the layout fields are PRO.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): included. Custom Post Type UI: not included. Relationship, post object, user and taxonomy fields, with optional bidirectional sync.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): paid version (Personal). Custom Post Type UI: not included. ACF Blocks and full Block Bindings support (PRO 6.8.1+) are in ACF PRO.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): paid version (Personal). Custom Post Type UI: not included. Flexible Content field for building pages from layouts is PRO-only.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) or Custom Post Type UI?
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) scores higher on our feature checklist (90/100 against 26/100) and includes visual field group builder, repeater fields and wide range of field types that Custom Post Type UI does not. Custom Post Type UI still has the edge on listings & views without code. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) includes 15 of the 18 features we track, against 6 for Custom Post Type UI. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) free?
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $49/yr.
Is Custom Post Type UI free?
Custom Post Type UI has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $99.
Feature data last changed 22 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) or Custom Post Type UI. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.