Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) vs Meta Box
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.
Modular custom fields framework with 40+ field types, a free UI (Meta Box Lite) and paid extensions for groups, custom tables, views and front-end…
Choose Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) if…
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose Meta Box if…
- You need page builder dynamic data and custom database tables
- You also want listings & views without code
- You want the more complete feature set (97/100 vs 90/100)
- You weigh user ratings (4.8 vs 4.5 on WordPress.org)
Meta Box has 3 that Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) lacks, including Custom database tables, Page builder dynamic data and Listings & views without code. Both include 15 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) Meta BoxFields7/77/7
Field groups built in the admin with location rules for where they appear.
MB Builder drag-and-drop UI is free in Meta Box Lite.
30+ field types in the free plugin; Gallery and the layout fields are PRO.
Core ships 40+ field types including maps, files, images and taxonomy.
Repeater field with unlimited rows of sub-fields is a PRO feature.
Single fields are cloneable for free; repeatable field groups need MB Group.
Flexible Content field for building pages from layouts is PRO-only.
No native field; MB Group plus Conditional Logic recreates flexible layouts.
Relationship, post object, user and taxonomy fields, with optional bidirectional sync.
Free MB Relationships adds many-to-many links between posts, terms and users.
Free conditional logic shows or hides fields based on other field values.
MB Conditional Logic extension, included in the Basic Bundle.
Options pages (UI since PRO 6.2, or acf_add_options_page in code) need PRO.
MB Settings Page builds options and Customizer pages; Basic Bundle.
Content modelling3/44/4
Post types can be registered from the ACF interface in the free plugin.
Free MB Custom Post Types UI included in Meta Box Lite.
Taxonomies are registered from the same free ACF interface.
Taxonomies are registered with the same free CPT extension.
Fields can be attached to users, taxonomy terms, media and comments.
Comment fields free; term meta in Basic, user meta in Ultimate/AIO.
Values are stored in the standard WordPress meta tables; no custom table option.
MB Custom Table stores fields or whole models in custom tables; Ultimate/AIO.
Displaying data2/44/4
ACF Blocks and full Block Bindings support (PRO 6.8.1+) are in ACF PRO.
Core supports Block Bindings (5.14+); MB Blocks for PHP blocks is in Ultimate.
acf_form() renders field groups on the front end to create or edit posts.
MB Frontend Submission and User Profile forms; included in AIO.
Elementor Pro, Bricks, Breakdance and others read ACF fields through their own integrations.
Free official integrations for Elementor, Divi and Beaver; Bricks and Oxygen support it natively.
No built-in listing builder; add-ons such as Advanced Views provide this.
MB Views builds Twig-based templates and listings without theme files.
Developer features3/33/3
Per-group 'Show in REST API' setting (since 5.11); WPGraphQL via the free WPGraphQL for ACF plugin.
Free MB REST API exposes and updates fields through the REST API.
Local JSON saves field groups to the theme, with sync and WP-CLI commands.
Local JSON syncs field groups, settings pages and relationships via mb-json files.
Field groups, post types and taxonomies can be exported and imported as JSON.
Field groups move between sites as JSON files with MB Builder's sync and import.
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 |
Meta Box Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free (Meta Box / Lite) | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Basic Bundle | $49 per year, 1 site |
| Ultimate Bundle | $99 per year, 3 sites |
| Lifetime Bundle | $299 lifetime, 3 sites |
Downloads trend
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)
108,309 downloads last week
Meta Box
42,117 downloads last week
Verdict
Meta Box scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 90/100) and includes page builder dynamic data, custom database tables and listings & views without code that Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) does not. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): third-party. Meta Box: included. Free official integrations for Elementor, Divi and Beaver; Bricks and Oxygen support it natively.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): not included. Meta Box: paid version (Ultimate). MB Custom Table stores fields or whole models in custom tables; Ultimate/AIO.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): third-party. Meta Box: paid version (Ultimate). MB Views builds Twig-based templates and listings without theme files.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
Which would you choose?
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FAQ
Which is better, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) or Meta Box?
Meta Box scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 90/100) and includes page builder dynamic data, custom database tables and listings & views without code that Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) does not. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Meta Box includes 18 of the 18 features we track, against 15 for Advanced Custom Fields (ACF). 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 Meta Box free?
Meta Box has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $49/yr.
Feature data last changed 22 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) or Meta Box. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.