Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) vs Secure Custom Fields
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 fork of ACF maintained under WordPress.org, including repeater, flexible content, options pages and blocks at no cost.
Choose Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) if…
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose Secure Custom Fields if…
- You weigh user ratings (4.8 vs 4.5 on WordPress.org)
Where we have verified data for both, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and Secure Custom Fields match on every feature we track (15 in common). 1 feature is not yet verified for one or both plugins.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Secure Custom FieldsFields7/77/7
Field groups built in the admin with location rules for where they appear.
Visual builder for field groups with location rules, no code needed.
30+ field types in the free plugin; Gallery and the layout fields are PRO.
About 36 documented field types including Google Map, colour and icon picker.
Repeater field with unlimited rows of sub-fields is a PRO feature.
Repeater field is included free.
Flexible Content field for building pages from layouts is PRO-only.
Flexible Content field included free, with renameable and disableable layouts.
Relationship, post object, user and taxonomy fields, with optional bidirectional sync.
Post object, page link, user and taxonomy fields link content together.
Free conditional logic shows or hides fields based on other field values.
Inherited ACF conditional logic for showing fields based on other values.
Options pages (UI since PRO 6.2, or acf_add_options_page in code) need PRO.
Options pages are supported free of charge.
Content modelling3/43/4
Post types can be registered from the ACF interface in the free plugin.
Post types are registered from the SCF interface.
Taxonomies are registered from the same free ACF interface.
Taxonomies are registered from the SCF interface.
Fields can be attached to users, taxonomy terms, media and comments.
Fields on users, taxonomy terms, media and comments.
Values are stored in the standard WordPress meta tables; no custom table option.
Uses the standard meta tables; no custom table storage.
Displaying data2/42/4
ACF Blocks and full Block Bindings support (PRO 6.8.1+) are in ACF PRO.
ACF-style PHP blocks plus a UI to bind block attributes to fields.
acf_form() renders field groups on the front end to create or edit posts.
Front-end form functions are documented in the code reference.
Elementor Pro, Bricks, Breakdance and others read ACF fields through their own integrations.
Builders document ACF, not SCF; compatibility depends on the builder.
No built-in listing builder; add-ons such as Advanced Views provide this.
No built-in listing or template builder.
Developer features3/33/3
Per-group 'Show in REST API' setting (since 5.11); WPGraphQL via the free WPGraphQL for ACF plugin.
Field values appear in REST responses, with tightened permission checks in 6.9.
Local JSON saves field groups to the theme, with sync and WP-CLI commands.
Local JSON plus WP-CLI 'scf json' commands for syncing.
Field groups, post types and taxonomies can be exported and imported as JSON.
Inherited JSON import and export tools for field groups, 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 |
Secure Custom Fields Free
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)
111,103 downloads last week
Secure Custom Fields
26,471 downloads last week
Verdict
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and Secure Custom Fields are closely matched on features (90/100 and 88/100). Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
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 Secure Custom Fields?
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and Secure Custom Fields are closely matched on features (90/100 and 88/100). Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
They are level: both include 15 of the 18 custom fields & post types features we track.
Is Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) free?
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $49/yr.
Is Secure Custom Fields free?
Secure Custom Fields has a free version on WordPress.org.
Feature data last changed 22 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) or Secure Custom Fields. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.