Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) vs Toolset
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.
Premium suite from OnTheGoSystems: Types for post types and fields, Blocks for templates and views, plus Forms, Access and Maps.
Choose Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) if…
- You need flexible content layouts and options & settings pages
- You also want fields in code or JSON
- You want the more complete feature set (90/100 vs 75/100)
- You want to start with a free version
Choose Toolset if…
- You need page builder dynamic data and listings & views without code
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) includes 3 features that Toolset lacks, including Flexible content layouts, Options & settings pages and Fields in code or JSON; Toolset has 2 that Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) lacks, including Page builder dynamic data and Listings & views without code. Both include 12 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) ToolsetFields7/75/7
Field groups built in the admin with location rules for where they appear.
Types creates field groups and assigns them to content in the admin.
30+ field types in the free plugin; Gallery and the layout fields are PRO.
Wide field set incl. address/map fields via the Maps component.
Repeater field with unlimited rows of sub-fields is a PRO feature.
Repeatable field groups included in all plans.
Flexible Content field for building pages from layouts is PRO-only.
No flexible-content layout field in Types.
Relationship, post object, user and taxonomy fields, with optional bidirectional sync.
Post relationships, including many-to-many, in every plan.
Free conditional logic shows or hides fields based on other field values.
Conditional display for single fields or whole field groups.
Options pages (UI since PRO 6.2, or acf_add_options_page in code) need PRO.
No options pages feature in the Toolset feature list.
Content modelling3/43/4
Post types can be registered from the ACF interface in the free plugin.
Types registers custom post types from the admin.
Taxonomies are registered from the same free ACF interface.
Types registers custom taxonomies from the admin.
Fields can be attached to users, taxonomy terms, media and comments.
Field groups for users and taxonomy terms as well as posts.
Values are stored in the standard WordPress meta tables; no custom table option.
Field values are stored as standard WordPress meta.
Displaying data2/44/4
ACF Blocks and full Block Bindings support (PRO 6.8.1+) are in ACF PRO.
Toolset Blocks shows fields in block editor templates and lists.
acf_form() renders field groups on the front end to create or edit posts.
Toolset Forms creates and edits posts and users from the front end.
Elementor Pro, Bricks, Breakdance and others read ACF fields through their own integrations.
Elementor tags read only some post fields; shortcodes otherwise.
No built-in listing builder; add-ons such as Advanced Views provide this.
Blocks builds content lists, archives and custom searches visually.
Developer features3/32/3
Per-group 'Show in REST API' setting (since 5.11); WPGraphQL via the free WPGraphQL for ACF plugin.
Optional toolset-meta property on posts, users and terms in REST.
Local JSON saves field groups to the theme, with sync and WP-CLI commands.
Settings are stored in the database; no code or JSON sync option.
Field groups, post types and taxonomies can be exported and imported as JSON.
Toolset Export/Import screen moves Types settings between sites.
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 |
Toolset Premium
| 1 Site | €69 per year, 1 site |
|---|---|
| 3 Sites | €149 per year, 3 sites |
| Unlimited Sites | €299 per year, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)
108,309 downloads last week
Toolset
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Verdict
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) scores higher on our feature checklist (90/100 against 75/100) and includes flexible content layouts, options & settings pages and fields in code or JSON that Toolset does not. Toolset still has the edge on page builder dynamic data and listings & views without code. Only Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): paid version (Personal). Toolset: not included. Flexible Content field for building pages from layouts is PRO-only.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): paid version (Personal). Toolset: not included. Options pages (UI since PRO 6.2, or acf_add_options_page in code) need PRO.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): third-party. Toolset: partial. Elementor tags read only some post fields; shortcodes otherwise.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): included. Toolset: not included. Local JSON saves field groups to the theme, with sync and WP-CLI commands.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF): third-party. Toolset: included. Blocks builds content lists, archives and custom searches visually.
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 Toolset?
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) scores higher on our feature checklist (90/100 against 75/100) and includes flexible content layouts, options & settings pages and fields in code or JSON that Toolset does not. Toolset still has the edge on page builder dynamic data and listings & views without code. Only Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) has a free version. 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 14 for Toolset. 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 Toolset free?
Toolset is premium only. Paid plans start at €69/yr.
Feature data last changed 22 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) or Toolset. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.