JetEngine vs Secure Custom Fields
Updated 22 Oct 2026. 18 features compared side by side.
Crocoblock's premium dynamic content plugin: post types, meta boxes, custom tables, relations, queries and listings for Elementor, Gutenberg and Bricks.
Free fork of ACF maintained under WordPress.org, including repeater, flexible content, options pages and blocks at no cost.
Choose JetEngine if…
- You need custom database tables and listings & views without code
- You want the more complete feature set (91/100 vs 88/100)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose Secure Custom Fields if…
- You need flexible content layouts
- You want to start with a free version
JetEngine includes 2 features that Secure Custom Fields lacks, including Custom database tables and Listings & views without code; Secure Custom Fields has 1 that JetEngine lacks, including Flexible content layouts. Both include 14 of the 18 features we track. 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.
JetEngine Secure Custom FieldsFields6/77/7
Meta boxes built in the JetEngine dashboard and assigned by visibility conditions.
Visual builder for field groups with location rules, no code needed.
About 20 types incl. gallery, map, date/time, colour, icon picker and posts.
About 36 documented field types including Google Map, colour and icon picker.
Repeater field accepts nested fields of any type.
Repeater field is included free.
No flexible-content layouts; repeaters and tab/accordion groups instead.
Flexible Content field included free, with renameable and disableable layouts.
One-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many relations incl. users and terms.
Post object, page link, user and taxonomy fields link content together.
Per-field conditional logic rules in the meta box editor.
Inherited ACF conditional logic for showing fields based on other values.
Options pages collect global site settings.
Options pages are supported free of charge.
Content modelling4/43/4
Register and manage custom post types from the dashboard.
Post types are registered from the SCF interface.
Register custom taxonomies and link them to post types.
Taxonomies are registered from the SCF interface.
Meta boxes can target taxonomy terms and users as well as posts.
Fields on users, taxonomy terms, media and comments.
Custom Content Types save each item to its own database table.
Uses the standard meta tables; no custom table storage.
Displaying data4/42/4
Dynamic blocks and listing grids for the block editor.
ACF-style PHP blocks plus a UI to bind block attributes to fields.
Profile Builder front-end post submission; forms via JetFormBuilder.
Front-end form functions are documented in the code reference.
Dynamic tags and widgets for Elementor and Bricks; Divi listed too.
Builders document ACF, not SCF; compatibility depends on the builder.
Query Builder plus listing grids, maps, calendars and tables.
No built-in listing or template builder.
Developer features3/33/3
Per-field Show in REST API switch; CCT REST endpoints.
Field values appear in REST responses, with tightened permission checks in 6.9.
Skins Manager JSON export for transfer only; no file-based sync.
Local JSON plus WP-CLI 'scf json' commands for syncing.
Skins Manager exports CPTs, meta boxes, relations and queries 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
JetEngine Premium
| JetEngine (1 site) | $75 per year, 1 site |
|---|---|
| JetEngine (Unlimited) | $169 per year, Unlimited |
| All-Inclusive | $199 per year, 1 site |
| Lifetime | $999 lifetime, Unlimited |
Secure Custom Fields Free
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
JetEngine
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Secure Custom Fields
25,288 downloads last week
Verdict
JetEngine scores higher on our feature checklist (91/100 against 88/100) and includes custom database tables and listings & views without code that Secure Custom Fields does not. Secure Custom Fields still has the edge on flexible content layouts. Only Secure Custom Fields has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
JetEngine: not included. Secure Custom Fields: included. Flexible Content field included free, with renameable and disableable layouts.
JetEngine: included. Secure Custom Fields: not included. Custom Content Types save each item to its own database table.
JetEngine: included. Secure Custom Fields: not included. Query Builder plus listing grids, maps, calendars and tables.
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, JetEngine or Secure Custom Fields?
JetEngine scores higher on our feature checklist (91/100 against 88/100) and includes custom database tables and listings & views without code that Secure Custom Fields does not. Secure Custom Fields still has the edge on flexible content layouts. Only Secure Custom Fields has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
JetEngine includes 17 of the 18 features we track, against 15 for Secure Custom Fields. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is JetEngine free?
JetEngine is premium only. Paid plans start at $75/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 JetEngine 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.