Meta Box vs Toolset
Updated 22 Oct 2026. 18 features compared side by side.
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…
Premium suite from OnTheGoSystems: Types for post types and fields, Blocks for templates and views, plus Forms, Access and Maps.
Choose Meta Box if…
- You need flexible content layouts and options & settings pages
- You also want fields in code or JSON and custom database tables
- You want the more complete feature set (97/100 vs 75/100)
- You want to start with a free version
Choose Toolset if…
- Existing Toolset users and no-code teams that want fields, templates, forms and access rules from a single vendor
Meta Box includes 4 features that Toolset lacks, including Flexible content layouts, Options & settings pages and Custom database tables. Both include 14 of the 18 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Meta Box ToolsetFields7/75/7
MB Builder drag-and-drop UI is free in Meta Box Lite.
Types creates field groups and assigns them to content in the admin.
Core ships 40+ field types including maps, files, images and taxonomy.
Wide field set incl. address/map fields via the Maps component.
Single fields are cloneable for free; repeatable field groups need MB Group.
Repeatable field groups included in all plans.
No native field; MB Group plus Conditional Logic recreates flexible layouts.
No flexible-content layout field in Types.
Free MB Relationships adds many-to-many links between posts, terms and users.
Post relationships, including many-to-many, in every plan.
MB Conditional Logic extension, included in the Basic Bundle.
Conditional display for single fields or whole field groups.
MB Settings Page builds options and Customizer pages; Basic Bundle.
No options pages feature in the Toolset feature list.
Content modelling4/43/4
Free MB Custom Post Types UI included in Meta Box Lite.
Types registers custom post types from the admin.
Taxonomies are registered with the same free CPT extension.
Types registers custom taxonomies from the admin.
Comment fields free; term meta in Basic, user meta in Ultimate/AIO.
Field groups for users and taxonomy terms as well as posts.
MB Custom Table stores fields or whole models in custom tables; Ultimate/AIO.
Field values are stored as standard WordPress meta.
Displaying data4/44/4
Core supports Block Bindings (5.14+); MB Blocks for PHP blocks is in Ultimate.
Toolset Blocks shows fields in block editor templates and lists.
MB Frontend Submission and User Profile forms; included in AIO.
Toolset Forms creates and edits posts and users from the front end.
Free official integrations for Elementor, Divi and Beaver; Bricks and Oxygen support it natively.
Elementor tags read only some post fields; shortcodes otherwise.
MB Views builds Twig-based templates and listings without theme files.
Blocks builds content lists, archives and custom searches visually.
Developer features3/32/3
Free MB REST API exposes and updates fields through the REST API.
Optional toolset-meta property on posts, users and terms in REST.
Local JSON syncs field groups, settings pages and relationships via mb-json files.
Settings are stored in the database; no code or JSON sync option.
Field groups move between sites as JSON files with MB Builder's sync and import.
Toolset Export/Import screen moves Types settings between sites.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
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 |
Toolset Premium
| 1 Site | €69 per year, 1 site |
|---|---|
| 3 Sites | €149 per year, 3 sites |
| Unlimited Sites | €299 per year, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
Meta Box
40,797 downloads last week
Toolset
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Verdict
Meta Box scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 75/100) and includes flexible content layouts, options & settings pages and fields in code or JSON that Toolset does not. Only Meta Box has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Meta Box: partial. Toolset: not included. No native field; MB Group plus Conditional Logic recreates flexible layouts.
Meta Box: paid version (Basic). Toolset: not included. MB Settings Page builds options and Customizer pages; Basic Bundle.
Meta Box: included. Toolset: not included. Local JSON syncs field groups, settings pages and relationships via mb-json files.
Meta Box: paid version (Ultimate). Toolset: not included. MB Custom Table stores fields or whole models in custom tables; Ultimate/AIO.
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, Meta Box or Toolset?
Meta Box scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 75/100) and includes flexible content layouts, options & settings pages and fields in code or JSON that Toolset does not. Only Meta Box has a free version. 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 14 for Toolset. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Meta Box free?
Meta Box 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 Meta Box or Toolset. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.