Pods vs Toolset
Updated 22 Oct 2026. 18 features compared side by side.
Free, donation-funded framework for custom post types, taxonomies, fields, relationships, custom tables and templates, with optional Pods Pro add-ons.
Premium suite from OnTheGoSystems: Types for post types and fields, Blocks for templates and views, plus Forms, Access and Maps.
Choose Pods if…
- You need options & settings pages and fields in code or JSON
- You also want custom database tables
- You want the more complete feature set (89/100 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
Pods includes 3 features that Toolset lacks, including Options & settings pages, Custom database tables and Fields in code or JSON. Both include 14 of the 18 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Pods ToolsetFields6/75/7
Admin UI to create pods, groups and fields without code.
Types creates field groups and assigns them to content in the admin.
20+ field types with 25+ input types, including predefined option lists.
Wide field set incl. address/map fields via the Maps component.
Simple repeatable fields repeat one field; no repeating groups of sub-fields.
Repeatable field groups included in all plans.
No flexible content or layout field.
No flexible-content layout field in Types.
Relationships to posts, terms, users, roles, comments or any database table.
Post relationships, including many-to-many, in every plan.
Free conditional logic for showing or hiding fields.
Conditional display for single fields or whole field groups.
Settings pages are a built-in content type.
No options pages feature in the Toolset feature list.
Content modelling4/43/4
Register custom post types from the Pods admin.
Types registers custom post types from the admin.
Register custom taxonomies from the Pods admin.
Types registers custom taxonomies from the admin.
Extend users, taxonomies, media and comments with fields.
Field groups for users and taxonomy terms as well as posts.
Advanced Content Types and Table Storage keep data in custom tables.
Field values are stored as standard WordPress meta.
Displaying data4/44/4
Block Bindings API support since Pods 3.2, plus six Pods blocks.
Toolset Blocks shows fields in block editor templates and lists.
Pods Forms let visitors add or edit content on the front end.
Toolset Forms creates and edits posts and users from the front end.
Elementor Pro and Bricks read Pods; free Beaver Themer add-on, Pro toolkit for others.
Elementor tags read only some post fields; shortcodes otherwise.
Pods Templates, list blocks and shortcodes show content without PHP.
Blocks builds content lists, archives and custom searches visually.
Developer features3/32/3
Fields can be exposed in the REST API; direct WPGraphQL integration.
Optional toolset-meta property on posts, users and terms in REST.
Pods, groups and fields can be registered from JSON or YAML files in the theme (2.9+).
Settings are stored in the database; no code or JSON sync option.
Migrate Packages component imports and exports configurations as JSON.
Toolset Export/Import screen moves Types settings between sites.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Pods Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Pods Pro Basic Pack | $49 per year, 1 site |
| Pods Pro Pro Pack | $79 per year, 1 site |
Toolset Premium
| 1 Site | €69 per year, 1 site |
|---|---|
| 3 Sites | €149 per year, 3 sites |
| Unlimited Sites | €299 per year, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
Pods
3,607 downloads last week
Toolset
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Verdict
Pods scores higher on our feature checklist (89/100 against 75/100) and includes options & settings pages, fields in code or JSON and custom database tables that Toolset does not. Only Pods has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Pods: included. Toolset: not included. Settings pages are a built-in content type.
Pods: included. Toolset: not included. Pods, groups and fields can be registered from JSON or YAML files in the theme (2.9+).
Pods: included. Toolset: not included. Advanced Content Types and Table Storage keep data in custom 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, Pods or Toolset?
Pods scores higher on our feature checklist (89/100 against 75/100) and includes options & settings pages, fields in code or JSON and custom database tables that Toolset does not. Only Pods has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Pods includes 17 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 Pods free?
Pods 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 Pods or Toolset. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.