Advanced Custom Fields vs Meta Box
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Advanced Custom Fields leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #28, ahead of Meta Box at #128. Advanced Custom Fields has the largest install base, roughly 4× the next: 2M+ active installs against 500K+ for Meta Box. Downloads this week: Advanced Custom Fields 137,174 and Meta Box 46,685. Ratings: Advanced Custom Fields 4.5★ from 1,440 and Meta Box 4.8★ from 165 reviews.
| Metric | Advanced Custom Fields | Meta Box |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #28 ▬ | #128 ▬ |
| Active installs | 2M+ | 500K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 137,174 | 46,685 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (1,440) | 4.8★ (165) |
| Last updated | Sep 10, 2026 | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Current version | 6.8.10 | 5.15.3 |
| Best rank on record | #28 | #124 |
| Days in the top 50 | 97 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2011 | Nov 2011 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 6 | 0 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
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- Meta Box vs Secure Custom Fields
- Meta Box vs MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies
- Meta Box vs Sydney Toolbox
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Advanced Custom Fields or Meta Box?
By active installs, Advanced Custom Fields: 2M+ sites run it against 500K+ for Meta Box, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 29, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Advanced Custom Fields or Meta Box?
Advanced Custom Fields, at #28 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Meta Box at #128. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Advanced Custom Fields or Meta Box alternatives to each other?
Yes. All of them are custom fields plugins, so a site would normally run one of them. The figures above show which one more WordPress sites choose and how that has changed over time.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.