Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail vs Custom Featured Image Metabox
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #800, ahead of Custom Featured Image Metabox at #17,817. Over the last 7 days Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail held its place and Custom Featured Image Metabox climbed 147 places. Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail has the largest install base, roughly 500× the next: 40K+ active installs against 80+ for Custom Featured Image Metabox. Downloads this week: Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail 15,542 and Custom Featured Image Metabox 15.
| Metric | Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail | Custom Featured Image Metabox |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #800 ▬ | #17,817 ▲ 147 |
| Active installs | 40K+ | 80+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 15,542 | 15 |
| Rating | 3.8★ (119) | no ratings |
| Last updated | Oct 22, 2026 | Jan 1, 2015 |
| Current version | 5.0.8 | 1.0.1 |
| Best rank on record | #787 | #17,759 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2010 | Jun 2014 |
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
More comparisons
- Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail vs XO Featured Image Tools
- Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail vs Multiple Post Thumbnails
- Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail vs Regenerate Thumbnails
- Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail vs Quick Featured Images
- Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail vs Crop Thumbnails
- Custom Featured Image Metabox vs Multiple Post Thumbnails
- Custom Featured Image Metabox vs XO Featured Image Tools
- Custom Featured Image Metabox vs Ocean Extra
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail or Custom Featured Image Metabox?
By active installs, Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail: 40K+ sites run it against 80+ for Custom Featured Image Metabox, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 26, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail or Custom Featured Image Metabox?
Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail, at #800 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Custom Featured Image Metabox at #17,817. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Auto Featured Image - Auto Post Thumbnail or Custom Featured Image Metabox alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
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.