Essential Content Types vs Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types
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
Essential Content Types leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,264, ahead of Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types at #1,791. Over the last 7 days Essential Content Types slipped 3 places and Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types climbed 3 places. Essential Content Types has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 20K+ active installs against 10K+ for Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types. Ratings: Essential Content Types 3.7★ from 3 and Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types 4.4★ from 46 reviews.
| Metric | Essential Content Types | Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,264 ▼ 3 | #1,791 ▲ 3 |
| Active installs | 20K+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 784 | — |
| Rating | 3.7★ (3) | 4.4★ (46) |
| Last updated | Jun 16, 2026 | Aug 4, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.6 | 3.1.32 |
| Best rank on record | #1,255 | #1,789 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2017 | Feb 2011 |
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
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- Essential Content Types vs Posts in Page
- Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types vs Gravity Forms CLI Add-On
- Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types vs MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies
- Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types vs Custom Post Type UI
- Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types vs Posts in Page
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Essential Content Types or Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types?
By active installs, Essential Content Types: 20K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 12, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Essential Content Types or Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types?
Essential Content Types, at #1,264 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types at #1,791. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Essential Content Types or Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types 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.