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Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)

By WP Engine

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) Review - In-Depth Analysis

ACF allows you to customize WordPress with powerful fields. It is used by over 2 million sites and is favored by developers.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.41/10

User Rating

4.5/5 (based on 1434+ reviews)

Active Installations

2,000,000+

Update Frequency

Outstanding It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) transforms WordPress into a comprehensive content management system by providing tools to manage data effectively.

The ACF plugin gives you complete control over WordPress edit screens, custom field data, and more.

With the ACF field builder, adding fields to WordPress edit screens is quick and easy. You can add simple fields like an 'author' field or more complex fields for structured data needs.

Fields can be added across various WordPress elements, including posts, pages, users, and custom options pages, making it simple to enhance the content creation experience.

ACF also allows you to display custom field values in any theme template file using developer-friendly functions, making it easy to manage content presentation.

Creating new custom post types and taxonomies is also streamlined within the ACF interface, enhancing your content modeling workflow without needing additional plugins.

ACF is designed to be user-friendly and accessible, ensuring that content creators can work efficiently while adhering to accessibility standards.

With over a decade of community contributions and extensive documentation, ACF provides the guidance needed for developers to create custom solutions.

Comparing to Alternatives

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) is a widely used plugin for adding custom metadata to WordPress sites. While there are alternatives, ACF remains a top choice for many developers.

Top alternatives

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)

Strengths

Highly flexible and reliable for managing custom fields.
Supports custom post types, taxonomies, and users.
Well-maintained with a large user base and community.
Offers a Pro version with advanced features like options pages.

Weaknesses

Some users report issues with subscription renewal and license management.
Certain bugs, such as ACF Blocks in patterns, have remained unresolved for months.
The plugin's ownership and management changes have caused trust concerns among some users.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights both the strengths and challenges experienced with ACF.

Positive highlights

"This plugin makes maintenance and development 10x faster." - whiteelephantagency
"Reliable, flexible, and makes managing custom fields super easy." - tx28z
"Never breaks or causes issues; very well recommended." - iedmdev001
"Continued expanding and improving; one of my go-to plugins." - Karen Dimmick
"Great plugin overall with a long history of use." - david wolfpaw

Common complaints

Subscription renewal process can be cumbersome and feels punitive.
Critical bugs like ACF Blocks in patterns remain unaddressed for extended periods.
Concerns about plugin ownership changes affecting trust and updates.
Some users feel the Pro version is necessary for full functionality, limiting free use.

Weaknesses

Support response to bugs can be slow or insufficient.
License management requires reactivation on multiple sites after subscription lapses.
Legal and ownership disputes have impacted user confidence.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Developers and site maintainers who need a powerful and flexible tool for managing custom fields, custom post types, and taxonomies in WordPress. Ideal for those willing to invest in the Pro version for advanced features and support.

Not ideal for

Users seeking a completely free solution without subscription concerns or those who require immediate fixes for critical bugs. Also less suitable for those wary of recent ownership and management controversies.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers robust custom field management capabilities suitable for many standard use cases, including support for various field types and integration with custom post types.

Pro version

The Pro version adds advanced features such as options pages, repeater fields, flexible content fields, gallery fields, and priority support, enhancing development efficiency and site customization.

Final Verdict

Advanced Custom Fields remains a cornerstone plugin for WordPress developers needing extensive custom field functionality. Its flexibility and reliability make it a valuable tool for many projects.

However, users should be aware of ongoing issues with subscription management, unresolved bugs, and past ownership disputes. Those comfortable with these factors and seeking advanced features will find the Pro version worthwhile.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) plugin.

ACF

Custom Fields

Fields

Screenshots

FAQ

Support Forums. Our ACF Community Forums provide a great resource for searching and finding previously answered and asked support questions. You may create a new thread on these forums, however, it is not guaranteed that you will receive an answer from our support team. This is more of an area for ACF developers to talk to one another, post ideas, plugins and provide basic help. View the Support Forum