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OptionTree

By Derek Herman

Design & Themes / Themes & Templates

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

OptionTree Review - In-Depth Analysis

OptionTree is a powerful UI builder for WordPress theme options. It allows developers to create and manage theme options and meta boxes easily. The plugin features a drag-and-drop interface for building options panels.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.23/10

User Rating

4.7/5 (based on 105+ reviews)

Active Installations

50,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

7 / 10 (High Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

OptionTree attempts to bridge the gap between WordPress developers, designers and end-users by creating fully responsive option panels and meta boxes with an ease unlike any other plugin.

Build your Theme Options panel locally with an easy to use drag and drop interface and then export a functioning theme-options.php file for production use that is i18n translation ready, with your custom text domain automatically inserted.

Also, OptionTree now takes full advantage of the new color schemes introduced in WordPress 3.8, it looks and feels built-in.

If you want to know how everything works, download and activate the OptionTree Theme and see first hand how to integrate OptionTree into your own project.

To contribute or report bugs, please go to the OptionTree Github repository.

Comparing to Alternatives

OptionTree stands alone in its category with no close direct alternatives available, making it a unique choice for users seeking its specific functionality.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Highly rated by the majority of users with a 4.7 average rating.
Widely used by WordPress theme developers as a reliable framework.
Offers a comprehensive solution for theme options without needing additional plugins.
Free to use with no paid version, making it accessible to all users.

Weaknesses

No close direct alternatives to compare feature sets.
Known security vulnerabilities in older versions, requiring careful updates.
Lacks a pro version with enhanced features.
Some users report bugs in recent versions affecting functionality.

User Sentiment Analysis

The plugin enjoys overwhelmingly positive feedback with nearly 90% five-star ratings, though a small portion of users report significant issues.

Positive highlights

'Best Framework' - wporganic
'Useful plugin' - pouyadaraee
'Easy plugin' - saeed.mzi
'Best creating plugins' - wporganic

Common complaints

Version 2.7+ has critical bugs causing major issues.
List-item feature not supported and urgently needed by some users.

Weaknesses

Generates error notices in debug mode.
Some features not working as expected in latest versions.
Security vulnerabilities present in versions prior to 2.7.3.
No recent updates confirmed by users.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Developers and theme creators looking for a free, well-established framework to manage theme options without needing a paid solution.

Not ideal for

Users requiring guaranteed up-to-date security patches or those needing advanced support and features found in premium plugins.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides a robust set of features for managing theme options, suitable for most users without additional cost.

Final Verdict

OptionTree is a highly regarded free plugin favored by many WordPress developers for its comprehensive theme options framework. Its strong user ratings reflect its utility and ease of use.

However, users should be cautious due to past critical security vulnerabilities and some reported bugs in recent versions. Lack of a pro version means no premium support or features, so it best suits users comfortable managing updates and security themselves.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free OptionTree plugin.

Theme options

Meta boxes

Settings

Screenshots

FAQ

There sure is, and I’m glad you asked. Download and activate the OptionTree Theme and get some experience setting up OptionTree on your own with detailed directions and tips.