Mass Custom Fields vs ACF
ACF made custom fields easy for everyone. We keep that ease and change where the data lives. Here is an honest look at both.
At a glance
Based on ACF's public documentation. Where we cannot state a fact, the row says to check the vendor site.
The storage difference
Most custom field plugins, ACF included, save each value as a row in the meta tables, as text. Mass Custom Fields gives each field group its own table with typed, indexable columns, and links rows to posts, users, terms or comments by ID.
The main difference
Mass Custom Fields is database-first by default: every field group gets its own table with typed, indexable columns, in the free plugin. Other plugins can also use custom tables in some form, so the claim is not “only plugin with tables”. The claim is that tables are the default storage, not an add-on or an optional mode, with schema safety tools: Table health, backup columns on risky type changes and drift detection.
Programmatic SEO and data tables are built on the same field engine, so a dataset can be both an admin table and the source of generated pages. We are not aware of another custom field plugin that ships this; check vendor sites if it matters to your decision.
When another plugin may fit better
- You depend on a large ecosystem of tutorials, themes and add-ons built around ACF.
- You need a specific field type or integration we do not have.
- Your site is small and storage structure does not matter to you.
Switching from ACF
Mass Custom Fields can copy from ACF:
- field groups, options pages, post types and taxonomies,
- saved values of posts, terms, users, comments and options,
- flexible content and clone definitions (Pro) where the target types are available.
Tools › Migrate from ACF builds a report first and shows what will be copied. Copying runs in the background in batches, can be resumed and is safe to repeat. ACF data is never changed, so you can compare both before you deactivate ACF. Some ACF features may not have an equivalent; the report lists what it cannot map. Read Migrating from ACF.
The get_post_meta() bridge also lets code that reads and writes post meta by field name keep working with fields stored in tables.
Notes on speed
We do not publish speed numbers in this comparison.
Questions
Can I run both plugins at the same time?
Yes. Other custom field plugins can run next to Mass Custom Fields. They store data in different places, which makes a gradual move possible.
Is the ACF migration automatic?
It is a guided tool, not a one-click switch. Tools › Migrate from ACF builds a report first, then copies in the background. ACF data is never changed. See Migrating from ACF.
Will code that uses get_post_meta() keep working?
The post meta bridge lets get_post_meta(), update_post_meta(), add_post_meta() and delete_post_meta() on a field's key read and write its column. It is on by default per group. See Post meta bridge.