WordPress plugin comparison
Custom Variables vs Smart Custom Fields
At a glance
- Smart Custom Fields has more active installs: 50K+, against 70+ for Custom Variables.
- On a typical day, Smart Custom Fields is downloaded about 335 times, Custom Variables about 2.
- Smart Custom Fields is rated higher: 4.9 out of 5 from 21 reviews, against 3.0 from 1 review.
- Smart Custom Fields was updated more recently: Jul 16, 2026, against Jan 14, 2015 for Custom Variables.
- Smart Custom Fields is tested with a newer WordPress: 6.8.12, against 4.0.38 for Custom Variables.
- Smart Custom Fields has been around longer: since 2014, against 2015 for Custom Variables.
Line by line
Smart Custom Fields leads on 7 of 7 comparable lines.
| Metric |  Custom Variables |  Smart Custom Fields |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank | #18,222 | #695 |
| Active installs | 70+ | 50K+ |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 63 | 9.5K |
| Rating | 3.0(1) | 4.9(21) |
| Support threads resolved | – | – |
| Tested up to | 4.0.38 | 6.8.12 |
| Search multiplier | ×0.00 | ×0.81 |
| Last release | 11 years ago | 3 months ago |
| Requires PHP | – | 7.4 |
From WordPress.org's public data, refreshed every night. Downloads are WordPress.org's official daily figures for the last 30 days.
Tags they share
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