
Meta Box Lifetime Bundle
eLightUp
$299
one-time, 3 sites
Plugin arenaDeveloper Tools
Custom fields and post types: an extension bundle and a single framework
Every row shows both deals next to each other. Where a figure can be measured, green marks the better value and red the weaker one.
What matters to you?
Mark the points you care about. They stand out in the comparison below; we do not derive a recommendation from them.
$299 (Weaker value)
one-time
$99 (Better value)
one-time
No discount listed
No discount listed
3 sites (Better value)
1 site (Weaker value)
One-time payment for 3 sites (Lifetime Bundle) with lifetime updates and support; a lifetime tier for unlimited sites is also available.
One-time payment for 1 site with lifetime updates and support; lifetime tiers for 5 and unlimited sites are also available.
$99 per year
$29 per year
| Period | Annual plan, total | Lifetime | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $99 | $299 | Lifetime costs $200 more |
| Year 2 | $198 | $299 | Lifetime costs $101 more |
| Year 3 | $297 | $299 | Lifetime costs $2 more |
| Year 4 | $396 | $299 | You save $97 |
| Year 5 | $495 | $299 | You save $196 |
| Period | Annual plan, total | Lifetime | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $29 | $99 | Lifetime costs $70 more |
| Year 2 | $58 | $99 | Lifetime costs $41 more |
| Year 3 | $87 | $99 | Lifetime costs $12 more |
| Year 4 | $116 | $99 | You save $17 |
| Year 5 | $145 | $99 | You save $46 |
37 months (Better value)
against $99 per year
41 months (Weaker value)
against $29 per year
No end date announced
No end date announced
Official website
Official website
No specific ecosystem
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Meta Box and ACPT let you create custom post types, taxonomies and custom fields in WordPress through a user interface instead of code. Both can store data in their own database tables, both offer relationships and front-end forms, and both have a free version on wordpress.org to start with.
They are sold differently. The Meta Box Lifetime Bundle includes all current and future Pro extensions and covers three sites. ACPT is a single product for one site, with more than 60 field types in every tier. The comparison below puts licenses, yearly plans and the listed features next to each other.
Both are WordPress custom fields plugins for post types, taxonomies and fields built through a user interface, yet the approach differs. Meta Box is a framework whose Pro features come as separate extensions, unlocked together through the Meta Box AIO plugin. ACPT ships as one product in which all field types are available in every tier, and it positions itself as an alternative to ACF and JetEngine.
The listed scope points in different directions. The Meta Box Lifetime Bundle names a drag-and-drop field builder, repeatable groups, conditional logic, settings pages, user and term fields and custom blocks. ACPT names bidirectional relationships, content types stored in their own tables and access through PHP functions, the REST API and WPGraphQL. Relationships, front-end forms and custom database tables appear on both lists.
Meta Box Lifetime Bundle suits developers who model structured content on client sites and want every Pro extension in one package, including the ones still to come. The data points to projects with settings pages, repeatable groups and conditional logic, spread over up to three sites with the entry tier. Plan some extra time for learning, since it takes longer than simpler field plugins.
ACPT suits developers looking for an ACF alternative on a single site, and headless setups that read content through WPGraphQL or the REST API. Each of the more than 60 field types is part of every tier, so there is no extension to add later. Expect a smaller community and fewer tutorials than ACF when you search for answers on your own.
Both lifetime deals include lifetime updates and support for a one-time payment, so neither needs a renewal to keep receiving new versions. With the Meta Box Lifetime Bundle, future Pro extensions are part of the package as well, which means features released as new extensions arrive without a second purchase. Both plugins also sell larger lifetime tiers for unlimited sites.
According to the deal data, ACPT published new versions regularly in 2026. Because custom fields decide how your content is stored, the choice is hard to undo: switching later means moving data from one system to the other. A small prototype built with the free version of each plugin, before you buy the tier that matches your number of sites, keeps that risk low.
Each answer names the facts for both sides. Which of them matters for your project is up to you.
The Meta Box bundle covers 3 sites; a lifetime tier for unlimited sites costs more. The ACPT entry license covers 1 site, with lifetime tiers for 5 and unlimited sites at higher prices.
Meta Box lists settings pages, user and term fields, custom blocks and every Pro extension in the bundle. ACPT lists PHP functions, a REST API and WPGraphQL next to its field types.
The Meta Box data notes that it takes longer to learn than simpler field plugins. The ACPT data notes a smaller community and fewer tutorials than ACF.
Both have a free version on wordpress.org: the Meta Box core plugin and ACPT Lite.
Short answers from the vendor data. Prices and dates match the comparison above.
Meta Box Lifetime Bundle costs $299 one-time for 3 sites, ACPT costs $99 one-time for 1 site. Both are one-time payments from the vendors’ own pricing pages, checked on Oct 4, 2026.
Yes. The vendors also sell yearly plans: $99 per year for Meta Box Lifetime Bundle and $29 per year for ACPT. Measured against them, the lifetime price of Meta Box Lifetime Bundle pays off after 37 months, that of ACPT after 41 months.
Yes, both cover what many people use ACF for: custom post types, taxonomies and custom fields through a user interface. ACPT positions itself directly as an alternative to ACF and JetEngine. Meta Box is a full framework with every Pro extension in the Meta Box Lifetime Bundle. ACF itself is not in our catalog, so this comparison makes no statement about it.
ACPT lists PHP functions, the REST API and WPGraphQL as ways to read your content, and our catalog names headless setups using WPGraphQL as a typical use. The Meta Box data does not mention WPGraphQL, so check that point with the vendor if a headless setup is part of your plans.
Yes. The Meta Box Lifetime Bundle includes custom database tables among its Pro extensions, and ACPT can store custom content types in their own tables. With thousands of entries, custom tables help keep queries fast, which matters on sites with a large amount of structured content.
Both list front-end forms. The Meta Box Lifetime Bundle includes front-end submission forms as part of its Pro extensions, and ACPT collects content through front-end forms without an extra plugin. That way visitors can submit entries that end up in your custom post types and fields.
This page names no overall winner between Meta Box Lifetime Bundle and ACPT. In the comparison, green and red mark the better and the weaker value for each measurable point, such as price, sites and payback. The questions to weigh show which facts matter for which kind of project, so you can decide what fits yours.
Prices and licenses from the vendor’s page, with check date.
We don’t test the plugins ourselves and we don’t rank them.
Whether a deal stands left or right says nothing about it.
Affiliate links are marked and never change a single row.
Related duels, buying guides and the matching category.