When you set out to strengthen WordPress’s custom fields, you run into two names—ACF and SCF—and get confused. Here’s the bottom line: the one you can install from the plugin search in the admin screen is SCF, and that’s fine to start with. The internals and the way you use them are almost the same, so when you look things up, searching for “ACF” (which has far more information) works just fine.
Theme developmentGiving products their info with custom fieldsNot sure what custom fields are in the first place? Start with this lesson of the theme development course.Why are there two “almost identical” things?
The classic standard in this area used to be a single dominant plugin called ACF (Advanced Custom Fields). But in 2024, the WordPress project and ACF’s developer (WP Engine) came into conflict. As a result, the ACF (free version) that had been in WordPress’s official plugin repository was taken over by the WordPress project under a new name, SCF (Secure Custom Fields).
In other words, SCF is a fork that split off from ACF. It was born out of a dispute, but as a plugin its internals follow the same lineage—and notably, even the advanced features that cost money in ACF are all included for free (more on this below).
- SCF—distributed through WordPress’s official repository. You can install it directly from the admin search
- ACF—continued and developed by WP Engine. Installed by downloading the zip from the official site
The differences at a glance
| SCF | ACF | |
|---|---|---|
| How to get it | Search under “Plugins” in the admin | Download from the official site |
| Price | Completely free | Free version + paid ACF PRO |
| Developer | Official WordPress community | WP Engine |
| Admin operations | Almost the same | Almost the same |
Functions like the_field() | Compatible | Compatible |
| Advanced fields like repeaters and flexible content | Free to use | Requires paid ACF PRO |
The biggest practical difference is how you get it. And happily, the advanced features you can’t use in ACF without buying the paid ACF PRO—repeater fields (which let you add as many copies of the same set of input boxes as you want), flexible content, galleries, options pages, and so on—come built into SCF for free from the start. SCF branched off in a form that includes these PRO-equivalent features, so cost-wise SCF is actually the better deal.
Which should you use?—the decision is simple
- Studying / your own site → SCF. Just search and install. Even advanced features like repeater fields are free
- A work project specifies “use ACF” → use ACF as instructed (get it from the official site; if you need advanced features, ACF PRO)
- You want official WP Engine support, or the very latest features first → consider ACF PRO (paid)
Note that the two can’t be used at the same time. Because they have functions with the same names, activating SCF automatically deactivates ACF.
When looking things up, searching “ACF” is fine
SCF is still fairly new, and explanatory articles are overwhelmingly under the ACF name. But don’t worry. The admin operations and the functions you write in templates, like the_field('price'), are compatible, so articles that come up when you search “how to use ACF” or “ACF image field” can be reproduced almost as-is in SCF.
Even if some screen details (like the displayed plugin name) differ a little from the article, don’t panic. That’s a difference in name, not a difference in feature.
Even PRO-only features work as-is in SCF
This is where many people get it wrong. When you read ACF articles, features like Repeater, Flexible Content, and Gallery are often described as “this requires ACF PRO (the paid version).”
But that’s about ACF (the WP Engine version). SCF includes these features for free from the start, so even steps in articles written on the assumption of PRO can be reproduced as-is in SCF.
- ACF’s free version → can’t use repeater fields and the like; needs the paid ACF PRO
- SCF → the same features are free to use
So there’s no need to give up thinking “this is a PRO feature, so maybe my SCF can’t do it.” On the contrary, being able to try out a full range of advanced fields for free is SCF’s strength.
Words to translate as you read
When reproducing an ACF-branded article in SCF, a few things differ only in name. Having a translation table keeps you moving.
| What the article says | In SCF |
|---|---|
| The plugin name “Advanced Custom Fields" | "Secure Custom Fields” |
| The admin menu “ACF" | "Custom Fields" |
| "ACF PRO is required” | Works free, as is |
the_field() / get_field() | Exactly the same (unchanged) |
have_rows() / the_row() | Exactly the same (unchanged) |
The acf left in the function names is there for compatibility, and it works in SCF unchanged. No translation needed for function names—that’s all you need to remember.
How to switch over
“Start with SCF while learning, move to ACF for a client job” is a genuinely common path. It takes minutes.
- Back up what’s already entered (just in case—a database export or your host’s backup feature is enough)
- Add the plugin you’re moving to (for ACF, the zip from the official site via “Upload Plugin”)
- Activate it—since they share function names, the other one is deactivated automatically
- Check in the admin that your field settings and entered values are still there
Both the field definitions and the values are stored in the same format, so you don’t have to change a single line in your templates.
They update differently
This is where day-to-day operation differs.
- SCF—it’s in the official plugin directory, so you update it from the admin’s “Updates” like any other plugin. You can even turn on automatic updates
- ACF (free)—you download a zip from the official site and install it over the old one. You get a notice in the admin, but it takes manual work
“Don’t let updates lapse” is security basics, so unless something requires otherwise, SCF is easier to operate too.
Tips13 recommended WordPress plugins, by purposeWhich plugins to install first, sorted by purposeWhat kinds of fields can you make?
Both offer the same set of input types. Here are the ones you’ll actually use.
- Text / textarea—a short line, or a longer description
- Image / file—selecting one opens the media library
- Select / checkbox / radio—choose from fixed options
- Date—pick from a calendar
- Repeater—add as many copies of a set of fields as you like
- Flexible content—stack blocks, choosing the type of each
Summary
- SCF is a plugin that branched off from ACF. The one you install from the admin plugin search is SCF
- Advanced features that require paid PRO in ACF, like repeater fields, are free in SCF. For studying or a personal site, SCF is plenty
- When looking things up, search “ACF” (which has more information)—even PRO-based articles can be reproduced almost as-is in SCF
- Function names like
get_field()need no translation—only the plugin and menu names differ - SCF wins on updates too—you update it straight from the admin
Don’t tense up over the difference in names. Once you understand that the internals are the same family, you can put information from either side to work.