An ACF alternative that uses ACF’s own data format.
Field groups are acf-field-group posts, fields are acf-field posts, values are post meta under the field name — just like ACF. So a migrated site’s fields show up in the editor with their values, and the repeater is included without a PRO licence.
Replaced by the bundled Custom Fields plugin · Included free with Presscomet
Switching from Advanced Custom Fields: the short version.
You get
- Field groups, fields and values used without conversion
- 22 field types including repeater, relationship, post object, taxonomy and user
- Location rules for posts, pages and users
- Post types and taxonomies, imported from CPT UI or ACF 6.1+
Not included
- No Flexible Content, Gallery, Clone, Group, Link, oEmbed, Google Map or date-time fields
- No options pages and no ACF blocks
- PHP templates that call get_field() need porting to theme code
Is your site a fit?
If your fields are text, choices, images, files, relationships and repeaters, you’re a good fit — the data and editing experience come across.
If your site is built on Flexible Content layouts, options pages or ACF blocks, it isn’t a fit yet. Those values stay in the database, but there’s no editor for them.
Advanced Custom Fields vs Presscomet
Feature by feature, including what isn’t there. Rows describe what the bundled plugin’s code does today.
| Feature | ACF (free) | ACF PRO | Presscomet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field groups & location rules | Included: Yes | Included: Yes | Included: Post, page and user rules |
| Text, choice, relational, date and colour fields | Included: Yes | Included: Yes | Included: Yes |
| Repeater | Not included: No | Included: Yes | Included: Yes |
| Flexible Content, Gallery, Clone | Not included: No | Included: Yes | Not included: Not included |
| Options pages | Not included: No | Included: Yes | Not included: Not included |
| ACF Blocks | Not included: No | Included: Yes | Not included: Not included |
| Post types & taxonomies UI | Included: Yes | Included: Yes | Included: Yes |
| Read values in templates | Included: get_field() | Included: get_field() | Partly: getField() in theme code, [acf] shortcode |
- Included
- Partly, or on a paid plan
- Not included
- Not needed, with the reason
ACF features as publicly documented; check advancedcustomfields.com for current details.
What moves over automatically.
Because the storage is the same, the importer mostly normalises keys and fixes IDs that changed during migration.
Imported
- Field groups and fields, keys and active state
acf-field-groupacf-field - Relational values remapped to new post IDs: image, file, post object, page link, relationship, gallery
- ACF 6.1+ post types and taxonomies converted
acf-post-typeacf-taxonomy - Custom Post Type UI post types and taxonomies
cptui_post_typescptui_taxonomies
Not imported
- Field groups registered in PHP or local JSON (export them to the database first)
- Options page values have no screen to edit them
- Unsupported field types are shown as text inputs
- Custom Fields: 6 field groups, 2 post types, 1 taxonomies (1 converted from ACF), 84 relational values remapped.
How switching works.
- 01
Check your site
Run the free site check to see which of your plugins Presscomet replaces and what needs attention.
- 02
Run the migration
Connect your WordPress site. Content, users, media and plugin settings are imported into a new Presscomet site; your live site is only read.
- 03
Review and switch
Open Custom Fields in the admin menu: Field Groups, Add New, Post Types, Taxonomies to check the imported settings, then point your domain at the new site when you’re happy.
Where to find it: Custom Fields in the admin menu: Field Groups, Add New, Post Types, Taxonomies.
Advanced Custom Fields alternative: questions
Is the repeater field free?
Yes. The repeater is included.
My field groups are in PHP or acf-json. Will they import?
Only field groups stored in the database are imported. Use ACF’s sync or import tools to put them in the database before you migrate.
Can I show fields on the front end without PHP?
Use the [acf field="name"] shortcode in content, or getField() / getFields() in theme code.
Can I keep running Advanced Custom Fields instead?
No. Presscomet doesn’t run PHP, so WordPress plugins can’t be installed. The bundled Custom Fields plugin does the job instead, and the migration imports the settings listed above.
Does Presscomet support WooCommerce?
Not today. Presscomet is for content sites — blogs, magazines, business and documentation sites. If your site sells through WooCommerce, it isn’t a fit yet.
Related plugins and next steps
Related
- BundledCustom FieldsACF-format field groups with location rules and a repeater, plus custom post types and taxonomies from the admin.
- BundledRole EditorCreate roles and toggle capabilities per role or per user, using WordPress capability names.
- BundledDuplicate PostClone or New Draft for any post type, with control over which fields, meta and taxonomies are copied.
Move your WordPress site in one go — content, users, media and plugin settings. Free and open source; your live site is only read.
Managed hosting with backupsAll 19 bundled plugins
Advanced Custom Fields, ACF, Custom Post Type UI are trademarks of their respective owners. Presscomet is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Names are used only to describe compatibility and migration.