I Built a Free ACF Alternative (Wordpress Custom Fields 2026)

#opensource #wordpress #acf #showdev

You know that moment when you’re building a WordPress site and think, “Man, I really don’t want to pay for another premium plugin”?

Yeah, me too.

So I built OpenFields.

It’s a 100% free, open-source custom fields plugin for WordPress. Think of it like ACF — but without the premium tiers, locked features, or vendor lock-in.

And honestly? It’s been way more fun than I expected.

Why I Made This (The Long Version)

Custom fields are basically essential for WordPress development. But if you want repeaters, conditional logic, or anything beyond the basics, you’re looking at ACF’s pricing model. Nothing wrong with ACF — their product is solid. But I wanted something that:

✅ Is actually 100% free (no premium tiers hiding behind paywalls)

✅ Is open source (you own your tools, not the other way around)

✅ Uses a familiar API so you don’t have to relearn everything

✅ Actually feels modern to build with

So yeah. I decided to build it myself.

So What Is OpenFields?

It’s a custom fields plugin that lets you add fields to posts, pages, custom post types, taxonomies, and users. The admin interface is built with React and TypeScript — fast, responsive, and actually pleasant to use.

The Visual Builder

Drag and drop fieldsets together. No code needed. Add fields, organize them, set rules — all in a clean UI.

All the Field Types (Yes, Including Repeater)

Text, textarea, number, email, URL, WYSIWYG, image, gallery, file, select, radio, checkbox, switch, date picker, datetime, time, color picker, link, post object, taxonomy, user, repeater, group. Everything you actually need.

Conditional Logic That Works

Show or hide fields based on other field values. Set it up in the UI, it just works. No “I configured this but it’s acting weird” nonsense.

Location Rules

Display your fieldsets exactly where you need them — specific post types, user roles, taxonomies, you name it.

The API (Yes, It’s Familiar)

If you’ve used ACF, you already know how to use OpenFields. Same functions, same logic:

$price = get_field(‘price’);

For repeaters:

if (have_rows(’team_members‘)) {  
    while (have_rows(’team_members‘)) {  
        the_row();  
        echo get_sub_field(’name‘);  
    }  
}

No learning curve. Just works.

Getting Started (Right Now)

Download from GitHub Releases or search “Codeideal Open Fields” on WordPress.org
Upload to WordPress (Plugins → Add New → Upload)
Activate and go to OpenFields in your admin menu
Build your first fieldset

Seriously, you’ll be up and running in like 5 minutes.

Important links:

GitHub repo: github.com/novincode/openfields
Report issues: github.com/novincode/openfields/issues
Documentation: openfields.codeideal.com/docs

A Real Talk About Community Support

Here’s the thing.

Building and maintaining a free, open-source plugin takes time. A LOT of time. And I genuinely love working on OpenFields — there’s so much more I want to build, new features, better UX, more field types.

But tools like this only survive with community support. If everyone just uses it and nobody helps, it eventually falls behind. No updates, no fixes, no new features. And that would honestly suck.

So if OpenFields has helped you save time or money, please consider:

⭐ Starring the repo on GitHub — it literally helps more people discover it

☕ Sponsoring the project — even a small amount helps me dedicate more time to development

💬 Reporting bugs or suggesting features — every issue helps me make it better

GitHub Sponsors: github.com/sponsors/novincode

(The “sponsor” link is right there on the repo page)

I really mean it — every bit of support makes a difference. The WordPress community is better when we build things together.

Join In

This is an open source project. If you: