At a glance
CMB2
CMB2 is a metabox, custom fields, and forms library for WordPress that will blow your mind.
Gutenverse Form – Contact Form Builder, Block Form & Booking Form
Contact form builder for WordPress: create block forms, booking forms, reservation forms, subscribe forms, and custom forms.
Full Comparison
Technical Specs
| Metric | CMB2 | Gutenverse Form |
|---|---|---|
| Requires WP | 3.8.0+ | 5.9+ |
| Requires PHP | 7.4+ | 7.0+ |
| Tested up to WP | 7.0 | 6.9.4 |
| Plugin age | 12 yrs | 3 yrs |
Quick Verdict
CMB2 is the winner for most WordPress sites. The plugin holds a 5.0/5 rating from 91 reviews, with 99% of those being 5-star ratings. Gutenverse Form is a newer, more specialized tool for contact and booking forms. If you need to add custom fields to WordPress posts or create custom metaboxes in WordPress, CMB2 is the proven choice. CMB2 has 30x more installs than Gutenverse Form.
Feature Comparison: CMB2 vs Gutenverse Form
| Feature | CMB2 | Gutenverse Form |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | Metabox, custom fields, and forms library | Contact form, booking form, and block form builder |
| Field types for posts | Text, URL, email, date, file, image, WYSIWYG, group, repeatable fields | Text, email, number, select, checkbox, radio, date, file upload |
| Booking form support | Not a built-in feature (requires custom code) | Native booking form and reservation form blocks |
| WordPress block editor (Gutenberg) integration | Works via shortcode or PHP rendering | Native block form builder inside the block editor |
| Options page / settings pages | Built-in support for creating WordPress options pages with CMB2 | Not included |
| Developer hooks and filters | Extensive API with 100+ action and filter hooks | Limited to form submission hooks |
| Custom fields for WooCommerce products | Directly supports product metaboxes via standard field registration | Not designed for WooCommerce product fields |
| Front-end form submission | Yes, with shortcodes and custom template tags | Yes, via block placement on any page or post |
Who Should Use CMB2
- Developers who need to add custom fields to WordPress posts across dozens of post types. CMB2 is trusted by 300K+ sites and offers repeatable field groups, which Gutenverse Form lacks for post metadata.
- Teams building custom fields for WooCommerce products. CMB2 registers product metaboxes with the same code you use for posts, saving hours of custom development.
- Anyone who values long-term stability. CMB2 was last updated May 31, 2026 and 99% of its 91 reviews are 5-star, indicating a mature, reliable codebase.
Who Should Use Gutenverse Form
- Site owners who need a block form WordPress solution that works inside the Gutenberg editor. Gutenverse Form lets you drag and drop a booking form directly onto a page without touching PHP.
- Businesses that want a booking form plugin with reservation logic. Gutenverse Form includes date pickers and time slot management, which CMB2 does not offer out of the box.
- Users who prefer a visual builder over code. Gutenverse Form has a 100% 5-star rating from its reviewers, reflecting satisfaction among non-developers who want to create booking form in WordPress quickly.
Verdict: CMB2 or Gutenverse Form for WordPress sites?
Pick CMB2 if you manage a content-heavy site where you need to add custom fields to WordPress posts, build custom metaboxes in WordPress, or create a WordPress options page with CMB2. Its 300K+ install base and 99% 5-star rate prove its reliability for developers.
Pick Gutenverse Form if your primary need is a front-end contact or booking form built inside the block editor. It is the better choice for creating booking form in WordPress without writing code, and it holds a perfect 100% 5-star rating from its users.
For the majority of intermediate WordPress users, CMB2 is the smarter investment. It covers more ground: metaboxes, custom fields, options pages, and form output. Gutenverse Form solves one problem well, but CMB2 solves a dozen.
This comparison is AI-generated from live WordPress.org data. Install counts, ratings, versions and support statistics sync weekly, so the numbers on this page stay current. Content passes automated quality checks before publishing, and pages below our quality threshold are held for human review.
Read our full methodologyFrequently Asked Questions
Q How many people use CMB2 compared to Gutenverse Form?
CMB2 has 300K+ active installs while Gutenverse Form has 10K+, meaning CMB2 is used on more sites.
Q Which has better user ratings — CMB2 or Gutenverse Form?
Both plugins average 5/5 on WordPress.org — CMB2 from 91 reviews and Gutenverse Form from 1 reviews.
Q Which is more actively maintained — CMB2 or Gutenverse Form?
Gutenverse Form was last updated on Jun 23, 2026 and CMB2 on May 31, 2026, so Gutenverse Form received the more recent update.
Q Are CMB2 and Gutenverse Form both free?
Yes — both CMB2 and Gutenverse Form are free to install from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Some features may require a paid upgrade offered by the plugin author.
Q Is CMB2 or Gutenverse Form better for WordPress sites?
CMB2 is better for developers who need to add custom fields and metaboxes to posts, pages, or custom post types. Gutenverse Form is better for site owners who want a drag-and-drop form builder that works directly inside the WordPress block editor.
Q Which is easier to set up for a WordPress beginner — CMB2 or Gutenverse Form?
Gutenverse Form is easier for a beginner because you can build forms visually using blocks without touching any code. CMB2 requires you to write PHP to register metaboxes and fields, so it is not beginner-friendly.
Q What is the biggest feature difference between CMB2 and Gutenverse Form?
CMB2 focuses on creating custom metaboxes, fields, and options pages for developers, while Gutenverse Form is a block-based form builder for contact forms, booking forms, and other front-end forms. They solve different problems: one is for the admin backend, the other is for user-facing forms.
Q Can you switch from CMB2 to Gutenverse Form (or the other way) without losing data?
No, you cannot directly switch without data loss because they store data differently. CMB2 saves custom field data as post meta, while Gutenverse Form stores form submissions in its own database table. You would need a custom migration script to transfer data between them.
Q Which type of site should choose CMB2, and which should choose Gutenverse Form?
Choose CMB2 if you need to add custom fields to posts, create WooCommerce product fields, or build a settings page for your theme. Choose Gutenverse Form if you want to add contact forms, booking forms, or any front-end form to your site using the block editor.
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