At a glance
CMB2
CMB2 is a metabox, custom fields, and forms library for WordPress that will blow your mind.
Zoho Forms – Drag & Drop Form Builder for Websites – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Order Forms & More
Try Zoho Forms, the best WordPress contact form plugin! Create contact, payment & custom forms with a drag and drop builder. Get started for free!
Full Comparison
Technical Specs
| Metric | CMB2 | Zoho Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Requires WP | 3.8.0+ | 2.8+ |
| Tested up to WP | 7.0 | 6.8.5 |
| Plugin age | 12 yrs | 10 yrs |
Quick Verdict
CMB2 wins this comparison for WordPress users who need to add custom fields to WordPress posts or build custom metaboxes. With 300K+ installs and a 5.0/5 rating from 91 reviews, its community trust is unmatched. Zoho Forms serves a different purpose: it's a drag and drop form builder for WordPress focused on contact forms and payment forms. If you need to create custom metaboxes in WordPress, pick CMB2. If you want to create payment forms in WordPress without coding, pick Zoho Forms.
Feature Comparison: CMB2 vs Zoho Forms
| Feature | CMB2 | Zoho Forms |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Custom fields, metaboxes, and options pages | Drag and drop form builder for contact and payment forms |
| Custom field types | 30+ field types including repeatable groups, file uploads, WYSIWYG editors | Standard form field types (text, email, dropdown, file upload) |
| Drag and drop builder | No, fields added via PHP code | Yes, visual drag and drop interface |
| Payment form support | Not built-in, requires custom code or extensions | Built-in payment integrations (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) |
| Options page creation | Built-in, create custom WordPress options pages with CMB2 | Not available |
| Custom metaboxes for posts | Native, designed for adding custom fields to WordPress posts | Not available, forms live on the frontend |
| WooCommerce product fields | Supported, custom fields for WooCommerce products via hooks | Not designed for WooCommerce product data |
| Frontend form display | Possible with shortcodes, but requires developer setup | Built-in, embed forms via shortcode or widget |
| Form submissions storage | Stored as post meta, user meta, or term meta | Stored in Zoho cloud, with WordPress database option |
Who Should Use CMB2
- Developers who need to add custom fields to WordPress posts without a visual builder, 99% of reviewers gave it 5 stars, reflecting its reliability for custom field work.
- Teams building custom WordPress options pages with CMB2 for theme settings or plugin configuration, 300K+ sites use it for this exact purpose.
- Anyone managing custom fields for WooCommerce products who wants a developer-friendly, lightweight solution, its 5.0/5 rating shows it handles complex field relationships well.
Who Should Use Zoho Forms
- Site owners who want to create a contact form in WordPress without touching code, the drag and drop form builder for WordPress makes form creation visual.
- Businesses that need to create payment forms in WordPress with built-in Stripe or PayPal integration, no extra plugins or custom development required.
- Users who prefer a hosted form solution with Zoho's CRM and email marketing integrations, even with a 29% 5-star rate, the Zoho ecosystem can be valuable for existing customers.
Community & Support
CMB2's rating distribution tells a clear story: 99% of its 91 reviews are 5-star, and only 1% are 1-star. This suggests a plugin that consistently meets developer expectations. Zoho Forms shows a more divided user base, 29% gave it 5 stars while 43% gave it 1 star. The gap between these percentages indicates that users either love the Zoho integration or encounter significant issues.
Verdict: CMB2 or Zoho Forms for WordPress sites?
Pick CMB2 if you need to add custom fields to WordPress posts, create custom metaboxes in WordPress, or build a WordPress options page with CMB2. Its 99% 5-star rate and 300K+ installs prove it's the standard for custom field work. Pick Zoho Forms if you need a drag and drop form builder for WordPress with payment support and you already use Zoho's ecosystem. For every other scenario, especially custom fields for WooCommerce products or developer-focused metabox creation, CMB2 is the clear choice.
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 Zoho Forms?
CMB2 has 300K+ active installs while Zoho Forms has 10K+, meaning CMB2 is used on more sites.
Q Which has better user ratings — CMB2 or Zoho Forms?
CMB2 averages 5/5 from 91 reviews, while Zoho Forms averages 2.7/5 from 14 reviews — CMB2 has the higher average rating.
Q Which is more actively maintained — CMB2 or Zoho Forms?
CMB2 was last updated on May 31, 2026 and Zoho Forms on Aug 8, 2025, so CMB2 received the more recent update.
Q Are CMB2 and Zoho Forms both free?
Yes — both CMB2 and Zoho Forms 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 Zoho Forms better for WordPress sites?
CMB2 is better for developers who need to add custom fields to posts, pages, or WooCommerce products, as it is built specifically for creating metaboxes and options pages. Zoho Forms is better for site owners who want a ready-made form builder to collect contact entries or build multi-step forms without writing code. Your choice depends on whether you need to extend the WordPress admin or collect front-end submissions.
Q Which is easier to set up for a WordPress beginner — CMB2 or Zoho Forms?
Zoho Forms is far easier for a beginner because it provides a visual drag-and-drop builder that works right out of the box. CMB2 requires you to write PHP code in your theme's functions.php file to create custom fields, which most beginners cannot do. If you are not comfortable editing code, start with Zoho Forms.
Q What is the biggest feature difference between CMB2 and Zoho Forms?
CMB2 is a developer toolkit for adding custom metaboxes and fields to the WordPress admin area, while Zoho Forms is a front-end form builder for collecting user submissions on your site. CMB2 does not include a drag-and-drop form builder or pre-built contact form templates. Zoho Forms does not let you create custom admin fields for posts or WooCommerce products.
Q Can you switch from CMB2 to Zoho Forms (or the other way) without losing data?
Switching from CMB2 to Zoho Forms will not automatically migrate your existing custom field data because CMB2 stores data as post meta and Zoho Forms stores submissions in its own database tables. You can export CMB2 data using a plugin like WP All Export and import it into Zoho Forms, but it requires manual work. The reverse switch is similarly manual and not a one-click process.
Q Which type of site should choose CMB2, and which should choose Zoho Forms?
Choose CMB2 if you run a WooCommerce store that needs custom product fields, a membership site with custom user profiles, or any site where you need to add extra fields to the WordPress editing screen. Choose Zoho Forms if you need a contact form, a registration form, or a survey tool that sends submissions to your email or a CRM. Most sites that need both will use CMB2 for admin fields and a separate form plugin for front-end forms.
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