At a glance
Custom Fonts – Host Your Fonts Locally
Custom Fonts is a powerful WordPress plugin that allows you to upload your own custom fonts or choose from a vast collection of Google Fonts, all host …
AF Companion – Starter Sites, Speed Booster & Growth Suite for Professional Publishing
One-Click Starter Sites, Performance Optimization, and Publisher Growth Tools
Full Comparison
Technical Specs
| Metric | Custom Fonts | AF Companion |
|---|---|---|
| Requires WP | 5.0+ | 5.0+ |
| Tested up to WP | 6.9.4 | 7.0.1 |
| Plugin age | 9 yrs | 5 yrs |
Quick Verdict
AF Companion wins this comparison. The plugin holds a 94% five-star rating from user reviews, compared to Custom Fonts' 79%. Custom Fonts has 40x more installs, but AF Companion delivers a broader feature set for publishing sites. For most users building a full WordPress site, AF Companion is the better choice.
Feature Comparison: Custom Fonts vs AF Companion
| Feature | Custom Fonts | AF Companion |
|---|---|---|
| Upload custom fonts | Yes | No |
| Host Google Fonts locally | Yes | No |
| One-click starter site import | No | Yes |
| Performance optimization tools | No | Yes |
| Full Site Editing support | Yes | No |
| Publisher growth tools | No | Yes |
| SEO tools | No | Yes |
| Demo content for magazines | No | Yes |
Who Should Use Custom Fonts
- Designers who need to upload custom fonts to WordPress and control every typeface on their site. The plugin serves 400K+ active installs, proving its reliability for font-specific tasks.
- Developers building full-site-editing themes who want a dedicated tool for adding custom fonts to full site editing. You can upload font files directly without editing theme code.
- Site owners focused on performance who want to self host Google Fonts WordPress plugin style, reducing external HTTP requests. This removes reliance on Google's servers for font delivery.
Who Should Use AF Companion
- Publishers launching a news or magazine site who need a one click demo import WordPress magazine solution. AF Companion provides starter sites designed for that format.
- Site owners who want a WordPress performance optimization plugin bundled with their theme tools. The plugin includes speed boosters alongside its import features.
- Users who value high satisfaction ratings. 94% of reviewers gave AF Companion five stars, indicating consistent user approval for its starter sites and growth tools.
Community & Support
Custom Fonts shows 79% of its reviews at five stars and 15% at one star. This split suggests the plugin works well for many users but has a notable minority who experienced issues. The sample size for support threads over two months is too small to draw conclusions for either plugin.
Verdict: Custom Fonts or AF Companion for WordPress sites?
Pick Custom Fonts if your single need is adding typography. You want to upload custom fonts to WordPress, host Google Fonts locally, or add custom fonts to full site editing. It handles those tasks with 400K+ installs backing its stability.
Pick AF Companion if you need more than fonts. It offers starter sites, performance optimization, and publisher tools. With a 94% five-star rating, it satisfies the vast majority of its users. For a complete site-building toolkit, AF Companion is the data-driven winner.
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 Custom Fonts compared to AF Companion?
Custom Fonts has 400K+ active installs while AF Companion has 10K+, meaning Custom Fonts is used on more sites.
Q Which has better user ratings — Custom Fonts or AF Companion?
AF Companion averages 4.9/5 from 34 reviews, while Custom Fonts averages 4.3/5 from 62 reviews — AF Companion has the higher average rating.
Q Which is more actively maintained — Custom Fonts or AF Companion?
AF Companion was last updated on May 26, 2026 and Custom Fonts on Jan 19, 2026, so AF Companion received the more recent update.
Q Are Custom Fonts and AF Companion both free?
Yes — both Custom Fonts and AF Companion 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 Custom Fonts or AF Companion better for WordPress sites?
Custom Fonts is better if your main goal is to add custom fonts, especially with full site editing and Google Fonts. AF Companion is built for demo imports and magazine style sites, not font management. For most sites focused on typography, Custom Fonts is the clear choice.
Q Which is easier to set up for a WordPress beginner — Custom Fonts or AF Companion?
Custom Fonts is easier for a beginner because it focuses on one task: adding fonts. You install it, pick your fonts, and they appear in your site. AF Companion requires understanding demo import workflows and is designed for a specific magazine theme, which adds complexity.
Q What is the biggest feature difference between Custom Fonts and AF Companion?
Custom Fonts is dedicated to custom font management and Google Fonts integration, working directly with full site editing. AF Companion is a demo import and performance tool for magazine and news sites, with no font customization features at all.
Q Can you switch from Custom Fonts to AF Companion (or the other way) without losing data?
You can switch between them without losing your content, but your font settings will not transfer. Custom Fonts stores font choices in your theme settings, while AF Companion does not handle fonts. You will need to reconfigure your typography after switching.
Q Which type of site should choose Custom Fonts, and which should choose AF Companion?
Custom Fonts is ideal for any site that needs custom typography, especially blogs or businesses using full site editing. AF Companion is built for magazine and news sites that want to import demo content quickly. If you need fonts, pick Custom Fonts; if you need a magazine layout, pick AF Companion.
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