I just came to realise that ACF Pro implemented a new pricing model. The latest price starts from 49 USD for personal site to 249 USD per year for Agency/Developer license. Initially I thought the pricing changes were a bit expensive. But if you weigh the overall value that the plugins bring, it’s a catch and no brainer investment.
As a WordPress Developer, this plugin is one of the most used plugins in my projects. In this article I will share some of my experience using the plugin, and how I think the plugin is worth every single cents.
A bit about my background
I am a Sydney based WordPress developer. I do work full time and do freelancing work on the side. I mainly focus on Custom WordPress Development and WordPress web design.
Most of my lead comes through Google rankings as I don't spend any budget on marketing and sales. My clients(converted via these leads) are knowledgeable clients who value their website and have long term SEO strategies in mind.
I have built my freelancing portfolio with lead generation only. To achieve these goals, no doubt ACF Pro had been an integral part of my development process.
Great investment
Let me be honest. I do have an unlimited license that I bought as a developer license (one off) at 100 AUD. Looking back to my purchase in 2014, it looks like a smart investment for me, as I will still be able to use the plugin license for unlimited projects in future.
Is ACF Pro worth it?
ACF Pro is worth every single penny even at its current pricing.
Let’s compare some of the pricing of the most popular WordPress plugins around. WP Rocket, Gravity Form and iTheme security all have similar pricing models. I mentioned these plugins as reference as I do own developer licenses for all these plugins, and they are worth every single dollar. And ACF Pro brings as much as these plugins or even more on the table during development.
I might think of alternatives for all plugins mentioned above, but when it comes to Custom fields, there is no alternative, it has to be ACF Pro.
ACF Pro make quality website from scratch
Whether you are an individual developer or freelance developer, and want to focus on quality websites, then ACF Pro is the right option for you.
You can design and develop lightweight websites that work like a charm using ACF Pro. You can take a lot of control of your custom wordpress development and On Page SEO.
One of the best features of ACF Pro for me has been the integration and implementation of SEO. Don't get me wrong here but what I am saying is if you are an SEO enthusiast and value a good standard website, ACF Pro is your dream plugin. Two main features I love are On Page SEO and reducing html to text density in the page.
On the security and maintenance side, I have never had any issues with the plugin until now. It has never let me down.
Content Management made easy
One of my main mottoes with WordPress Development has been post going live, the client should be able to manage their website as much as they can. And yes, most of the websites I built are managed by clients. The only part I look or help would be adding new functionalities, complex image manipulations and maintenance.
Tons of feature
ACF Pro brings a lot of added features on top of the already awesome free version.
SEO friendly plugin
I think ACF Pro is an SEO friendly plugin. As an avid SEO practitioner, ACF Pro makes my life easy to achieve these:
- Making website load faster
- Implement On-Page SEO as I plan and want
- Reducing html to text density in the page
- Light weight website
When you build a custom website, for sure they will be light. Unlike premium themes targeted to a wide audience, you will end up with codes and assets only needed to run websites. Building a custom website using ACF Pro does have some cost but also it helps you cut cost on spending high resource web hosting, caching plugins and maintenance cost.
Easy Maintenance
I had the opportunity to maintain a website built on premium themes and let me tell you that experience wasn't that good. As a developer it wasn't a fun job, and also the client that was recommended to use these resource heavy themes doesn't deserve it. In the short term it has been a feasible or well priced solution but in the long run, it will go backwards.
My experience with ACF Pro and maintenance has been a sweet and easy ride. I haven't faced amuch issues with the ACF Pro on the maintenance side.
Who should use ACF Pro?
Pricing and budget is quite a critical part of any project. If you can afford ACF Pro, it's a no brainer - it will be one of your best investments you won't regret.
Website owners for whom quality matters
If your client facing website is of utmost importance to you and you want to give the best user experience to your visitors, then ACF Pro is for you. But keep in mind, ACF Pro is not a drag and drop page builder. Some coding experience is needed.
So what added value does the plugin bring to you. Here are some of the points:
- Make website lightweight
- Make website load faster
- If you love SEO, this plugin can be used best interests
- Quality and years of development experience
WordPress Freelancers wanting to build awesome websites
If you are a Freelance WordPress Developer focusing on custom wordpress development and not a big of Premium themes or page builders, ACF Pro is your go to plugin.
Agencies building custom websites
For WordPress agencies, who want to build custom solutions, ACF Pro is a great plugin.
Overall Verdict
ACF Pro is one of those plugins that I use in my project and I can’t think of a second alternative. It is for sure a great investment.
With new prcingin the plugin will definitely look to add new features. I also think that a lot of effort will be going towards maintenance of already awesome documentation and support.