ACF vs. SCF: The Forking Debate and the Future of the WordPress Ecosystem

Recently, WordPress decided to make the popular pluginAdvanced Custom Fields (ACF) forked into something calledSecure Custom Fields (SCF) version. This initiative has not only sparked a lot of discussion in the community, but it is also WordPress together with WP Engine The direct result of legal disputes between the two, and a deeper reflection of the open source software ecosystem inSecurity and Business BenefitsThe tense balance between the

Forking is a valuable tool in the open source community, both to solve current technical problems and to push projects in new directions. However, there are a number of psychological and practical challenges that must be overcome when forking a project. Importantly, the motivation for pushing forking needs to be based on a long-term development perspective, with clear support for the philosophy and values. Below, we will explore a number of perspectives in more detail ACF together with SCF The historical background, the reasons for the fork, the impact on users and developers, and what this means for the WordPress ecosystem.

1. Background: Conflict between WP Engine and WordPress

WP Engine is a well known WordPress hosting provider in the 2022 WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg acquired the ACF plugin in 2007, added functionality to it, and made updates available through its own platform. However, this method of updating bypasses the official WordPress.org plugin directory, raising concerns about security and transparency. Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress figure, WP Engine's behavior may threaten the integrity of the plugin ecosystem, especially if its updates are no longer reviewed by the WordPress.org community.

In response to this, WordPress decided to ban WP Engine and its associates from accessing the WordPress.org infrastructure, including managing their plugins and themes. This ban prompted WordPress to fork the ACF, creating the SCF plugin to protect users and ensure transparency of updates.

2. History and status of Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)

ACF Created in 2011 by Elliot Condon, it is one of the most popular plugins in the WordPress ecosystem. It allows developers to add custom fields to posts, pages and custom post types through a simple interface without the need for complex code writing. The plugin is flexible, easy to use and has attracted over 2 million active installs.

ACF's core functions include:

• Multiple field types (text, image, file, etc.).
• Advanced features (e.g., repeatable fields, repeater fields, and flexible content layout).
• Strong community support and rich documentation resources.

In 2022, WP Engine acquired ACF and managed it as part of its ecosystem. Since then, updates to ACF have been moved to WP Engine's servers, theand no longer published through WordPress.orgThe

3. Why Bifurcate ACF: The Birth of SCF

Security and transparency considerations

ACF's updated schema has the WordPress.org security team interested in how their data is handled and thetradeUpsells expressed concerns. Specific issues include:

• Opaque updates: WP Engine publishes updates through its own servers, not through WordPress.org's review process.
• Potential Security Vulnerabilities: Some unfiltered data processing may lead to security risks.
• Commercial up-selling: WP Engine embedded links to promote paid features in the plugin, prompting the community to question the plugin's open source ethos.

In order to address these issues, WordPress was launched on October 2024Announcing the fork of the ACF, creating SCF Plug-ins.SCF removes the commercial upsell functionality from ACF and enhances security, and is fully hosted in the official WordPress.org plugin directory.

The Role of the GPL License

The WordPress plugin's GPL open source license allows anyone to fork the code, provided that new versions also comply with the GPL Rules. This license gives WordPress the right to create SCFs based on ACFs, thus ensuring the security and transparency of the plugin ecosystem.

4. Core differences between ACF and SCF

Here are the main differences between ACF and SCF:

5. Impact on developers and users

Challenges for developers

• compatibility issue: Some themes and plugins built around ACF Pro features may not be compatible with SCF.
• Functional limitations: SCF lacks the advanced features of ACF Pro and may require developers to manually write custom code.
• learning curve: Migration from ACF to SCF may involve adapting to a new plug-in management model.

User confusion

• functionality trade-offBut for now.Both plugins are fully functionalThe user has to choose between the feature richness of ACF and the security and transparency of SCF.
• Relocation difficulty: Existing custom fields may need to be reconfigured or adjusted.
• Customer Communication: Developers who manage multiple WordPress clients will need to explain the impact of this change to their clients.

6. How to choose: ACF or SCF?

If you are considering a choice between ACF and SCF, weigh the following factors:

functional requirement

• If you rely on ACF Pro of advanced features (e.g., repeater fields, flexible content fields), it is recommended to continue using ACF.
• If your needs are relatively simple, SCF's free features may be sufficient.

Security and transparency

• If you are more concerned about the security and transparency of updates, SCF is a better choice.
• If you trust WP Engine's update process, you can continue to use ACF.

Community Support

• ACF has more mature community support and documentation resources.
• SCF relies on WordPress.org Sustainability of the community.

7. Will other plugins have similar experiences?

The short answer issureThe
In the WordPress world, as long as the code is hosted in the WordPress.org plugin repository and follows the GPL license agreement, there is always the possibility of it being forked.The GPL grants anyone the right to copy, modify, and fork the code as long as they adhere to the constraints of the open source agreement.

A similar example is GiveWP forked Easy Digital Downloads. While both plugins have the same origins, the forking has resulted in different functional directions for each. This kind of forked behavior is not uncommon, and it's only in the case of ACF vs. SCF that it's particularly sensitive due to the fact that it involves major stakeholders such as Automattic and WP Engine.

8. Summary

The fork battle between ACF and SCF is an important event in the development of the WordPress ecosystem. For developers and users, choosing which plugin to use is not just a technical issue, but also a reflection on security, transparency and open source spirit.

Whether you choose ACF or SCF, you need to weigh the pros and cons according to your own needs and keep a close eye on future developments to ensure that your website remains stable, secure and efficient.