Custom post types have to be the most popular new feature in WordPress 3.0. And for good reason too, as it catapults WordPress out of the ‘blog’ category and into the ‘CMS’ category (were WordPress rightly should be). I am not going to explain what custom post types are or why you should use them. That has been done many, many times before:
- Post Types - WordPress Codex
- Custom Post Types In WordPress - Justin Tadlock (a must read!!!)
- The Ultimate Guide to WordPress Custom Post Types - WPMayor
- WordPress As A True Custom CMS - Plugins And Tips - ZigPress
As many of your know, there are plugins out there that help you manage custom post types. I am not going to tell you which one you should use, but rather, I will leave that choice up to you. Here are the ones I could find (in no particular order)
FREE WordPress Plugins
Content Types
Content Types is a WordPress plugin that helps you create custom content types in WordPress. It allows for custom categories, custom tags, and custom input fields.
WP Easy Post Types
This plugin lets you take advantage of the WordPress 3.0 custom post type feature, and create your own post type. The plugin allows you to add a set of fields attached to your new post type, so that in the edit and add new windows a new box will show with the fields defined. Each field added will be saved in the WordPress Database as a custom field, so that you can take advantage of the standard WordPress query rules to list your content on the page template.
Custom Content Type Manager
The Custom Content Type Manager plugin allows users to create custom content types (also known as post types) and standardize custom fields for each, including dropdowns, checkboxes, and images. This gives WordPress CMS functionality making it easier to use WP for eCommerce or content-driven sites.
Custom Press
This plugins allows you to easily add your own custom post types and custom taxonomies into WordPress. You can also toggle on and off more advanced options for creating custom post types and custom taxonomies.
Also an ‘Embed Code’ option is available if you would prefer to put your custom post types and custom taxonomies directly into a theme or plugin.
More Types*
More Types is a WordPress plugin that adds new post types to the WordPress admin. For instance, if you run a music site you could create a review post type (based on the post). If you run a food blog you could create a post type for recipes.
More Types is part of a suite of plugins created to enhance the functionality of a vanilla WordPress installation. With More Fields you can create additional input fields for easier management of Custom fields, with More Taxonomies you can create additional taxonomies besides Categories and Tags. More Types works without the other plugins but interacts with them nicely.
Custom Content Types
Custom Content Types is a plugin designed to allow WordPress administrators to create and utilize the power of custom post types within WordPress. Now with the release of WordPress 3.0 it is possible to create more than just posts and pages, developers can define their own content types with their own options and custom taxonomies. These powerful features allow WordPress to be more than just blogging software but a content rich, user-friendly CMS. Now you can define products for an ecommerce site or books for keeping inventory, the possibilities are endless.
Custom Post Type UI*
This plugin provides an easy to use interface to create and administer custom post types and taxonomies in WordPress. This plugin is created for WordPress 3.x.
CMS Press
CMS Press opens up the ability to create and manage custom content types and taxonomies for your WordPress site. It adds the flexibility to have more than just posts and pages for content by allowing the user to register their own post_types that can use their separate theming from the post and page template along with its own permalink structure.
Ultimate Post Type Manager
This is an easy to use plugin to create, customize, manage custom post types. Do all you want to do with your post types. This plugin is an easy to use custom post type manager to customize post types, with a great user interface.
Simple Custom Post Types
WordPress 3.1 and up allow to manage new custom post type, this plugin makes it even simpler, removing the need for you to write any code. Except update your theme!
This plugin provides a nice interface and easy access. The plugin provides almost all the parameters of the WordPress CPT API.
It’s possible to manage the permissions of custom post types such as articles or pages. Or create a full set of custom permissions.
WP Easy Post Types
Make your WordPress 3.0 site even more awesome. Create WordPress custom post types on the fly with an easy to use interface. Then manage custom fields and categories for your post types.
Premium Plugins
There are also a couple of premium (not free) plugins to manage custom post types. Here they are:
Easy Custom Content Types ($20)
Easy Content Types provides an extremely easy to use and intuitive interface for creating custom post types, taxonomies, and meta boxes.This plugin will completely remove the difficult task of manually creating custom post types, taxonomies, and meta boxes.You’ll never have to touch another bit of complicated code again.
WPMU’s Custom Press ($39)
Welcome to the ultimate plugin for transforming your WordPress install from a blogging platform into a full blown CMS system. Including the ability to create a range of post types, each with their own custom taxonomy, unique custom fields and a raft of customization options - this plugin will cover all your needs. And it automatically creates the embed code for your custom taxonomy and custom fields to make customizing your theme to support your custom post types easy! Of course you can easily create a theme file for your custom post types.
GD Custom Posts And Taxonomies Tools (€ 50)
GD Custom Posts And Taxonomies Tools is plugin for management and tools collection for working with custom posts and taxonomies. Plugin adds widgets and other useful tools and functions.
What I use
I have used a couple of the above plugins over a variety of projects. They include:
- Custom Post Type UI - this is the first CPT manager plugin I used, and I still use it today. Also really simple to create custom taxonomies.
- More Types - I have used this extensively on a couple sites. Awesome when used together with the More Taxonomies and More Fields sister plugins.