shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Pods?

[Log In](https://pods.io/wp-login.php) - pods.io

Depends. Buy only if you are a developer who needs deep custom content types in WordPress and will apply security patches immediately. Avoid it on client or production sites without maintenance discipline — an unauthenticated privilege escalation hit roughly 100,000 sites in August 2026.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~9 public sources. Note: review, pricing, and company evidence largely covers the same-named PODS moving company (pods.com), not this WordPress plugin; plugin findings rely on security and official sources.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo plugin-specific usability evidence
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo evidence found
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free (open source)

Core plugin

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • WordPress developers needing custom content types
  • Sites already built on the Pods data model
  • Teams with strict patch discipline

Not for

  • Non-technical site owners — critical unauthenticated priv-esc hit 100k sites
  • Client sites without maintenance contracts
  • Anyone needing only simple custom fields
  • Sites you cannot patch within days of an advisory

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Several critical fixes landed Aug–Sep 2026; patch every site immediately, no lag.

medium

Guess: Pods-specific data model locks you in; switching to ACF/Meta Box means rebuilding fields.

low

Guess: verify whether needed add-on components are paid before committing.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free, open-source custom content types and fields plugin for WordPress.
  • Maintainers shipped the 3.3.9.1 security release with backported patches.
  • Publishes detailed vulnerability disclosures after patching.
  • Maintains a dedicated product security page.

Cons

  • Unauthenticated privilege escalation in Pods <= 3.3.9.
  • ~100,000 WordPress sites affected by the flaw.
  • Recurring 2026 criticals: XSS and privilege escalation.
  • Security flaws documented as far back as 2014.

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/27/2026 - 9 sources - Poor — unauthenticated privilege escalation (Aug 2026) hit ~100,000 sites; three 2026 CVEs reviewed.

official x3security x6
  • Unauthenticated privilege escalation — Pods <= 3.3.9, Authorization bypass exposed admin Ajax methods; ~100,000 sites affected; fixed in 3.3.9.1.
  • CVE-2026-19598 — community PSA, Reddit PSA flags the privilege escalation as a major security issue for sites running the plugin.
  • CVE-2026-76573 — XSS, Cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Pods WordPress plugin, published September 2026.
  • CVE-2026-74853, Security bulletin issued for a Pods plugin vulnerability, September 2026.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • Free (open source)

    Starting price

  • 9

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free open-source core; add-ons may cost
  • Ease of use. No plugin-specific usability evidence
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Full custom content types and fields framework
  • Support quality. No evidence found
  • Security posture: 1/5. Unauthenticated priv-esc; ~100k sites; repeated CVEs
  • 100,000+ Sites hit by Aug 2026 priv-esc Wordfence estimate
  • 3 2026 CVEs reviewed Priv-esc, XSS, plugin bulletin
  • Yes Free tier Open-source WordPress plugin
  • 10+ years Plugin age Security disclosures date to 2014

Pricing

Core plugin

Free (open source)

  • Custom content types and fields for WordPress
  • Guess: optional paid components sold separately

Security

Poor — unauthenticated privilege escalation (Aug 2026) hit ~100,000 sites; three 2026 CVEs reviewed.

  • Unauthenticated privilege escalation — Pods <= 3.3.9Authorization bypass exposed admin Ajax methods; ~100,000 sites affected; fixed in 3.3.9.1.²
  • CVE-2026-19598 — community PSAReddit PSA flags the privilege escalation as a major security issue for sites running the plugin.⁵
  • CVE-2026-76573 — XSSCross-site scripting vulnerability in the Pods WordPress plugin, published September 2026.³
  • CVE-2026-74853Security bulletin issued for a Pods plugin vulnerability, September 2026.⁴

What users say

Users on r/Wordpress flag the plugin's major security issue; no broader plugin reviews found — most reviews in evidence are for the same-named PODS moving company.

“We have the PODS plugin”
Reddit, r/Wordpress
Full analysis

Based on ~9 public sources. Note: review, pricing, and company evidence largely covers the same-named PODS moving company (pods.com), not this WordPress plugin; plugin findings rely on security and official sources.

Free WordPress custom-content plugin, but a 2026 unauthenticated priv-esc hit 100k+ sites. Devs only; patch fast.

Methodology

Based on ~9 public sources. Note: review, pricing, and company evidence largely covers the same-named PODS moving company (pods.com), not this WordPress plugin; plugin findings rely on security and official sources.

Sources

  1. Pods <= 3.3.9 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalationwordfence.com
    security
  2. 100000 WordPress Sites Affected by Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in Podswordfence.com
    security
  3. CVE-2026-76573: WordPress Pods Plugin XSS Vulnerabilitysentinelone.com
    security
  4. Pods Plugin Vulnerability (CVE-2026-74853)freshysites.com
    security
  5. Major security issue with the PODS plugin - CVE-2026-19598reddit.com
    security
  6. Custom Content Types and Fields plugin — GitHub advisorygithub.com
    security
  7. Pods 3.3.9.1 Security Release and Backported Releasespods.io
    official
  8. Pods 2.x Security Vulnerability Details (2014)pods.io
    official
  9. Pods product security pagepods.io
    official

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