As a WordPress developer, I create a lot of custom data to give clients the functionality they want. I’ve used every way possible, like posts for a custom post type, post meta, taxonomies, options, custom tables, etc. However, for ease of use and client convenience, I mostly use either WordPress native custom fields or the Advanced Custom Fields PRO plugin. With ACF, the interface is great, and, having used it so much, I can quickly setup any field type very quickly. The most time consuming part of using custom data is when it comes time to integrate into the theme.