Buttonizer vs Simple Social Icons (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Social Media Plugins top 10: Buttonizer at #9 and Simple Social Icons at #3. Buttonizer leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Buttonizer
Buttonizer – Social Media Share Buttons, Social Icons, & Social Feeds
Floating Social Media Icons, Sticky Share Buttons, Facebook Feeds, & Popup builder. Also, create Call, Email, SMS, & Contact buttons to increa …
Simple Social Icons
Display icons linking to your social profiles, via the classic widget or the core Social Icons block variations.
Who leads on what
Buttonizer leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Simple Social Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #9 in Social Media Plugins.
Simple Social Icons has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 40,000+.
Buttonizer is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 396 reviews, against 4.3 from 92 reviews.
Buttonizer has more reviews behind its score: 396 against 92.
Buttonizer was updated more recently, on August 13, 2026; Simple Social Icons on July 27, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Buttonizer
Pick Buttonizer if the review score matters most to you, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Simple Social Icons
Pick Simple Social Icons if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them or you want the plugin more sites already run.
Buttonizer vs Simple Social Icons side by side
| Buttonizer | Simple Social Icons | |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media Plugins ranking | #9 | #3 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.3 |
| Reviews | 396 | 92 |
| Active installs | 40,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Total downloads | 1,784,246 | 3,349,714 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 13, 2026 | Jul 27, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 6, 2012 | Feb 21, 2012 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.0.4 |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Buttonizer ratings
Simple Social Icons ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Buttonizer nor Simple Social Icons can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Social Media Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Buttonizer vs Simple Social Icons: common questions
Is Buttonizer better than Simple Social Icons?
Buttonizer leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Simple Social Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #9 in Social Media Plugins.
Which has more users, Buttonizer or Simple Social Icons?
Simple Social Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #9 in Social Media Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Buttonizer or Simple Social Icons?
Simple Social Icons has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 40,000+.
Are Buttonizer and Simple Social Icons free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Buttonizer may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Simple Social Icons is a community plugin with no paid version.
Alternatives to Buttonizer and Simple Social Icons
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons
100,000+ installs · 4.8 from 5,334 reviews
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Social Media Feather
10,000+ installs · 4.6 from 506 reviews
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WPZOOM Connect
90,000+ installs · 4.9 from 144 reviews
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Simple Social Media Share Buttons
20,000+ installs · 4.8 from 194 reviews
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Metricool
80,000+ installs · 4.5 from 21 reviews
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.