Feed Them Social vs Simple Social Icons (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Social Media Plugins top 10: Feed Them Social at #8 and Simple Social Icons at #4. Simple Social Icons leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Feed Them Social
Feed Them Social – Social Media Feeds, Video, and Photo Galleries
Custom social media feeds for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & YouTube. Works with Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Gutenberg blocks.
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
Simple Social Icons leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track.
Simple Social Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #8 in Social Media Plugins.
Simple Social Icons has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Feed Them Social is rated higher: 4.7 out of 5 from 639 reviews, against 4.3 from 92 reviews.
Feed Them Social has more reviews behind its score: 639 against 92.
Simple Social Icons was updated more recently, on September 17, 2026; Feed Them Social on September 5, 2026.
Simple Social Icons was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 10,847 times against 6,634.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Feed Them Social
Pick Feed Them Social if the review score matters most to you or you want the score backed by more reviews.
Simple Social Icons
Pick Simple Social Icons if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Feed Them Social vs Simple Social Icons side by side
| Feed Them Social | Simple Social Icons | |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media Plugins ranking | #8 | #4 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.3 |
| Reviews | 639 | 92 |
| Active installs | 20,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Total downloads | 4,405,646 | 3,365,948 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 6,634 | 10,847 |
| Last updated | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 17, 2026 |
| First published | Dec 19, 2012 | Feb 21, 2012 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Feed Them Social 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 Feed Them Social 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.
Feed Them Social vs Simple Social Icons: common questions
Is Feed Them Social better than Simple Social Icons?
Simple Social Icons leads on 4 of the 6 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: #4 against #8 in Social Media Plugins.
Which has more users, Feed Them Social or Simple Social Icons?
Simple Social Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #8 in Social Media Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Feed Them Social or Simple Social Icons?
Simple Social Icons has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Are Feed Them Social and Simple Social Icons free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Feed Them Social is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. Simple Social Icons is a community plugin with no paid version.
Alternatives to Feed Them Social and Simple Social Icons
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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Metricool
90,000+ installs · 4.4 from 22 reviews
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Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons
100,000+ installs · 4.8 from 5,333 reviews
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Buttonizer
40,000+ installs · 4.8 from 396 reviews
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Social Media Feather
10,000+ installs · 4.6 from 506 reviews
-
Wp Social
70,000+ installs · 4.6 from 67 reviews
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