Simple Social Media Share Buttons 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: Simple Social Media Share Buttons at #8 and Simple Social Icons at #3. Simple Social Media Share Buttons leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons
Simple Social Media Share Buttons – Social Sharing for Everyone
This Social Share Plugin adds advanced social media sharing buttons to your WordPress sites, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn, & Pinterest.
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 Media Share Buttons leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Simple Social Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #8 in Social Media Plugins.
Simple Social Icons has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 194 reviews, against 4.3 from 92 reviews.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons has more reviews behind its score: 194 against 92.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons was updated more recently, on August 4, 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.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons
Pick Simple Social Media Share Buttons 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.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons vs Simple Social Icons side by side
| Simple Social Media Share Buttons | Simple Social Icons | |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media Plugins ranking | #8 | #3 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.3 |
| Reviews | 194 | 92 |
| Active installs | 20,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Total downloads | 1,402,868 | 3,349,714 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 4, 2026 | Jul 27, 2026 |
| First published | Sep 22, 2011 | Feb 21, 2012 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.4 | 7.0.4 |
| Requires PHP | 5.6 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons 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 Simple Social Media Share Buttons 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.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons vs Simple Social Icons: common questions
Is Simple Social Media Share Buttons better than Simple Social Icons?
Simple Social Media Share Buttons 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 #8 in Social Media Plugins.
Which has more users, Simple Social Media Share Buttons or Simple Social Icons?
Simple Social Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #8 in Social Media Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Simple Social Media Share Buttons or Simple Social Icons?
Simple Social Icons has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Are Simple Social Media Share Buttons and Simple Social Icons free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Simple Social Media Share Buttons 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 Simple Social Media Share Buttons and Simple Social Icons
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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Social Media Feather
10,000+ installs · 4.6 from 506 reviews
-
Buttonizer
40,000+ installs · 4.8 from 396 reviews
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WPZOOM Connect
90,000+ installs · 4.9 from 144 reviews
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Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons
100,000+ installs · 4.8 from 5,334 reviews
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Jetpack Social
30,000+ installs · 3.3 from 74 reviews
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