Simple Social Media Share Buttons vs Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons (October 2026)
Updated October 23, 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 #7 and Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons at #1. Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons leads on 4 of the 6 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.
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons
Share buttons and pop up share icons for social media sharing
Who leads on what
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track.
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #7 in Social Media Plugins.
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Both are rated 4.8 out of 5 (194 and 5,333 reviews).
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons has more reviews behind its score: 5,333 against 194.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons was updated more recently, on October 19, 2026; Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons on September 18, 2026.
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 34,848 times against 11,864.
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 you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons
Pick Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons vs Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons side by side
| Simple Social Media Share Buttons | Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons | |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media Plugins ranking | #7 | #1 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 194 | 5,333 |
| Active installs | 20,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Total downloads | 1,416,803 | 12,601,025 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 11,864 | 34,848 |
| Last updated | Oct 19, 2026 | Sep 18, 2026 |
| First published | Sep 22, 2011 | Sep 19, 2014 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.0.7 |
| Requires PHP | 7.1 | – |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Simple Social Media Share Buttons ratings
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing 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 Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing 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 Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons: common questions
Is Simple Social Media Share Buttons better than Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons?
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #7 in Social Media Plugins.
Which has more users, Simple Social Media Share Buttons or Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons?
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #7 in Social Media Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Simple Social Media Share Buttons or Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons?
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Are Simple Social Media Share Buttons and Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing 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. Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Simple Social Media Share Buttons and Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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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.