Simple Social Media Share Buttons vs Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons (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: Simple Social Media Share Buttons at #7 and Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons at #10. They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most. 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 Share Icons & Social Share Buttons
Social sharing plugin adding social buttons.
Who leads on what
They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #7 against #10 in Social Media Plugins.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons has more users: 20,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons is rated higher: 4.9 out of 5 from 1,911 reviews, against 4.8 from 194 reviews.
Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons has more reviews behind its score: 1,911 against 194.
Simple Social Media Share Buttons was updated more recently, on October 19, 2026; Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons on October 10, 2026.
Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 12,977 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 go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons
Pick Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons if the review score matters most to you, 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 Share Icons & Social Share Buttons side by side
| Simple Social Media Share Buttons | Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons | |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media Plugins ranking | #7 | #10 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.9 |
| Reviews | 194 | 1,911 |
| Active installs | 20,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Total downloads | 1,416,803 | 2,686,682 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 11,864 | 12,977 |
| Last updated | Oct 19, 2026 | Oct 10, 2026 |
| First published | Sep 22, 2011 | Apr 9, 2015 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| 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 Share Icons & Social Share Buttons 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 Share Icons & Social Share Buttons 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 Share Icons & Social Share Buttons: common questions
Is Simple Social Media Share Buttons better than Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons?
They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Simple Social Media Share Buttons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #7 against #10 in Social Media Plugins.
Which has more users, Simple Social Media Share Buttons or Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons?
Simple Social Media Share Buttons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #7 against #10 in Social Media Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Simple Social Media Share Buttons or Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons?
Simple Social Media Share Buttons has more users: 20,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are Simple Social Media Share Buttons and Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons 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 Share Icons & Social Share Buttons may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Simple Social Media Share Buttons and Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
More Social Media Plugins comparisons
- Buttonizer vs Simple Social Media Share Buttons
- Buttonizer vs Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons
- Feed Them Social vs Simple Social Media Share Buttons
- Feed Them Social vs Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons
- Jetpack Social vs Simple Social Media Share Buttons
- Jetpack Social vs Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons
- Metricool vs Simple Social Media Share Buttons
- Metricool vs Social Share Icons & Social Share Buttons
- OG vs Simple Social Media Share Buttons
- Simple Social Media Share Buttons vs Simple Social Icons
- Simple Social Media Share Buttons vs WPZOOM Connect
- Simple Social Media Share Buttons vs Social Media Feather
Weekly · free
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.