Simple Social Icons vs Social Media Feather (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 Icons at #3 and Social Media Feather at #7. Social Media Feather leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Simple Social Icons
Display icons linking to your social profiles, via the classic widget or the core Social Icons block variations.
Social Media Feather
Lightweight social sharing and follow buttons for WordPress. Fast, flexible, and easy to use.
Who leads on what
Social Media Feather leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Simple Social Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #7 in Social Media Plugins.
Simple Social Icons has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Social Media Feather is rated higher: 4.6 out of 5 from 506 reviews, against 4.3 from 92 reviews.
Social Media Feather has more reviews behind its score: 506 against 92.
Social Media Feather was updated more recently, on August 20, 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 Icons
Pick Simple Social Icons if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them or you want the plugin more sites already run.
Social Media Feather
Pick Social Media Feather 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 vs Social Media Feather side by side
| Simple Social Icons | Social Media Feather | |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media Plugins ranking | #3 | #7 |
| Rating | 4.3 | 4.6 |
| Reviews | 92 | 506 |
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Total downloads | 3,349,714 | 2,045,530 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Jul 27, 2026 | Aug 20, 2026 |
| First published | Feb 21, 2012 | Dec 21, 2012 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.4 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | – |
| Pricing | Free | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Simple Social Icons ratings
Social Media Feather 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 Icons nor Social Media Feather can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Social Media Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Simple Social Icons vs Social Media Feather: common questions
Is Simple Social Icons better than Social Media Feather?
Social Media Feather 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 #7 in Social Media Plugins.
Which has more users, Simple Social Icons or Social Media Feather?
Simple Social Icons ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #7 in Social Media Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Simple Social Icons or Social Media Feather?
Simple Social Icons has more users: 100,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are Simple Social Icons and Social Media Feather free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Simple Social Icons is a community plugin with no paid version. Social Media Feather may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Simple Social Icons and Social Media Feather
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
-
Buttonizer
40,000+ installs · 4.8 from 396 reviews
-
Simple Social Media Share Buttons
20,000+ installs · 4.8 from 194 reviews
-
Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons
100,000+ installs · 4.8 from 5,334 reviews
-
WPZOOM Connect
90,000+ installs · 4.9 from 144 reviews
-
Jetpack Social
30,000+ installs · 3.3 from 74 reviews
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