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Astra Widgets vs Lightweight Social Icons (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Astra Widgets

Astra Widgets

3.9(17)

200K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 week ago
View Astra Widgets
VS
Lightweight Social Icons

Lightweight Social Icons

4.7(63)

30K+ active installs

Free

Updated 6 years ago
View Lightweight Social Icons

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Lightweight Social Icons has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 63 reviews) while Astra Widgets leads in active installations (200K+ vs 30K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Astra Widgets has accumulated 4.6M+ total downloads while Lightweight Social Icons has 464K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
3.9/5Astra Widgets
►
Lightweight Social Icons4.7/5
Total Reviews
17Astra Widgets
►
Lightweight Social Icons63
Active Installs
200K+Astra Widgets
◄
Lightweight Social Icons30K+
Total Downloads
4.6M+Astra Widgets
◄
Lightweight Social Icons464K+
Support Resolution
N/AAstra Widgets
Lightweight Social IconsN/A
Last Updated
1 week agoAstra Widgets
◄
Lightweight Social Icons6 years ago
First Released
2018Astra Widgets
Lightweight Social Icons2014
Age
8 yearsAstra Widgets
Lightweight Social Icons12 years
WP Requires
4.7+Astra Widgets
Lightweight Social Icons4.5+
PHP Requires
5.2+Astra Widgets
Lightweight Social Iconsfalse+
Business Model
FreeAstra Widgets
Lightweight Social IconsFree
Latest Version
1.2.17Astra Widgets
Lightweight Social Icons1.1

Rating Breakdown

Astra Widgets

3.9/5(17 reviews)
5
59%
4
12%
3
6%
2
12%
1
12%

Lightweight Social Icons

4.7/5(63 reviews)
5
89%
4
5%
3
2%
2
2%
1
3%

Recent Reviews

Astra Widgets Reviews

by michelle126

hidden, buried, functions

Astra used to be number one but someone thought messing with it was a good idea. They’ve added a lot but it is too much, over the top, and many functions are difficult to located. I had such a hard ti

by Klaus Kullmann

geht so

Viel Zeug, das man nicht braucht. Inkompatibilitäten mit anderen Plugins.

by lucaslima28

É bom

A versão free é bem limitada, mas dá pra fazer algumas mudanças pontuais

Lightweight Social Icons Reviews

by Mahesh Pant

Affects Core Web Vitals creating Ensure Text Remains Visible During Webfont Load

I don’t recommend this plugin at all. It signs a useless font which is not displayed in the front end to the users but creates core web vitals issues on the back end. The font name is fontello.woff an

by Jimmy Lee

It’s Light!

Hasn’t been updated but super light and solid!

by Hematoma

Fantastic Social Icons Plugin

Tom never fails to make amazing plugins and this social icons plugin is no different. I just hope that there are plans to add a discord icon in the near future. 5/5 plugin!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Astra Widgets or Lightweight Social Icons more popular?
Astra Widgets has 200K+ active installations while Lightweight Social Icons has 30K+. Astra Widgets is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Astra Widgets or Lightweight Social Icons?
Astra Widgets has a 3.9/5 rating from 17 reviews, while Lightweight Social Icons has a 4.7/5 rating from 63 reviews.
Are Astra Widgets and Lightweight Social Icons free?
Astra Widgets is free and Lightweight Social Icons is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Astra Widgets or Lightweight Social Icons?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Astra Widgets was last updated 1 week ago and Lightweight Social Icons was last updated 6 years ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.