Better Font Awesome vs Social Icons (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Better Font Awesome has a higher user rating (4.6/5 from 84 reviews) and leads in active installations (70K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Better Font Awesome has accumulated 1.2M+ total downloads while Social Icons has 339K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Better Font Awesome | Social Icons | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | ◄ | 4.5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 84 | ◄ | 15 |
| Active Installs | 70K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 1.2M+ | ◄ | 339K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ◄ | 5 years ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2015 | |
| Age | 12 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.0+ | 4.7+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.0.4 | 1.7.4 |
Rating Breakdown
Better Font Awesome
Social Icons
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Better Font Awesome averaged approximately 46 daily downloads while Social Icons averaged 12.
Recent Reviews
Better Font Awesome Reviews
Worked Perfectly (Better than the Font Awesome plugin)
Great job! This plugin worked perfectly and supported the older Font Awesome 5+ versions I prefer. However, I see the plugin hasn’t been updated in 11 months. I truly hope the author will continue to
Search typing no working
Cant type in search form from Better Font Awesome By Mickey Kay. Click in search bar to start typing is not working. Cant attach Youtube link so you can find the video searching there for: “WordPress
Filter not working in WP v5.9
The filter in TinyMCE editor for Better Font Awesome isn’t working (unresponsive). Will this issue be resolved in any time soon?
Social Icons Reviews
Security concerns with this plugin
Security monitoring software indicates that this plugin creates security issues, including cross-site-scripting loopholes.
Just what I was looking for
Just what I was looking for
It does the job right
A small but efficient plugin that does the job right. I like the use of shortcodes to simplify tasks of having different set of icons in different pages.
More Icons Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Better Font Awesome and Social Icons
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Add custom icon fonts to the built in Elementor icon controls
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Easily display more than 100 social icons inside your WordPress widget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Better Font Awesome or Social Icons more popular?
Which has better ratings — Better Font Awesome or Social Icons?
Are Better Font Awesome and Social Icons free?
Which plugin has better support — Better Font Awesome or Social Icons?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.