Social Media Icons Widget vs Populist (2026)

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

Social Media Icons Widget

4.9(8)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 years ago

View Social Media Icons Widget

Populist

0(0)

10 active installs

Free

Updated 17 years ago

View Populist

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Social Media Icons Widget has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 8 reviews) and leads in active installations (1.0K+ vs 10). Both are free WordPress plugins. Social Media Icons Widget has accumulated 105K+ total downloads while Populist has 3.0K+.

Detailed Comparison

Metric	Social Media Icons Widget		Populist
Rating	4.9/5	◄	N/A
Total Reviews	8	◄	0
Active Installs	1.0K+	◄	10
Total Downloads	105K+	◄	3.0K+
Support Resolution	N/A		N/A
Last Updated	8 years ago	◄	17 years ago
First Released	2012		2009
Age	14 years		17 years
WP Requires	3.0+		2.5+
PHP Requires	false+		false+
Business Model	Free		Free
Latest Version	1.2.7		1.5.1

Rating

4.9/5Social Media Icons Widget

◄

PopulistN/A

Total Reviews

8Social Media Icons Widget

◄

Populist0

Active Installs

1.0K+Social Media Icons Widget

◄

Populist10

Total Downloads

105K+Social Media Icons Widget

◄

Populist3.0K+

Support Resolution

N/ASocial Media Icons Widget

PopulistN/A

Last Updated

8 years agoSocial Media Icons Widget

◄

Populist17 years ago

First Released

2012Social Media Icons Widget

Populist2009

Age

14 yearsSocial Media Icons Widget

Populist17 years

WP Requires

3.0+Social Media Icons Widget

Populist2.5+

PHP Requires

false+Social Media Icons Widget

Populistfalse+

Business Model

FreeSocial Media Icons Widget

PopulistFree

Latest Version

1.2.7Social Media Icons Widget

Populist1.5.1

Rating Breakdown

Social Media Icons Widget

4.9/5(8 reviews)

88%

13%

Populist

0/5(0 reviews)

Download Trends

Recent Reviews

Social Media Icons Widget Reviews

by k1rushqa

No IG icon. I don't need it

It’s another very good plugin but it’s useless for me because it doesn’t have IG icons/links. I guess I will use paid plugins. Seems like people hate IG or don’t know how to add 1 social media network

by skopelos-tony

Great nifty plugin…!

Does what it says it does, unlike other plugins I tried..! Has a great variety of icon sets to choose from (you can even add your own set for God’s sake), and it’s very easy to set up. Oh…btw..the act

by SoCalCreations

Simple to Use

Very Quick, Simple, Intuitive with lots of options that aren’t complicated. Great Job!

Populist Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Social Media Icons Widget or Populist more popular?

Social Media Icons Widget has 1.0K+ active installations while Populist has 10. Social Media Icons Widget is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.

Which has better ratings — Social Media Icons Widget or Populist?

Social Media Icons Widget has a 4.9/5 rating from 8 reviews, while Populist has a 0/5 rating from 0 reviews.

Are Social Media Icons Widget and Populist free?

Social Media Icons Widget is free and Populist is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.

Which plugin has better support — Social Media Icons Widget or Populist?

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?

Social Media Icons Widget was last updated 8 years ago and Populist was last updated 17 years ago.

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