Social Media Widget vs Social Share Buttons (2026)

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

Social Media Widget

Social Media Widget

3.9(84)

30K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 year ago
View Social Media Widget
VS
Social Share Buttons

Social Share Buttons

3(2)

50 active installs

Free

Updated 7 years ago
View Social Share Buttons

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Social Media Widget has a higher user rating (3.9/5 from 84 reviews) and leads in active installations (30K+ vs 50). Both are free WordPress plugins. Social Media Widget has accumulated 2.2M+ total downloads while Social Share Buttons has 15K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
3.9/5Social Media Widget
Social Share Buttons3/5
Total Reviews
84Social Media Widget
Social Share Buttons2
Active Installs
30K+Social Media Widget
Social Share Buttons50
Total Downloads
2.2M+Social Media Widget
Social Share Buttons15K+
Support Resolution
N/ASocial Media Widget
Social Share ButtonsN/A
Last Updated
1 year agoSocial Media Widget
Social Share Buttons7 years ago
First Released
2010Social Media Widget
Social Share Buttons2016
Age
16 yearsSocial Media Widget
Social Share Buttons10 years
WP Requires
2.9.2+Social Media Widget
Social Share Buttons3.6+
PHP Requires
false+Social Media Widget
Social Share Buttonsfalse+
Business Model
FreeSocial Media Widget
Social Share ButtonsFree
Latest Version
4.0.9Social Media Widget
Social Share Buttons3.0

Rating Breakdown

Social Media Widget

3.9/5(84 reviews)
5
65%
4
6%
3
5%
2
1%
1
23%

Social Share Buttons

3/5(2 reviews)
5
50%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
50%

Recent Reviews

Social Media Widget Reviews

by Anonymous User 7343156

Looks outdated

Very outdated style, it doesn’t look good.

by perdage

i miss discord icon

I want the discord icon in my Social Media Widget This topic was modified 5 years, 12 months ago by perdage.

by Laura Byrne

Really Like this Plugin

Easy to use. I like the flexibility of listing the services in whatever order I want. I also like that I can customize for a service that is not listed. Only thing I don’t like is the out-of-the box-I

Social Share Buttons Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Social Media Widget or Social Share Buttons more popular?
Social Media Widget has 30K+ active installations while Social Share Buttons has 50. Social Media Widget is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Social Media Widget or Social Share Buttons?
Social Media Widget has a 3.9/5 rating from 84 reviews, while Social Share Buttons has a 3/5 rating from 2 reviews.
Are Social Media Widget and Social Share Buttons free?
Social Media Widget is free and Social Share Buttons is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Social Media Widget or Social Share Buttons?
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 Widget was last updated 1 year ago and Social Share Buttons was last updated 7 years ago.

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