Social Media Share Buttons & Social… vs The Social Links (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Social Media Share Buttons & Social…
100K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Social Media Share Buttons & Social… has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 5,332 reviews) and leads in active installations (100K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Social Media Share Buttons & Social… has accumulated 12M+ total downloads while The Social Links has 138K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Social Media Share Buttons & Social… | The Social Links | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ◄ | 4.4/5 |
| Total Reviews | 5,332 | ◄ | 7 |
| Active Installs | 100K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 12M+ | ◄ | 138K+ |
| Support Resolution | 57% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 month ago | ◄ | 4 years ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2011 | |
| Age | 12 years | 15 years | |
| WP Requires | 3.5+ | 4.2+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.9.7 | 2.0.5 |
Rating Breakdown
Social Media Share Buttons & Social…
The Social Links
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Social Media Share Buttons & Social… averaged approximately 770 daily downloads while The Social Links averaged 4.
Recent Reviews
Social Media Share Buttons & Social… Reviews
persistent they are.
I will give them a 5 star rating for now, I haven’t even got to setting it up on my site and they have these popups because I deactivated a icon., no big deal, but I usually don’t leave a rating until
I’ll change after experiencing.
se u soon
Will upgrade
Providing 5 stars for making the bulk of the plugin free to the community
The Social Links Reviews
Very good plugin
Thank you guys
i am happy for this plugin
ok,thank
Never got it working
Followed the outlined instructions but never did get it to work. Maybe I’m just impatient but I gave up after about 20mins This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Matt Crawford.
More Plugins Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Social Media Share Buttons & Social… and The Social Links
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Boost Audience Engagement with Award Winning Speed Optimized Social Tools: Share Buttons, Related Posts, Monetization & Google Analytics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Social Media Share Buttons & Social… or The Social Links more popular?
Which has better ratings — Social Media Share Buttons & Social… or The Social Links?
Are Social Media Share Buttons & Social… and The Social Links free?
Which plugin has better support — Social Media Share Buttons & Social… or The Social Links?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.