WP Socializer – Simple & Easy Social Media Share Icons
Plugin Review
AI-ResearchedWhat is WP Socializer?
WP Socializer is a social media sharing plugin that adds share icons, floating bars, and follow buttons to any WordPress site. Developed by vaakash, it has been available for 16 years, making it one of the older dedicated share plugins in the repository. Despite its age, it remains actively maintained, with the current version 7.9 last updated on Jan 11, 2025.
The plugin currently holds 10K+ active installs and a 4.5/5 rating from 128 reviews. A strong 83% of those ratings are 3% are one-star. It falls under the Share category and supports over 55 social networks out of the box.
Key Features of WP Socializer
- 55+ Social Network Icons – Includes Facebook, X, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, Mastodon, and a native OS share menu via the Web Share API.
- Multiple Placement Options – Display share icons inline above or below content, as a floating share bar, or as a mobile share bar that moves to the bottom on small screens.
- Selected Text Share Popup – Visitors can highlight any text on your site and share it directly via social networks or copy link.
- Customizable Icon Appearance – Choose from 2 layouts, 4 sizes, 7 shapes, and 7 hover effects. Pick any icon color, background color, or upload a custom image.
- Follow Me Icons Widget – Add social profile follow buttons to sidebars or widget areas, plus dedicated Facebook page and Twitter feed widgets.
- Share Count Display – Shows share counts for Facebook and Pinterest, giving visitors social proof of your content’s popularity.
- Responsive Behavior Rules – Configure icons to hide or reposition on smaller screens using custom responsive width settings.
- Shortcodes and Widgets – Insert share icons, profile icons, or share links anywhere using shortcodes or widgets, including specific page-level control.
Who Should Use WP Socializer?
WP Socializer suits beginners and intermediate site owners. If you run a blog, news site, or small business website and want to add social share buttons in WordPress, this plugin offers a straightforward setup. The plugin requires WordPress 5.0+ and PHP 5.3+, so it works on most modern hosting environments. Its 16-year history suggests stability, and the 10K+ install base indicates consistent use by a niche audience.
For users specifically looking to add WhatsApp share button WordPress functionality, WP Socializer includes WhatsApp as a built-in icon. Similarly, if you need social media share icons WordPress plugin features without heavy code, the plugin loads its CSS and JS locally and only when needed. The developer claims no external resources except font icons, which helps with page speed.
Installation & Setup
Install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen or upload the files to /wp-content/plugins/wp-socializer. Activate it, then go to Settings > WP Socializer to configure share bars, follow icons, and widgets. The interface uses checkboxes and dropdowns, making it beginner-friendly. No coding is required to add social share buttons in WordPress with this plugin.
Support & Community
Support data from the last two months shows 0 open threads and 0 resolved threads, giving a 0% resolution rate. This suggests either very few users need help or the developer is not actively monitoring the forums. The 9% one-star rating may partly reflect this support gap, though the 83% five-star rate indicates most users find the plugin works as described without issues.
WP Socializer is a solid choice if you want a lightweight, feature-rich social sharing solution. Its age and consistent updates (last updated Jan 2025) provide reassurance. However, if you rely on responsive forum support, this plugin may not deliver that level of service. Test it on a staging site first to see if it meets your needs.
Pros & Cons
- With over 10K+ active installs and a 4.5 rating from 128 ratings (83% five-star), WP Socializer is a well-tested and trusted free plugin for adding social share icons.
- It supports 55+ social networks out of the box, including newer platforms like Threads, Mastodon, and Bluesky, which many competing free plugins lack.
- The plugin offers five distinct placement options (inline, floating bar, follow icons, selected text share, shortcodes/widgets), giving you flexible control over where share buttons appear.
- It is fully responsive and optimized for mobile devices, with a dedicated mobile share bar feature that adapts to small screens automatically.
- The plugin has zero support threads resolved (0 total, 0 resolved), which suggests that users may have no official avenue for troubleshooting or bug reports.
- Share counts are only available for Facebook and Pinterest, missing support for share counts on major platforms like X (Twitter), LinkedIn, or WhatsApp.
- Despite a 4.5 rating, 9% of reviews are one-star, indicating a notable minority of users experienced significant issues or dissatisfaction.
Technical Details
- Requires WordPress
- 5.0+
- Requires PHP
- 5.3+
- Tested up to WP
- 6.7.5
- First Released
- 2010 (16+ years)
- Support (last 2 months)
- 0 threads
Feature Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, WP Socializer is completely free and available on WordPress.org. It has 10K+ active installs and a rating of 4.5/5 from 128 ratings.
WP Socializer has 10K+ active installs according to WordPress.org stats. It also maintains a strong 4.5/5 rating from 128 user reviews.
WP Socializer requires WordPress 5.0 or higher, and it has been tested up to WordPress 6.7.5. The plugin was first released in 2010 and has been continuously updated since then.
Yes, the plugin was last updated on Jan 11, 2025 and is currently at version 7.9. It has had 0 support threads in the last 2 months, indicating stable performance.
WP Socializer requires PHP 5.3 or higher to run. This makes it compatible with almost all modern WordPress hosting environments.
Support has been excellent with 0 total support threads in the last 2 months, meaning most users find the plugin works smoothly. The plugin is rated 4.5/5 from 128 ratings, reflecting high user satisfaction.
Yes, it is described as simple and easy to use, with features like shortcodes and widgets that require no coding. The plugin works out of the box on mobile devices and includes 55+ social network icons.
Main features include inline share icons, floating share bars, follow icons, selected text share popups, and shortcodes for custom placement. It supports 55+ social networks like Facebook, X, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn, and works with WordPress 5.0+.