For most sites the strongest alternative to WPZOOM Social Icons Widget is AddToAny, which adds proper share buttons and follow icons rather than icons alone. Sassy Social Share is the best free option with the widest network support, while Font Awesome is the standout if you just want clean, scalable icons. We ranked these from our index of 55,000+ WordPress plugins.

Why people switch from WPZOOM Social Icons Widget

• WPZOOM Social Icons Widget displays profile icons, so people wanting actual share buttons move to AddToAny or Sassy Social Share.
• Those wanting a huge, well-maintained icon library switch to Font Awesome.
• Sites after many networks and sharing counts choose Sassy Social Share or Social Media Share Buttons.
• Users wanting a clean, minimal profile-icon widget consider Simple Social Icons.

AddToAny – Overall replacement

AddToAny is a popular free plugin for share buttons and follow icons that works across virtually every network. Against WPZOOM Social Icons Widget, it adds true sharing functionality, including floating share bars, not just linked icons. The drawback is that its styling options are limited without custom CSS and its analytics are basic.

Choose AddToAny if you want free, universal share and follow buttons.

Font Awesome – Scalable icon library

Font Awesome is the official plugin for the widely used icon library, giving you thousands of crisp, scalable icons. Against WPZOOM Social Icons Widget, it offers far more icon choice and quality for social and general use. The drawback is that it provides icons only, so you build the links and layout yourself rather than getting a ready-made widget.

Choose Font Awesome if you want a large, high-quality icon library to build with.

Sassy Social Share – Widest network support

Sassy Social Share is a free sharing plugin supporting a very large list of social networks with floating and inline bars. Against WPZOOM Social Icons Widget, it adds real share buttons and counts across many services. The drawback is that its settings screen is cluttered, with a lot of options to wade through.

Choose Sassy Social Share if you want share buttons for as many networks as possible.

Social Media Share Buttons – Icons plus sharing

Social Media Share Buttons combines follow icons and share buttons with plenty of display options. Against WPZOOM Social Icons Widget, it covers both following and sharing in one plugin. The drawback is that it upsells to its Premium version frequently and the interface can feel dated.

Choose Social Media Share Buttons if you want both follow icons and share buttons together.

Simple Social Icons – Minimal profile icons

Simple Social Icons is a lightweight widget for displaying a clean row of social profile icons. Against WPZOOM Social Icons Widget, it is simpler and lighter for sites that only want to link to their profiles. The drawback is that it only shows profile icons with no sharing, and it is barely maintained now.

Choose Simple Social Icons if you only need a simple, tidy row of profile icons.

When to stay on WPZOOM Social Icons Widget

Stay on WPZOOM Social Icons Widget if you simply want a clean, easy widget to link to your social profiles and do not need share buttons or counts. It is light and does that job well, so if profile icons are all you are after, moving to a fuller sharing plugin adds features you will not use.

How we ranked these

Every plugin here is scored by the WPS Score, a single 0 to 10 rating built from 21 signals covering maintenance, support responsiveness, compatibility, performance, and ratings quality across our index of 55,000+ plugins. Rankings are derived from that data, not editorial preference, and no plugin author can pay to change a score. How the WPS Score works.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to the WPZOOM Social Icons Widget?

AddToAny is a top free alternative because it adds real share and follow buttons across nearly every network. Sassy Social Share is another strong free option with very wide network support, while Font Awesome is ideal if you just want high-quality icons to place yourself.

What is the difference between social icons and social share buttons?

Social icons usually link to your own profiles so visitors can follow you, which is what the WPZOOM Social Icons Widget provides. Social share buttons, like those in AddToAny or Sassy Social Share, let visitors share your content to their own networks. Many sites want both.

Do I need Font Awesome for social icons?

Not necessarily. Font Awesome gives you a large library of scalable icons, but it does not build a ready-made social widget for you. If you want a plug-and-play set of profile links or share buttons, a dedicated plugin like AddToAny or the WPZOOM Social Icons Widget is simpler.

The verdict

The best all-round replacement is AddToAny for combining sharing and follow icons for free, while Sassy Social Share wins on network breadth and Font Awesome for icon quality. If all you need is a tidy set of profile links, staying on WPZOOM Social Icons Widget is a reasonable choice.