Monarch Social is a social sharing plugin from Elegant Themes that adds social media share buttons to your WordPress site. It supports 20+ social networks and offers multiple display locations — above content, below content, floating sidebar, inline, popup, and fly-in. The plugin displays share counts from each network and lets you customize button styles, colors, shapes, and animations. You can enable or disable sharing on specific post types, pages, or categories. For sites that want comprehensive social sharing without a monthly subscription fee, Monarch is a one-time purchase alternative to Social Warfare, with a wider range of display options.
The plugin uses JavaScript-based share count fetching with caching to avoid slowing down page loads. It supports both HTTP and HTTPS, and includes Open Graph meta tag management for better social sharing previews.
Competitive Features
- 20+ networks — Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google, Tumblr, and more
- Multiple placements — above/below content, floating sidebar, popup, fly-in, and inline
- Share counts — display share counts per network with configurable caching
- Custom styling — colors, shapes, sizes, icon styles, and animation effects
- Post types — enable or disable on specific post types, pages, and categories
- Stats — view share count analytics per post in the WordPress admin
- Open Graph — built-in social meta tag management for sharing previews
Key Features
- Button styles — icons only, icons with text, text only, or counters
- Placement control — independent placement settings for posts, pages, and custom post types
- Floating sidebar — sticky social bar that follows the user as they scroll
- Popup and fly-in — timed or scroll-triggered social sharing prompts
- Count caching — configurable cache interval for share counts to improve performance
- Ordering — drag-and-drop network ordering for each placement
- GDPR support — option to disable share counts for GDPR compliance
Recommended Stack — pair Monarch Social with email marketing tools like MailPoet Premium to combine social sharing with email newsletters that capture and nurture visitors.
Comparison with Competitors
Monarch Social vs Social Warfare
| Feature | Monarch Social | Social Warfare |
|---|---|---|
| Social networks | 20+ | 13 |
| Placement options | 6 | 5 |
| Share counts | Yes | Yes |
| Open Graph tags | Yes | Yes |
| Custom styling | Colors, shapes, animations | Color schemes |
| Popup/fly-in | Yes | No |
| Floating sidebar | Yes | Yes |
Monarch Social vs Social Auto Poster Pro
| Feature | Monarch Social | Social Auto Poster Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Share buttons | Auto-posting |
| Share buttons | 20+ networks | No |
| Auto-posting | No | Yes |
| Share counts | Yes | No |
| Placement control | 6 options | Not applicable |
| Analytics | Per-post stats | Posting logs |
Plugin Updates
Monarch Social is a premium plugin from Elegant Themes and does not have a public changelog on WordPress.org. Updates are released by the developer with new features, platform support, and fixes.
License holders receive all updates automatically through their Elegant Themes account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Monarch Social free?
Monarch is a premium plugin from Elegant Themes. It’s included with the Elegant Themes membership ($89/year) which also includes the Divi theme and other plugins.
Which social networks does Monarch support?
Monarch supports 20+ networks including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google, Tumblr, Reddit, StumbleUpon, WhatsApp, and more.
Can I show share counts?
Yes. Monarch displays share counts from supported networks with configurable caching to maintain site performance.
What placement options are available?
Above content, below content, floating sidebar, popup, fly-in, and inline. Each can be enabled independently per post type.
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