Social Share Counter: BuzzSumo vs ShareThis for Tracking Social Shares

Pick BuzzSumo if you want to study what content gets shared across the web. Pick ShareThis if you want share buttons and visible counters on your own site. They sound similar. They are not. One is a research tool. The other is a sharing widget with tracking.

What is a social share counter?

A social share counter shows how many times a page was shared, clicked, or engaged with on social media.

Simple idea. Messy reality.

Years ago, social share counts were easier. Many networks gave public numbers. You could slap a counter on a blog post and feel clever. Now, platforms hide more data. APIs change. Some numbers vanish. Some counts update slowly. Some only track button clicks, not every share across the internet.

So the big question is not just, “Which tool counts shares?”

The better question is:

• Do you want to research popular content?
• Do you want to add share buttons to your site?
• Do you need competitor data?
• Do you need simple reports for your boss?

That is where BuzzSumo and ShareThis split apart.

BuzzSumo in plain English

BuzzSumo is like a content detective.

You type in a keyword, domain, topic, or URL. BuzzSumo shows content that performed well. It can show engagement across places like Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, and other sources, depending on data access and plan.

It is built for people who ask questions like:

• What blog posts are people sharing?
• Which headlines get attention?
• What content worked for my competitors?
• Which topics are cooling down?
• Who is writing viral articles in my niche?

BuzzSumo is not mainly a button tool. It will not make your readers share your page. It helps you understand what people already share.

That makes it useful for:

• Content marketers
• SEO teams
• PR teams
• Agencies
• Editors

It feels more like a search engine for shareable content. A very nosy one. In a good way.

ShareThis in plain English

ShareThis is more like a toolbox for your website.

It gives you social share buttons. You can add them to blog posts, product pages, landing pages, and news articles. Readers click a button. They share your page. ShareThis can track those button clicks and show you data.

It is made for questions like:

• Are people clicking my share buttons?
• Which pages get shared from my site?
• Which networks get the most action?
• Where should I place my buttons?
• Are sticky buttons better than inline buttons?

ShareThis is not a deep competitor spy tool. It is not made to search the whole web for winning articles. It focuses on your site and your readers.

Honestly, it feels like some site owners expect ShareThis to behave like BuzzSumo. Then they get annoyed. Fair enough. The names sound like cousins. But the jobs are very different.

BuzzSumo vs ShareThis: the quick comparison

Which one gives better share counts?

Here is the slightly annoying truth. No social share counter is perfect anymore.

Some platforms limit public share data. Some networks change rules often. Some tools estimate. Some count only clicks from their own buttons. Some report engagement, not pure shares.

BuzzSumo is usually better when you want broader content engagement data. It can help you see which pages attracted social attention. That is very handy when planning content.

ShareThis is better when you care about your own button activity. If a reader clicks your LinkedIn share button, that click can be counted. If someone copies your URL and posts it later, ShareThis may not catch that as a button share.

It drives me crazy that people still treat all “share counts” as the same number. They are not. A Facebook engagement number, a button click, a repost, and a URL mention can all tell different stories.

When BuzzSumo wins

BuzzSumo wins when you are planning content before you publish.

Say you run a fitness blog. You search “home workout for beginners.” BuzzSumo shows that list posts, 10-minute routines, and printable plans get strong engagement. You notice one competitor article has 4,800 total engagements. Another has only 230.

That tells you something fast.

The audience may like short workouts. They may share practical plans. They may ignore vague motivation posts. Great. Now you have direction.

Use BuzzSumo when you need to:

• Find proven article ideas
• Compare headlines
• Study competitor wins
• Track topic performance
• Build outreach lists
• Report social engagement trends

BuzzSumo is also useful after publishing. You can check your own URLs and compare them with others. That can sting a bit. But useful data often does.

When ShareThis wins

ShareThis wins when you want readers to share your content right now.

You install the buttons. You choose the networks. You pick button style and placement. Then you watch what people click.

For example, your recipe blog may get:

• 340 Pinterest shares from image-heavy recipes
• 95 Facebook shares from family dinner posts
• 12 LinkedIn shares because, well, soup is not a career move

That tells you where your audience actually shares. Not where you wish they shared.

ShareThis is great for:

• Blogs
• News sites
• Ecommerce content pages
• Recipe sites
• Online magazines
• Small business websites

Expect to waste time on button placement if you test it properly. Top buttons may work. Floating side buttons may work better. Mobile buttons need extra care. A tiny button at the bottom of a 2,000-word post is basically hiding in a cupboard.

Which is easier to use?

ShareThis is easier to start. Add code or a plugin. Pick buttons. Publish. Done.

BuzzSumo takes more thinking. You need to search, filter, compare, and interpret. It is not hard. But it is more of a research desk than a plug-and-play widget.

If you only care about adding share buttons, BuzzSumo is overkill.

If you only care about market research, ShareThis is too narrow.

What about price?

Pricing can change, so check current plans before you buy.

In general, BuzzSumo is the bigger paid tool. It is aimed at teams that need content data, monitoring, and reports. That usually means a higher cost.

ShareThis is often easier for small sites to try, especially if the main goal is adding sharing tools. Some features may be free or tied to data and setup options.

The money question is simple:

• If content research saves you hours, BuzzSumo may pay for itself.
• If you just need neat share buttons, ShareThis is the lighter choice.

Can you use both?

Yes. And this is often the smartest setup.

Use BuzzSumo before writing. Find topics with proven social pull. Study formats. Spot weak competitor content you can beat.

Then use ShareThis after publishing. Add buttons. Track clicks. See which pages your own readers share.

Here is a simple workflow:

1. Search your topic in BuzzSumo.
2. Pick a proven angle.
3. Write a better article.
4. Add ShareThis buttons.
5. Track shares for 30 days.
6. Update the article based on results.

That is clean. No drama. Well, less drama.

Final pick

Choose BuzzSumo if you need smart content decisions. It is best for research, competitor checks, and spotting what gets social attention.

Choose ShareThis if you need share buttons and simple on-site share tracking. It is best for turning readers into sharers.

For many teams, the best answer is not BuzzSumo or ShareThis. It is BuzzSumo then ShareThis. First, learn what people love to share. Then make it very easy for them to share yours.