# GW Under Construction Mode vs LightStart

> GW Under Construction Mode vs LightStart compared on installs, downloads, ratings, updates, compatibility and support. LightStart comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against GW Under Construction Mode.

**LightStart comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against GW Under Construction Mode.** Choose LightStart if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.

| | GW Under Construction Mode | LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming Soon and Landing Page Builder |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 200+ | 400K+ ✅ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 120 | 230.9K ✅ |
| Download trend | +11.1% | +289.9% ✅ |
| Rating | 5/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Reviews | 2 | 874 ✅ |
| Health score | 42/100 | 94/100 ✅ |
| Last updated | 1 year ago | 3 weeks ago ✅ |
| Tested up to | WP 6.8.11 | WP 7.1.3 ✅ |
| Support resolved | — | 100% |
| Requires PHP | 7.4+ | 7.1+ |
| First released | May 2025 | Feb 2010 |

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is better, GW Under Construction Mode or LightStart?
LightStart comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against GW Under Construction Mode.  Choose LightStart if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.

### Is GW Under Construction Mode more popular than LightStart?
LightStart is the more popular of the two with 400K+ active installs, compared with 200+ for GW Under Construction Mode.

### Can I use GW Under Construction Mode and LightStart together?
Both plugins cover coming soon, maintenance mode and under construction, so most sites only need one. Running two plugins that do the same job can cause conflicts and slow your site down — pick the one that fits best and remove the other.

### Are GW Under Construction Mode and LightStart free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.


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Source: live WordPress.org data · HTML version: https://pageforge.pro/directory/compare/gw-under-construction-mode-vs-wp-maintenance-mode/ · Generated 2026-10-21 09:00 UTC by PageForge