Head-to-head · October 2026
Simple Under Construction vs LightStart
LightStart comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against Simple Under Construction.
Simple Under Construction
Simple under construction adds a mobile friendly, animated under construction page to your website with…
LightStart
Add a maintenance page to your blog that lets visitors know your blog is down for maintenance, add a coming…
| Metric | Simple Under Construction | LightStart |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 20+ | 400K+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 199 | 230.9K |
| Download trend | +3.1% | +289.9% |
| Rating | — | 4.3/5 |
| Reviews | 0 | 874 |
| Health score | 24/100 | 94/100 |
| Last updated | 11 years ago | 3 weeks ago |
| Tested up to | WP 4.2.39 | WP 7.1.3 |
| Support resolved | — | 100% |
| Requires PHP | Any | 7.1+ |
| First released | Aug 2015 | Feb 2010 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Simple Under Constructi…LightStart
Choose Simple Under Construction if…
You prefer its feature set and workflow — it holds its own on the fundamentals.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 11 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.2 (latest is 7.1)
Choose LightStart if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
- Proven at scale on 400K+ active sites
- Actively developed — last update 3 weeks ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Momentum — downloads up 289.9% vs the previous 30 days
Both compete in: coming soon under construction
FAQ
Simple Under Construction vs LightStart: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 21, 2026
Which is better, Simple Under Construction or LightStart?
LightStart comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against Simple Under Construction. Choose LightStart if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
Is Simple Under Construction more popular than LightStart?
LightStart is the more popular of the two with 400K+ active installs, compared with 20+ for Simple Under Construction.
Can I use Simple Under Construction and LightStart together?
Both plugins cover coming soon 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 Simple Under Construction 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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