Head-to-head · September 2026
LightStart vs WP Maintenance Mode & Sit…
LightStart comes out ahead, winning 4 of 6 head-to-head checks against WP Maintenance Mode & Site….
LightStart
Add a maintenance page to your blog that lets visitors know your blog is down for maintenance, add a coming…
WP Maintenance Mode & Site Under Constr…
WP Maintenance Mode & Site Under Construction is a modern, ultra-lightweight, and zero-bloat solution to put…
| Metric | LightStart | WP Maintenance Mode & Sit… |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 400K+ | 3K+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 53.2K | 3.3K |
| Download trend | -65.4% | +20% |
| Rating | 4.3/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Reviews | 873 | 4 |
| Health score | 90/100 | 74/100 |
| Last updated | 1 month ago | 4 weeks ago |
| Tested up to | WP 7.1.2 | WP 7.1.2 |
| Support resolved | 100% | — |
| Requires PHP | 7.1+ | 7.4+ |
| First released | Feb 2010 | Feb 2020 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
LightStartWP Maintenance Mode & S…
Choose LightStart if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
- Proven at scale on 400K+ active sites
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
Choose WP Maintenance Mode & Sit… if…
You care most about download trend and last updated.
- Actively developed — last update 4 weeks ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Momentum — downloads up 20% vs the previous 30 days
- Very few reviews so far
Both compete in: coming soon maintenance mode under construction
FAQ
LightStart vs WP Maintenance Mode & Sit…: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 28, 2026
Which is better, LightStart or WP Maintenance Mode & Site…?
LightStart comes out ahead, winning 4 of 6 head-to-head checks against WP Maintenance Mode & Site…. Choose LightStart if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews. Choose WP Maintenance Mode & Site… if you care most about download trend and last updated.
Is LightStart more popular than WP Maintenance Mode & Site…?
LightStart is the more popular of the two with 400K+ active installs, compared with 3K+ for WP Maintenance Mode & Site….
Can I use LightStart and WP Maintenance Mode & Site… 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 LightStart and WP Maintenance Mode & Site… 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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