Maintenance vs LightStart (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Coming Soon Plugins top 10: Maintenance at #2 and LightStart at #4. They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Maintenance
Great looking maintenance, coming soon & under construction pages. Put your site under maintenance in minutes.
LightStart
LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming Soon and Landing Page Builder
Easy Drag & Drop Page Builder that adds a splash page to your site that it's perfect for a coming soon page, maintenance or landing page.
Who leads on what
They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most.
Maintenance ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #4 in Coming Soon Plugins.
Maintenance has more users: 1 million+ active installs against 400,000+.
Maintenance is rated higher: 4.4 out of 5 from 866 reviews, against 4.3 from 874 reviews.
LightStart has more reviews behind its score: 874 against 866.
LightStart was updated more recently, on September 29, 2026; Maintenance on August 16, 2026.
LightStart was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 239,805 times against 112,331.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Maintenance
Pick Maintenance if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run or the review score matters most to you.
LightStart
Pick LightStart if you want the score backed by more reviews, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Maintenance vs LightStart side by side
| Maintenance | LightStart | |
|---|---|---|
| Coming Soon Plugins ranking | #2 | #4 |
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.3 |
| Reviews | 866 | 874 |
| Active installs | 1 million+ | 400,000+ |
| Total downloads | 19,273,299 | 20,415,858 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 112,331 | 239,805 |
| Last updated | Aug 16, 2026 | Sep 29, 2026 |
| First published | May 31, 2012 | Feb 26, 2010 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 5.2 | 7.1 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Maintenance ratings
LightStart ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Maintenance nor LightStart can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Coming Soon Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Maintenance vs LightStart: common questions
Is Maintenance better than LightStart?
They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Maintenance ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #4 in Coming Soon Plugins.
Which has more users, Maintenance or LightStart?
Maintenance ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #4 in Coming Soon Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Maintenance or LightStart?
Maintenance has more users: 1 million+ active installs against 400,000+.
Are Maintenance and LightStart free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Maintenance may also sell a paid version or add-ons. LightStart may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Maintenance and LightStart
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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