LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… vs Protect Admin (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming…
500K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Protect Admin has a higher user rating (5/5 from 5 reviews) while LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… leads in active installations (500K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… has accumulated 19M+ total downloads while Protect Admin has 28K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… | Protect Admin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | ► | 5/5 |
| Total Reviews | 860 | ◄ | 5 |
| Active Installs | 500K+ | ◄ | 2.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 19M+ | ◄ | 28K+ |
| Support Resolution | 50% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 2 weeks ago | ◄ | 1 month ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2020 | |
| Age | 16 years | 6 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.7+ | 4.7+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.1+ | 5.3+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.6.20 | 2.1.6 |
Rating Breakdown
LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming…
Protect Admin
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… averaged approximately 1,042 daily downloads while Protect Admin averaged 26.
Recent Reviews
LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… Reviews
Not for the faint hearted or newbies
My isssue (which I’m currently waiting for help with)- is that it broke my Woocommerce/Divi Shop. The Maintenance Mode is still active on my Homepage even after deactivating Lightstart.I’m sure it wil
Installed Unwanted Plugins
The actual plugin I wanted to use worked fine but it installed two other plugins – an image optimization plugin and some other plugin called Otter. No prompts, notification or nothing. Very sketch.
Excellent Lightweight Easy to use
LightStart is a great addition to any WordPress site if you’re looking for a lightweight, reliable, and easy-to-use solution. It installs quickly, works smoothly without slowing down performance, and
Protect Admin Reviews
Absolutely awesome plugin
This plugin has solved a basic need or requirement iv’e always had with wordpress. Please add this 2 features Prevent custom post types published by protected admins from being edited or delet
Does exactly what it says
Simple to use plugin and does exactly what it says. This should be party of all BuddyPress, BuddyBoss or any other membership addons. Thank you!
Very useful
I didn’t know how to protect the admin with id 1, and I solved the problem quickly and easily with this plugin. Even though I didn’t need more functions, I also bought the Pro version because I wanted
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… or Protect Admin more popular?
Which has better ratings — LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… or Protect Admin?
Are LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… and Protect Admin free?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.