LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… vs SpiceBox (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, LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… has a higher user rating (4.3/5 from 860 reviews) and leads in active installations (500K+ vs 20K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… has accumulated 19M+ total downloads while SpiceBox has 1.2M+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… | SpiceBox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | ◄ | 3.8/5 |
| Total Reviews | 860 | ◄ | 4 |
| Active Installs | 500K+ | ◄ | 20K+ |
| Total Downloads | 19M+ | ◄ | 1.2M+ |
| Support Resolution | 50% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 2 weeks ago | ► | 3 days ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2018 | |
| Age | 16 years | 8 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.7+ | 3.3+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.1+ | 5.2+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.6.20 | 2.4.5 |
Rating Breakdown
LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming…
SpiceBox
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… averaged approximately 1,064 daily downloads while SpiceBox averaged 357.
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
SpiceBox Reviews
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Spicebox is not compatible with my PHP 7.3
Hi There! I am have updated my PHP version 7.2 to 7.3 no there is problem with my Spice Box plugin that It is not showing the customize content of my WordPress site. Is there is any one who can help i
Fixed another broken feature
june 3 2020 Another update that breaks the chilly theme. Spicepress got a new feature which works fine, Chilly however shares most files with spicepress but alas.. the include file is missing from the
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… or SpiceBox more popular?
Which has better ratings — LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… or SpiceBox?
Are LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… and SpiceBox free?
Which plugin has better support — LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… or SpiceBox?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.