LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… vs WP Updates Notifier (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 30K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… has accumulated 19M+ total downloads while WP Updates Notifier has 236K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… | WP Updates Notifier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | ◄ | 4.2/5 |
| Total Reviews | 860 | ◄ | 35 |
| Active Installs | 500K+ | ◄ | 30K+ |
| Total Downloads | 19M+ | ◄ | 236K+ |
| Support Resolution | 50% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 2 weeks ago | ◄ | 6 years ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Age | 16 years | 15 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.7+ | 3.1+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.1+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 2.6.20 | 1.6.0 |
Rating Breakdown
LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming…
WP Updates Notifier
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… averaged approximately 1,064 daily downloads while WP Updates Notifier averaged 18.
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
WP Updates Notifier Reviews
Essential plugin to manage many sites
A unique plugin of its kind but which I consider very useful and fundamental if you have to manage many websites (as in my case) in order to have a “memory” of the plugins to be updated! EXCELLENT!
Out-of date and not fully working
It’s ok for theme and plugins notifications, but notification about core updates does’t work for more than one year! This plugin probably won’t recieve an update anymore. This topic was modifi
Simple and effective
I get notified whenever a plugin needs to be updated. Perfect!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… or WP Updates Notifier more popular?
Which has better ratings — LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… or WP Updates Notifier?
Are LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… and WP Updates Notifier free?
Which plugin has better support — LightStart – Maintenance Mode, Coming… or WP Updates Notifier?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.