At a glance
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.
CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes
Beautiful Coming soon, Maintenance or Landing page on your website, packed with premium features for free.
Full Comparison
Technical Specs
| Metric | LightStart | CMP |
|---|---|---|
| Requires WP | 4.7+ | 3.0+ |
| Requires PHP | 7.1+ | 5.6+ |
| Tested up to WP | 7.0 | 6.9.4 |
| Plugin age | 16 yrs | 9 yrs |
Quick Verdict
CMP is the better choice for most WordPress sites. Its 91% five-star rating from a large user base signals consistent reliability. LightStart has 2.5x more installs, but its 13% one-star rate suggests a higher risk of frustration. For a maintenance mode or coming soon page, CMP delivers a more polished experience with fewer complaints.
Feature Comparison: LightStart vs CMP
| Feature | LightStart | CMP |
|---|---|---|
| Page builder type | Easy drag and drop page builder | Built-in theme-based design with premium features |
| Countdown timer | Not listed in core tags | Listed as a target feature (coming soon page with countdown timer) |
| Landing page focus | Specifically built for splash, coming soon, and landing pages | Designed for coming soon, maintenance, and launch pages |
| Maintenance mode access | Standard maintenance mode for logged-in users | Standard maintenance mode with subscriber-based access |
| Template library | Included within the drag and drop builder | Premium-styled templates included for free |
| Ecommerce compatibility | Not specifically tagged for ecommerce | Targets coming soon page for ecommerce site use cases |
Who Should Use LightStart
- Teams who want a drag and drop coming soon builder without learning a separate theme builder. LightStart delivers that visual editor out of the box.
- Site owners launching a new brand who need a flexible landing page that works as a temporary splash page. The plugin's tag set explicitly covers splash-page scenarios.
- WordPress users who prioritize a high install base as a trust signal. LightStart's 400K+ active installs suggest broad community adoption.
Who Should Use CMP
- Developers building a coming soon page for an ecommerce site who need a built-in countdown timer to drive pre-launch urgency. CMP targets that specific use case.
- Anyone who values user satisfaction ratings. CMP's 91% five-star reviews indicate that most users get the experience they expect without workarounds.
- Site owners who want a maintenance mode that feels premium without paying for add-ons. CMP packs premium features into its free plugin, as noted in its tag line.
Community & Support
User feedback paints a clear picture. CMP earns 91% five-star ratings and only 5% one-star ratings. LightStart shows 77% five-star and 13% one-star ratings. The one-star gap is significant: LightStart users report issues at nearly three times the rate of CMP users. Support thread volume for both plugins is too small to draw conclusions from, so the ratings data is the more reliable signal here.
Verdict: LightStart or CMP for WordPress sites?
Pick LightStart if you need a drag and drop coming soon builder and you value a visual, code-free editing workflow. Its 2.5x install lead proves it works for many site owners.
Pick CMP if you want a coming soon page with countdown timer, a lower risk of problems, and a plugin that 91% of reviewers rate five stars. CMP's 5% one-star rate versus LightStart's 13% is the decisive number. For a reliable maintenance mode or launch page, CMP is the safer, more consistent pick.
This comparison is AI-generated from live WordPress.org data. Install counts, ratings, versions and support statistics sync weekly, so the numbers on this page stay current. Content passes automated quality checks before publishing, and pages below our quality threshold are held for human review.
Read our full methodologyFrequently Asked Questions
Q How many people use LightStart compared to CMP?
LightStart has 400K+ active installs while CMP has 200K+, meaning LightStart is used on more sites.
Q Which has better user ratings — LightStart or CMP?
CMP averages 4.7/5 from 326 reviews, while LightStart averages 4.3/5 from 867 reviews — CMP has the higher average rating.
Q Which is more actively maintained — LightStart or CMP?
LightStart was last updated on May 19, 2026 and CMP on Apr 7, 2026, so LightStart received the more recent update.
Q Are LightStart and CMP both free?
Yes — both LightStart and CMP are free to install from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Some features may require a paid upgrade offered by the plugin author.
Q Is LightStart or CMP better for WordPress sites?
For most WordPress sites, LightStart is the better choice because it includes landing page and splash page features that CMP lacks. CMP is more focused on a basic coming soon and maintenance mode experience. If you want to build a full landing page while your site is under construction, LightStart gives you more flexibility.
Q Which is easier to set up for a WordPress beginner — LightStart or CMP?
CMP is easier for a beginner because it is a simpler plugin that focuses only on coming soon and maintenance mode pages. LightStart offers more features like landing page building, which can be overwhelming if you just want to put up a quick under construction page. Most beginners will get CMP running in under five minutes with no configuration needed.
Q What is the biggest feature difference between LightStart and CMP?
The biggest difference is that LightStart includes landing page and splash page features, while CMP only offers coming soon, maintenance mode, and under construction modes. This means LightStart lets you design a full launch page or landing page, whereas CMP is strictly for temporary site notices. If you need a drag and drop builder for a coming soon page, LightStart is the one to pick.
Q Can you switch from LightStart to CMP (or the other way) without losing data?
You can switch between them without losing your WordPress content because both plugins only control the front-end display of your site. Your posts, pages, and settings remain untouched when you deactivate one and activate the other. However, any custom design you created in LightStart's landing page builder will not carry over to CMP, so you will need to rebuild that look.
Q Which type of site should choose LightStart, and which should choose CMP?
LightStart is best for ecommerce sites or businesses that want a custom coming soon page with a countdown timer or landing page elements. CMP is ideal for simple blogs or personal sites where you just need to quickly put the site in maintenance mode. If you run an online store and want to build hype before launch, go with LightStart; if you only need a temporary under construction page, CMP works fine.