RemoteWP vs WordPress MCP Adapter: Ready-Made or Build Your Own
The WordPress MCP Adapter is the official, free building block for exposing WordPress “abilities” to AI assistants through MCP. It is made for developers who want to decide exactly which tools the AI gets. RemoteWP is a ready-made plugin: install it, paste one prompt into Claude Code, Codex or Gemini, and the agent can work on your site with approvals and backups, without MCP.
Verdict: if you want an AI agent working on your site today, without writing abilities or MCP configuration, and with approvals and backups built in, RemoteWP is the more complete choice. If you are a developer building your own AI tools on WordPress 6.9 or newer, choose the MCP Adapter. RemoteWP also starts free, with a 7-day full Pro trial.
We make RemoteWP. We describe the MCP Adapter from its public documentation and reviews as of October 2026. It is under active development; check the WordPress/mcp-adapter repository for current details.
At a glance
| WordPress MCP Adapter | RemoteWP | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Developers building AI tools on WordPress | Site owners, freelancers and agencies |
| Approach | MCP server for abilities registered through the WordPress Abilities API | Own REST API, not MCP |
| WordPress version | 6.9 or newer | 5.8 or newer |
| Setup | Install, create credentials, write the client configuration, mark abilities as public | Install, enter license key, paste one prompt |
| What the AI can do | Only the abilities you or your plugins register and expose | Theme files and CSS, content, page builders, SEO, WooCommerce, error log |
| Safety | You decide which abilities exist and who can use them | Approvals for sensitive changes, backup before every file change, protected core files |
| Maturity | Official, pre-1.0, changing quickly | Commercial product with support |
| Price | Free, open source | Free for 1 site (read-only) plus 7-day Pro trial; from $79/year for 10 sites |
What the MCP Adapter is built for
WordPress 6.9 introduced the Abilities API, a standard way for WordPress and plugins to describe actions an AI can take. The MCP Adapter turns those abilities into MCP tools, so an MCP client such as Claude Desktop can call them.
That makes it a foundation rather than a finished product. Abilities are private by default and must be explicitly made public before they appear. There is no settings screen: you install the plugin, create an application password or another credential, and write the MCP configuration for your AI client yourself. Desktop clients may also need a small Node.js bridge.
For a developer, this is exactly the point: full control over which tools exist and what each one does.
What RemoteWP is built for
RemoteWP is for people who want the AI to work on the site today, without building tools first:
- design and CSS fixes in the theme or child theme, including mobile-only fixes,
- editing pages in Gutenberg, Elementor, WPBakery or Divi without breaking their structure,
- SEO audits and fixes, WooCommerce bulk edits with one approval for the whole list,
- reading the PHP error log and finding the cause of a problem.
Sensitive changes wait for your approval, every file is backed up before it changes, and core files such as wp-config.php are protected. It runs on WordPress 5.8 and newer, so older sites are covered too.
When to choose the MCP Adapter
- You are a developer and want to define exactly which abilities an AI can use.
- You are building a plugin or product that should expose its own actions to AI assistants.
- Your sites run WordPress 6.9 or newer and you are comfortable with MCP configuration.
When to choose RemoteWP
- You want Claude Code, Codex or Gemini to do real site work now, without writing abilities or configuration.
- Your sites include older WordPress versions.
- You manage client sites and need approvals, backups, a customer portal and client reports.
Frequently asked questions
Will the MCP Adapter replace plugins like RemoteWP?
It provides a standard foundation. Someone still has to build and expose the abilities, and add the safety and agency features a finished product includes. RemoteWP is that finished product, without MCP.
Is the MCP Adapter part of WordPress core?
The Abilities API is in core from WordPress 6.9. The MCP Adapter is a separate plugin you install.
Can I use both?
Yes. A developer can expose custom abilities through the MCP Adapter, while RemoteWP handles everyday site work with approvals and backups.