Plugins · checked 4 October 2026
WordPress MCP plugins, compared
Which plugin turns your site into an MCP server, what each one really costs, and the question to ask before you install any of them.
The short answer. Developers should start with the official MCP Adapter. If you want an assistant to manage content without writing code, a full plugin such as AI Engine or Easy MCP AI does more on day one. And if you would rather install nothing on your sites, connect from outside instead. Whatever you choose, skip Automattic’s old wordpress-mcp plugin: it was archived on 17 September 2026, even though it still ranks first on Google.
Three kinds of MCP plugin
“WordPress MCP plugin” covers plugins that work in quite different ways. Knowing which kind you are looking at answers most questions about it.
- The foundation: the MCP Adapter. WordPress’s own plugin. It serves the abilities that other plugins register — and on a plain site there are only three, all read-only. More on the MCP Adapter page.
- Add-ons to the adapter. Plugins such as Enable Abilities for MCP register the abilities the adapter serves: 112 of them, write abilities included.
- All-in-one servers. AI Engine, Easy MCP AI, Royal MCP and others bring their own MCP server and their own tools, and do not need the adapter.
- Relays. WPVibe’s plugin is free, but the connection runs through WPVibe’s own servers, which store an encrypted application password for your site.
Side by side
The plugins worth knowing
The dedicated MCP plugins on WordPress.org with real use, plus the official adapter. Prices and install counts are as listed on 4 October 2026.
| Plugin | Price | Installs | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCP Adapter (WordPress.org) | Free | New to the directory | The official server; serves the abilities other plugins register |
| AI Engine (Meow Apps) | MCP free; Pro from $79 a year | 90,000+ | 36 core tools free; Pro adds plugins, themes, database and WooCommerce |
| WPVibe (SeedProd) | Free to 100 calls a day; $99–$899 a year | 50,000+ | Hosted relay; WPVibe’s servers hold your application password, encrypted |
| Easy MCP AI (Themeisle) | Free | 10,000+ | 280+ tools, 47 of them for WooCommerce; OAuth; no relay |
| Royal MCP (Royal Plugins) | Free; Pro $149 a year | 10,000+ | 85 core tools plus integrations; OAuth |
| Secure MCP Server (miniOrange) | Free plugin; paid plans from $79 a year | 5,000+ | 300+ tools; its two listings describe the free limits differently |
| Enable Abilities for MCP | Free | 4,000+ | An add-on for the MCP Adapter: 112 abilities, write ones included |
| WSP MCP (WebSensePro) | Free, no paid version | 2,000+ | 190+ tools; write tools off until you switch them on |
| No plugin: PressHand | $97 once, every site | Not a plugin | Connects from your own computer with an application password; 83 jobs |
Several of these are under a year old: Royal MCP arrived in January 2026, Easy MCP AI in March and WPVibe in April. That is not a reason to avoid them, but it is a reason to check how often they update.
What to check before you install one
- Where the connection runs. A self-hosted plugin keeps it on your site; a relay passes every request through someone else’s servers.
- How it signs in. OAuth is what Claude on the web needs. An application password or a token suits Claude Desktop and Claude Code.
- Read or write. Some ship with write tools off, and some can delete. Know which before you point an assistant at a live site.
- Who can call it. Connect as a WordPress user whose role you would trust with everything that role can do. On the official adapter, the real gate is each ability’s own permission check.
- The real price. Daily caps, per-site licences and yearly renewals add up across several sites. Count the sites you will have next year, not this one.
Or skip the plugin
Every plugin above runs on the site, so every site needs one, and each one has to be installed, updated and trusted. PressHand works from the other end: an app on your own computer that connects to each site through WordPress’s built-in application passwords.
Nothing to install on the sites, the same 83 jobs on all of them, and one payment however many sites you run. A small helper plugin is optional, for custom CSS and for SEO fields on sites with no SEO plugin. If you are weighing it against the hosted alternative, we compared the two in PressHand vs WP Agent.
Common questions
What is the official WordPress MCP plugin?
The MCP Adapter, published by WordPress.org and in the plugin directory since 2 October 2026. Automattic’s earlier wordpress-mcp plugin is archived and should not be installed on new sites, even though it still ranks first on Google.
Is there a free WordPress MCP plugin?
Several. The MCP Adapter, AI Engine’s MCP server, Easy MCP AI, Royal MCP and WSP MCP are all free. WPVibe’s plugin is free too, but its free plan stops at 100 tool calls a day.
Do I need an MCP plugin to use Claude with WordPress?
No. WordPress.com’s connector needs no plugin on WordPress.com, and a client such as PressHand connects through WordPress’s built-in application passwords, with nothing installed on the site.
Is AI Engine’s MCP server free?
Yes. The free version includes the MCP server, with 36 core tools. AI Engine Pro, from $79 a year, adds tools for plugins, themes, the database and WooCommerce.
Are MCP plugins safe?
They can be. Prefer plugins that run on your own site and sign in with OAuth or application passwords, connect as a user with the lowest role that does the job, leave write tools off until you need them, and keep backups.
MCP on every site you own, for one payment
No per-site fee, no monthly allowance to run out of, and the source code comes with it.