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AI Puffer vs AI Engine
Both are WordPress plugins with an MCP server and AI tools, and both arrived on WordPress.org in December 2022.
In short
AI Engine provides a direct WordPress MCP server and additional tool sets in Pro. AI Puffer adds three safety levels, supported WordPress commands and jobs across connected sites.
Choose AI Engine if
- You want AI Engine’s built-in and Pro tool sets.
- You want a direct connection, with no service in between.
- You want no monthly limit on calls.
Choose AI Puffer if
- You want to set it up in a few clicks.
- You want to choose how much each assistant does alone.
- You want WP-CLI commands, on one site or many.
- You want AI tools without an API key, on free credits.
Side by side
| AI Puffer | AI Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| First on WordPress.org | 7 December 2022 | 27 December 2022 |
| What it is | MCP server plus AI tools for your site. | MCP server plus AI tools for your site. |
| Setting it up | Install, connect, approve. | Turn on MCP, choose tools, add the URL. |
| How you sign in | OAuth. | OAuth. |
| How it connects | Through a relay. | Direct to your site. |
| WordPress login password | Stays on your site. | Stays on your site. |
| Assistants | Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Claude Code. | Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, other MCP apps. |
| Tools | 32, plus plugin abilities. | 45 free; 130+ with Pro. |
| How much it does alone | Read only, Standard or Trusted. | Read-only options and delete guards. |
| Whose permissions | A user you pick. | The signed-in user. |
| WP-CLI commands | 125+. | — |
| Many sites at once | Yes, up to 50. | — |
| Page check in a browser | Yes, desktop and mobile. No screenshots. Lighthouse audits (Beta, with usage limits). | — |
| Record | Activity log. | MCP logs. |
| Posts and pages | Yes. | Yes. |
| Images | Yes, plus stock photos. | Yes, plus AI images. |
| WooCommerce | Yes, including simple-product sale schedules. | Yes. |
| SEO plugins | Yoast SEO, Rank Math, All in One SEO, SureRank and Redirection. | Its own SEO add-on. |
| Form plugins | Contact Form 7, WPForms, Fluent Forms. | Its own AI forms. |
| Page builders | Elementor, Beaver Builder, GenerateBlocks, SiteOrigin, Pagelayer and SeedProd. | — |
| Themes and files | Pro: theme drafts. | Pro: themes and files. |
| AI for your site | Free credits or your own keys. | Your own keys. |
| Free calls | 2,000 a month. | Unlimited. |
| Price | Free. Paid from $9.99/month. | Free. Pro from $59/year. |
AI Puffer’s column reflects released, tested workflows. AI Engine’s connection, tool and pricing details were rechecked on 31 October 2026; other integration listings retain their 15 October source review. See the full comparison and sources. “—” means not listed in those sources.