AI Engine alternative
The AI Engine Alternative, Run For You
You get tools for WordPress core, plus any plugin that registers WordPress Abilities. Access runs on profiles you control. Authentication is OAuth for ChatGPT and Claude, or a WordPress Application Password for editors such as Cursor, and nothing routes through us.
What makes it different
- Real OAuth, not a shared key
- Profiles decide what agents see
- Your server, no middleman
- Works with any plugin’s Abilities
- One endpoint, every client
- Free, with no upgrade path
The short version
What you get here instead of AI Engine
Permission checks inherit the WordPress role you authenticated as. It is free and GPL licensed, and nothing you do passes through our servers.
What you get here
- Profile-Based Access Control
- Zero External Dependencies
- ChatGPT via OAuth 2.0
- Claude via OAuth 2.0
- Cursor and Windsurf Support
- Guided Client Setup
- OAuth 2.0 with PKCE
- Encrypted Client Secrets
What ships in the standard plan here
Everything in this list ships as standard.
- Profile-Based Access Control
- Zero External Dependencies
- ChatGPT via OAuth 2.0
- Claude via OAuth 2.0
- Cursor and Windsurf Support
- Guided Client Setup
- OAuth 2.0 with PKCE
- Encrypted Client Secrets
- Token Expiry and Refresh
- Capability Checks on Every Call
Where the service earns its keep
The other MCP options for WordPress are developer libraries or thin REST wrappers. This one is a finished WordPress connector with the awkward parts already solved.
Works with any plugin’s Abilities
It covers WordPress core itself, and any plugin that registers WordPress Abilities gets tools here too, each switched off until you turn it on.
One endpoint, every client
One JSON-RPC 2.0 endpoint on your own domain serves every client. ChatGPT and Claude authorize over OAuth 2.0 with your site address alone, while Cursor, Windsurf and other editors connect with a WordPress Application Password.
Free, with no upgrade path
Install it on as many sites as you like.
Real OAuth, not a shared key
Compare that with a static token sitting in a config file forever. An access token here lasts an hour and a refresh token thirty days, and you can revoke the whole connection from WordPress without rotating anything else.
Who this comparison is for
Agencies running many client sites
Point an agent at one site, have it audit metadata or fix a batch of redirects, then repeat on the next.
Small teams without a developer
Updating a page, fixing a form, working out why an email stopped sending. Describing the problem to an assistant that can actually look at your site beats hunting for a tutorial written for an older version.
Content teams publishing at volume
Drafting, tagging, scheduling, and cleaning up old posts are the tasks that quietly eat editorial time.
four steps to a working connection
On a site you already administer this takes about ten minutes. Install the plugin, decide how much access to grant, then connect your client.
- 1
We assess your current setup
First we look at how things run today: what you already pay for, what is configured where, and which parts are actually causing you trouble.
- 2
Install and pick a profile
Open Settings, then MCP Connector, and choose a profile. Start narrow.
- 3
Connect your AI client
For ChatGPT or Claude, paste your site address into the assistant and sign in. For Cursor, Windsurf or another editor, create a WordPress Application Password and copy the generated config from the Client Setup tab.
- 4
Put it to work
The agent calls only the tools your profile allows, WordPress checks permissions on every single call, and the work lands as if you had done it by hand.
What clients say about working with Cascadia
“I’ve always dreaded website management, but Cascadia has done an incredible job with my WordPress site, making it one less thing for me to worry about.”
“I’ve worked with Cascadia for several years now. They are always ready to help in any way I ask and can implement my ideas with ease. A company that values their clients!”
“Cascadia has been great to work with! We recently needed some updates, and Cascadia was quick to get them completed! We highly recommend Cascadia Web Services.”
“Cascadia is very responsive and we’re happy with them as our primary IT vendor.”
“They do great work, been using for years. Prompt responses to requests.”
Ready to make the switch?
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AI Engine alternative questions
Straight answers about switching, pricing, and what moves with you.
See WordPress MCP ConnectorHow is Cascadia different from AI Engine?
The main difference is what it is. This is a finished MCP connector: it covers WordPress core itself, and any plugin that registers WordPress Abilities gets tools here too, each switched off until you turn it on.
What are the requirements?
WordPress 5.8 or higher and PHP 7.4 or higher. Version 2.2.0 is tested up to WordPress 7.1.2, and tools from other plugins need WordPress 6.9 or later. Application Passwords require your site to be served over HTTPS, which most hosts now do as standard.
Can you set this up for me?
Yes. Installation is straightforward, but deciding which profile each connection should get, and which account those connections authenticate as, is worth thinking through on a site that matters. We can configure it as part of a managed plan, or handle it as a one-off. Tell us what you want the agent to be able to do.
How is this different from the official WordPress MCP adapter?
The adapter from the WordPress project is a developer library for exposing abilities as MCP tools, which means writing code. This plugin is a finished product you install and configure in the admin, with its own WordPress tools already built, OAuth for ChatGPT and Claude, and access profiles that also cover any plugin’s abilities. They serve different audiences. If you are shipping your own tools, use the adapter.
What is an MCP server, in plain terms?
It is a standard way for an AI assistant to reach a system and do things inside it, rather than only talk about it. Without one, you copy text back and forth by hand. With one, the assistant can read your posts, create a draft, update a product, or check a setting directly. This plugin turns your WordPress site into that kind of server.
What is the Model Context Protocol?
Model Context Protocol, usually shortened to MCP, is an open standard published by Anthropic that defines how AI clients connect to outside tools and data. Because it is a shared standard rather than one vendor’s private format, a single server works with many clients. That is why the same plugin serves ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf without a separate integration for each one.
Is the plugin really free?
Yes. It is published on the WordPress Plugin Directory under GPL v3, and there is no paid tier, no trial period, and no feature held back behind a license key. Install it on as many sites as you like. If you want us to handle setup and ongoing management, that is a separate service you can choose, not a requirement.
Is connecting AI to WordPress safe?
It is as safe as the account you connect with, which is the honest answer. Every tool call runs through the same permission checks WordPress uses in wp-admin, so an agent cannot exceed the role it authenticated as. Credentials are encrypted at rest, tokens expire, and you can revoke access from WordPress at any time. The variable you control is which profile you grant.
Which AI clients can I connect?
ChatGPT and Claude connect over OAuth 2.0. Cursor, Windsurf and other editors connect with WordPress Application Passwords. Any other client that speaks MCP over either of those authentication methods will work, because nothing in the endpoint is written for a specific vendor. Clients that adopt the standard later should work without waiting on a plugin update.
How do I connect ChatGPT?
Copy the address shown under Settings, MCP Connector. In ChatGPT, open Settings, then Connectors, and add a custom connector with that address, leaving any Client ID and Secret fields empty. Sign in to WordPress when the window opens and approve the request, then use the Access tab to set what the assistant may do.
How do I connect Claude Desktop?
Copy the address from Settings, then MCP Connector. In Claude, open Settings, then Connectors, and add a custom connector with that address, leaving any Client ID and Secret fields empty. Sign in to WordPress when the window opens and approve the request, then choose on the Access tab what the assistant may do.