Choose LocalWP when
- Your sites are hosted on WP Engine or Flywheel.
- You start many sites from the same Blueprint.
- You share local work with Live Links.
- You just need local WordPress, with no AI and no push.
LocalWP alternative
A LocalWP alternative
with an AI agent and push to your host
Local is the classic free app for running WordPress on your computer. BuildPress does that too, then adds Claude Code or Codex and a reviewed push to the host you already use.
The short answer
Stay on Local if you host on WP Engine or Flywheel, or you want Blueprints and Live Links. Pick BuildPress if you want an AI agent that builds inside the site and a push to Cloudways, Hostinger, InstaWP or any SSH server, with every change reviewed first and Undo after. You can import your Local sites directly; the originals stay untouched.
Side by side
BuildPress vs LocalWP, feature by feature
Shipped features only. Local details come from localwp.com, its help docs and WP Engine.
| Feature | BuildPress | LocalWP |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Price | Free with 1 local site. Paid plans from $49/year | Free |
| macOS, Windows and LinuxBuildPress needs Apple silicon on macOS | ||
| PHP, database and web server bundled | ||
| Site templates | Blueprints | |
| Public link to a local site | Live Links | |
| Building with AI | ||
| AI agent built in | Claude Code or Codex | |
| AI agents through an add-on | Not needed | 10up's Agent Tools add-on (MCP) |
| Agent sees and clicks the live preview | Not listed | |
| Three design variations per request | ||
| Components library and boards | ||
| Going live | ||
| Reviewed push and pullOn BuildPress paid plans | Cloudways, Hostinger, InstaWP, any SSH server | WP Engine and Flywheel |
| Other hosts | Any server with SSH and WP-CLI | A migration plugin, such as WP Migrate |
| Review every file and table before a push | Not listed | |
| Keep or Undo after a push, with health checks | Not listed | |
| Restore point before every pull | Cloud Backups available | |
| Bring your sites | ||
| Open your existing Local sites | Import, original untouched | Native |
| Import a backup (.zip, .wpress, Duplicator, UpdraftPlus, .sql) | Zip import | |
And DevKinsta?
Built for Kinsta hosting.
DevKinsta is Kinsta's free local WordPress suite. It runs on Docker and pushes to Kinsta staging and live sites. It has no built-in AI agent.
BuildPress instead
- No Docker: PHP, MySQL and the web server come bundled
- Claude Code or Codex wired into every site, on your own plan
- Push to Cloudways, Hostinger, InstaWP or any SSH server
- Kinsta, WP Engine, Pressable and Rocket.net are on the way
The honest read
Which one is right for you?
Both are good tools. They are built for different jobs, and plenty of people use both.
Choose BuildPress when
- You want an AI agent that builds inside the site, not a separate tool.
- You host on Cloudways, Hostinger, InstaWP or your own server.
- You want a review of every change before it goes live, and Undo after.
- You want variations, a components library and a live preview in one window.
FAQ
BuildPress vs Local, answered
Quick answers for people moving off, or alongside, Local.
Ask us anythingIf you want an AI agent built in and a reviewed push to your own host, BuildPress is built for exactly that: it runs WordPress on your computer, puts Claude Code or Codex inside the site, and pushes to Cloudways, Hostinger, InstaWP or any SSH server with a review before and Undo after.
Yes. BuildPress imports LocalWP sites directly, rewriting URLs safely. Your Local site is never changed, so you can keep both apps side by side.
Local Connect pushes and pulls with WP Engine and Flywheel. For other hosts, Local's own docs point to a migration plugin such as WP Migrate. BuildPress pushes directly to Cloudways, Hostinger, InstaWP and any server you can reach over SSH.
Not built in. 10up publishes an open-source add-on, Agent Tools, that gives agents like Claude Code and Cursor an MCP server with WP-CLI, logs and site controls for Local sites. In BuildPress the agent is part of the app, with the live preview, variations and push in the same window.
Not for BuildPress or Local: both bundle what WordPress needs. DevKinsta, Kinsta's local tool, runs on Docker.
Bring your Local sites
Import a Local site
and let your AI build.
Download the app free, import a site from Local, and give Claude Code or Codex the keys to a local copy. Your original stays exactly as it is.