Compare Novamira
Novamira alternative
Novamira and Saddle both run on your own site with no relay. They make opposite choices about power. Novamira gives your AI full access, including PHP, WP-CLI, the database and files, and says to use it on dev and staging sites. Saddle never lets the AI run code, and is built to be safe on a live site.
Side by side
How Novamira and Saddle compare.
| Question | Novamira | Saddle |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A plugin that gives an AI agent full access to WordPress. | A plugin that gives an AI app a limited, approval-gated set of WordPress tools. |
| Where requests go | From your AI app to your site. No relay. | From your AI app to your site. No relay. |
| Runs AI code on your server | Yes, by design: PHP, WP-CLI, database queries and writes, and file edits. | Never. No PHP, shell, WP-CLI or SQL, and no file writes. |
| Deletes need a preview and confirmation | No per-action confirmation is documented. Safety comes from a sandbox for AI-written files and crash recovery. | Every delete or overwrite shows a preview and needs a single-use code that expires in 15 minutes. |
| Recommended environment | Dev and staging, with backups. | Live sites. It starts read-only. |
| Access levels | Administrator connections only. No read-only mode is documented. | Read, Read & write, or Managing the site, plus per-tool switches and a pause switch. A connection can do no more than its WordPress account. |
| Activity log | AI-created files are listed so you can disable or delete them. | Every change, and every refused request. |
| Where to get it | A zip download or GitHub. Not on WordPress.org. | WordPress.org, from your dashboard. |
| AI apps | Claude, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, VS Code and many more, plus its own CLI and desktop app. | Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and other MCP apps. |
| Divi 5 | In Pro: modules, loops, design system, Theme Builder. | In Pro: real Divi modules, global colors, fonts, presets, loops and Theme Builder. |
| Other builders | Pro covers 53 builders and plugins, including Elementor, Bricks and Oxygen. | The block editor, and Divi 5 with Pro. |
| License | AGPL-3.0, open source. | GPLv2 or later, open source. |
Based on Novamira’s public site and docs, September 2026.
Why people look for an alternative
Full access is the wrong default for a client’s live site.
- Novamira itself says to use it on dev and staging sites.
- Code the AI runs directly on the server cannot always be rolled back.
- There is no read-only mode to start from, and no confirmation step before a delete.
- Some hosts and clients will not allow a plugin that runs arbitrary PHP.
What Saddle does instead
Useful on a live site, not only on staging.
- The AI gets typed WordPress tools, never a PHP or shell prompt.
- It starts read-only. You choose when it can write.
- Every delete or overwrite shows a preview and waits for your yes.
- The site URL, security keys, user roles and admin email cannot be changed through it.
- It is on WordPress.org, and updates like any other plugin.
Choose by the job
Both are good at different things.
Novamira is the better fit if…
- You are building on a dev or staging site and want the agent to have no limits.
- You need the AI to write theme or plugin code, run WP-CLI or query the database.
- You work across many page builders, including Elementor, Bricks and Oxygen.
Saddle is the better fit if…
- The site is live, and it belongs to a client.
- You want the AI to edit content and build pages, but never run code.
- You want to see a preview and confirm before anything is deleted.
- You build with the block editor or Divi 5.
Questions
Common questions.
Can Saddle run PHP or WP-CLI like Novamira?
No, and it never will. That is the point of Saddle. If you need an agent that writes and runs code, Novamira on a staging site is the better tool.
Can I use Saddle on a production site?
Yes. It starts read-only, deletes and overwrites need a confirmation, drafts-only mode keeps new posts unpublished, and every change is logged.
Do both support Divi 5?
Yes, both in their Pro versions. Saddle Pro builds with real Divi 5 modules and your Divi global colors, fonts and presets, and checks its own work.
Are both open source?
Yes. Novamira is AGPL-3.0. Saddle is GPLv2 or later, its source is public, and it is listed on WordPress.org.
Can I use both?
Yes. A common setup is Novamira on a staging site for development, and Saddle on the live site for content and page work.
Try Saddle on a live site. It starts read-only.
Free on WordPress.org. No account, no relay, no site limit.
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