Rig vs Local (WP)
Local (by WP Engine) is a deep WordPress studio. Rig is a local control plane for every process — including one-click WordPress on php -S + isolated MySQL + local HTTPS.
Who this is for
Agencies and freelancers choosing how to run WordPress on a Mac — and whether they also run Node, queues, or AI tooling.
The short answer
Use Local when you want WordPress-only depth: PHP hot-swap UI, blueprints, site clone/export, and the WP Engine funnel. Use Rig when WordPress is one project among many and you want one-click local WP plus merged logs, MCP, and share — without a full LEMP container per site. Many studios will run both.
Side by side
| Feature | Rig | Local WP | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Local process control plane | WordPress-focused local studio | |
| One-click WordPress install | Yes | Yes | Rig: New Project → WordPress → MySQL + php -S + {slug}.localhost HTTPS |
| Per-site PHP / LEMP stack | Partial | Yes | Local bundles a full stack per site; Rig uses host PHP + isolated MySQL |
| PHP version picker / blueprints / clone | No | Yes | Local still wins on WP-only depth tooling |
| Multi-service apps (WP + Vite + workers) | Yes | Partial | Local is WP-first; sidecars are still your problem |
| Unified live logs across services | Yes | Partial | |
| MCP for Cursor / Claude | Yes | No | |
| Opt-in share (LAN QR / Live Link) | Yes | Partial | Local has tunnels; Rig’s share is cross-project |
| Multi-machine catalog + Continuity | Yes | No | |
| WP Engine / Flywheel funnel tools | No | Yes | Deliberate: Rig stays host-neutral |
| Works for non-WordPress stacks | Yes | No |
Choose Rig if
- WordPress is one client among Laravel, Node, and queues
- You want Cursor/Claude on live processes
- You care about Continuity / multi-machine catalog
- You want a lighter model than a full stack per site
Stay with Local if
- You need per-site PHP version UI, blueprints, or Local’s clone/export
- Your day is almost only WordPress and Local Pro already fits
- You rely on WP Engine / Flywheel publishing flows
Honestly: if WordPress is the whole day and Local’s depth tools matter, keep Local for sites and add Rig for everything else — or try Rig’s one-click WP and see if the lighter stack is enough.
Running both
Local keeps
- Deep WP tooling (PHP picker, blueprints, clone)
- Sites you already trust in Local
- Whatever hosting funnel you already use
Rig takes
- One-click WP plus Node/Laravel/queues in one board
- Merged logs, ports, Attention, MCP
- Live Link / Continuity across the catalog
Nothing forces a migration. Run Local for WP-depth workflows; put Rig next to them for the rest of the stack — or create new WordPress sites in Rig.