WordPress.com AI is the AI writing assistant built into the WordPress.com editor. It helps you work on text inside the block editor, for example expanding, rewriting, translating or changing the tone of what you select. Which WordPress.com plans include it, and at what price, changes over time, so check wordpress.com for the current details.
Artikolo is a separate service. It writes complete articles, about 1,500 words by default, from a topic, a competitor's URL or your saved keywords, and publishes them to WordPress through the WordPress REST API using an Application Password. Alongside the writer it has SEO Autopilot, which finds keywords your competitors rank for and you do not, and a Lighthouse-based SEO audit.
The two serve different workflows: WordPress.com AI helps you polish text as you write in the editor; Artikolo writes and publishes whole articles for you. This comparison describes what Artikolo does today so you can decide which fits your workflow and hosting.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Artikolo | WordPress.com AI Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Content Generation | Full articles from a topic, from a competitor's URL, or automatically from your saved keywords. About 1,500 words by default (2,000 or more when rewriting a URL), with headings, an FAQ section, a meta description and a Pexels featured image | Help with text inside the block editor; see wordpress.com for its current abilities |
| Keyword Research | SEO Autopilot: enter up to 3 competitor domains and see keywords they rank for that your site does not, with monthly search volume and difficulty. 10 to 300 lookups a month depending on plan | Not its focus |
| Rank Tracking | Not available — Artikolo has no rank-tracking screen | Not its focus; WordPress.com offers site statistics |
| SEO Audit | A Lighthouse audit of the URL you enter, mobile and desktop: performance, accessibility, best-practice and SEO scores with AI-written recommendations | Not its focus; WordPress.com handles some technical SEO for you |
| Schema Markup | None in the articles. The optional Artikolo WordPress plugin can add Article, WebSite, Organization and breadcrumb JSON-LD, only when no other SEO plugin is active | See wordpress.com for its built-in SEO features |
| Editor Integration | None: articles are created in the Artikolo app (or the optional plugin's screen) and published to WordPress, where you can edit them like any post | Inside the block editor — more convenient for editing as you write |
| Tone Adjustment | No tone setting; the tone varies from article to article | Tone adjustment for selected text |
| Multilingual | Free and Starter write in English; Pro adds Spanish, French and German; Business writes in all 9 supported languages, written directly in the language | Translation of selected text; see wordpress.com |
| WordPress Hosting | Self-hosted WordPress 5.6 or later on HTTPS, where Application Passwords are built in. For WordPress.com sites, check whether your plan supports Application Passwords and plugins | WordPress.com sites only |
| Writing Style | A banned-phrase list checked again before publishing, and on Business a second pass that rewrites machine-sounding sentences. No tool can guarantee text will not be flagged by AI detectors | See wordpress.com |
| Price | Free plan: 1 English article a month. Starter $11.99/mo (4 articles), Pro $24.99/mo (15), Business $49.99/mo (40). Annual billing costs the price of ten months | Included with some WordPress.com plans — see wordpress.com for which plans and prices |
Pricing Comparison
Pricing Breakdown
WordPress.com AI comes with WordPress.com plans rather than being sold on its own; which plans include it, and their prices, are listed at wordpress.com/pricing.
Artikolo is a separate subscription, on top of your hosting. It has a Free plan with 1 English article a month and three paid plans. Starter at $11.99 a month (£9.99, €11.99) includes 4 articles, 100 keyword lookups and 1 SEO audit. Pro at $24.99 a month (£19.99, €24.99) includes 15 articles in English, Spanish, French and German, 150 lookups and 2 audits. Business at $49.99 a month (£39.99, €49.99) includes 40 articles in all 9 languages, the second editing pass, 300 lookups and 4 audits. Annual billing costs the price of ten months. Every paid plan has a free trial without a card: 7 days on Starter, 14 on Pro and Business.
If you only need help polishing text you write and your site is on a WordPress.com plan that includes the AI assistant, it adds nothing to your bill. If you want whole articles written and published, Artikolo's price is in addition to your hosting.
WordPress.com AI — Pros
- Inside the editor — Select text and get AI help without leaving the block editor.
- No setup — No plugin to install and no account to connect.
- Inline editing — Useful for expanding, rewriting or changing the tone of passages.
- Included in some plans — No separate subscription on plans that include it.
WordPress.com AI — Cons
- Not an SEO tool — Keyword research, rank tracking and audits are not its focus.
- WordPress.com only — Not available on self-hosted WordPress.
- You still drive the writing — It helps with text in the editor rather than producing and publishing articles for you.
Artikolo — Pros
- Whole articles — Written around a keyword, with headings, an FAQ section, a meta description and a featured photo, and published for you.
- Competitor keyword gaps — SEO Autopilot lists keywords your competitors rank for and you do not, and turns the ones you pick into a cluster of articles.
- Self-hosted WordPress — Works with self-hosted WordPress 5.6 or later on HTTPS, on any host.
- Writing in other languages — Pro and Business write directly in Spanish, French and German, and Business in all 9 supported languages.
Artikolo — Cons
- Not inside the editor — Articles are created in the Artikolo app and published to WordPress, where you edit them like any post.
- Separate subscription — Paid on top of your hosting, beyond the Free plan's 1 article a month.
- Published immediately — Articles created in the app go live as soon as they are written; use the WordPress plugin if you want drafts.
- AI content needs review — AI can get facts wrong, so read what is published and correct it.
Who Should Use Each Tool?
Which Tool Is Best For You?
Choose WordPress.com AI if your site is on a WordPress.com plan that includes it and you mainly want help polishing text you write: expanding passages, adjusting tone, translating snippets. Working inside the editor with no setup suits writers who produce their own content.
Choose Artikolo if you want articles written and published without writing them yourself, keywords chosen from your competitors' gaps, and a Lighthouse audit of your site. It is also the option if you run self-hosted WordPress, where WordPress.com's assistant is not available. Note that the Artikolo app stores one WordPress site per account.
Use both together if your site is on WordPress.com and can connect to Artikolo: Artikolo writes and publishes the articles, and the WordPress.com assistant helps you edit them afterwards.
Our Verdict
WordPress.com AI and Artikolo serve different purposes. WordPress.com AI is a convenient editing aid inside the WordPress.com editor: if your site is on a plan that includes it and you write your own drafts, it helps you refine them with no setup.
Artikolo is built for a different workflow, where the AI writes the articles and you review them. It writes and publishes full articles, finds keywords your competitors rank for, and audits your site with Lighthouse. It works with self-hosted WordPress, where WordPress.com's assistant is not an option. It has no rank tracking.
If you write your own content on WordPress.com, the built-in assistant may be all you need. If you want articles written and published for you, Artikolo does that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WordPress.com AI work on self-hosted WordPress?
WordPress.com AI is part of the WordPress.com platform, so it is for sites hosted on WordPress.com; see wordpress.com for which plans include it. Artikolo works with self-hosted WordPress 5.6 or later on HTTPS: the app publishes through the WordPress REST API with an Application Password, so no plugin is required, and the optional Artikolo WordPress plugin adds generation from inside WordPress.
WordPress.com AI vs Artikolo — what is the main difference?
WordPress.com AI helps you work on text inside the WordPress.com editor: expanding, rewriting, translating or changing its tone. Artikolo writes complete articles of about 1,500 words and publishes them to your site, finds keywords your competitors rank for through SEO Autopilot, and audits your site with Lighthouse. One helps you write; the other writes for you.
What does Artikolo cost on top of my hosting?
The Free plan includes 1 English article a month. Starter is $11.99 a month for 4 articles, Pro $24.99 for 15 and Business $49.99 for 40, paid in addition to whatever your hosting costs. If your WordPress.com plan already includes its AI assistant, that assistant costs nothing extra; see wordpress.com for which plans include it.
Can I use Artikolo on WordPress.com?
Artikolo needs to publish through the WordPress REST API with an Application Password, or through the Artikolo plugin. Whether your WordPress.com site can do that depends on its plan; check wordpress.com for which plans allow plugins and Application Passwords before you subscribe. Artikolo is built for self-hosted WordPress.
Is upgrading a WordPress.com plan worth it just for the AI features?
That depends on what you want the AI to do and on the plan's other benefits; see wordpress.com for current plans. If your goal is having whole articles written and published, and your site is self-hosted, a writing tool such as Artikolo does that directly.
Compare With Other Tools
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- Artikolo vs Yoast SEO — AI content creation vs on-page analysis
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