ChatGPT apps, GPTs, skills and connectors explained

By Tried AI Tools · Published October 1, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

Short answer

As of October 2026, plugins are the main way to add tools to ChatGPT. On July 9, 2026 OpenAI replaced the App Directory with a Plugin Directory (chatgpt.com/plugins), and one plugin can bundle apps (the services older guides call connectors), skills and templates. Custom GPTs retire on December 11, 2026, and Free, Go, Plus and Pro accounts can no longer create new ones.

Based on the official documentation as of October 2026, this page explains what each ChatGPT add-on word means today. Older names (connectors, apps, GPTs, the 2023 plugins) still fill guides and videos.

What changed in 2026

On July 9, 2026, OpenAI replaced ChatGPT's App Directory with a Plugin Directory. A plugin is an installable package that can hold apps, skills and templates. The same directory serves ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work and Codex. Custom GPTs are being retired, and their replacement is a plugin.

The release notes for July 9 say existing app connections are unaffected. The directory sits under Plugins in the sidebar or at chatgpt.com/plugins. At DevDay on September 29, 2026, plugins gained sidebar panels and file viewers. They can also start automations when a connected app changes, using a proposed standard called MCP Events. Builders got Plugin Creator, which helps build a plugin, and a redesigned submission flow. With Sign in with ChatGPT, Plus and Pro users can let participating partner apps use their ChatGPT plan allowance. OpenAI named 16 partners, including Devin, Notion and Vercel. Since September 17, 2026, these apps do not need you to create an API key.

The parts, defined plainly

Eight terms cover almost everything. A plugin is the box you install. Apps and skills are what go inside it. Custom GPTs are the older format that is going away. MCP is the open standard that lets these tools talk to ChatGPT. ChatGPT Work and Sites are newer features that plugins plug into.

Term	What it means	Status in October 2026
Plugin	An installable package for ChatGPT and Codex. It can bundle apps, skills, app templates and extensions.	The main way to extend ChatGPT
App	A link from ChatGPT to an outside service such as Google Drive or Slack, so it can read data or take actions. Older guides call these connectors.	Lives inside plugins; managed in Settings > Plugins
Skill	Saved, reusable instructions (plus optional examples and code) for a specific task	Inside plugins; full skills support is aimed at work plans
Custom GPT	A version of ChatGPT set up for one purpose, with its own instructions and files	Retiring December 11, 2026
MCP	Model Context Protocol, an open standard for connecting AI to outside tools and data	What apps and plugins are built on
OpenAI Verified	A badge on plugins OpenAI reviewed "for quality, reliability, and usefulness"	Does not replace your own security review
ChatGPT Work	An agent for longer tasks. It works across your connected apps and files and makes documents, spreadsheets, presentations, reports and Sites.	Launched July 9, 2026; on web and mobile, paid plans except Free and Go
Sites	Turns your work or ideas into an interactive website or lightweight app without leaving ChatGPT	Public beta since July 9, 2026; not on Free or Go

OpenAI's developer docs add that a plugin can include an MCP server, visual panels and, in Codex and ChatGPT Work, hooks (commands that run at set moments). Installing a plugin on the web does not deploy those hook scripts.

A short history, so old guides make sense

The word "plugin" has meant two different things. The first ChatGPT plugins ran from 2023 to April 2024. GPTs replaced them, then apps arrived in 2025, and in 2026 plugins came back as a new, larger system. These are the key dates.

Date	What happened
March 23, 2023	Original ChatGPT plugins launch for some developers and Plus users
January 10, 2024	GPT Store opens; OpenAI says over 3 million custom GPTs exist
April 9, 2024	Plugins beta ends; the store had "a little more than 1,000 plugins"
October 6, 2025	Apps in ChatGPT and the Apps SDK launch with Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, Figma, Spotify and Zillow
December 17, 2025	App submissions open and an app directory appears at chatgpt.com/apps
July 9, 2026	Plugin Directory replaces the App Directory

How to install and use a plugin

Open Plugins in the ChatGPT sidebar on web, desktop or mobile. Pick a plugin, check which apps it includes, then choose Install plugin. If it connects to an outside service, you sign in to that service. After that, ChatGPT can use it on its own or when you call it.

The Plugins help article describes these steps:

Open Plugins in the sidebar and browse or search.
Open a plugin and review its included apps and setup needs.
Choose Install plugin, then authorize any accounts it asks for.
In a chat, let ChatGPT pick the plugin, or type @ and its name, or use the + button.

Since September 23, 2026, plugins also work in voice chats on web, iOS and Android. Plugins marked Desktop only will not run on the web. To manage or disconnect single app connections, go to Settings > Plugins, per the Apps help article. Some apps let you connect more than one account to the same plugin.

Which plan you need and what it costs

Every ChatGPT plan, including Free, can discover and use plugins. OpenAI lists no separate plugin fee. Creating and sharing plugins starts on Go. Developer mode and Sites start on Plus. Full skills support and GPT creation sit on work plans such as Business, Enterprise and Edu.

This table combines the pricing page and the help center as read on October 1, 2026:

Feature	Free	Go	Plus	Pro	Business, Enterprise, Edu
Discover and use plugins	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes, as admins allow
Create and share plugins	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes, as admins allow
Skills	Listed as beta	Listed as beta	Listed as beta	Listed as beta	Yes (also Healthcare)
Developer mode (your own MCP apps)	No	No	Listed as beta on pricing page	Yes, read-only per help center	Full read and write (beta)
Create new custom GPTs	No	No	No	No	Yes, until the creation cutoff (planned Oct 26, 2026 for affected Enterprise workspaces)

Two sources disagree. The pricing page lists a skills beta on every personal plan. The Skills help article names only Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu. The pricing page also lists developer mode on Plus, but the developer mode help article names only Pro (read-only) and Business, Enterprise and Edu. Check your own account.

The real cost is often the service on the other end, which may need its own paid account. For plan prices, see AI chatbot prices compared.

Skills: the reusable part

A skill is a saved set of instructions that teaches ChatGPT how to do one task the same way each time. It can include examples and code. In ChatGPT you find skills under Plugins, then the Skills tab. In Codex, a skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file.

In ChatGPT, you can create a skill in chat, in the Skills editor, from a colleague's shared skill or by uploading files. A built-in skill called "skill-creator" helps write and fix skills. In Codex, the skills docs say you call a skill with $name or /skills, or Codex picks one itself. Skills follow an open Agent Skills standard.

Custom GPTs are being retired

OpenAI is ending custom GPTs. They retire on December 11, 2026 on all plans, or February 11, 2027 for Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral. After that, GPTs and their pages become inaccessible. Owners can turn a GPT into a plugin, but not everything carries over.

The migration FAQ explains what moves:

Moves to the plugin	Does not move
Instructions (become a skill)	Custom actions
Knowledge files (become reference files)	Existing conversations
Connected apps	Selected model and sharing settings

To migrate, go to My GPTs and choose Migrate to plugin. Only the latest published version moves, and drafts cannot be migrated directly. Publish any drafts you want to migrate first, and well before any cutoff for your workspace. The new plugin starts private. OpenAI warns that a migrated plugin "may respond differently," so test familiar prompts. Rebuilding a custom action "may require a custom MCP server." After migration, the original GPT becomes read-only until it retires.

For affected Enterprise workspaces, creating new GPTs is planned to end on October 26, 2026. Existing GPTs can still be edited after that date.

Only the GPT's creator, or a workspace admin, can migrate it. If you use someone else's GPT, you cannot migrate it yourself. Migration does not install the new plugin for other people or give them access. Ask the creator whether a replacement exists and how to get it.

Who this is for

Most people need only a few plugins. If you use Gmail, Google Drive, Slack or Notion, a plugin lets ChatGPT read and act on that data. Work teams get the most, with role plugins, admin controls and skills. Developers get Codex plugins and tools to build their own.

OpenAI's role plugins (Sales, Data Analytics, Investment Banking and others) were announced in June 2026 for Business and Enterprise. Teachers and students have education plugins. For the full list, see the ChatGPT apps and skills directory.

Limits to know

Availability changes by plan, region, workspace and device. Some plugins run only on the Mac desktop app or only in Codex, OpenAI's coding agent. Developer mode works on the web only. Work admins choose which plugins people can install, so one you read about may not appear for you.

Device and plan: The Meetings plugin is in beta in the macOS desktop app only, for Pro and Business plans. Most Enterprise accounts do not have it yet.
Permissions: A plugin "cannot use an app to access content outside the permissions granted" to your account with that service.
Admins: Work admins manage plugins in Workspace settings > Plugins.

Safety checklist

Plugins and apps can read your email, files and messages, and some can send, edit or delete. Treat installing one like giving a new app access to your accounts. Keep approvals on, install only what you need and remove what you stop using.

Choose "Always ask" if you want to approve every action. App permissions have four levels: "Always ask", "Allow read actions", "Allow low-risk actions" and "Allow all actions" (only for eligible apps). "Allow low-risk actions" applies unless another setting overrides it, so change it if you want more control.
Get consent before recording. The Meetings plugin's consent reminder is visible only to you. It does not notify other participants, so tell everyone and get their consent yourself.
Check what a plugin includes before you install it. Review shared skills too; OpenAI scans uploaded skills but still says to review untrusted ones.
Be careful with your own MCP servers. OpenAI's developer mode article warns that untrusted servers raise the risk of prompt injection. That means hidden instructions that try to steer the AI.
Review training settings. On personal plans, turn off "Improve the model for everyone" to keep app data out of training.

Related guides

These guides cover the same ideas for other assistants, plus the full ChatGPT catalog and plan prices.

Sources

All pages read in October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Are 2026 ChatGPT plugins the same as the 2023 plugins?

No. The original plugins beta launched in March 2023 and ended on April 9, 2024, when GPTs replaced it. The 2026 plugins are a new system that bundles apps and skills and works in both ChatGPT and Codex.

Can I still make a custom GPT?

Not on a personal account. Free, Go, Plus and Pro can use existing GPTs but cannot create or publish new ones. Business, Enterprise and Edu workspaces can still create them if their settings allow. For affected Enterprise workspaces, creating new GPTs is planned to end on October 26, 2026, and all custom GPTs retire on December 11, 2026. Follow the notice for your workspace.

Do ChatGPT plugins cost extra?

OpenAI lists no separate fee for plugins. Every plan, including Free, can discover and use plugins, and Go and above can create and share them. The outside service a plugin connects to, such as Canva or Salesforce, may need its own account or subscription.

What happens to my custom GPT when it retires?

On December 11, 2026, custom GPTs and their pages become inaccessible (February 11, 2027 for Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral). Before then, the owner can choose My GPTs, then Migrate to plugin. Instructions become a skill, but custom actions and past chats do not transfer.

Can OpenAI train on data from my connected apps?

On Free, Go, Plus and Pro, data from apps may be used for training if the 'Improve the model for everyone' setting is on. Business, Enterprise and Edu data is not used for training by default.