September 30, 2026
ChatGPT changes its developer storefront again: Plugins returned in 2026
On Sep 29, 2026, Ethan Mollick counted four ecosystems for third-party developers from OpenAI over four years. Before the new Plugins, the company launched Plugins, GPTs with GPT Store, and Apps.
Ethan Mollick
@emollick
It seems that every year OpenAI releases a new version of the same third-party developer ecosystem, then half-abandons it: Plugins in 2023, GPTs and the GPT Store in 2023–2024, Apps in 2025, and now Plugins in 2026. The name is the same, but this is something different—not what it used to be.
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On Sep 29, 2026, Ethan Mollick counted four ecosystems for third-party developers from OpenAI over four years. Before the new Plugins, the company launched Plugins, GPTs with GPT Store, and Apps.
The 2026 Plugins share a name with the 2023 version, but Mollick considers them different products.
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