ChatGPT Apps vs GPTs.

Custom GPTs (November 2023 – present)

Custom GPTs launched in November 2023, while the plugin beta was still running. The approach was fundamentally different. Rather than standalone tools that attach to any conversation, Custom GPTs are configured versions of ChatGPT itself given a name, a set of instructions, uploaded knowledge files, and optionally connected to external APIs through "Actions."

The GPT Store launched in January 2024, giving creators a place to publish and users a place to discover. Within two months, developers had created more than 3 million Custom GPTs, a number that reflected how low the creation barrier was. Building a Custom GPT requires no code. Anyone with a paid ChatGPT plan can configure one.

That openness also created problems. The marketplace quickly filled with duplicates, low-quality experiments, and tools that offered little over a basic ChatGPT conversation. Discoverability suffered as useful GPTs became harder to find amid the noise.

Custom GPTs remain available today and are not being shut down. But they are no longer where OpenAI is investing its platform strategy. They work primarily as text-based assistants. They run only on ChatGPT. And they don't support the kind of visual, interactive experiences that the current Apps format enables.

ChatGPT Apps (October 2025 – present)

At DevDay in October 2025, OpenAI announced native support for MCP - the Model Context Protocol that Anthropic had released in November 2024. Instead of building another extension system, OpenAI adopted the open standard that other major AI platforms were already using.

ChatGPT Apps are built with the Apps SDK, which uses MCP as its foundation. Unlike Custom GPTs, they support full interactive interfaces - maps, carousels, forms, media players, running directly inside the conversation. Unlike plugins, they benefit from a curated app directory and an indirect prompting mechanism that suggests apps to users during conversations without requiring prior installation.

The review and publication process is more rigorous than either predecessor. Apps must include a privacy policy, comply with OpenAI's usage policies, and go through safety and quality review before appearing in the directory. This is the mechanism OpenAI uses to address the quality and trust problems that plagued the open GPT Store.

What this means for developers and businesses in 2026

The two generations reflect a platform learning what actually works for users:

• Custom GPTs proved that low-code creation drives volume, but volume without curation produces noise, not discovery.
• ChatGPT Apps address both problems: a structured SDK for meaningful integrations, a curated directory for quality control, and contextual surfacing for discovery that doesn't require user effort.

Custom GPTs are not going away, and they remain useful for specific cases - internal tools, specialized assistants, knowledge bases. But for businesses looking to integrate their product with ChatGPT and reach users at scale, the App format is the active investment path.

The open MCP standard also changes the risk calculation. Building for ChatGPT Apps is not a bet on a single proprietary platform. It is building to a protocol that the broader AI ecosystem is converging on.