ChatGPT apps and plugins are the add-ons that let ChatGPT use other services for you: apps come from a directory inside ChatGPT, plugins are the same thing added by address on paid plans, and both run on the MCP standard, so a small business can connect its tools once and ask in plain words.
The names have changed twice, which is why the searches still say "plugins", the settings say "apps", and the developer docs say "MCP". This post explains what they are today, what they are good for in a small business, how to add one, and where the limits are.
What happened to ChatGPT plugins?#
The original ChatGPT plugins from 2023 were retired and replaced, first by GPTs with actions, then by apps built on the Model Context Protocol. Today "plugin" is the word ChatGPT's developer settings use for a server you add by address, and "app" is what shows up in the directory once a developer has submitted it and OpenAI has reviewed it.
For you the difference is only where you find them. An app: browse the directory, press Add. A plugin: turn on Developer mode, paste an address. Both sign you in on the service's own page and ask you to allow a listed set of permissions.
What can a ChatGPT app actually do?#
A ChatGPT app does real work in another service on your behalf: it reads what you allow and performs actions you ask for, inside the chat.
The pattern is the same for every app:
- You ask in plain words: "which invoices are unpaid", "add this to the project", "make a QR code for the fall menu".
- ChatGPT picks the app's tool, fills in the details from your sentence, and calls it.
- The service does the work and answers; ChatGPT shows you the result.
- Actions that cannot be undone are confirmed with you first.
What it cannot do: reach a service you have not connected, use a permission you did not allow, or see your other chats.
Which ChatGPT apps are worth adding for a small business?#
The apps worth adding first are the ones behind tools you already pay for and touch every day: files, mail, calendar, a task tool, payments, design, and printed materials.
| Job | Ask for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Find a file or a fact in your documents | Your file storage | "Find last year's vendor contract and pull out the renewal date" |
| Draft replies | Your mail | "Draft answers to the three unread customer questions" |
| Keep the schedule straight | Your calendar | "Find a 30-minute slot next week that avoids the delivery window" |
| Track the work | Your task tool | "Make a task for each item in this launch checklist" |
| Watch the money | Your payments tool | "Which invoices from last month are still unpaid?" |
| Make the flyer | Your design tool | "Open the fall flyer and swap the dates" |
| Print things that can change | QRFLOW.codes | "Make a QR code for the fall menu, and point it at the winter menu in December" |
Category examples only; check each app's own listing for the current permission list. The best MCP servers post goes through twelve by name.
How do you add an app or a plugin to ChatGPT?#
You add an app from the directory with one press, and a plugin by pasting its address after turning on Developer mode.
An app from the directory
- Open Settings, then Apps.
- Find the app and press Add (or Connect).
- Sign in on the service's page and press Allow.
- In a new chat, add the app from the tools menu and ask.
A plugin by address (Plus, Pro, Team, Enterprise and Edu)
- Open Settings, then Security and login, and turn on Developer mode.
- Open Settings, then Plugins, press the plus button, name it and paste the address. For QRFLOW:
https://qrflow.codes/mcp
- Sign in on the service's page and press Allow.
- In a new chat, add it from the tools menu and ask.
The ChatGPT page has the QRFLOW version with drawings of each screen, and the What is an MCP server post explains the standard underneath in plain words.
What are the limits of ChatGPT apps?#
The limits are the plan, the permissions, and the confirmation step.
- Plan. Adding a plugin by address needs Developer mode, which the free plan does not include. Directory apps may be available more widely; check the listing.
- Permissions. An app can only do what its sign-in page listed. If it needs more later, it asks again.
- Confirmation. Anything destructive (deleting, sending) is confirmed with you. Reversible actions run when you ask.
- One account per app. The service account you sign in with is the one the app acts in; sign out on the service first if ChatGPT picked the wrong one.
- Mobile. A connected app follows your ChatGPT account to the phone apps.
Questions people ask#
Are ChatGPT plugins still available?#
The 2023 plugin store is gone. Today's "plugins" are MCP servers you add by address in Developer mode; "apps" are the reviewed ones in the directory. Both do what plugins promised, with a proper sign-in.
Are ChatGPT apps free?#
Adding them costs nothing on ChatGPT's side beyond the plan requirement for Developer mode. The service behind the app keeps its own pricing: QRFLOW, for example, is free for static codes and $4 a month for codes you can change after printing.
Can I build my own?#
Yes. A ChatGPT app is an MCP server, which any developer can host; the developer docs show how QRFLOW's is built and how to connect one to your own app.
Is it safe to connect my payments or mail?#
As safe as the permissions you allow on the sign-in page. Read the list; most business apps are read-focused and confirm anything that changes data.
Does QRFLOW work in ChatGPT?#
Yes, today by address as a plugin (the directory listing has been submitted). Once connected, ChatGPT can make codes, change where a printed one points, name links on your domain and read scans, all in your QRFLOW account.
If you would rather make a code now, the free QR code generator takes ten seconds and no account.