App Development ChatGPT Plugins

See also: ChatGPT Plugins, ChatGPT Plugin Categories and App Development

App Development ChatGPT Plugins were a group of third party ChatGPT Plugins that let a user describe an application in plain language and receive a finished mobile app, web app, or backend built by an external service, and they are deprecated. OpenAI closed the plugin store to new installs on March 19, 2024 and ended all remaining plugin conversations on April 9, 2024, so none of these plugins still runs inside ChatGPT. ^[1][2] Their workflows were absorbed by a chain of successors: Custom GPTs with Actions, announced November 6, 2023 and distributed through the GPT Store that opened January 10, 2024; ChatGPT connectors during 2025; the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which OpenAI adopted on March 26, 2025; and Apps in ChatGPT with the Apps SDK, launched at OpenAI DevDay on October 6, 2025. ^{[17][22][24][19][20]}

The grouping operated inside the ChatGPT Plugins catalog between March 2023 and April 2024. Plugins in it helped users design, scaffold, and ship full applications, most often mobile apps, web apps, or business backends, by describing the desired product in plain language and letting ChatGPT call an external builder service. The category sat next to Programming ChatGPT Plugins, Software Development ChatGPT Plugins, and Web Development ChatGPT Plugins, but focused on producing a finished, shippable application rather than helping a developer write code or browse the live web.

The category captured an early experiment in connecting a frontier large language model to no code and low code app builders that could turn a paragraph of prompt engineering into a working iOS or Android binary, a hosted single page web app, or a custom enterprise resource planning (ERP) backend. It was not formally enshrined in the OpenAI plugin store interface, which sorted entries by Popular, New, and All. The grouping appeared in third party catalogs such as plugin.surf, GPTStore.ai, and AI Plugin Store. ^[14][15]

When did ChatGPT plugins launch and shut down?

OpenAI announced ChatGPT Plugins on March 23, 2023. ^[1] The launch paired two first party plugins, a code execution sandbox (code interpreter) and a web browsing tool, with twelve third party launch partners: Expedia, FiscalNote, Instacart, Kayak, Klarna, Milo, OpenTable, Shopify, Slack, Speak, Wolfram, and Zapier. ^[1] Access opened to ChatGPT Plus subscribers in a beta beginning May 12, 2023, and the catalog grew to roughly one thousand plugins by late 2023. ^[16]

A plugin was an HTTPS service that hosted a manifest at /.well-known/ai-plugin.json plus an OpenAPI specification describing its endpoints. ^[1] Once a Plus user enabled a plugin in GPT-4 chat, the model received a short description of what the plugin could do and chose when to call its endpoints. App development plugins fit naturally into this model because their workflow was inherently conversational.

OpenAI closed the plugin store to new installs and blocked new plugin conversations on March 19, 2024, then shut the feature down entirely on April 9, 2024. ^[2] The first widely reported App Development entry was DeployScript on May 28, 2023, followed by Appy Pie App Builder and Tailor ERP Generator on June 20, 2023, ABC Website Maker on June 26, 2023, Calculator Tools on July 14, 2023, For.io App Creator on July 24, 2023, and Back4App on August 7, 2023. ^{[14][3][9][10][7][8]}

What did App Development ChatGPT plugins do?

App development plugins were the only group whose primary output was a finished application binary, hosted page, or backend. The four developer leaning categories had different goals.

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The practical boundary was the level of finished product the user expected. A programming plugin handed back code the user still had to integrate, run, or deploy. An app development plugin returned a deployed app, a downloadable binary, or a public URL ready to share with a tester or end user. Founders tended to activate one app builder for the entire chat, while engineers in adjacent categories often chained two or three plugins per conversation up to the OpenAI three plugin per chat ceiling.

Which plugins were classified as App Development plugins?

The table below lists plugins verifiably classified under App Development on at least two independent third party directories or by their developers. All ceased operating inside ChatGPT on April 9, 2024. ^[2]

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Additional plugins, including independent calculators, hobbyist ERP wrappers, and small website generators, briefly appeared with App Development tags in mid 2023 but did not generate enough public coverage to allow confident historical reconstruction. They are omitted here. OpenAI never published an archived catalog after the shutdown. ^[15]

Appy Pie App Builder

Appy Pie App Builder was the most visible plugin in the category. Announced on June 1, 2023 by Appy Pie, an established no code app development platform, it was a free integration powered by GPT-4 and approved on June 20, 2023 for ChatGPT Plus users. ^[3][4] The manifest declared a single GET endpoint at /v1 accepting a text query parameter with a brief description. The response carried an app name, title, description, image URL, and link URL for the generated mobile app, which the user could refine in the Appy Pie web editor. ^[6] After the platform shutdown, Appy Pie launched a Custom GPT, the No-code AI App Generator, on the GPT Store and continued its AI App Generator on its own website. ^[5]

For.io App Creator

For.io App Creator was distinct because its input was a database schema rather than a free form description. The user defined tables, columns, foreign key relationships, and desired application features, and the plugin generated a web application around that schema. A single command, createOrUpdateApplication, drove the workflow. ^[7] For.io presented the plugin as a path for product managers and analysts who could describe a data model in plain language but did not want to write a backend.

Calculator Tools and ABC Website Maker

Calculator Tools shipped on July 14, 2023 with the broad pitch of letting users instantly create any app, calculator, website, tool, or game using AI and no code. ^[10][11] The plugin generated HTML for a single page application and deployed it inside a secure iframe at a unique URL. Typical outputs included tip calculators, mortgage estimators, mood trackers, browser games, and free response quizzes. ABC Website Maker, first listed on June 26, 2023, used a similar model, producing hosted web applications by managing HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JSON files inside the chat. ^[14] After the shutdown, the Calculator Tools team published the Automatic Programming GPT on the GPT Store as a successor. ^[11]

Back4App

Back4App brought a backend as a service to the conversation. Released on August 7, 2023, the plugin let users build data models, REST and GraphQL APIs, cloud functions, and authentication rules through plain language. ^[8][12] Back4App treated the ChatGPT integration as a thin layer on its existing low code Parse based platform, so any backend created through the plugin was available through the Back4App dashboard. ^[12]

DeployScript

DeployScript was added on May 28, 2023, making it one of the earliest App Development plugins. It generated and deployed HTML, CSS, and JavaScript web apps from chat, exposing endpoints to create a new app, update existing files, and retrieve hosted output. ^[14][15] It was filed under AI Assisted Development on whatplugin.ai and under App Development on plugin.surf.

Tailor ERP Generator

Tailor ERP Generator, published by Tokyo based Tailor K.K. on June 20, 2023, let users create custom ERP applications by selecting a template (CRM, HRIS, or a simplified SCM) and refining it through chat. ^[9][13] Once a template was complete, the plugin downloaded application files for deployment on the Tailor platform. Tailor positioned it for non technical staff inside small and mid sized businesses. ^[13]

How did App Development plugins differ from adjacent categories?

The boundary between App Development plugins and the adjacent developer categories was porous. Plugin authors could declare any tags, and third party directories chose how to file each entry, so the same plugin appeared under different categories. ^[14][15]

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A useful test was to ask what the user did with the output. If they shipped it, the plugin belonged in App Development. If they edited or merged it into an existing project, it belonged in Programming or Software Development. If they fetched live information, it was Web Development.

Why were ChatGPT plugins deprecated?

The App Development plugins disappeared on the same dates as the rest of the platform. ^[2] OpenAI's stated reasons applied with extra force.

1. Discoverability. The plugin store sorted entries by Popular, New, and All. App Development plugins were rarely featured because the category was small. Founders usually arrived through a press release or a YouTube tutorial.
2. Three plugin chat limit. The limit hurt builders who wanted to combine an app generator with a browsing, diagram, and productivity plugin. Custom GPTs removed the per chat limit by bundling Actions inside one assistant. ^[17]
3. Better fit for Custom GPTs. App development workflows benefit from custom system instructions, knowledge files, and a public store listing. App development plugins were among the easiest to migrate because their backends were already OpenAPI services. ^[17]
4. Vendor lock in. A user who built an app inside Appy Pie, Calculator Tools, or Back4App was tied to that vendor's hosting and pricing.
5. Native first party features. OpenAI rolled the code interpreter into ChatGPT as a default, and later released ChatGPT Canvas and ChatGPT Apps, which absorbed many lightweight web app generation use cases. ^[20]

What replaced ChatGPT App Development plugins?

The workflows were absorbed into a broader ecosystem of AI app builders, Custom GPTs on the GPT Store, agentic developer tools, and standalone no code platforms. The direct migration path was a Custom GPT with Actions, announced by OpenAI on November 6, 2023. ^[17] Appy Pie, Calculator Tools, Back4App, and Tailor each launched a Custom GPT that reused most of the original plugin backend. ^[5][11] The GPT Store opened on January 10, 2024, and a revenue sharing program gave creators a financial incentive the plugin program never offered. ^[22]

From 2024 onward OpenAI extended ChatGPT along a clear successor chain that ended with a full third party app platform.

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The Model Context Protocol became the connective layer for this ecosystem. Originally created by Anthropic, MCP was adopted by OpenAI on March 26, 2025 across its Agents SDK, Responses API, and the ChatGPT desktop app. CEO Sam Altman wrote, "People love MCP and we are excited to add support across our products." ^[19] When OpenAI unveiled Apps in ChatGPT and the Apps SDK at DevDay on October 6, 2025, it built the system on MCP: as OpenAI put it, the Apps SDK is "built using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which allows developers to connect their data sources to an AI system." ^[20][21] The launch shipped with seven partner apps, Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, Figma, Spotify, and Zillow, and OpenAI said building on the SDK let developers reach the more than 800 million weekly ChatGPT users the company reported at the event. ^[20][21]

On December 17, 2025 OpenAI opened app submissions to any third party developer and launched an in product App Directory at chatgpt.com/apps, with approved apps set to roll out from early 2026. ^[23] App building tools rejoined the platform at this stage: Replit, for example, lets a user tag @replit in a chat and have a full stack app built and deployed inside ChatGPT, the same conversational app creation that Appy Pie and DeployScript had prototyped in 2023. ^[23]

The broader market for AI app generators also expanded after 2024. Newer entrants such as Bolt, Lovable, Base44, and v0 adopted the same conversational model but generated full source code that users could download, modify, and self host. For users wanting more control over code, agentic developer tools became the default replacement, including GitHub Copilot and AI first editors combining chat, repository awareness, and shell access.

What is the modern replacement for each plugin?

The table below maps common 2023 era App Development plugin workflows to the modern equivalent.

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The underlying capability survived the shutdown. What changed was the surface: instead of a per chat plugin toggle, the same workflow now lives inside a Custom GPT on the GPT Store, a standalone AI app builder website, an app in the ChatGPT App Directory, or an editor connected to a Model Context Protocol server. ^[18][20]

What was the legacy of App Development plugins?

App Development plugins were a brief experiment but previewed patterns that became standard. Conversational app creation, schema driven web app generation, hosted single page outputs from a chat, and natural language ERP design all started here. The category also exposed the limits of the plugin model: small audiences, weak discovery, vendor lock in, and limited control over generated code. Each pain point shaped the design of Custom GPTs, the GPT Store, the Model Context Protocol, and the later ChatGPT Apps SDK. ^[17][19][20]

See also

• ChatGPT Plugins
• ChatGPT Plugin Categories
• App Development
• Programming ChatGPT Plugins
• Software Development ChatGPT Plugins
• Web Development ChatGPT Plugins
• Custom GPTs
• GPT Store
• Model Context Protocol
• GPT-4
• Large Language Model
• Prompt Engineering
• GitHub Copilot
• Anthropic

References

1. OpenAI. "ChatGPT plugins." March 23, 2023. https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-plugins/ ↩
2. OpenAI Developer Community. "Plugin Store and New Chats With Plugins, Closed March 19 2024." Forum thread, 2024. https://community.openai.com/t/plugin-store-and-new-chats-with-plugins-closed-march-19-2024/689877 ↩
3. PR Newswire. "Appy Pie Unveils Free ChatGPT Plugin for Effortless App Creation." June 1, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/appy-pie-unveils-free-chatgpt-plugin-for-effortless-app-creation-301839945.html ↩
4. Appy Pie. "Introducing Free ChatGPT Plugin for Effortless App Creation." Blog post, 2023. https://www.appypie.com/blog/ai/chatgpt-plugin-ai-app-builder ↩
5. PR Newswire. "Appy Pie Launches No-code AI App Generator GPT on GPT Store." 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/appy-pie-launches-no-code-ai-app-generator-gpt-on-gpt-store-302282922.html ↩
6. plugin.surf. "Appy Pie App Builder plugin information." https://plugin.surf/plugin/appy-pie-app-builder ↩
7. plugin.surf. "For.io App Creator plugin information." https://plugin.surf/plugin/for-io-app-creator ↩
8. plugin.surf. "Back4App plugin information." https://plugin.surf/plugin/back4app ↩
9. plugin.surf. "Tailor ERP Generator plugin information." https://plugin.surf/plugin/tailor-erp-generator ↩
10. plugin.surf. "Calculator Tools plugin information." https://plugin.surf/plugin/calculator-tools ↩
11. Calculator Tools. "ChatGPT Plugin home page." https://calculator.tools/chatgpt-plugin/ ↩
12. Back4App Blog. "Back4app ChatGPT plugin: Build Software with the Power of Conversation." August 2023. https://blog.back4app.com/back4app-chatgpt-plugin-build-software-with-the-power-of-conversation/ ↩
13. Tailor.tech. "Harnessing AI to Revolutionize ERP Platform through Tailor ERP Generator ChatGPT Plugin." Medium, 2023. https://medium.com/@tailor.tech/harnessing-ai-to-revolutionize-erp-platform-through-tailor-erp-generator-chatgpt-plugin-a6a256e85d9c ↩
14. ScriptByAI. "The Complete List of ChatGPT Plugins In ChatGPT Plugin Store." 2023. https://www.scriptbyai.com/chatgpt-store-plugins-list/ ↩
15. sisbell. "chatgpt-plugin-store: ChatGPT Plugin Store List." GitHub repository archive of plugin manifests. https://github.com/sisbell/chatgpt-plugin-store ↩
16. SiliconANGLE. "OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT plugins for paid subscribers." May 14, 2023. https://siliconangle.com/2023/05/14/openai-rolls-chatgpt-plugins-paid-subscribers/ ↩
17. OpenAI. "Introducing GPTs." November 6, 2023. https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpts/ ↩
18. OpenAI Developers. "Apps SDK." 2025. https://developers.openai.com/apps-sdk ↩
19. TechCrunch. "OpenAI adopts rival Anthropic's standard for connecting AI models to data." March 26, 2025. https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/26/openai-adopts-rival-anthropics-standard-for-connecting-ai-models-to-data/ ↩
20. OpenAI. "Introducing apps in ChatGPT and the new Apps SDK." October 6, 2025. https://openai.com/index/introducing-apps-in-chatgpt/ ↩
21. TechCrunch. "OpenAI launches apps inside of ChatGPT." October 6, 2025. https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/06/openai-launches-apps-inside-of-chatgpt/ ↩
22. OpenAI. "Introducing the GPT Store." January 10, 2024. https://openai.com/index/introducing-the-gpt-store/ ↩
23. VentureBeat. "OpenAI now accepting ChatGPT app submissions from third-party devs, launches App Directory." December 17, 2025. https://venturebeat.com/technology/openai-now-accepting-chatgpt-app-submissions-from-third-party-devs-launches ↩
24. TechCrunch. "ChatGPT introduces meeting recording and connectors for Google Drive, Box, and more." June 4, 2025. https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/04/chatgpt-introduces-meeting-recording-and-connectors-for-google-drive-box-and-more/ ↩