The 5 best alternatives to the ChatGPT plugin marketplace we tested in 2026

Remember the buzz when the ChatGPT plugin marketplace first launched? It really felt like the future. We finally had a way to connect AI to the live internet, book flights, or order groceries right from the chat window. It was an exciting peek into a world where AI could actually do things, not just talk about them.

But if you've been looking for that plugin store recently, you've probably noticed it's gone. OpenAI has officially moved on from plugins, leaving a lot of us wondering what's next. The good news is that the dream of extending AI's capabilities didn't die with the marketplace. It just grew up.

The landscape has evolved into something more powerful and specialized. This article is your guide to navigating what comes next. We'll walk through the best alternatives we've found, from OpenAI's own successors to dedicated AI platforms built to automate real business tasks.

A quick history: What was the ChatGPT plugin marketplace?

So, what exactly were ChatGPT plugins? Think of them as add-ons that gave ChatGPT special abilities. By default, the language model was stuck with its training data, with no access to real-time information. Plugins were the bridge to the outside world.

They were third-party tools that let ChatGPT perform real-world actions. Early partners like Expedia, Zapier, and Wolfram allowed the AI to search for flights, trigger automations in other apps, or solve complex math problems. The whole point was to break the AI out of its box and let it interact with live data and services.

But that chapter is now closed. OpenAI has officially deprecated the plugin store, replacing it with a more integrated system. They've shifted to custom GPTs that use "Actions" to connect to external APIs. Understanding this change is key to figuring out where to go from here, because the core idea of making AI more useful is stronger than ever. This visual breaks down the evolution from the original plugin concept to the current model.

How we chose the best alternatives to the ChatGPT plugin marketplace

When the plugin marketplace disappeared, we went looking for replacements that could deliver on that original promise for a business. We didn't just look for cool tech; we looked for tools that actually solve problems. Here's what we looked for:

• Business Impact: Does this tool solve a real, measurable business problem? We looked for solutions that go beyond novelty and deliver actual value, like saving time or generating revenue.
• Integration Depth: How well does it connect with the tools you already use every day? A great alternative needs to plug into business-critical systems like help desks, CRMs, and internal knowledge bases.
• Ease of Use: Is it built for everyone on the team, or do you need a developer to get it working? We prioritized tools that non-technical folks can set up and manage themselves.
• Security & Control: Can you trust it with your company data? We looked for platforms that offer a secure, private environment and give you real control over how the AI behaves.

Comparison of the top alternatives to the ChatGPT plugin marketplace

Here’s a quick look at how the best alternatives stack up.

The 5 best alternatives to the ChatGPT plugin marketplace in 2026

Now, let's dive into the details of each alternative and see which one might be the right fit for you.

1. eesel AI

Instead of being a simple add-on to ChatGPT, eesel AI is a complete AI teammate you "hire" for your business. It plugs directly into the software you already use, like Zendesk, Confluence, and Shopify, and learns from your existing data to start working on its own. It's designed from the ground up to be a member of your team, handling customer service, sales, or internal questions.

Why we chose it: It takes the original promise of plugins-letting AI take real action-and delivers it in a way that's controlled, secure, and built for business. The "teammate" model allows you to start it with guidance, have it draft replies for review, and then increase its autonomy as you get more confident. This approach provides a level of control and trust suited for business environments.

Pros: The setup is very fast. You connect it to your help desk, and it learns from your past tickets and knowledge base articles in minutes, with no manual training needed. You can even run simulations on past tickets to check its accuracy before it ever talks to a real customer. It can be controlled with plain-English instructions ("If a refund is over 30 days, politely decline"), not complicated code.

Cons: Because it’s a dedicated business platform, it works inside your existing tools (like responding to emails in Zendesk or answering questions in Slack) rather than inside the main ChatGPT chat window. If you're looking for a single interface to manage everything, this is a different approach.

Pricing:

• Team: Starts at $299 per month.
• Business: Starts at $799 per month.
• Custom: Available for larger teams with enterprise needs.

2. Custom GPTs

Custom GPTs are OpenAI's direct replacement for the old plugin system. They let you create your own specialized versions of ChatGPT for specific tasks. You can give them custom instructions, upload knowledge files for them to reference, and enable capabilities like web browsing or connecting to external APIs through a feature called "Actions."

Why we chose it: It's the native, official solution from OpenAI, making it the most direct evolution of the plugin concept. The ability to create a GPT for a specific purpose and share it with others through the GPT Store makes them highly accessible for personal use.

Pros: They are tightly integrated into the familiar ChatGPT experience and are easy to create and share. For developers, defining custom Actions to call third-party services opens up many powerful possibilities.

Cons: Building a business-grade GPT that uses custom Actions still requires a developer. More importantly, data privacy is an important consideration. While OpenAI's Business and Enterprise plans state your data isn't used for training, uploading sensitive company documents to a public-facing AI tool can be a concern for many organizations that aren't on those specific plans.

Pricing: Requires a ChatGPT Plus, Business, or Enterprise subscription.

3. Zapier

Zapier was one of the most popular original ChatGPT plugins, and it remains a powerful tool for automation. It's a platform that lets you connect AI models to over 8,000 different applications. You can set up workflows, or "Zaps," that trigger actions in other tools. For example, you could have an AI draft a reply to an email in Gmail, then post it to a Slack channel for review.

Why we chose it: Zapier is a well-known platform for no-code automation. If your main goal is to have an AI trigger a specific, predefined action in another piece of software, it is a comprehensive tool for connecting different applications.

Pros: The number of integrations is extensive; you can connect almost any app you can think of. The visual, drag-and-drop workflow builder makes it possible for non-developers to build powerful, multi-step automations.

Cons: The cost of Zapier can scale quickly with the number of tasks you run and the complexity of your Zaps. It's also very action-oriented, meaning it's great for executing a set workflow but less suited for dynamic, conversational interactions or understanding deep business context.

Pricing: Zapier has a free plan with limited tasks. Paid plans start from $19.99/month (when billed annually) and go up based on usage.

4. AIPRM for ChatGPT

AIPRM isn't a plugin in the traditional sense; it's a browser extension that enhances the ChatGPT and Claude interfaces. It overlays a massive library of over 5,400 curated prompt templates that help you get much better results for specific tasks like writing SEO content, marketing copy, or social media posts.

Why we chose it: It solves a common problem for many ChatGPT users: how to get consistent, high-quality answers without becoming a prompt engineering expert. It doesn't add new functions, but it can significantly improve the usability of the core AI.

Pros: It gives you instant access to thousands of community-tested prompts for almost any task imaginable. This saves a ton of time and helps you discover new and effective ways to use language models.

Cons: It's a user interface enhancement, not a functional one. It can't browse the web, analyze your documents, or connect to other apps. It's all about helping you write better instructions for the base AI model.

Pricing: A free version is available. Premium plans start at $20/month and add features like custom tones and access to verified, expert-written prompts.

5. AskYourPDF

AskYourPDF was another popular plugin that made a smooth transition into the new AI world. It's available as a standalone service and a custom GPT, and it specializes in letting you chat with your PDF documents. You can upload a PDF and then ask questions, get summaries, or pull out specific pieces of information.

Why we chose it: It's a perfect example of a key use case that plugins were great for-interacting with a specific piece of user-provided knowledge. It’s a single-purpose tool that continues to be useful.

Pros: It's effective for quickly understanding long, dense documents like research papers, financial reports, or legal contracts. The feature that provides page references for its answers makes it easy to fact-check the information it gives you.

Cons: Its functionality is limited to PDF documents. If you're a business that needs to connect an AI to a whole ecosystem of knowledge-like a help center, past support tickets, and internal Confluence pages all at once-a tool that only handles one file at a time may be too restrictive.

Pricing: There's a free version with limits on file size and the number of documents you can upload. Paid plans with higher limits start at $11.99/month (when billed annually).

Tips for choosing the right alternative to the ChatGPT plugin marketplace

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the options? Here are a few simple tips to help you decide.

• Start with your goal, not the tool. Before you pick a solution, be clear about what you're trying to achieve. Are you a solo user trying to speed up your personal workflow? Or are you a business trying to automate a core function like customer support? Your primary goal will point you in the right direction.
• For business-critical workflows, consider dedicated platforms. While custom GPTs offer flexibility, a platform designed for business use may provide the security, control, and reliability needed for customer-facing interactions. These platforms often work within your existing systems, rather than as an external tool you have to manage.
• Distinguish between automation and assistance. Think about whether you need an AI that can handle tasks all by itself, like eesel’s AI Agent, or if you need a copilot that helps a human work faster, like AIPRM. Both are valuable, but they solve completely different problems.
• Never compromise on data security. Be extremely careful about uploading sensitive company information to any public AI service. For your internal knowledge, look for solutions that are secure by design and provide a contractual guarantee that your data is kept private and not used to train general models.

To better understand the foundation that the new generation of AI tools is built on, it can be helpful to look back at what the original plugin system offered. The video below gives a great overview of what ChatGPT plugins were and how they worked, providing context for why the ecosystem has evolved.

This video gives a great overview of what ChatGPT plugins were and how they worked, providing context for why the ecosystem has evolved.

Moving beyond plugins

The ChatGPT plugin marketplace may be gone, but its spirit lives on. It was an important first step that paved the way for a more mature and diverse ecosystem of AI tools. The current ecosystem offers tools that are often more specialized and may offer enhanced security features.

We've seen how custom GPTs offer deep personalization, extensions like AIPRM improve usability, and automation platforms like Zapier connect everything together. For businesses looking to leverage AI, the focus is shifting from simple plugins to integrated solutions that can act as part of a team.

Secure, reliable, and deeply integrated solutions can transform workflows, moving AI from a novelty to a core part of business operations.

Ready to move beyond plugins and hire an AI teammate that learns your business in minutes? Try eesel AI for free and see how it can start autonomously resolving your support tickets today.