According to Thurrott.com, OpenAI has introduced a beta “Apps” section and is now inviting all developers to submit their apps to what is effectively a new ChatGPT app store. This follows the initial launch of third-party apps from partners like Booking, Expedia, Canva, Coursera, Figma, and Spotify back in October. The company has published new resources and a deep link system to help developers build and promote their apps. For users, connecting to these apps involves OAuth authentication and then invoking them using @mentions in a chat. OpenAI stated it’s exploring monetization options, including for digital goods, and emphasized that ChatGPT now has over 800 million weekly users, calling this its “app store moment.”
The Platform Play Is Real
Here’s the thing: this was always the endgame. OpenAI isn’t just a research lab or an API company anymore. It’s building a platform, and a massive one at that. With 800 million weekly users, they have a distribution channel most companies would kill for. So this move to open up submissions to all developers, not just big-name partners, is a huge shift. It’s them saying the infrastructure is ready, and now they need the content—the apps—to keep users locked into the ChatGPT interface for everything. Why go to Expedia’s website when you can just @Expedia in your chat? That’s the bet.
Winners, Losers, and Weird Synergies
So who wins? Early partners like Canva and Coursera get a prime spot in what could become the default interface for a lot of casual computing. Developers who can build clever, conversational workflows that feel “like a natural extension of the conversation,” as OpenAI puts it, will have a brand-new, hungry audience. But let’s ask the obvious question: who loses? Traditional app stores, for one. If you can accomplish tasks through a chat interface, do you need as many standalone mobile apps? And what about websites that rely on direct traffic? OpenAI is already letting apps “link out” to complete transactions for physical goods, which basically turns ChatGPT into the ultimate aggregator or lead-gen machine. They capture the intent, and the partner fulfills it. It’s a powerful, and potentially disintermediating, position.
The Monetization Question
OpenAI says they’re “exploring additional monetization options,” and that’s the multi-billion dollar footnote. Right now, it seems like a land grab for attention and utility. But you can bet the plan isn’t to just host these apps for free forever. Will they take a cut of transactions? Charge for premium placement? Offer a cut of ChatGPT Plus subscription revenue to top developers? How they monetize this ecosystem will define its shape. If they take too much, developers will bristle. If they don’t take enough, they leave money on the table for what is surely a costly operation. It’s a tricky balance, but one they have to get right to make this “thriving ecosystem” actually thrive.
A New Kind of App?
Look, the most interesting part is the renaming of existing connectors—like the file search tool—to “apps.” That’s a clue. A ChatGPT “app” might not be a traditional application at all. It might just be a cleverly configured GPT with specific capabilities and API access. Basically, the barrier to creating an “app” could be shockingly low, which could lead to an explosion of niche, hyper-specific tools. The challenge will be discovery and quality control. How do you find the useful needle in a haystack of experimental, half-baked GPTs? That’s the problem every platform faces, and OpenAI’s new app directory and submission guidelines are their first attempt at solving it. If they succeed, they won’t just have an app store. They’ll have a whole new software paradigm.
