Plugins, Connectors and MCPs Explained

Plugins, connectors, skills, MCPs. If those words have ever made you close the tab, this page is for you. They all come back to one simple idea: connecting ChatGPT or Claude to the apps you already use. Here's what each word means, what's safe to connect, what your plan includes, and every guide I have that sets one up.

Start Here: What These Actually Are

A connector is basically a bridge between your AI and another app, like Gmail, Canva or Shopify. Once it's connected, the AI can read from that app or do things inside it, so you stop copying and pasting between tabs.

Think of it like giving an assistant a key to one room, not the whole house. You decide which rooms.

The five words

• Plugin (ChatGPT): ChatGPT's name for connected apps. They used to be called connectors, then Apps. Since July 2026 they're called Plugins. Same idea.
• Connector (Claude): Claude's name for connected apps.
• Skill: A saved set of instructions for a job you do again and again, like writing in your style or making a weekly report. A connector gives the AI access. A skill teaches it how.
• Plugin (Claude): A bundle that packs skills, connectors and commands together for one kind of work, like the Small Business plugin.
• MCP: The open standard most connectors are built on. When a guide says "add this MCP," it usually means pasting a link into Claude as a custom connector. You don't need to understand the tech behind it.

Where They Live

In ChatGPT

• Open Plugins in the left sidebar to browse the directory. Search for an app, open its listing and click Install plugin.
• Installing the plugin and connecting your account are two separate steps. When it asks you to sign in, do it on the app's official sign-in screen.
• Manage or remove plugins at Settings > Plugins. The directory also has Skills and Customize tabs.
• Plugins work in voice too.

In Claude

• Open Customize in the left sidebar. It has three tabs: Skills, Connectors and Plugins, each with a Discover section to browse.
• To add an MCP, go to Customize > Connectors, add a custom connector and paste the link from the guide you're following.

Gemini (the Customize menu) and Muse (its settings) have their own versions. Same idea everywhere.

What Each Plan Gets You

This is the one page where I keep plan details, so other guides can link here instead of repeating them.

ChatGPT

• Free: Everyday chat and limited Work on the desktop app. Plugin access varies by plugin and country. May show ads.
• Go: Higher limits than Free. Can still show ads.
• Plus: Work on every device, more scheduled tasks, Sites and no ads. The plan most people need.
• Pro (three tiers): The most usage, plus dots (always-on agents), Space and the top Pro model.
• Business and Enterprise: For teams. Your admin may control which plugins you can use.

Claude

• Free: The Sonnet and Haiku models, up to 5 projects, and custom connectors.
• Pro: Adds the top model (Opus), plugins, Claude Code, Research and Claude in Chrome.
• Max (5x or 20x): A lot more usage, plus the Fable model.
• Team and Enterprise: For teams and companies.

Prices as of October 2026 (US, monthly): ChatGPT Go $8, Plus $20, Pro from $100. Claude Pro $20, Max from $100. Prices can differ by country and app store.

What's Safe to Connect

Once an app is connected, the AI can see what's inside it and sometimes act on it. A few rules keep you safe:

• Use the official listing from the directory inside ChatGPT or Claude, made by the real company.
• Connect only what the task needs. Calendar summaries don't need your email.
• Read first, then do. Try summaries and searches before you let it send, edit or buy.
• Keep approvals on. In ChatGPT, use Ask for approval. In Claude, keep Manual (the default).
• Never type passwords or card numbers into a chat. Sign in through the official screen.
• Remove what you stop using. A forgotten connection is still a connection.

For the full setup, read How to Use ChatGPT and Claude Safely.

Copy This First: Check Before You Connect

Paste this before you connect anything new.

I'm about to connect [APP NAME] to [ChatGPT / Claude]. Here's what the permission screen says: [PASTE THE TEXT FROM THE PERMISSION SCREEN].

In simple words, tell me what this connection will let the AI read, what it will let it change or send, and what could go wrong. Then suggest the safest way to set it up for this job: [WHAT I WANT IT TO DO]. If anything isn't clear from the text, say so instead of guessing.

Every Guide That Sets One Up

ChatGPT plugins

• ChatGPT Apps and Plugins: 20 popular plugins, from Gmail to DoorDash.
• Don't Use ChatGPT Until You've Installed These Four Plugins: Firecrawl, Remotion, Indeed and Higgsfield.
• ChatGPT Apple Messages Guide: search, summarize and draft texts on a Mac.

Claude connectors, MCPs and plugins

• Claude Connectors Guide: native apps plus MCPs like Meta Ads and Higgsfield.
• 4 MCPs for Claude: Perplexity, Firecrawl, Playwright and Composio.
• Claude Small Business Plugin: commands for invoices, books, leads and contracts.
• Claude Meta Ads Setup: analyze and manage your Meta ad campaigns.
• Claude and Shopify Guide: sales reports, products and discounts.
• Claude and Robinhood Guide: real money, so it's built around approvals and a capped account.

Quick Reference: Plugins, Connectors and MCPs

• ChatGPT: Plugins in the left sidebar. Manage at Settings > Plugins.
• Claude: Customize > Skills, Connectors or Plugins.
• Adding an MCP: Customize > Connectors, add a custom connector, paste the link.
• Connector vs skill: one gives access, the other teaches how.
• Safety: official listing, only what you need, approvals on.

DO THIS TODAY

Connect one app you use every day, like your calendar. Ask for a summary of your week, then check the answer against the app itself.