Cost guide
What a ChatGPT plugin costs to build
The short answer is $4,999 to $14,999 and up for an existing product, fixed. The longer answer is that the server is the small part. Sign in, write actions and the evidence OpenAI asks for are what move the price.
Published . Platform facts and third party prices were checked on that date.
What does a ChatGPT plugin cost at HouseofMVPs?
HouseofMVPs builds ChatGPT plugins for existing products at fixed prices: Plugin Launch is $4,999 (3 to 5 tools over an existing API, submitted for OpenAI review in 14 days), Plugin Native is $7,499 (OAuth 2.1, write actions and one interactive view, 3 weeks) and Plugin Scale starts at $14,999. A $1,500 readiness review is credited to the build. Running costs are low because the model runs on the user's ChatGPT plan. Prices exclude OpenAI's approval, which OpenAI alone controls. Book a 30 minute scoping call.
The four fixed prices
| Tier | Price | Timeline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plugin Readiness | $1,500 | 5 working days | Teams that want to know whether a plugin is worth building before they commit to one. |
| Plugin Launch | $4,999 | 14 days to submission | Products with a working API and either no sign in for the plugin or an OAuth 2.1 server already in place. |
| Plugin Native | $7,499 | 3 weeks to submission | Products where each person signs in to their own account and the result is better seen than read. |
| Plugin Scale | from $14,999 | Scoped per project | Plugins that act across several systems, change important records or need enterprise controls. |
Payment is 50% at signature and 50% when the submission is filed. What each tier includes, line by line, is on the ChatGPT plugin development page.
What moves the price
Whether people sign in
A plugin that works for anyone needs no authentication. One that reads a customer's own account needs OAuth 2.1 with PKCE, published metadata, token checks on every call and a reviewer test account. This is the single largest step in price.
Whether it writes
Lookup tools are simple to test. Tools that create, change or send need confirmation design, honest annotations, retry safety and more test cases.
How many tools
Each tool needs a description the model can choose correctly, input and output schemas, annotations and tests. Three to five is a sound first release.
The state of your API
A documented API used by partners is ready. An API that only your own frontend calls usually needs authentication and hardening before another system can use it.
Whether it needs a view
A panel, sidebar or file viewer inside ChatGPT is real frontend work with its own security policy and review notes. Most first releases do not need one.
The submission evidence
Eight test cases, a walkthrough video, listing copy, privacy disclosures and domain verification. This is fixed work whatever the size of the plugin, which is why very small quotes often leave it out.
What other firms publish
We looked for published prices on 9 October 2026. Almost everything available is written by companies that sell the work, about MCP servers in general and not about a reviewed ChatGPT plugin. Treat these as the edges of the range, not as a benchmark.
| Published figure | For what | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| $360 to $720 | Simple MCP server, 1 to 2 tools, no authentication, at $9 per hour | Triple Minds, a development vendor. Published 18 Jun 2026. |
| $1,080 to $1,800 | Custom MCP server with authentication and 5 or more tools, at the same rate | Same source. |
| $100,000 to $300,000 | Partner built, read only connector for one AI client | Launch Day Advisors, a buyer side advisory firm. Updated 18 Sep 2026. |
| $300,000 to $700,000 | Partner built connector that takes actions, one AI client | Same source. |
A three hundred fold spread tells you these are different products with the same name. The low end is a server and nothing else. The high end is an enterprise programme with procurement, security review and several teams. A reviewed plugin for a working SaaS product sits between them, and most of its cost is the part the low quotes omit: authentication, test evidence and the submission.
What it costs to run
Model usage
None to you
The model runs on each user's ChatGPT plan. You are not billed per token for plugin use.
Hosting the MCP server
Your normal hosting rates
It is a small stateless service. For most products it adds little to an existing bill.
Identity provider
Depends on your provider
Only if you add a hosted provider for OAuth. Check its pricing for your user count.
Keeping it compliant
Time, or a support plan
OpenAI rescans published servers daily and holds changes that fail checks. Someone has to watch that and respond.
Changes after launch
Quoted per change
New tools and listing changes go through checks or a new review. Our standing add ons are on the pricing page.
What no price includes
- OpenAI's approval. We build to the published requirements and file the submission. OpenAI decides, on its own schedule, and publishes no timeline.
- Placement or recommendation. OpenAI states that developers cannot request extra distribution.
- Your identity verification with OpenAI. It has to be completed by the individual or business that will own the plugin.
- Revenue inside ChatGPT. OpenAI does not allow software or subscriptions to be sold through plugins today.
Common questions
How much does it cost to build a ChatGPT plugin?
At HouseofMVPs, a ChatGPT plugin for an existing product is $4,999 for Plugin Launch (3 to 5 tools over an existing API, submitted in 14 days), $7,499 for Plugin Native (OAuth 2.1, write actions and one interactive view, 3 weeks) and from $14,999 for Plugin Scale. A $1,500 readiness review is credited in full to any build signed within 30 days. All prices are fixed in a written scope.
Why do quotes for ChatGPT plugins vary so much?
Because they describe different work. On 9 October 2026 we found one offshore firm publishing $360 to $720 for a simple MCP server at $9 per hour, and one advisory firm publishing $100,000 to $300,000 for a partner built read only connector. Neither figure is wrong for what it describes. The first is a server with no authentication and no submission. The second is an enterprise programme. Ask every vendor what is included: tool count, authentication, test cases, the submission itself and support through review.
Does OpenAI charge to list a plugin?
OpenAI's plugin submission documentation, as read on 9 October 2026, mentions no listing or review fee. It does require identity verification for the publishing individual or business. Check the current documentation before you budget, because the platform is changing quickly.
What does a ChatGPT plugin cost to run each month?
Very little in infrastructure. The model runs on the user's ChatGPT plan, so there is no token bill for you. You pay to host a small MCP server and, if you added one, an identity provider. The real ongoing cost is attention: OpenAI rescans published servers daily and someone needs to respond when a change is held.
Is the $1,500 readiness review worth it?
It is worth it when you are unsure whether to build at all, when your API has never been used by an outside system, or when authentication is unclear. You receive a written architecture, a tool list, a submission risk report and a fixed price. If the answer is do not build, you have spent $1,500 instead of $5,000 or more. If you already know your scope, skip it and go straight to a build.
Do you charge more if OpenAI rejects the plugin?
No, within the signed scope. Fixing review feedback is included for 30 days after submission on Plugin Launch and 60 days on Plugin Native and Scale. If OpenAI adds a requirement that widens the scope, that becomes a written change quote you approve first. We cannot refund on the basis of OpenAI's decision, because that decision is not ours to make.
HouseofMVPs is an independent development studio. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or partnered with OpenAI. ChatGPT is a trademark of OpenAI. We build the plugin and prepare the submission. OpenAI controls review, approval, ranking and publication.
Get a fixed price for your plugin
One 30 minute call. A written scope, a tool list and a price before any commitment.