ChatGBT app store struggles to gain traction

Early limitations and ecosystem friction highlight the challenges of building an AI-native app platform

OpenAI’s push to turn ChatGPT into a platform for third-party “mini apps” has had a slow and uneven start six months after launch. While the initiative aims to create a new app ecosystem that could rival traditional app stores, adoption by both users and developers remains limited. Partners are cautious about handing over customer relationships and payments, while technical and operational hurdles have frustrated developers. The result is an ecosystem that shows long-term potential but is not yet delivering meaningful usage or commercial impact.

Key takeaways

• Limited user adoption: Despite hundreds of integrations, ChatGPT apps remain difficult to discover and are not yet a primary channel for consumer transactions.
• Incomplete transaction flows: Most apps require users to leave ChatGPT to complete bookings or purchases, reducing convenience and weakening the platform’s value proposition.
• Partner hesitation: Companies are reluctant to give OpenAI control over payments and customer relationships, limiting the depth of integrations.
• Developer friction: Lengthy approval processes, bugs, and poor documentation have made building and maintaining apps challenging.
• Lack of analytics: Developers receive minimal performance data, making it difficult to understand usage, optimize apps, or justify investment.
• Consumer trust gap: Many users remain cautious about sharing payment details with AI, slowing adoption of in-chat transactions.
• Competition with existing channels: AI assistants are emerging as a discovery layer, but traditional platforms like Google and direct websites still dominate conversion.
• Strategic but early-stage play: OpenAI views the app ecosystem as central to its future, but the current rollout highlights the complexity of building a viable alternative to established app marketplaces.

Source: Bloomberg

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