Claude Marketplace Is Live With 2,000+ Connectors and Plugins, and Paid-Plan Developers Can Now Submit Their Own

Our verdict: for MCP builders, this is now the distribution channel into Claude. For buyers, "safety-scanned" is not a security review. Anthropic has opened Claude Marketplace and a self-serve plugin submission portal, and Anthropic says one discovery experience will roll out across Claude and Claude Code over the coming weeks. Neither announcement mentions a price change, and submitting a plugin requires a paid Claude plan. The scan is Anthropic's own automated check, and the two announcements do not say what it looks for. Treat a marketplace plugin like any third-party code you grant access to. Our directory verdicts on Claude Code and Cursor stay conditional, and so does OpenClaw, whose own skill marketplace is the cautionary precedent here.

What happened

Claude Marketplace (23 September 2026)

• "Starting today, the Claude Marketplace brings plugins and connectors, agents and products, and service partners into one place." Connectors and plugins: "more than 2,000 available today".
• Committed spend: "Use a portion of your committed Anthropic spend on Claude-powered software from companies like CrowdStrike, Cursor, Harvey, Legora, Lovable, and Snowflake."
• The announcement names no plan requirement and no pricing change.

Plugin submissions (25 September 2026)

• "The directory submission portal is open to developers on paid Claude plans."
• "Each submission is checked and safety-scanned as soon as you submit, so you catch issues early."
• Once a plugin is live, "usage analytics show installs by product surface and version", plus listing views and search discovery.
• "Claude supports the latest MCP spec, commonly referred to as MCP 2.0, which includes a stateless core." Two extensions are named: "MCP Apps, for interactive UI inside chat, and Enterprise Managed Auth, for zero-touch OAuth for enterprise users."
• "Over the coming weeks, one discovery experience will roll out across Claude and Claude Code."
• "If you have an existing skill, connector, or plugin on the Claude directory, you do not need to make any changes."

Why it matters

Distribution. A single discovery surface across Claude and Claude Code, with install analytics by surface and version, makes the directory the default route for an MCP server or plugin to reach Claude users.

Budget. Enterprises with a committed Anthropic spend can point part of it at partner software, which lowers the procurement hurdle for tools like Cursor that already sit on the partner list.

Supply chain risk. Plugin marketplaces have already shipped malicious code. Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 reports that its "analysis from February-May 2026 revealed persistent and evasive malicious skills on ClawHub", the OpenClaw skill marketplace, and identified five that were still unblocked. Anthropic's automated scan is a gate, not an audit, and in Claude Code, plugins can also include LSPs, commands, hooks and agents.

What changes for you

• MCP and plugin builders: submit through the directory portal (paid Claude plan required). Existing listings need no changes.
• Enterprise buyers with committed spend: ask your Anthropic account team which marketplace software your commitment can cover.
• Everyone installing plugins: read each plugin's permissions before you install it, especially in Claude Code. The scan criteria are not published in either announcement.

FAQ

Who can submit a plugin to the Claude directory?

Developers on paid Claude plans. Each submission is checked and safety-scanned as soon as it is submitted.

Do existing listings need to be updated?

No. Anthropic says existing skills, connectors and plugins on the Claude directory need no changes.

Does the safety scan mean a plugin is secure?

Not on its own. The scan is Anthropic's automated check and its criteria are not published, so review a plugin's permissions before installing it.

Will marketplace plugins appear in Claude Code?

Yes, according to Anthropic: one discovery experience will roll out across Claude and Claude Code over the coming weeks.