When people search for “Claude marketplace,” they usually mean the Claude Code plugin marketplace: the place where you browse plugins, add marketplaces, and install the tools that extend Claude Code. The key idea is simple. A marketplace is the catalog. A plugin is the unit you install. MCP is still the transport layer for tools.
What the Claude marketplace is
Claude Code now treats plugins as first-class packages. A plugin can bundle skills, agents, hooks, MCP servers, and LSP servers. A marketplace is just a catalog that lists those plugins and where to fetch them.
That means there are three distinct layers:
| Layer | What it does |
|---|---|
| Marketplace | Lists available plugins |
| Plugin | Bundles reusable Claude Code behavior |
| MCP | Lets Claude call external tools at runtime |
If you only need a browser, database, or API connector, MCP may be enough. If you want a reusable, versioned bundle that teams can share, the marketplace is the better fit.
If you are comparing extension models rather than installation flows, see Claude Code plugins for the deeper MCP-side breakdown.
The two marketplace paths
Claude Code has two common marketplace paths:
| Marketplace | Status | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Official Anthropic marketplace | Available by default | Run /plugin and browse the Discover tab, then install from the catalog |
| Custom marketplace | Add it yourself | Run /plugin marketplace add <source> |
The official catalog is at claude.com/plugins. If Claude says a plugin is missing, refresh the catalog from the marketplace UI and try again.
How to install a Claude Code plugin
The quickest path is interactive:
/pluginThen pick a plugin from the catalog and install it from the plugin browser.
To add Anthropic’s official marketplace source directly:
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-codeFor a custom marketplace that you publish yourself, point Claude Code at your own repo, hosted marketplace.json, or local manifest, then validate that manifest against Claude’s marketplace format before sharing it.
Why the marketplace matters
The marketplace solves distribution, not execution. That distinction matters:
- Distribution: teams can share a versioned plugin catalog
- Governance: installs are explicit instead of ad hoc scripts
- Reuse: one plugin can carry multiple skills and tool integrations
- Safety: execution still happens through the underlying tool or MCP server
If a plugin launches code or reaches external systems, isolate that work.
Where Novita fits
Novita AI fits on the two layers Claude Code does not solve by itself:
- Reasoning: route Claude Code through Novita LLM API for model choice and cost control
- Execution: run tool code inside Novita Agent Sandbox instead of on the host machine
That split is useful for marketplace plugins that wrap MCP servers, code runners, or browser automation. The marketplace gives you the package; Novita gives you a safer place to run it.
If you want a lower-cost open-model path instead of a closed-model stack, Novita also makes it easy to pair the same plugin workflow with open-weight models that fit coding and tool-use tasks.
FAQ
Is there an official Claude marketplace?
Yes. Claude Code ships with the official Anthropic marketplace available by default.
Is the Claude marketplace the same as MCP?
No. The marketplace distributes plugins. MCP is what those plugins can use to call tools.
Can I make my own marketplace?
Yes. Claude Code supports custom marketplaces from GitHub repos, git URLs, hosted marketplace.json files, and local paths.
What should I use for risky tool execution?
Use Novita Agent Sandbox so plugin-driven code runs in isolation.
