ChatGPT App Store Is Struggling Six Months After Launch

Six months after OpenAI launched its ambitious ChatGPT app store, the platform is struggling to gain traction with both users and developers. What was supposed to be a revolutionary new way to interact with brands and services through AI has instead become another example of how even the most hyped tech launches can fall short of expectations. According to Los Angeles Times reporting, major partners like Booking and StubHub report that referral traffic from ChatGPT remains "small" compared to traditional channels.

Why the ChatGPT App Store Is Failing to Deliver

When OpenAI announced its app platform, the company promised that major brands would build mini apps allowing users to book flights, order food, and shop without ever leaving the chatbot. Today there are more than 300 app integrations available, but they remain hidden away and limited in functionality. The core problem appears to be discoverability. Users simply aren't finding or engaging with these apps at the scale OpenAI anticipated.

Booking CEO Glenn Fogel told the LA Times that "it's easier to discover listings on Booking.com" and that his company still "spends an enormous amount" on Google advertising relative to what they spend on OpenAI's chatbot. This sentiment echoes across multiple major partners who initially jumped on board. The value proposition that AI would become the new interface for commerce hasn't materialized for these early adopters.

Developer Frustrations and Technical Limitations

It's not just consumers who are underwhelmed. Developers have found the app creation process frustrating and the analytics nearly non-existent. Because OpenAI defines chatbot prompts as private data, programmers receive what they describe as "very limited" analytics on their app's performance, leaving them "running quite blind" regarding user engagement. Elliot Garreffa, who co-founded a third-party platform to track ChatGPT apps, noted that developers constantly ask whether their apps are failing or working consistently.

The technical limitations compound these issues. Few apps offer a checkout option that keeps users within ChatGPT. Uber requires users to type "@Uber" before requesting a ride, then complete the booking in Uber's own app where the process is faster. StubHub allows users to search for events but forces them to visit the website to complete purchases or even zoom in on seating maps. These friction points defeat the purpose of an integrated AI shopping experience.

OpenAI has recently begun accelerating app approvals, greenlighting nearly 70 apps in one week compared to just three to five daily previously. An OpenAI spokesperson acknowledged to the LA Times that "we recognize there are areas where the developer experience needs to improve" and committed to making the platform "more reliable, more predictable and easier to build on over time."

Consumer Trust Issues Hold Back Adoption

Even if the technical issues were resolved, consumers simply aren't ready to trust AI with their transactions. A report from advertising technology company Criteo found that 55% of more than 6,000 consumers surveyed globally are "extra cautious about sharing payment information with AI." The study revealed that 96% of shoppers who regularly use AI chatbots also use other channels like social media, traditional search, and retailer websites rather than surrendering control to AI assistants.

This trust gap represents a fundamental challenge for OpenAI's commerce ambitions. StubHub President Nayaab Islam noted that customers aren't using chatbots as a "primary way" to buy things, citing consumer apprehension around sharing credit card details with AI assistants. Until this perception changes, the ChatGPT app store may remain a niche feature rather than the platform OpenAI envisioned.

The lukewarm reception adds to a growing list of OpenAI product bets that haven't paid off. Just last week, the company shut down Sora, its AI video generator, after it failed to attract enough users. As competition intensifies from Anthropic's Claude and Google's Gemini, OpenAI's challenge isn't just building impressive technology but creating products people actually want to use every day. The question now is whether OpenAI can turn this around before developers and brands move on to the next promising platform.