Useful as an internal assistant template; do not mistake the store for a real distribution channel.
Configurable, file-aware versions of ChatGPT that you build once and reuse or share. You set the system prompt, attach knowledge files, switch on tools (browse, image, code), and optionally wire up Actions that call your own APIs. The store remains the only mainstream way to distribute a configured AI assistant to staff or customers without building software.
Context across sessions is shallow compared with Claude Projects; a Custom GPT forgets the thread of a long deal between visits. Actions are powerful but the build experience is fiddly and undocumented in places. Public store discoverability is poor, so it is not really a distribution channel for SMEs.
Included with Plus, Pro, Team, and Enterprise. Building is free; usage counts against the underlying plan's message limits. Sharing publicly requires Plus or above; sharing inside a tenant requires Team or Enterprise.
A Custom GPT roughly equals a Claude Project with a built-in skill. The split in Claude (Projects + Skills) is more flexible; the collapse in ChatGPT (everything in the GPT) is more simple.