Claude Plugins Explained (2026): Claude Code Plugins, Cowork Plugins, and Where the Marketplace Is
What a Claude plugin is, how Claude Code plugins, Cowork plugins, and skills differ, where Anthropic's marketplaces are, and how to install one.
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TL;DR. A Claude plugin is a folder of skills (plus optional agents, hooks, and MCP servers) with a small manifest, installed once so Claude uses those skills whenever they fit the task. The same format runs in Claude Code (terminal, installed via
/plugin install) and Claude Cowork (the no-code agent, installed from the in-app plugin library or by uploading a zip). Anthropic runs two public Code marketplaces; this site runs a free one for professions at /plugins. Plugins are free; Cowork needs a paid Claude plan.
Anthropic uses "plugin" in two products with slightly different packaging; here's the one-paragraph answer, the comparison table, and the install steps for both.
What a Claude plugin is
A Claude plugin is a self-contained directory that extends Claude with reusable capabilities. According to Anthropic's Claude Code docs, a plugin contains:
- Skills: a
skills/folder where each skill is its own directory with aSKILL.mdfile (YAML frontmatter with a name and description, then instructions). Claude loads a skill automatically when the description matches what you're doing. - Agents (optional): custom sub-agent definitions in
agents/. - Hooks (optional): event handlers in
hooks/hooks.jsonthat run when Claude takes certain actions. - MCP servers (optional): a
.mcp.jsonfile that connects Claude to external tools and data. - A manifest:
.claude-plugin/plugin.jsonwith the plugin's name, description, and version. The name becomes the namespace for its skills.
The practical translation for a non-developer: a skill is one job done well (draft a parent email, reconcile a ledger). A plugin is the whole job description, a set of skills for one role installed in one step.
Claude Code plugins vs. Cowork plugins vs. Skills
| Skill | Claude Code plugin | Cowork plugin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | One folder with a SKILL.md: instructions for one task |
A directory of skills, plus optional agents, hooks, MCP servers, and a plugin.json manifest |
The same package, run inside Claude Cowork; Anthropic describes it as skills + connectors + sub-agents |
| Who it's for | Anyone; works in Claude Code, claude.ai settings, and the API | Developers and technical users working in the terminal | Professionals doing knowledge work with no terminal |
| How it's invoked | Automatically when relevant, or by name | /plugin-name:skill-name slash commands, or automatically |
Automatically during a Cowork task, or by asking for it |
| How you install | Create in Claude Code, upload via the API, or add in claude.ai settings | /plugin marketplace add, then /plugin install name@marketplace |
Settings → Plugins in the app, or upload the plugin zip |
| Where to find them | anthropics/skills on GitHub | claude-plugins-official, claude-plugins-community, third-party marketplaces |
Cowork's in-app plugin library; this site's free profession plugins |
| Plan needed | Depends on the surface it runs in | Pro, Max, or an API key | Paid plan (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise); not Free |
One thing the table hides: a plugin built for Cowork and a plugin built for Claude Code are usually the same folder. This site's profession packs, for instance, ship as one zip that installs in Cowork and one marketplace entry that installs in Claude Code, with identical skills inside. If you'd like the longer explanation of where skills fit, read What Are Claude Skills? and, for the three-product picture, Claude.ai vs Claude Cowork vs Claude Code.
Where to get plugins
There is no single "Claude plugin store." There are three places worth knowing.
1. Anthropic's official marketplaces (Claude Code). Per the Claude Code docs, Anthropic maintains two public marketplaces:
claude-plugins-official: a curated set maintained by Anthropic. Claude Code registers it automatically the first time you start it interactively, so you can install from it immediately.claude-plugins-community: the public community marketplace where third-party submissions land after review. Add it with/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-communityand install from it as@claude-community.
2. Cowork's in-app plugin library. Inside Claude Cowork, plugins live under Settings → Plugins.
3. The AI Career Lab's free profession plugins. We maintain an open-source marketplace of profession-specific plugins at /plugins: a teacher plugin, a bookkeeper plugin, a recruiter plugin, a real estate plugin, and dozens more. Each bundles the Agent Skills for one job and installs in either Cowork or Claude Code. All of them are free.
How to install a Claude plugin
Path A: Claude Cowork (no code)
- Open the Claude desktop app (or claude.ai on web) with a paid plan and select Cowork in the message box. If you don't have it yet, What Is Claude Cowork? covers setup and pricing.
- Go to Settings → Plugins to browse the in-app library, or choose Add → Upload plugin and drag in a plugin zip (that's how every pack in our plugin library installs; each plugin page has the exact click path).
- Start a task. Cowork loads the plugin's skills automatically when they match what you ask for. You can also customize the skills conversationally from the app's Customize screen.
Note from Anthropic's guide: plugins that include local MCP servers work through the desktop app only, so a plugin that connects to local software won't run from the web or mobile Cowork.
Path B: Claude Code (terminal)
- Install and sign in to Claude Code (Pro, Max, or an API key).
- Add the marketplace once. For Anthropic's community marketplace:
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-communityFor this site's profession plugins:
/plugin marketplace add alexclowe/awesome-claude-cowork-plugins- Install the plugin:
/plugin install teacher@awesome-claude-cowork-plugins(Swap teacher for whichever plugin you want. The general form is /plugin install plugin-name@marketplace-name.)
4. If the install summary says so, run /reload-plugins. Then run /help to see the plugin's skills listed under its namespace, and call one with /plugin-name:skill-name.
For a non-developer walkthrough with screenshots, see The Claude Code Plugin Guide for Non-Developers.
Which path should you use?
If you don't already live in a terminal, use Cowork. The skills are identical, the install is a drag-and-drop, and you can edit skills by talking to Claude instead of editing Markdown. Use Claude Code if you're a developer, want slash-command precision, or need hooks and MCP servers wired into a codebase.
Either way, start with one plugin for your actual job rather than a general-purpose bundle. Browse the free profession plugins above, or run the Workflow Self-Map to see which of your weekly tasks a plugin would take over first.
Sources
- Anthropic, Claude Code docs: Create plugins (plugin structure, manifest, official and community marketplaces,
--plugin-dir); checked August 24, 2026 - Anthropic, Claude Code docs: Create and distribute a plugin marketplace (
/plugin marketplace add,/plugin install name@marketplace,marketplace.json); checked August 24, 2026 - Anthropic, Claude Developer Platform: Agent Skills overview (SKILL.md structure, where skills run); checked August 24, 2026
- Anthropic Help Center: Get started with Claude Cowork (paid-plan requirement, "Claude Cowork plugins" definition, desktop-only MCP limit); checked August 24, 2026
- Anthropic: Claude Cowork product page (plugins, private plugin marketplaces for admins); checked August 24, 2026
- Anthropic: Claude pricing (Pro $17 annual / $20 monthly, "Includes Claude Cowork" and "Includes Claude Code" under Pro; Max from $100); checked August 24, 2026
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Claude plugin?+
A Claude plugin is a package that extends Claude with reusable capabilities. Per Anthropic's docs, a plugin is a directory of skills (folders containing a SKILL.md file), optionally with custom agents, hooks, and MCP server configurations, plus a small plugin.json manifest. You install it once and Claude uses the bundled skills whenever they're relevant. In Claude Cowork, Anthropic describes plugins as bundling skills, connectors, and sub-agents into a single package for your role or team.
What is a Claude Code plugin?+
A Claude Code plugin is the same package format, installed into Claude Code, Anthropic's terminal-based agent. Skills inside a plugin are namespaced as /plugin-name:skill-name. You add a marketplace with /plugin marketplace add, then run /plugin install plugin-name@marketplace-name. Anthropic's official marketplace, claude-plugins-official, is registered automatically the first time you start Claude Code interactively.
Where is the Claude plugin marketplace?+
There isn't one single store. Anthropic maintains two public marketplaces for Claude Code: claude-plugins-official (curated by Anthropic, registered automatically) and claude-plugins-community (third-party plugins that passed review; add it with /plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community). Cowork has a plugin library inside the app under Settings, then Plugins. The AI Career Lab also runs a free, open-source marketplace of profession-specific plugins at theaicareerlab.com/plugins.
Are Claude plugins free?+
The plugins in Anthropic's public marketplaces and every plugin on this site's /plugins page are free and open source. What isn't free is the surface you run them on: Claude Cowork is included with paid plans only (Pro at $17/month billed annually or $20 monthly, Max from $100/month, Team, Enterprise), not the Free plan. Claude Code works with Pro or Max, or with an API key.
Do plugins work in Claude Cowork?+
Yes. Anthropic's Cowork guide says plugins customize how Claude works for your role, team, and company, bundling skills, connectors, and sub-agents into one package. You install them from the plugin library inside Cowork (Settings, then Plugins), or upload a plugin zip from the same screen. One limit from the same guide: plugins that include local MCP servers work through the desktop app only, not web or mobile.
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