Claude Code Plugin Marketplace 2026 — Transparent Cost, Managed Dependencies, Clean Uninstall
Anthropic's official directory is live, the /plugin browse pane shows token cost estimates, dependencies are enforced, and claude project purge does true cleanup.
The Official Directory & marketplace.json Spec
Anthropic's anthropics/claude-plugins-official repository is the official curated directory of high-quality plugins. The .claude-plugin/marketplace.json file at the repo root is the marketplace schema: plugin list, dependencies (with semver constraints), context-cost estimates, permission declarations. The client fetches this schema to populate the /plugin browse pane. Self-hosted private marketplaces follow the same schema.
Projected Context Cost Transparency
From v2.1.x onward, the /plugin browse pane shows projected context cost per plugin: per-turn and per-invocation token estimates. Heavy plugins (those bundling multiple MCP servers) now reveal their cost upfront rather than after install when context windows are already 40% consumed. With Fast Mode now defaulting to Opus 4.7, token budgeting matters more than ever.
Dependency Management + Safe Uninstall
claude plugin disable now refuses to disable a plugin that other enabled plugins depend on — it prints a disable-chain hint listing what you'd also need to disable. claude plugin enable force-enables transitive dependencies (recursively). Plugins can constrain dependencies via semver in marketplace.json, so upgrades don't break consumers. claude project purge is a new project-level cleanup that wipes transcripts, tasks, file history, and config entries in one shot — supports --dry-run, -y/--yes, -i/--interactive, and --all.
Official Directory vs SkillsMP vs claudemarketplaces.com
Three different sources. Anthropic's official directory (github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official): curated, highest quality, smaller volume. SkillsMP (skillsmp.com): cross-Claude/Codex/ChatGPT Agent Skills aggregator. claudemarketplaces.com: community plugin/skill/MCP server aggregator — large volume, you do your own vetting. Production rule of thumb: critical workflows stick to the official directory; exploration uses community aggregators.
FAQ
How do I host a private team marketplace?
Create a git repository with .claude-plugin/marketplace.json at the root, listing your internal plugins per the schema. Team members add the repo URL to the marketplaces array in ~/.claude/settings.json. Private marketplaces can live on internal git hosting.
How is projected context cost calculated?
The client estimates token consumption from the plugin's manifest — tool descriptions, system prompt fragments, MCP server metadata. It's a heuristic, not exact, but accurate enough for cross-plugin comparison and selection.
What does claude project purge actually delete?
Everything Claude Code produced for that project: session transcripts, task history, Claude's own file-history index, project-specific config entries. Source code, git history, and your own hooks/skills are untouched. Run --dry-run first to see the exact list.
Use Claude Code Plugin Marketplace Through QCode
QCode provides transparent Claude access from inside China — all official and community marketplaces work, no VPN required.
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