# Extension marketplace

**Source:** https://promtable.com/glossary/extension-marketplace

> An extension marketplace is the registry of installable add-ons for an IDE — VS Code Marketplace, OpenVSX, Cursor extensions, JetBrains Plugins, Zed extensions. The size + quality of the marketplace is a major IDE differentiator in 2026.

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An extension marketplace is the registry of installable add-ons for an IDE — VS Code Marketplace, OpenVSX, Cursor extensions, JetBrains Plugins, Zed extensions. The size + quality of the marketplace is a major IDE differentiator in 2026.

Extension marketplaces shape developer productivity: a missing extension = a workflow gap. VS Code Marketplace is the largest (~50K extensions, MS-controlled); OpenVSX is the open alternative (used by VS Codium, Cursor, Theia); JetBrains Plugins is curated + paid-friendly; Cursor inherits VS Code's marketplace via VSIX compat; Zed maintains its own smaller marketplace; Neovim has no central marketplace (LazyVim / packer / lazy.nvim handle plugin install). For AI-tool builders: shipping to VS Code Marketplace gives biggest reach; OpenVSX gives open-source friendly distribution; JetBrains gives enterprise reach. Quality varies — popular extensions are often unmaintained, security incidents (malicious extensions) happen.

## When to use

- Picking an IDE.
- Shipping AI tooling for IDE users.

## Common mistakes

- Installing extensions without audit — supply-chain risk is real.

## Related terms

- [ai-ide](https://promtable.com/glossary/ai-ide)
- [lsp](https://promtable.com/glossary/lsp)

*Last updated: 2026-06-01*
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Original page: https://promtable.com/glossary/extension-marketplace
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