Getting started
Choose access that fits how you use skills
Compare one-time purchases and recurring plans by their access terms, not by an assumed outcome.
Quick answer
A one-time purchase and a subscription can provide different access periods, included skills, and limits. Read the current checkout and plan terms before choosing. Compare the workflows you expect to use, not just the number of listings shown in a catalog. A plan does not replace a supported AI app or its own permissions.
Start with the job and its frequency
If you need one specific workflow occasionally, assess that workflow first. If you regularly switch among several jobs, compare a plan’s current included access with buying each skill individually. Write down the actual tasks you expect to repeat during a normal month.
Use a short comparison sheet
Do not infer every commercial term from the delivery technology. MCP can deliver content for either model; the marketplace decides the entitlement rules. Check the specific offer and preserve the purchase confirmation for later reference.
| Question | One-time offer | Recurring offer |
|---|---|---|
| Which skills are included? | Read the selected listing | Read the current plan catalog |
| How long is access available? | Read purchase and license terms | Read billing and cancellation terms |
| Are there usage limits? | Check the stated allowance | Check the stated allowance |
| What happens after a change? | Check refund and access rules | Check renewal, cancellation, and access rules |
Understand updates and cancellation separately
An approved skill update changes what a later load can retrieve. That does not alone define whether the update is included commercially. Similarly, stopping renewal and losing access immediately are not necessarily the same event. Use the dates and status shown in the billing controls rather than guessing.
Keep your AI-app costs and permissions visible
A marketplace plan and an AI-app account are separate products. Verify that your chosen app supports the connection available to your account. Also check the external services a workflow needs. A workflow about a store cannot inspect store data unless that data or an authorized tool is available.
Before paying, use the public description to identify the output, prerequisites, and approval boundaries. If these are unclear, ask for clarification. The lowest headline price is not useful if the workflow needs unavailable inputs or does a different job.
Common questions
Does MCP require a subscription?
No. MCP is a connection protocol. A service can use purchases, recurring access, free access, or a combination.
Is my AI-app subscription included?
Do not assume so. Check the marketplace offer and the AI app’s own account requirements separately.
Are all individual skills sold monthly?
No. Read the current listing and checkout. A suggested creator pricing model is not proof that a recurring checkout is active for that skill.
Put a workflow to work.
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