--- title: "[Marketplace guides and apps] - Difference Between Marketplace Apps and Extensions" description: Difference Between Marketplace Apps and Extensions url: https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/marketplace-platform-guides/difference-between-marketplace-apps-and-extensions product: Contentstack doc_type: marketplace-guide audience: - developers version: unknown last_updated: 2026-03-25 --- # [Marketplace guides and apps] - Difference Between Marketplace Apps and Extensions This page explains the differences between Contentstack Marketplace Apps and Extensions, outlines why Apps are recommended for new implementations, and provides a comparison table and SDK initialization examples. It is intended for developers evaluating integration options or planning to migrate from Extensions to Marketplace Apps. ## Difference Between Marketplace Apps and Extensions **Note**: Extensions are no longer actively maintained. We recommend using [Marketplace Apps](/docs/developers/marketplace-apps) for all new implementations. While existing extensions will continue to work, we encourage migrating to [Marketplace Apps](/docs/developers/marketplace-apps) for improved functionality, security, and support. Apps are the future of integrating and implementing third-party solutions within your CMS. In comparison to extensions, apps offer advanced functionalities as they extend all the features of your current extensions and more to provide a seamless integration with your favorite third party platforms. ## Benefits of Using Apps Over Extensions Here are a few important points that explain how apps can prove beneficial over extensions. ### Ease of Use - Contentstack apps are much easier to **develop**, **distribute**, and **discover**. - Apps can be easily located, installed, and managed from the Marketplace. - Contentstack apps provides an interactive UI to manage your custom app configuration from a centralized location. ### Developer Friendly - Apps minimizes the efforts that developers have to put into developing, deploying, and maintaining a solution. - With apps, developers can build complex functionalities in less time with better features. - Developers can effortlessly share app related upgrades with the customers. - Customers can use the latest and best version of the solution with updated app features from the Marketplace. ### Packaging UI Locations - Extensions are now added as [UI Locations](/docs/developers/developer-hub/about-ui-locations) inside an app. This lets you pack and install multiple instances of UI locations from a single app, which means that a single app can be used as a custom field, sidebar extension, dashboard extension, etc. - As different UI locations can be merged and packaged into a single app, they can be installed/ uninstalled with a single click. - As you can package UI locations together for apps, you only need to configure the apps once and use them in multiple forms. ### Other Advantages - **Private Stack Apps** can be installed in all stacks of the same organization, reducing the code management in each stack whereas **Public Apps **can be installed in any stack and any organization, which reduces the code management multifold. - Apps allow you to merge the power of webhooks and UI locations and build compelling solutions. - Apps offer more security features and are scalable than extensions. **Note:** We strongly recommend you to create and use Contentstack Marketplace apps instead of extensions. Refer to our detailed guide on how to [convert extensions into Marketplace apps](/docs/developers/developer-hub/guide-to-convert-contentstack-extensions-to-marketplace-apps). Now, let’s understand some core differences between Apps and Extensions. ## Difference Between App and Extension The following table lists down the main differences between App and Extension: | App | Extension | |---|---| | An app is a single entity that can be reused in multiple stacks or organizations with just one click. | An extension can only be used for a specific stack. This means that if you want to use a specific extension for multiple stacks, you need to create the same extension in all the stacks where you need it. | | An app is a single entity that can be reused in multiple stacks or organizations with just one click. | An extension is scoped to a stack. Needs to be replicated across stacks to reuse | | app-sdk is newer than extension-sdk and has comparatively more features. Hence, apps are compatible with newer versions of development building blocks like Node.js, npm, etc. | extension-sdk has limited capabilities. | | You can build a config page for your app and pass the configurations in it. For example, https://{yourwebsite.com}/config will be your config page's location. | You can configure an extension through JSON. | | You can open an app in a configuration window using your app's UI Locations feature during each installation. There is no need to provide it in the config file while creating the app. | You can open an extension in a pop-up window using a separate URL that you can provide in config while creating your extension. | | Here's an example of how you can use app-sdk and initialize it: ``` npm install @Contentstack_automation_test /app-sdk import ContentstackAppSdk from ' @Contentstack_automation_test /app-sdk'; ContentstackAppSdk.init().then(function (appSdk) { // Your UI logic goes here}); ``` | Here's an example of how you can use extension-sdk and initialize it: ``` ContentstackUIExtension.init().then(function (extension) { // Your UI logic goes here}) ``` | **Additional Resource:** Refer to our [App Development pages](/docs/developers/developer-hub), to learn how to build an app for Contentstack Marketplace. ## Common questions **Q: Are Extensions still supported?** A: **Note**: Extensions are no longer actively maintained. While existing extensions will continue to work, we encourage migrating to [Marketplace Apps](/docs/developers/marketplace-apps). **Q: Why should I use Marketplace Apps for new implementations?** A: We recommend using [Marketplace Apps](/docs/developers/marketplace-apps) for all new implementations for improved functionality, security, and support. **Q: Can I package multiple UI locations together?** A: Yes. Extensions are now added as [UI Locations](/docs/developers/developer-hub/about-ui-locations) inside an app, which lets you pack and install multiple instances of UI locations from a single app. **Q: Where can I learn how to migrate?** A: Refer to our detailed guide on how to [convert extensions into Marketplace apps](/docs/developers/developer-hub/guide-to-convert-contentstack-extensions-to-marketplace-apps).