OpenAI MCP vs Tools API: What’s the Difference?
Short answer: MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the end-to-end contract behind ChatGPT Apps—it covers typed tools, inline UI, first-run consent/scopes, and standardized messages between ChatGPT and your server. The older Tools API focused on invoking functions (tools) with structured inputs/outputs, but didn’t define App-level UI, consent UX, or directory-facing behaviors. If you’re shipping a ChatGPT…