Transitioning SaaS Offers with Multi-Year Pricing from AppSource to Azure Marketplace

Thanks for bringing this up Manisha-Umbarje. This is interesting...

I thought the choice between AppSource and Azure Marketplace is driven by two factors: the nature of the offer and the target audience. Below is the complete answer from ChatGPT. 😀

I assume ISV can thus select freely which marketplace to use. It would be interesting to hear from Microsoft how these two marketplaces differ in terms of monthly visitors etc. justinroyal is such information publicly available?

Would be also great to hear experiences from ISVs who have an offer on both. Which one is the place to be?

Microsoft AppSource

• Best For: Business and productivity-focused applications.
• Primary Audience: Business users and decision-makers.
• Solution Types:
  • Apps or services that integrate with Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power BI, or the Power Platform.
  • SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions focused on business needs like CRM, ERP, analytics, or productivity.
  • Add-ins/extensions for Microsoft products like Office or Teams.
  • Consulting services related to Microsoft solutions.
• Example Use Cases:
  • A Power BI dashboard template for financial reporting.
  • A Teams app for enhanced collaboration.
  • A Dynamics 365 CRM extension for custom workflows.
• Goal: Target business decision-makers who are looking for ready-to-use business solutions.

Azure Marketplace

• Best For: Infrastructure, platform, and technical solutions.
• Primary Audience: IT professionals, developers, and cloud architects.
• Solution Types:
  • IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) solutions such as VMs, network appliances, or storage systems.
  • PaaS (Platform as a Service) offerings for developers, like APIs or middleware.
  • SaaS solutions that focus on IT, developer tools, or specialized services (e.g., AI/ML APIs, security, or DevOps).
  • Containers or software that can be deployed in Azure environments.
• Example Use Cases:
  • A Kubernetes container for machine learning pipelines.
  • A virtual appliance for firewall and security.
  • A scalable database solution for high-performance analytics.
• Goal: Target technical audiences who need scalable, customizable solutions for their cloud infrastructure.

When to Use Both Platforms

If your solution addresses both business and technical needs, you can publish it on both platforms to maximize visibility. For instance:

• Business Focus: Publish on AppSource to target business decision-makers looking for pre-built integrations or services.
• Technical/Cloud Focus: Publish on Azure Marketplace to reach IT teams looking for scalable infrastructure or deployment solutions.

Key Considerations

1. Target Audience: Business-focused (AppSource) vs. IT and developers (Azure Marketplace).
2. Integration with Microsoft Services: Solutions tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 or Dynamics 365 fit better on AppSource.
3. Deployment Model: Technical, infrastructure-heavy, or customizable solutions align with Azure Marketplace.
4. Consulting Services: Publish on AppSource if they focus on Microsoft products like Dynamics 365 or Power Platform.