When to list on cloud marketplaces: Guide for SaaS providers

Omdia’s research predicts that enterprise software sales through cloud marketplaces are expected to reach 163 billion USD by 2030.

Cloud marketplaces are fast becoming the most prominent revenue-driving channels for companies of all sizes. Many teams assume marketplaces only matter after they reach enterprise scale, hire a cloud partnerships team, or build deep AWS/Azure/GCP relationships. They wait too long to list with these hyperscalers. 

The better question is not “Are we big enough for marketplaces?” but:

• Are customers already asking for marketplace procurement?
• Do cloud commits influence buying decisions?
• Is enterprise friction slowing deals?

If the answer to any of these is yes, it may already be time to list.

TL;DR

SaaS companies should consider listing on cloud marketplaces as soon as enterprise buyers begin asking for cloud procurement, committed spend utilization, or faster vendor onboarding. 

Early marketplace adoption can accelerate enterprise sales, reduce procurement friction, improve co-sell opportunities, and create a foundation for cloud GTM scale.

Why are more enterprise buyers preferring cloud marketplaces?

A few years ago, marketplace procurement was treated as a nice-to-have. Today, it is increasingly part of the standard enterprise buying process.

• Buyers want fewer procurement hurdles
• Finance teams want to simplify vendor management
• Procurement teams want faster approvals
• Cloud teams want to maximize committed cloud spend

Cloud marketplaces help solve all of these problems at once.

Here’s how:

• Instead of onboarding a completely new vendor, buyers can often purchase through an existing relationship with AWS, Azure, or GCP. This reduces paperwork and speeds up approvals
• Many enterprises commit millions to annual cloud spend. Buying software through cloud marketplaces allows them to draw down those cloud commits instead of adding net-new budget requests
• Marketplace purchases are often rolled into the customer’s existing cloud bill. Finance teams get fewer invoices, better visibility, and simpler expense management
• Security, compliance, and procurement reviews can become easier when purchases happen through approved cloud procurement channels
• Buyers can move from evaluation to transaction faster, especially when buying pathways are already established internally. This reduces the overall length of the procurement cycle
• Features like private offers, flexible contracts, and centralized procurement make it easier for enterprises to complete complex software purchases on cloud marketplaces

Here are more benefits for sellers from cloud marketplaces:

• Access global buyers across enterprises, mid-market companies, and SMBs
• Increase deal sizes and maximize win rates
• Scale with minimum investment, lowest CAC, and gain optimum ROI
• Streamline procurement, invoicing, billing, contract management, payment collection, and disbursement, and access it in one place.

To learn more about how cloud marketplaces create a win-win for both seller and buyer, read our previous blog post The Ultimate Guide to Cloud Marketplaces

What do sellers gain from being present on cloud marketplaces?

Beyond making it easier for customers to buy, marketplaces can strengthen how software companies sell, partner, and scale.

Here are some of the biggest advantages of selling through cloud marketplaces:

• Cloud marketplaces give SaaS companies exposure to customers across regions without requiring the same level of local procurement infrastructure
• Marketplace procurement can remove friction from late-stage deals and help customers move through purchasing cycles more efficiently
• Companies can tap into committed cloud spend that buyers are already looking to utilize; this helps maximize win rates and increase deal sizes
• Selling through marketplaces creates a stronger foundation for co-sell and cloud partnership motions with providers like AWS, Microsoft, and Google Cloud
• Marketplace listing helps streamline procurement, invoicing, billing, contract management, payment collection, and disbursement, all in one place
• Your business can scale with minimum investment, lowest CAC, and gain optimum ROI

To learn more about how cloud marketplaces create a win-win for both seller and buyer, read our Ultimate Guide to Cloud Marketplaces

When should you list on cloud marketplaces?

Here are five of the strongest indicators that it’s the right time for you to get on board with cloud marketplaces.

1. Your customers are asking about marketplace procurement

This is one of the most crucial signals that you are ready to list on a cloud marketplace channel. 

If prospects are asking questions like:

• “Can we buy this through AWS Marketplace?”
• “Does this count toward our Azure commit?”
• “Can you send this as a private offer?”

Then you know there is a demand among your customers for marketplace procurement. 

These requests usually appear when you start selling into larger enterprises with established cloud procurement workflows. Marketplace availability can influence deal velocity and buyer preference at this point.

Moreover, mentions of cloud spend in deal conversations are a strong sign that marketplace procurement is commercially important for your customers. In some cases, this can even become the deciding factor in whether a deal moves forward quickly.

2. Long sales cycles are slowing down deals

As a software seller, navigating multiple teams and processes, such as procurement, finance, legal, vendor onboarding, etc., increases the time to close the sales cycle. 

Cloud marketplaces help simplify parts of this process by allowing buyers to purchase through existing cloud procurement channels. Data from ‘The Partner Opportunity for AWS Marketplace ISVs’ shows that deals close 40% faster via the AWS Marketplace than through direct sales.

3. Your competition is already there

As you explore listing your products or services on a cloud marketplace, you'll notice the presence of established competitors. This situation validates that there is enough demand for your product category in the marketplace. 

It is the right time to fine-tune your value proposition, buyer journey, and pricing options, and consider listing instantly to capture and expand to untapped markets.

4. You want to get started with co-sell

To start the co-sell flywheel, it is recommended that companies first get listed on marketplaces. In fact, marketplace adoption and cloud partnerships increasingly go hand in hand. 

Cloud providers want ecosystem partners that actively participate in their marketplaces and contribute to cloud consumption growth. When your teams drive more deals through the marketplace, their sales teams are more likely to work with yours to close pipeline deals and send new ones your way.  

Some hyperscalers encourage sellers to sell on marketplaces by incentivizing their sales via a specific Sales Performance Incentive Fund (SPIF).

The story of Crowdstrike's success:

Roman Kirsanov’s newsletter talks in detail about the Cybersecurity SaaS platform CrowdStrike’s success in the AWS marketplace. Their ARR in FY’22 through the AWS marketplace grew +100% YoY, and they were one of the top ISV partners by transaction volume on the AWS Marketplace.

5. You want to build a scalable cloud GTM motion

Many companies initially treat cloud marketplaces as a tactical procurement channel. But over time, cloud GTM can become a broader growth strategy. 

Being listed on cloud marketplaces helps you:

• Win more enterprise deals
• Build repeatable procurement workflows
• Sell your products across multiple cloud platforms
• Collaborate with partners on growth strategies
• Scale your transactions globally 

Facets.cloud recognized the value of listing on cloud marketplaces, but as an early-stage startup, they didn’t want to divert engineering bandwidth for the task. They chose to partner with Clazar to accelerate their cloud marketplace journey. Clazar’s intuitive platform helped them list and manage all three cloud marketplaces across AWS, GCP, and Azure from a single interface.

"Clazar comes with deep expertise on all three Hyperscalers and helped us get started quickly. It eased the day-to-day operations of managing these marketplaces by bringing them together on a centralized platform."

Pravanjan Choudhury

CEO | Facets

Make cloud marketplaces your competitive advantage

Companies that adopt cloud marketplaces earlier gain more time to build operational maturity before marketplace demand becomes business-critical.

And as enterprise buying behavior continues shifting toward cloud procurement, that early investment in a cloud GTM strategy can become a meaningful competitive advantage.

While the five cues mentioned above can help you understand where you are positioned, we can confidently assert that the time to be on cloud marketplaces is here and now. 

Talk to our experts to understand how to get started with cloud marketplaces today.

Top FAQ's

1. Should I list when customers ask for a marketplace option?

Yes—this is the most important signal.
When prospects or customers ask if you’re available on AWS, Azure, or GCP Marketplace, they want to:

• Use their committed cloud spend
• Avoid internal procurement friction
• Purchase your product faster

If buyers request it, it’s time to list.

2. What if my competitors are already on cloud marketplaces?

This is a strong indicator to list now.
Competitor presence means:

• There is proven demand for your product category
• Buyers are already sourcing similar solutions via marketplaces
• You risk losing deals to competitors who offer marketplace procurement

If your category shows traction on AWS/Azure/GCP Marketplace, listing early helps you secure market share.

3. Do early-stage or mid-market SaaS companies need cloud marketplace listings?

Not every early-stage SaaS company needs a marketplace listing immediately. However, companies selling into enterprise accounts, building cloud partnerships, or experiencing procurement friction can benefit from adopting marketplaces earlier in their growth journey.

4. What happens if a SaaS company waits too long to adopt cloud marketplaces?

Companies that delay marketplace adoption may face:

• Longer procurement cycles
• Reduced competitiveness in enterprise deals
• Slower cloud partnership maturity
• Operational challenges when marketplace demand becomes urgent later on

5. How do I get started with cloud marketplaces?

Clazar can help you:

• List faster
• Accelerate co-sell
• Reduce engineering work
• Scale across AWS, Azure, and GCP

📩 Email: hello@clazar.io
Our experts will walk you through the right marketplace strategy for your stage and business.

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