Software companies that want to sell internationally now have a powerful shortcut: the cloud marketplaces run by AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft. Canalys projects that sales through these hyperscaler marketplaces will grow from $16 billion in 2023 to $85 billion by 2028.
The appeal is simple. A marketplace listing puts a product inside the procurement system that global enterprises already use, in the countries where they already buy. For a growing SaaS company, that turns international reach from a multi-year build into a sales motion that can start this quarter.
A sales channel growing at remarkable speed
The Canalys forecast, published in August 2024, implies growth of roughly 40% a year. The engine behind it is scale: enterprise customers have committed more than $360 billion in multi-year spending to the top three hyperscalers, according to Canalys. Marketplaces let those customers buy third-party software inside the same relationship.
Some of the most admired software brands have already reached remarkable milestones. Canalys notes that CrowdStrike and Snowflake were among the first companies to publicly report $1 billion each in cumulative marketplace sales. Palo Alto Networks reported more than $1.5 billion in cumulative sales through Google Cloud Marketplace as of April 2025.
AWS now cites a projection that the marketplace channel will reach $163 billion by 2030. Whatever the exact figure turns out to be, the direction is clear. Buyers like this way of purchasing, and sellers are responding.
Built-in global reach from the first listing
For an international strategy, the most valuable feature of a marketplace is the footprint that comes with it. Each of the three platforms offers reach that would take a young company years to assemble on its own:
- AWS Marketplace: AWS says it handles revenue operations in more than 190 countries through a single channel.
- Google Cloud Marketplace: Google Cloud serves customers in more than 200 countries and territories and supports localized billing in 65 countries and 30 currencies, according to a December 2025 Google Cloud post.
- Microsoft Marketplace: In September 2025, Microsoft unified Azure Marketplace and Microsoft AppSource into a single Microsoft Marketplace, launching in the US with worldwide availability to follow.
Each marketplace also brings its own ecosystem of systems integrators, consultancies and resellers who already advise enterprise buyers in their regions. A listing places a product in front of those advisors too, which widens the circle of people who can recommend it.
Localized billing matters more than it first appears. A buyer in Germany, Japan or Brazil can purchase in a familiar currency through a vendor already approved by their finance team. That removes a step that often slows a first international deal.
Faster deals and larger commitments
The early performance data is encouraging. A June 2025 Futurum Group report on Google Cloud Marketplace, based on a survey of 705 technology partners, found several clear patterns:
- 86% of partners said their customers frequently buy through cloud marketplaces.
- ISVs reported a 112% increase in deal size on Google Cloud Marketplace.
- ISV deals closed two to four weeks faster.
- 70% of ISVs and channel partners said multi-year deals had become more common.
- Listings grew 160% in 2024, adding more than 2,000 solutions.
AWS reports similar momentum on its side, saying its marketplace can deliver deals that close 50% faster with deal sizes four to five times larger. Taken together, these figures describe a channel where buyers move quickly because the purchase fits a process they already trust.
AI agents are opening a fresh category
The newest wave on these platforms is AI. When Microsoft introduced its unified marketplace in September 2025, it said more than 3,000 AI apps and agents were newly available directly on Marketplace and inside Microsoft products. Siemens, one of the customers Microsoft highlighted, reported an eightfold increase in customer adoption.
Google Cloud is moving in the same direction. The Futurum report counted more than 130 offerings in Google's AI Agent Marketplace and more than 60 companies supporting its Agent2Agent protocol. For an AI startup with global ambitions, a marketplace listing is quickly becoming part of a standard launch plan.
How SaaS companies use marketplaces to sell globally
The companies seeing the strongest results treat the marketplace as a full sales channel, not a catalog entry. Their playbooks share a few practical elements.
Start with private offers
Private offers let a seller set custom terms for a specific customer while the transaction still runs through the marketplace. They are a natural fit for enterprise deals and for first contracts in a new country, where tailored terms help a relationship get started.
Bring the co-sell teams in early
Each hyperscaler has partner and co-sell programs that connect ISVs with its own field teams. Registering opportunities and sharing account plans helps a small company gain allies inside large accounts across many regions at once.
Align the internal team
Sales teams embrace a marketplace when it is clearly part of how they win. Futurum found that 96% of surveyed partners had compensation-neutral programs for marketplace sales, so reps feel equally rewarded however the customer chooses to buy.
Write listings for a global buyer
A strong listing reads clearly to a buyer in any country. The best ones lead with the business outcome, include short customer examples from more than one region and explain how to start a trial or request a private offer. Simple, specific language travels further than product jargon.
Include resellers and distributors
Marketplaces increasingly work alongside the channel. Microsoft introduced resale enabled offers, launched in private preview, which let software companies authorize channel partners to sell on their behalf through private offers. Microsoft named Arrow, Crayon, Ingram Micro, Pax8 and TD SYNNEX among its partners for the new marketplace.
Making the marketplace your next market
If your company sells software and wants international customers, cloud marketplaces deserve a place near the top of your expansion plan. They offer a ready route into global enterprise buying, with billing, reach and partner programs already in place.
A practical first step is to choose the marketplace where your best current customers already spend. List one core product, prepare a private offer template and connect with that platform's partner team. Then track how quickly international buyers find you. Many companies discover that their first overseas deal arrives sooner than expected.
As momentum builds, add a second marketplace and invite a regional partner to resell through private offers. Each step extends your reach without requiring a new office.
Sources
- Canalys, "Hyperscaler cloud marketplace sales to hit US$85 billion by 2028," August 15, 2024.
- The Futurum Group, "Scaling Smarter: How Google Cloud Marketplace Is Reshaping Partner Sales and GTM Strategy," June 2025.
- Google Cloud Blog, "Google named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for hyperscaler marketplaces," December 11, 2025.
- Official Microsoft Blog, "Introducing Microsoft Marketplace: Thousands of solutions. Millions of customers. One Marketplace," September 25, 2025.
- AWS, "The 4-stage ISV revenue engine to activate AWS Marketplace," accessed October 2026.