The Answer Nobody Wants to Hear

Every VP of Sales who is new to cloud marketplace eventually asks the same question: Which marketplace should we list on first? And every experienced marketplace practitioner gives the same answer: It depends where your customers are.

But that is not actually the full answer. You still need to understand the mechanics of each marketplace before you can make an informed decision. This guide compares AWS Marketplace, Azure Marketplace, and Google Cloud Marketplace across every dimension that affects your go-to-market strategy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

AWS Marketplace: The Incumbent Leader

AWS Marketplace is the default starting point for most software companies. AWS has the largest cloud market share, the most mature marketplace infrastructure, and the broadest buyer base.

ISV Accelerate

ISV Accelerate gives you the ability to register opportunities jointly with AWS account teams. Your product can be introduced to enterprise buyers by AWS’s own sales force — a substantial distribution advantage.

Enterprise Discount Program (EDP)

AWS Marketplace purchases count toward EDP commitments. For buyers on EDP agreements, your product can draw down on budget that has already been committed, which dramatically reduces procurement friction.

Azure Marketplace: The Microsoft Ecosystem Play

Azure Marketplace is the priority listing for software companies whose buyers are Microsoft-centric enterprises — financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and government sectors.

IP Co-Sell

When your product achieves IP Co-Sell status, Microsoft’s own sales team has financial incentive to recommend your product alongside Azure services. This is arguably the most powerful co-sell program of the three.

MACC

Enterprise buyers who have signed MACC agreements can apply marketplace purchases toward their committed Azure spend. Microsoft has been particularly aggressive in helping enterprise buyers leverage their MACC commitments for marketplace purchases.

GCP Marketplace: The Data and AI Platform

Google Cloud Marketplace is the right priority for software companies whose products align with GCP’s strengths: data engineering, machine learning, AI, and analytics.

ISV Solution Connect

Google has invested significantly in building out the co-sell infrastructure. Products deeply integrated with Vertex AI, BigQuery, or Looker have strong alignment incentives with Google’s sales team.

The Decision Framework

Step 1: Follow Your Customers

Talk to your top 20 prospects and customers. Ask them: Which cloud provider do you primarily run on? Do you have an EDP, MACC, or CUD commitment?

Step 2: Assess Your Product’s Natural Home

Infrastructure security tools tend to perform better on AWS. Enterprise business applications often align with Azure. Data and AI products frequently resonate best on GCP.

Step 3: Evaluate Co-Sell Potential

Assess which cloud provider’s sales team is most likely to have relationships with your target buyers.

Step 4: Consider Your Sales Motion

High-velocity, lower-ACV motion? AWS’s breadth is likely the priority. Selling $100K+ enterprise deals? Co-sell leverage may matter more.

When to List on Multiple Marketplaces

The honest answer is: as soon as practical. Start with the marketplace where you have the strongest customer alignment, build a strong listing, activate co-sell, and use the early revenue to fund the second listing.

Automatum handles the multi-cloud marketplace integration layer entirely. Over 60 ISVs have used Automatum to accelerate their marketplace listings across AWS, Azure, and GCP. Visit automatum.io to talk through your marketplace strategy.