A software directory and a software marketplace both put your product in front of buyers, and they do different jobs. A directory is a place to be discovered and compared — a buyer reads your profile and reviews, then goes to your site to buy. A marketplace covers discovery and the purchase in one place: a buyer finds your product and can subscribe to it without leaving AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Salesforce, HubSpot, or Atlassian.
That extra step changes the economics. Marketplaces often let buyers pay from budget already committed to a cloud provider, which shortens procurement and can move a deal from "evaluate later" to a few clicks. Several of them also show reviews — AWS Marketplace and Google Cloud Marketplace surface ratings syndicated from PeerSpot — so the reputation you build on a directory can end up displayed right where the buyer checks out.
The marketplaces below are marked Not Available on Blastra on purpose. A marketplace listing means integrating your billing and packaging with that platform, so it is a channel you set up with the vendor directly. Blastra manages the discovery layer that feeds it — your presence across directories and review sites. This list is here as a reference for deciding which marketplaces are worth that setup.
Directory or Marketplace, in One Line
A directory helps a buyer find and compare you, then sends them to your site to transact. A marketplace helps a buyer find, compare, and buy without leaving the platform.
The two reinforce each other. Directory reviews and accurate listings are what buyers and AI systems read when they build a shortlist — and on marketplaces like AWS and Google Cloud, those same reviews follow the buyer to the point of purchase.
Major Software Marketplaces (6)
Sorted by traffic. Each is a third-party marketplace Blastra tracks for reference — the "Not Available" label means Blastra does not submit here, since marketplace listings are built with the vendor directly.
One of the largest cloud marketplaces in the world. The difference between a marketplace like AWS and a directory like G2 is that while both cater to buyers and sellers, only AWS facilitates the actual transaction. This means that a buyer does not even have to leave AWS to subscribe to another product. AWS listings also feature reviews, and the reviews provider is PeerSpot, an elite, enterprise-focused software directory.
Google Cloud Marketplace offers a universal catalog of solutions from Google and its partner ecosystem for customers to easily discover, try, buy, and use. The main difference between such a marketplace and a software directory, such as G2, is that the marketplace allows buyers to purchase products without leaving the platform. So not only it helps discovery but also simplifies the procurement process. Google Cloud Marketplace syndicates reviews from peerSpot, an elite enterprise-focused software directory.
Designed for digital self-service and low-touch sales, Marketplace empowers millions of buyers to evaluate and adopt solutions independently, reducing friction and promoting faster adoption. Just like other marketplaces, it is different from software directories like Capterra or TrustRadius, because it allows buyers not only to discover solutions but also to purchase them right from their Microsoft account, hence simplifying the decision-making process.
Atlassian Marketplace partners can share and sell their apps on Atlassian Marketplace, offering various solutions like project management tools, reporting enhancements, themes, templates, and much more. Unlike a regular software directory, which allows for the discovery of a solution but sends a buyer to purchase on your website, a marketplace facilitates the transaction, making both the decision-making and procurement processes faster.
AppExchange is the way for Salesforce users to extend Salesforce. It features thousands of solutions that install in just a few clicks. As with other marketplaces, the main benefit for the featured vendors is the ability to get discovered by buyers inside the ecosystem and also be purchased right there. Unlike with software directories that allow for discovery but then send buyers to the vendors' sites, marketplaces like AppExchange facilitate transactions, making the whole process much simpler.
The HubSpot Marketplace is a centralized ecosystem within HubSpot where users can find and install third-party applications, website templates, and hire specialized service providers to extend the functionality of their CRM. Unlike software directories, which help users discover solutions, marketplaces facilitate transactions, simplifying all processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between a software marketplace and a software directory?
- A software directory helps a buyer discover you and then sends them to your own site to buy — think G2, Capterra, or TrustRadius, where the listing is a profile and reviews, and the transaction happens elsewhere. A software marketplace handles discovery and the purchase in one place: a buyer can subscribe to your product without leaving AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Salesforce, HubSpot, or Atlassian. Marketplaces also often let buyers pay from budget already committed to that cloud, so procurement is faster. Directories shape how you are found and compared; marketplaces additionally close the sale inside the ecosystem.
- What are the main software marketplaces for B2B products?
- The largest are the cloud and platform marketplaces: AWS Marketplace, Google Cloud Marketplace, and Microsoft Marketplace on the infrastructure side, and Salesforce AppExchange, HubSpot Marketplace, and Atlassian Marketplace on the application side. Each sits inside a platform a buyer already uses, so a listing there reaches an audience that is mid-workflow rather than mid-search. Which ones fit depends on where your buyers already run their stack.
- Do software marketplaces have reviews like G2 or Capterra?
- Many do. AWS Marketplace and Google Cloud Marketplace both surface reviews syndicated from PeerSpot, an enterprise-focused software directory, so review presence on the directory feeds the marketplace listing. Salesforce AppExchange, HubSpot Marketplace, and Atlassian Marketplace carry their own native ratings. That overlap is why directory presence and marketplace presence reinforce each other: the reviews you build on a directory can end up displayed next to your product at the point of purchase.
- Does Blastra submit my product to these marketplaces?
- No. Listing on a marketplace means integrating your billing and packaging with that platform — AWS, Salesforce, and the others each have their own onboarding, contracts, and technical requirements — so it is a channel you build with that vendor directly. Blastra manages the discovery layer that feeds it: your presence and accuracy across software directories and review sites, which is what buyers and AI systems read when they build a shortlist. Strong directory presence is often what makes a marketplace listing worth setting up. This list is here as a reference for that decision.
Marketplaces Close the Sale. Directories Start It.
Before a buyer reaches a marketplace, they compare you across directories and review sites — and so do the AI systems building shortlists. Blastra keeps that presence accurate and current everywhere it counts.
Manage Your Directory PresenceHow we curate this catalog
Editorially curated — we don't work with spam directories or freshly created sites. Before we add a directory, we check:
- Traffic starts at roughly 100k+ monthly visits for general directories (Similarweb).
- For niche directories, a lower traffic threshold, sometimes around 10k, because a focused, relevant listing carries real value.
No paid placement — a spot in this catalog can't be bought.
Run a directory and think it fits? Email ceo@blastra.io.