Microsoft Marketplace, Azure Marketplace and AppSource: what is the difference now?
Updated 11 Nov 2026 · FY27 (1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027)
The short answer. Microsoft Marketplace is the one store where Microsoft sells partner software, cloud services and AI apps and agents, at marketplace.microsoft.com. Azure Marketplace and AppSource were the two older stores. Microsoft announced on 25 September 2025 that it had merged them into one store. At WeTransact, we tell software companies the same thing: you now publish once, through Partner Center, to one store.
In plain words. Think of two shop fronts that became one shop. The shelves are still organized for two kinds of buyer: business teams and IT teams. The name over the door is now Microsoft Marketplace, and the old addresses lead to it.
Partner Center is Microsoft's admin website for partners, where you create and manage your offers.
Microsoft Marketplace, Azure Marketplace or AppSource: where should you list?
Software companies still ask us which of the two stores to pick. The good news: you don't have to choose anymore.
It is one store now, Microsoft Marketplace. You publish once, in Partner Center, and your offer can reach both business buyers and IT buyers.
So the name question is easy. We recommend calling it Microsoft Marketplace everywhere: on your website, in your sales deck and in your emails to Microsoft sellers. That way Microsoft sellers and buyers recognize it.
Here is the hard truth: the merger changed the label, not the work. Customers still need a reason to buy through Microsoft, and Microsoft's sellers still need a reason to bring you in.
So the questions that matter are not about names. Which customers do you want to win through Microsoft? And after you publish, how will you work with Microsoft's sellers and partners to reach them?
Probably yes, if you found an article that talks about AppSource or Azure Marketplace and you are not sure whether it is still true, or you are deciding where to list your software.
Not yet, if you only want the step-by-step listing process. That is in our guide to selling on Microsoft Marketplace.
Be careful, if your product is an app or add-in for Teams, Outlook or Excel. Microsoft treats it as a separate enrollment, and it follows different rules (more below).
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If you read an older article
Articles written before September 2025 describe two stores. In our experience, this is how to translate them:
- "AppSource" means the business-apps side of Microsoft Marketplace: apps that work with Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform.
- "Azure Marketplace" means the IT-and-developer side: software that runs on Azure or is used inside an Azure subscription. It also means the Marketplace inside the Azure portal.
- Advice to "pick one of the two stores" no longer applies. Microsoft Learn, Microsoft's official documentation site, says an offer that suits both business and IT users can appear for both audiences within Microsoft Marketplace.
Prices, fees and Microsoft's rules may also have changed since the article was written. Check the date on it.
What changed, and when
Microsoft's own announcements give this order of events:
- 25 September 2025. The Official Microsoft Blog post "Introducing Microsoft Marketplace", by Alysa Taylor, says Azure Marketplace and Microsoft AppSource "are now unified". It says the store was available in the US that day and coming soon to customers worldwide. A partner blog the same day, by Nicole Dezen, says the new Marketplace brings together AppSource and Azure Marketplace.
- April 2026. The monthly Partner Center announcements (item dated 10 April 2026) say the AppSource platform is renamed to Microsoft Marketplace, and that the appsource.microsoft.com link redirects to marketplace.microsoft.com.
- November 2026. When we checked, the old Azure Marketplace address (azuremarketplace.microsoft.com) also redirected to marketplace.microsoft.com.
We could not confirm from Microsoft's pages the date the rollout reached every country. Microsoft Learn's current pages describe one store.
Microsoft Marketplace: the name to use today
Microsoft Learn describes Microsoft Marketplace as a single web destination where customers find, try and buy cloud solutions and AI agents. Customers reach it three ways:
- On the web, at marketplace.microsoft.com.
- Inside Microsoft products, such as Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform and Azure.
- In the Azure portal, through "Create a resource". Microsoft says this view shows Azure-deployable solutions, and that the complete catalog, including SaaS, business applications and AI agents, is on marketplace.microsoft.com.
The September 2025 announcement also added an "AI Apps and Agents" category so customers can find AI apps and agents in one place.
Microsoft Learn adds that customers can buy through the store, through resellers in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program, and through Microsoft's own sales teams. A CSP is a Microsoft reseller. To buy, customers need a Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft's sign-in account, and an active Azure subscription for offers billed to Azure.
We use "Microsoft Marketplace" in everything we write. We recommend you do the same on your website and sales material.
Azure Marketplace: what it was and where it stands
Microsoft Learn describes the IT-and-developer part of Microsoft Marketplace as solutions built on Azure or used within Azure subscriptions. That is what people meant by Azure Marketplace. It is now part of Microsoft Marketplace.
Two things are still easy to mix up:
- The storefront name is gone. The old address now redirects to Microsoft Marketplace.
- The Azure portal still has a marketplace view. Microsoft's documentation calls it "Marketplace within Azure portal". It matters for MACC, which we explain below.
To see how customers buy in this view, read how customers buy on Microsoft Marketplace.
AppSource: what it was and where it stands
Microsoft Learn describes the business part of Microsoft Marketplace as business and industry solutions, such as apps that integrate with Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. That is what people meant by AppSource. Microsoft's April 2026 announcement says AppSource was renamed Microsoft Marketplace.
You will still see the word in places. Some Microsoft Learn page addresses still contain "appsource". The name on the store is Microsoft Marketplace.
One difference remains for Microsoft 365 apps. In Partner Center, "Microsoft 365 and Copilot" is a separate program enrollment from the Marketplace one, and Microsoft Learn says you choose the program for the type of solution you plan to publish.
What it means for a software company
Where you list. You list in Partner Center, in the Marketplace offers area. Microsoft Learn says Microsoft Marketplace can appear as "Commercial Marketplace" in Partner Center. Don't let the label throw you when you enroll.
Who can buy. Customers can buy in 141 geographies, according to Microsoft Learn, and availability is set per plan. Microsoft says customers can pay by credit card, or by invoice for offers billed to an Azure subscription.
Which offer types. Microsoft Learn's publishing guide today lists these offer types: Azure application, Azure container, Azure virtual machine, Dragon Copilot, professional service, Dynamics 365, managed service, Microsoft 365, Power BI app and software as a service (SaaS). We found no Microsoft statement that the merger removed an offer type.
How you get paid. For a transactable offer, which means Microsoft bills the customer and pays you, Microsoft charges a 3% store service fee and no listing fee, according to Microsoft Learn.
What did not change
We found no Microsoft statement that the merger changed these:
- MACC. A MACC (Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment) is a promise a large customer makes to spend a set amount on Azure. Microsoft's September 2025 announcement says customers with one can count 100% of purchases of "Azure benefit eligible" solutions toward it. Microsoft Learn's customer page lists the conditions: the offer must carry the Azure benefit eligible badge, and the customer must complete the purchase in the Azure portal on a subscription tied to their agreement. A direct credit card checkout on marketplace.microsoft.com does not count.
- How to qualify for the badge. Microsoft Learn says Azure IP co-sell eligibility is a prerequisite for an offer's MACC eligibility, and that SaaS offers must be primarily platformed on Azure. Our MACC guide explains this in plain words.
- Co-sell. Co-sell means Microsoft's own sellers introduce and sell your software. Microsoft's November 2025 post says offers that are IP co-sell eligible appear in Microsoft's internal tools, and that Marketplace transactions count toward sellers' quotas. Microsoft Learn sets the entry criteria. Read how to co-sell with Microsoft.
- Private offers and resellers. Microsoft Learn lists private offers, multiparty private offers, CSP private offers and resale enabled offers as ways to sell. See private offers explained and channel partners.
One caution on co-sell. Microsoft Learn says apps and add-ins for Teams, Outlook and Excel are not eligible for co-sell-ready status.
Which of our guides to read next
- How to sell on Microsoft Marketplace: the step-by-step process, from account to first sale.
- What it costs to sell on Microsoft Marketplace: the 3% fee, renewals and payouts.
- The MACC explained: why a customer's Azure commitment helps you.
- Azure Marketplace pricing models: flat rate, per user and usage.
- Private offers: types and examples: how to give one customer a custom deal.
- How to co-sell with Microsoft: how Microsoft's sellers can bring you deals.
- Azure Marketplace or AWS Marketplace: if you are weighing the two clouds.
Frequently asked questions
Is AppSource still a thing?
Not as a separate store. Microsoft's April 2026 Partner Center update says the AppSource platform is renamed to Microsoft Marketplace, and that appsource.microsoft.com redirects to marketplace.microsoft.com.
Is Azure Marketplace the same as Microsoft Marketplace?
Yes, for practical purposes. Microsoft announced on 25 September 2025 that it unified Azure Marketplace and AppSource into Microsoft Marketplace. The Azure portal still has a marketplace view, which Microsoft's documentation calls "Marketplace within Azure portal".
What should I call the store on my website?
Microsoft Marketplace. We recommend that name on your website and sales material, so Microsoft sellers and buyers recognize it.
Do I need to list on both Azure Marketplace and AppSource?
No. There is one store. Microsoft Learn says an offer can appear for both business and IT audiences, based on the categories and industries you select when you create it.
Did the rename change MACC eligibility?
Not that we found. Microsoft says eligible purchases count at 100% of the pre-tax amount, but only for offers marked Azure benefit eligible, bought in the Azure portal on the customer's agreement. A direct credit card checkout does not count.
Why does Partner Center say "Commercial Marketplace"?
Microsoft Learn says Microsoft Marketplace can appear as Commercial Marketplace in Partner Center. Both names refer to the same program, which you enroll in before you publish offers.
Do old Azure Marketplace and AppSource links still work?
When we checked, azuremarketplace.microsoft.com redirected to marketplace.microsoft.com, and Microsoft's April 2026 announcement says the AppSource address redirects too. If you have old links on your site, we recommend updating them to your Microsoft Marketplace listing.
Sources: The Official Microsoft Blog, "Introducing Microsoft Marketplace" by Alysa Taylor (25 September 2025); Microsoft Tech Community partner blog by Nicole Dezen (25 September 2025) and Marketplace blog "Your next big move: Thriving in the reimagined Microsoft Marketplace" (17 November 2025); Microsoft Learn, "April 2026 announcements" (Partner Center), "Overview of Microsoft Marketplace" (publisher and customer versions), "Microsoft Marketplace FAQ", "Publishing guide by offer type", "Enroll in Microsoft Marketplace or M365 Copilot in Partner Center", "Microsoft Marketplace transact capabilities", "Azure Consumption Commitment Benefit" and "Co-sell requirements" (all read in November 2026). Microsoft may change its programs at any time.
Want the full picture?
Everything here is also in our complete guide to Microsoft FY27 Marketplace incentives, with plain-words notes for newcomers. Get the complete FY27 guide
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The other FY27 incentives
- Azure sponsorship
- AI Build & Publish for Marketplace
- AI Build & Publish for the Agent Store
- Customer Assessment & POV
- Customer Migrate & Modernize
- Co-selling with Microsoft
Based on Microsoft's FY27 Partner Investments material and the Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace pages on Microsoft Learn. Microsoft may change its programs at any time, and every payout needs Microsoft's approval. Amounts are in USD.
