Can a solopreneur really publish an app to Shopify, Slack, Salesforce, or HubSpot's marketplace —
or do these platforms quietly require a company with employees? We read through the current
developer and partner terms for 13 major SaaS marketplaces so you don't have to, and rated each
one on how much friction a one-person team actually hits.
5
Easy
4
Medium
4
Hard
We've been on the other side of this.
Makeinfo ships Google Sheets add-ons through the
Google Workspace Marketplace,
free extensions through the Chrome Web Store, and
GTM Playbooks for Jira
through the Atlassian Marketplace — all as a small, independent team. These ratings come from
what actually gates a small team from shipping, not just a read of the policy page.
No marketplaces match your filters
Try a different search term or reset the difficulty filter.
How We Rated These
Easy
Self-service submission, no company or headcount requirement, and a documented review checklist.
Medium
Open to solo developers, but with meaningful process, review, or platform-fee overhead to plan for.
Hard
Formal partner programs, paid security reviews, or account prerequisites that a solo builder has to clear first.
Marketplace terms change often — treat this as a starting point for your own research, not legal
or business advice, and confirm current requirements directly with each platform before you build.
Shopify's Partner signup explicitly lets you register as an individual, not just a company, so there's no incorporation hurdle to clear before you start building. The economics are the real draw: developers keep 100% of the first $1M in gross app revenue earned from 2025 onward, then 85% above that, against a one-time $19 App Store registration fee.
What you need
Shopify Partner account (individual or entity)
$19 one-time App Store registration fee
Public app must use the current GraphQL Admin API, not the legacy REST API
App must use Shopify's own Billing API — no external checkout for App Store apps
Working demo screencast and a named emergency developer contact for review
Monetization
Billing runs through Shopify's native Billing API — you can't route App Store subscriptions through your own Stripe or Paddle setup. In exchange, Shopify takes 0% of revenue up to $1M/year.
Best for
Solo developers who want the clearest revenue-share deal on this list and don't mind building around Shopify's own billing.
Slack
Easy
Communication
Slack doesn't ask who you are, only what your app does. The practical hurdle is Slack's install threshold: public Marketplace submissions need 5 active external workspaces (recently lowered from 10), so you have to find real usage before Slack will even look at your listing.
What you need
Public Slack app with properly scoped OAuth
5 active, unaffiliated workspaces installed before Marketplace submission
Privacy policy and clear data-handling disclosures
Minimal, justified OAuth scopes — broad-access apps face more scrutiny
Commercial apps should distribute through the Marketplace; 2025 terms rate-limit unlisted commercial apps
Monetization
You control pricing and billing outside Slack; the Marketplace is a distribution and trust layer, not a payment processor.
Best for
Builders who can get a small, real userbase — even a few beta teams — before they need marketplace visibility.
WordPress
Easy
CMS / Publishing
WordPress.org's Plugin Directory has no entity or employee requirement — you register an account and submit. The one hard line is that the free plugin must be genuinely useful, not a paywall trap: WordPress explicitly prohibits trialware, where a plugin works a set number of times and then stops until you pay.
What you need
WordPress.org developer account
Plugin code must be GPL-compatible (GPLv2 or later recommended)
Free listing must be fully functional, not a crippled trial
Minified or compiled code needs accessible source
Normally one new-plugin submission in review at a time
Monetization
The plugin itself can be free while the SaaS behind it is paid — a common, permitted pattern: the plugin talks to your API, and your API is where the subscription actually lives.
Best for
Anyone with an existing SaaS backend who wants a free, GPL plugin as the on-ramp rather than the whole product.
Twilio
Easy
Communications API
Twilio's Marketplace terms define a partner as either an entity or an individual, so a solopreneur qualifies on paper. Twilio reserves the right to test and approve or reject any listing at its own discretion, and the real complexity shows up if you send SMS — production messaging needs A2P 10DLC brand and campaign registration, with a documented sole-proprietor path.
What you need
Working, production-quality Twilio integration
Documentation, support contact, and Terms/Privacy pages
A2P 10DLC brand + campaign registration for production SMS
Fits one of Twilio's listing types (Add-on, Connector, No-code Partner)
Monetization
You set your own pricing; Twilio Marketplace is a discovery surface, not a billing system.
Best for
Developers building a narrow, well-defined Twilio integration rather than a general-purpose communications platform.
RingCentral
Easy
Communications / Telephony
RingCentral's "Public" app type is explicitly built for outside distribution through the App Gallery, and its submission checklist reads like a straightforward to-do list rather than a partnership negotiation. Some API scopes are restricted and need written justification, so it pays to scope your MVP narrowly.
What you need
Public RingCentral app with OAuth
Website, privacy policy, and terms of service
Support contact and installation documentation
At least 3 screenshots for the listing
Signed API License Agreement; restricted scopes need justification
Monetization
External billing is fine — RingCentral doesn't require native monetization. A roughly $10/month dev environment covers two test extensions.
Best for
Solo developers building call or messaging analytics and CRM-style integrations who can keep API scope requests minimal.
monday.com
Medium
Work Management
monday.com's own documentation says any app developer can list an app, and it hands you a free developer account with up to 10 seats to build and test with. The catch that actually matters for a solo builder: apps built primarily with no-code tools or AI-generated code are currently ineligible for Marketplace approval, so this favors people who can write real code.
What you need
Free monday developer account (up to 10 seats for testing)
At least one genuinely coded app feature, not pure no-code/AI generation
Native monetization via monday's billing (up to 15 plans, 14-day default trial)
Follows monday's Vibe design system and permission model
Monetization
Billing is native to monday.com. A revenue share only kicks in after $200k in lifetime app revenue, at an 85/15 split in the developer's favor.
Best for
Developers with real engineering chops targeting a specific, underserved monday workflow rather than a generic integration.
Stripe
Medium
Payments
As of an April 2026 change, Stripe no longer requires mandatory payments KYC onboarding just to build and publish a Stripe App, which had previously been a real barrier for solo developers. You're still limited to one published app per Stripe account, and listings are currently English-only.
What you need
Activated Stripe account
One published app per account
Business must not fall under Stripe's prohibited-business categories
English-language listing content
Monetization
The Stripe App itself doesn't process your revenue — it's a distribution surface inside the Stripe Dashboard. You bill customers through your own SaaS billing.
Best for
Builders extending the Stripe Dashboard with automation or reporting who already have, or plan to add, their own billing layer.
HubSpot
Medium
CRM / Marketing
Public HubSpot apps are free to build, and HubSpot owns distribution while you own monetization entirely — there's no revenue share, because there's no HubSpot billing involved. New Marketplace-track apps built on the current Projects-based platform are capped at 25 installs pre-approval; that's a ceiling to work under, not a target you're required to hit.
What you need
Public app built on HubSpot's current Projects-based platform
Your own billing/subscription system for monetization
25-install cap applies to new apps before Marketplace approval
Monetization
Entirely self-managed. HubSpot is the discovery channel; your own Stripe or Paddle setup handles the subscription.
Best for
Builders extending HubSpot's CRM records — contacts, deals — with a focused feature, especially anything usage- or credit-based.
SmartSuite
Medium
Work Management
SmartSuite's public Marketplace goes through a Technology Partner Program that isn't a pure self-service submission flow. Don't confuse this with SmartSuite's separate Service Provider Partner tier, which requires 5+ team members, 15+ employees, and $1.5M+ revenue — that tier doesn't apply to a solo integration builder. A lighter entry point exists too: Solution Packaging lets you build and share templates across workspaces without a full marketplace integration.
What you need
Technology Partner Program application for Marketplace listing
Integration built against SmartSuite's REST API
Sandbox validation and "Works with SmartSuite" certification
Alternative: Solution Packaging for template-based distribution, no full integration needed
Monetization
Not standardized publicly — negotiated as part of the Technology Partner relationship, or self-managed if going the Solution Packaging route.
Best for
Builders who want to test demand with a packaged template or solution before committing to a full Marketplace integration.
Salesforce
Hard
CRM / Enterprise
Salesforce doesn't require a minimum company size on paper, but the path to AppExchange runs through the Partner Program: build a managed package, pass a Security Review that can involve manual analysis and costs roughly $999 per attempt for paid apps, and sign a formal partnership agreement. It's a genuinely enterprise-oriented process, not a self-service submit-and-wait flow.
What you need
Salesforce Partner Program membership
Managed package built with Apex/LWC
Salesforce Code Analyzer scan results
Security Review, roughly $999 per attempt for paid apps
Signed ISV/partnership agreement
Monetization
Fully self-directed pricing once listed — Salesforce's cost is front-loaded into the review process, not a revenue cut.
Best for
Teams, or well-funded solo founders, targeting a specific high-value Salesforce workflow like lead or contact enrichment, where enterprise buyers justify the review cost.
QuickBooks
Hard
Accounting / Finance
Intuit doesn't gate QuickBooks development by company size, but its new App Partner Program, rolled out November 2025, introduces Builder, Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers with platform service fees that apply to any production app, even one that isn't listed in the App Store. On top of that, expect a technical review (~20 days), a security review (~7 days), a marketing review, and annual re-review after launch.
What you need
Production HTTPS domain with proper OAuth redirect URIs
App Partner Program tier enrollment with ongoing platform fees
Annual re-review after launch
Monetization
You set your own pricing — subscription, per-user, or one-time — but budget for ongoing platform fees independent of your own revenue.
Best for
Builders solving a real accounting or bookkeeping pain who've already validated demand — the compliance overhead isn't worth it pre-validation.
ServiceNow
Hard
ITSM / Enterprise
ServiceNow's free Personal Developer Instance is explicitly blocked from publishing to the Store — you have to join the Technology Partner Program and build in a proper partner/vendor instance instead. Certification then examines security, application architecture, and upgrade compatibility, and ServiceNow can require recertification as the platform evolves.
What you need
ServiceNow Technology Partner Program membership
Scoped, not global, application built in a partner/vendor instance — not a free PDI
Certification covering security, architecture, and upgrade compatibility
Ongoing recertification as ServiceNow releases new platform versions
Monetization
Negotiated through the partner relationship rather than a standardized self-serve billing system.
Best for
Builders targeting a specific, painful enterprise ITSM workflow who are prepared for a genuinely partner-driven sales motion.
Smartsheet
Hard
Work Management
Smartsheet doesn't prohibit solopreneurs outright, but registering an OAuth developer application currently requires an email tied to an existing Smartsheet account on a Business plan or higher — an upfront cost most solo builders don't already have. The public Marketplace itself is framed around "Partner Built Solutions," delivered through a formal, tiered Solution Partner program rather than open self-service submission.
What you need
OAuth dev registration tied to an existing Business-plan-or-higher Smartsheet account
Smartsheet REST API integration
Solution Partner program engagement for a formal Marketplace listing
Performance and capability criteria as part of partner tiering
Monetization
Not standardized publicly — typically negotiated as part of the Solution Partner relationship.
Best for
Builders who already pay for a Business-tier Smartsheet seat for other reasons, or who are willing to go the formal partner route from the start.