Driving user value is always the North Star for SaaS companies. A big part of that value comes from how well your product connects with the tools customers already rely on. We’re talking about integrations, the unsung heroes that make software stick.
But building integrations is only half the battle. The harder part is getting people to actually discover and use them.
That’s where an embedded app marketplace comes in. Instead of hoping users find your integrations on a public page, you bring your ecosystem directly into the product experience. This is not just a UX upgrade. It’s a strategic lever for adoption, retention, and long-term platform value.
Let’s break down what an embedded app marketplace is, and why it matters so much for integration usage.
What is an embedded app marketplace?
An embedded app marketplace is a dedicated section inside your product that showcases and activates third-party integrations.
Unlike a public marketplace that lives on your website and supports discovery for prospects, an embedded marketplace is built for existing users. It’s where they can:
- discover integrations in context
- connect apps without leaving the product
- manage active integrations as part of their workflow
The key difference is timing and intent. Embedded marketplaces turn integration discovery into an active, contextual moment instead of a separate research task.
Why driving integration adoption should be a priority
Integrations are one of the most powerful levers SaaS companies have. They extend what your product can do without forcing you to build every feature yourself.
That creates real downstream impact:
- Stronger retention: When your product is connected to the rest of a customer’s stack, it becomes harder to replace
- Expanded value: Integrations help your product solve more problems without bloating your roadmap
- Clear differentiation: A strong ecosystem signals that your product fits into modern workflows
- Faster iteration: Partners help you move faster than internal development alone
High integration adoption isn’t just a nice metric to report. It directly influences customer lifetime value and how central your product becomes in day-to-day operations.
Why an embedded marketplace beats a public one for adoption
Public marketplaces are useful for showcasing your ecosystem to buyers. They are far less effective for driving adoption among existing users.
The reason is friction.
When someone is already inside your product and hits a workflow gap, asking them to leave the app, find a marketplace page, search for an integration, and then figure out setup creates too many drop-off points. Every extra step between intent and activation quietly kills adoption.
An embedded app marketplace removes that friction:
- Contextual discovery: Users find integrations at the moment they need them
- Lower effort: Discovery and activation happen inside a familiar environment
- Higher trust: Integrations shown in-product feel more vetted and intentional
- Immediate action: Many integrations can be enabled directly, without detours
This shift turns integrations from something users know exists into something they actually use.
Building an embedded marketplace vs using a platform like Partner Fleet
Once the value is clear, the next question is how to get there. Most SaaS companies end up weighing two options: build an embedded marketplace in-house or use a purpose-built platform.
Building it yourself
Building internally gives you control, but it also introduces real costs:
- Engineering lift: UI, backend logic, search, permissions, and performance all add up
- Content ownership: Someone has to manage listings, updates, screenshots, and accuracy
- Scaling pain: As integrations grow, so does complexity
What often starts as a “simple internal feature” turns into a second product that competes with core roadmap priorities.
Using a platform like Partner Fleet
Platforms like Partner Fleet handle the marketplace infrastructure so internal teams can focus on the core product.
With Partner Fleet, you can embed a fully branded in-app marketplace that connects to the same content powering your public marketplace.
That means:
- Minimal engineering effort: Embed via iframe or API-backed components
- One content source: Public, in-app, and developer-facing listings stay in sync
- Faster updates: Listings can be created with AI or managed directly by partners
- Less operational drag: No code deploys just to update content
The result is faster time to value and fewer internal tradeoffs.
If you want to go deeper, check out our guide on how Partner Fleet supports custom in-app marketplaces and the role in-app discovery plays in a broader ecosystem strategy.
The future of integration adoption is in-app
An embedded app marketplace changes how integrations show up in the product experience. It replaces scattered discovery with a clear, contextual path to activation.
For SaaS companies focused on real integration usage, not just logos on a page, this approach is quickly becoming table stakes. Integrations only create value when customers actually use them, and embedded marketplaces are one of the most effective ways to make that happen.
