The long awaited Sitecore Marketplace has finally launched, and I couldn’t be more excited about what this means for the Sitecore ecosystem.

After getting hands on with the new offering, I can confidently say that Sitecore has delivered something truly special.

It closes a significant gap with other leading SaaS platforms while also introducing innovations of its own.

Bridging the SaaS Gap

For years, Sitecore lagged behind platforms like Contentful and Cloudinary when it came to extensibility and third-party integrations. Those platforms offered rich marketplaces filled with ready to use extensions, while Sitecore developers often had to build everything from scratch.

The new Sitecore Marketplace changes that narrative. It allows customers, partners, and developers to build and use applications that add new capabilities across Sitecore products. What Sitecore has achieved isn’t just feature parity – it’s a fresh approach to how integrations can work in a SaaS CMS.

The Developer Experience is Surprisingly Intuitive

My colleague Mihaly Arvai recently shared his first impressions of the Sitecore Marketplace, and his experience mirrors mine: the development process is surprisingly intuitive. Installing a custom app in XM Cloud was straightforward, and the workflow feels modern and efficient.

Multiple Integration Points for Maximum Flexibility

What sets the Sitecore Marketplace apart is the variety of integration touchpoints available. Developers can now build one application and decide where it surfaces in the user experience, shifting the focus from rigid “app types” to user-centric design.

The available integration points include:

• Cloud Portal Apps – Standalone tools accessible from the main portal
• XM Cloud Navigation Apps – Integrated into the top navigation for core functionality
• Pages Context Panel Apps – Right-hand panel integration for contextual editing
• Custom Fields in Pages – Input-based integrations within the editing experience
• Dashboard Widgets – Coming soon for analytics and performance tracking

This flexibility means developers can create contextual solutions that appear exactly where users need them.

The SDK: Simple and Secure

The Sitecore Marketplace SDK deserves special recognition. It manages all data requests, providing a secure and streamlined way for external applications to access Sitecore.

The documentation is clear, setup is quick, and the developer experience feels modern whether you’re using React with Vite, Next.js, or another framework. It lowers the barrier to entry and makes building extensions genuinely enjoyable.

What This Means for the Sitecore Ecosystem

The Marketplace addresses long-standing challenges for developers and customers:

• Faster Time to Value – Pre-built solutions for common needs
• Reduced Custom Development – Less reinventing the wheel
• Community Innovation – A platform for sharing and discovering solutions
• Vendor Integrations – Easier third-party service connections

It’s also worth noting that the Marketplace is designed to support all Sitecore products, including Content Hub and CDP. This is just the beginning of a much broader ecosystem.

Looking Forward

Right now, developers can publish and use custom apps, with a public marketplace for broader distribution coming soon. The foundation is strong, the documentation is thorough, and the developer onboarding experience is polished. That level of quality at launch is impressive and bodes well for the platform’s future.

Final Thoughts

The Sitecore Marketplace is more than just a new feature – it’s a strategic shift that puts Sitecore on equal footing with other SaaS platforms and, in some ways, ahead. With intuitive development, extensive integration points, and a strong vision for ecosystem growth, Sitecore has delivered something exceptional.

If you haven’t explored it yet, now is the perfect time. The barrier to entry is low, the potential is high, and the opportunity to contribute to the growing Sitecore ecosystem has never been greater.

https://github.com/Sitecore/marketplace-sdk

As soon as the public marketplace is available, I’ll be publishing my first app there for anyone to try.