What’s the best way to differentiate a SaaS offer from a Teams offer in Microsoft Marketplace?

Hi Victoria, 

It looks like you've already implemented what I'd generally consider the recommended approach by linking your Teams app to the underlying SaaS offer, which allows customers to purchase and manage subscriptions through Microsoft Marketplace while still discovering and accessing the solution through Teams.

Microsoft supports linking a SaaS offer to a Teams app so customers can purchase subscriptions from the Teams Store experience while licensing and subscription management are handled through the SaaS offer. Linkage is recommended in two ways: 

1. In Partner Center, associate the Marketplace URL of your Teams app within your SaaS offer setup manifest reference your SaaS offer ID. See Marketplace documentation
2. In Developer portal for Teams (or app manifest), associate the publisherID.offerID from the Marketplace URL for your SaaS offer. See Teams documentation

Given you've done above, I don't think the challenge is necessarily the offer structure as much as customer understanding of the relationship between these two listings in the Marketplace.

A screenshot of Youkeeps AI Personal Assistant app on Microsoft Marketplace

A few suggestions:

• Position the SaaS offer as the method for purchasing user licenses through Marketplace.
• Position the Teams app as the way customers access and use the service within Microsoft Teams.
• Use consistent branding, screenshots, and descriptions across both listings so customers immediately recognize they're related. (you've largely done this, though names differ slightly)
• Acknowledge the cross-reference, for example:
  • SaaS offer: "Includes access through Microsoft Teams."
  • Teams app: "Subscription and licensing are provided through our SaaS offering."
• Consider adding guidance to your website, onboarding materials, and customer communications that directs buyers to the SaaS offer when that's the preferred procurement path.

Clear positioning around that distinction may reduce confusion. Microsoft tries to support clarity by calling attention to the SaaS offer, "For the full capabilities of this add-in, get the SaaS package" as shown on the product page for your app.

Curious how other M365 Copilot app partners have approached this. Have you found naming, listing descriptions, or onboarding guidance to be the biggest factor in helping customers understand the difference?