What is a SaaS Partnership?
A SaaS partnership is a collaboration between two or more software companies (or between a SaaS company and another type of business) where both parties work together to create mutual value. This often involves integrating their software products, co-marketing to each other’s customers, or cross-selling and reselling each other’s services.
The goal is usually to offer a more comprehensive solution to users and expand market reach without each company having to build everything alone. For example, a project management SaaS might partner with a cloud storage SaaS so that users can seamlessly attach files from one into the other – each product becomes more useful through the integration.
Why are SaaS partnerships important?
Partnerships can be a serious key growth driver in SaaS.
- A well-chosen partnership lets a company offer more to customers without extra development – by leveraging another firm’s strengths.
- It can also open doors to new customer segments. For a smaller SaaS, partnering with a bigger platform can instantly put your tool in front of a large established user base.
- Partnerships often result in a better user experience too: when your CRM software automatically connects with an email marketing platform, for instance, the customer wins through convenience.
According to industry insights, SaaS companies that excel at partnerships see significant payoffs. A great example is Gorgias (a helpdesk SaaS) – about 50% of Gorgias’s revenue comes through tech partnerships and integrations.
By integrating with e-commerce platforms and apps, Gorgias tapped into a steady stream of referrals and co-marketing, dramatically boosting sales.
Another example, Typeform (online forms SaaS) discovered that customers who used 4+ integrations had higher lifetime value than those who didn’t. In short, partnerships can increase retention and revenue. They can even influence a startup’s exit: there are cases where strong partnership ecosystems made companies attractive acquisition targets
Types of SaaS partnerships
SaaS partnerships come in several flavors, depending on the goals:
Integration partnerships (Tech Partners)
This is very common in SaaS. Two products integrate their services via APIs so that they work better together. For example, Slack and Google Drive have an integration where Google Docs can be shared and notifications appear in Slack.
These tech integrations make each product stickier. Users benefit from automation and data flowing between tools, and both partners benefit from increased usage. Integration partnerships often come with co-marketing (promoting the integration to each customer base) and sometimes even co-selling.
They’re a cornerstone of many SaaS growth strategies – in fact, such tech partnerships drive huge portions of revenue for some companies (integration-related deals contributed 50% of Gorgias’s revenue, as noted).
Channel partnerships (Resellers & Affiliates)
These are about distribution. In a reseller partnership, another company (or consultant/agency) sells your SaaS product, often bundling it with their own services. For instance, an IT consultancy might resell a project management SaaS to its clients, handling setup and support in exchange for a cut of the revenue.
Affiliate or referral partnerships are a lighter version: partners (like bloggers or influencers, or complementary businesses) refer customers to your SaaS via unique links or codes and earn a commission. Many SaaS companies have affiliate programs – e.g., HubSpot’s affiliate program pays up to 30% commission for referrals.
These partnerships effectively outsource some marketing and sales; they motivate others to promote your product.
Co-marketing partnerships
Two companies collaborate on marketing initiatives, without necessarily integrating products. For example, a SaaS for accounting might co-author an e-book or webinar with a fintech SaaS on managing small business finances, each gaining exposure to the other’s audience. They might do joint blog posts, podcasts, or even a bundled discount.
Co-marketing builds brand authority and can generate leads for both sides. A high-profile example was a Super Bowl campaign where QuickBooks (accounting SaaS) and Mailchimp (email marketing SaaS) ran a combined commercial, highlighting how their tools together help small businesses. That kind of partnership is powerful for brand amplification.
Strategic alliances & OEM partnerships
Sometimes partnerships are deeper, involving product bundling or even embedding one SaaS into another. For instance, a big enterprise SaaS might integrate a startup’s functionality and offer it as part of their suite (OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer – style).
Or two SaaS firms might jointly develop a new solution. These partnerships often involve more formal agreements, even equity stakes or revenue-sharing at the product level.
Best practices for SaaS partnerships
1. Start with alignment, not just opportunity
Before jumping into a partnership, make sure there’s strategic alignment between your business and your potential partner’s goals.
Many SaaS teams rush into collaborations based on user overlap or brand recognition without checking whether both sides actually serve the same buyer journey, sales motion, or customer lifecycle. Alignment should go beyond vague audience fit.
Are your pricing models compatible? Do you both serve SMBs, mid-market, or enterprise? Is your tech stack complementary, or will it create friction?
These questions save you from wasted time and mismatched expectations. Also, get clarity on what success looks like from both sides before you formalize anything.
2. Build a clear partner program with tiered incentives
Partners are more likely to engage when they understand the process, know what’s in it for them, and see a clear path to earning more by doing more.
- Create tiered partner levels (e.g., Affiliate, Reseller, Strategic Partner) based on performance or engagement
- Define commission structures, co-marketing benefits, and lead-sharing guidelines for each tier
- Provide documentation, onboarding, and partner enablement materials to make it easy for partners to ramp up
3. Prioritize shared pipeline and joint sales enablement
Even if you’re partnering for awareness or integrations, always think in terms of pipeline. Work closely with your partner’s sales and success teams to identify overlap in customer bases or mutual prospects.
Consider setting up a joint Slack channel or CRM integration so you can co-manage opportunities. Share lead qualification criteria and co-selling playbooks that clarify who takes the lead, how to loop each other in, and how to avoid channel conflict.
When both sides see revenue potential from day one, the partnership becomes more than just a logo swap, it becomes a scalable growth lever.
4. Co-create content that solves real customer problems
Generic co-branded blog posts rarely move the needle. Instead, collaborate on content that combines your expertise to solve a shared customer pain point. That could mean joint webinars, comparison guides, or mini-courses.
Choose formats that naturally showcase both products working together. For example, if you offer a CRM and your partner offers a billing tool, a “Lead-to-Cash” automation guide is more impactful than two separate product blurbs.
Share leads from these assets transparently and follow up with coordinated nurture sequences. The more specific and tactical the content, the more valuable it is to prospects and pipeline.
5. Track impact, optimize regularly, and don’t keep deadweight partners
Successful partnerships are not “set and forget.” They need to be managed, measured, and refined over time.
- Track sourced and influenced revenue from each partner using attribution tools
- Hold quarterly check-ins to review pipeline performance and activation metrics
- Replace underperforming partners or pause partnerships that aren't producing results
- Double down on the 10% of partners who drive 90% of your outcomes
Stay proactive. Most SaaS partner programs fail not from bad intent, but from neglect. Treat it like any other high-value channel that deserves your attention.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the main goal of a SaaS partnership?
The main goal is to create mutual value, whether that’s through co-selling, sharing leads, integrating products, or expanding reach. Done right, a good SaaS partnership helps both companies grow faster by tapping into each other’s strengths, audiences, or technology.
It’s not just about adding a logo; it’s about building a relationship that contributes to revenue and customer success.
How do SaaS integrations lead to better partnerships?
When two SaaS tools integrate, they offer more value to users by streamlining workflows or syncing data. That integration often becomes the foundation for deeper collaboration, like co-marketing or co-selling.
Users benefit from a smoother experience, and both companies can promote the integration to their audiences, driving adoption and retention on both sides.
What’s the difference between affiliate and channel partnerships?
Affiliate partnerships are typically low-touch and focus on driving signups or leads, often with a flat commission. Channel or reseller partnerships go deeper.
The partner actively sells your product, sometimes bundles it, and may even handle onboarding. Channel partners usually require more training and support, but they can drive higher deal volume and long-term revenue.
How do you measure if a partnership is working?
Track metrics like sourced revenue, influenced deals, partner-driven signups, or leads generated from co-marketing.
You can also measure engagement, are partners actually promoting the product or just sitting on the list? Good partnerships show up in your pipeline and customer feedback. If it’s not moving the needle, it may be time to revise the strategy or part ways.
When should a SaaS startup start building partnerships?
Ideally, once you have some product-market fit. Early-stage partnerships often fail if your product is still shifting.
Once you’ve validated your value and have a clear target audience, partnerships can help scale faster. Start small, maybe one affiliate, one integration, and one co-marketing partner, then grow as you build processes that support each type effectively.
