7,000+ apps. 10 million+ installs. 91% of Salesforce customers use them. 90% of the Fortune 500. That's the AppExchange (now AgentExchange) at a glance, per Salesforce's own counts (Salesforce AppExchange).
TL;DR: The Salesforce AppExchange is the marketplace where customers find and install apps that extend Salesforce, with 7,000+ apps and 10M+ installs (Salesforce). In 2026, Salesforce is rebranding it AgentExchange to include AI agents. ISVs distribute apps there as managed packages.
What the AppExchange is
The AppExchange is Salesforce's app store. Where Salesforce customers discover, try, and install software that extends their CRM. Where ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) list their products. Trailhead describes it as "the marketplace for all things Salesforce, including apps, agents, components, and more" (Salesforce Trailhead).
Apps on the AppExchange are distributed as managed packages: upgradeable, namespaced bundles that install into a customer's org. Every listed app has passed Salesforce's security review, which is what lets customers install third-party software into orgs holding sensitive data with confidence.
What is actually listed on it
Not everything on the marketplace is an app you install. Five listing types share the same storefront, and they behave very differently once you click through.
| Listing type | What it is | What happens when you get it |
|---|---|---|
| App | A managed package that installs into your org | Components land in your org and appear in your app launcher |
| Component | A smaller building block, often a Lightning component | Installs like an app but extends one page or feature rather than adding a product |
| Bolt or template | A prebuilt configuration for an industry or use case | Gives you a starting point to customise, not a maintained product |
| Consultant or expert | A services firm, not software | You start a conversation, nothing installs |
| Agent, action or topic | Agentforce building blocks added by the 2026 merge | Extends what an AI agent can do rather than what a user sees |
The distinction that costs people time is app versus consultant. A large share of listings are services, so a search that looks like it returned 40 products may have returned 15 products and 25 firms who will sell you an implementation.
How big it actually is
By Salesforce's own figures, the marketplace hosts more than 7,000 apps with over 10 million installs, and 91% of Salesforce customers and 90% of the Fortune 500 use AppExchange apps (Salesforce).
Salesforce's "7,000+" headline counts apps plus experts and services. Independent trackers that count only app listings put the number closer to 6,233 as of December 2025 (State of AppExchange). Both are right. They measure different things. Either way, growth runs about 10% a year.
The AgentExchange rebrand
At TrailblazerDX 2026, Salesforce began rebranding the AppExchange as AgentExchange, unifying the app marketplace, the Slack marketplace, and the Agentforce agent ecosystem into one destination (Salesforce Ben, April 2026). The shift reflects Salesforce's push toward AI agents. Alongside traditional apps, the marketplace now features pre-built agents and agent actions.
For customers and ISVs, the mechanics are unchanged. You still install managed packages. ISVs still pass the security review. The same fees apply. The transition is in progress, so you'll see both "AppExchange" and "AgentExchange" across Salesforce surfaces for a while.
What the merged marketplace now holds
The merge combined three previously separate storefronts. Published figures put the unified marketplace at more than 10,000 Salesforce apps, over 2,600 Slack apps and agents, and upward of 1,000 Agentforce agents, sub-agents, tools and MCP servers. It launched with more than 200 partners contributing agentic components.
The four agentic component types
If you are only familiar with the old AppExchange, these four are what is new. They extend AI agents rather than the Salesforce user interface.
| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| Action | A single capability an agent can invoke, built from Apex, Flow, an API call or a prompt |
| Topic | A group of actions plus instructions covering one job, which keeps the agent inside guardrails |
| Prompt template | A reusable prompt so responses stay consistent without writing instructions each time |
| Agent template | A packaged agent combining multiple topics and actions, with metadata and global instructions |
For the rebrand itself, including what changed for existing listings and partners, see our guide to Salesforce AgentExchange.
What AppExchange apps cost
The marketplace itself is free to browse and most listings offer a free trial. What you pay depends on the listing, and the billing may or may not run through Salesforce.
| Model | How it works |
|---|---|
| Free | Installs at no cost, common for components and vendor utilities |
| Free trial then paid | Install into a sandbox or production org, convert after the trial |
| Paid, billed by Salesforce | Handled through AppExchange Checkout, so it appears on your Salesforce relationship |
| Paid, billed by the vendor | You contract with the ISV directly and Salesforce is not in the transaction |
On the vendor side, Salesforce takes a revenue share on paid listings sold through it: 15% of net subscription revenue under the standard ISVforce model, and 25% for OEM partners who embed the platform. That cost is priced into what you pay, which is part of why the same product is sometimes cheaper bought direct.
How to evaluate an app before you install it
Every listing has passed Salesforce's security review, so the baseline is real. That is a floor, not a recommendation, and it says nothing about whether the app is well built or still maintained.
Five checks worth doing. Look at the install count rather than the star rating, since a high rating on nine reviews means little. Check the date of the most recent release, because an app last updated two Salesforce releases ago is a maintenance risk. Read the one and two star reviews specifically, which is where support quality shows up. Confirm whether it installs as a managed package or surfaces an iframe over the vendor's own app, because an iframe leaves no queryable data in your org and will not appear in your reports. And always install into a sandbox first.
How an app gets on the AppExchange
An ISV joins the Salesforce Partner Program, builds the app as a managed package, passes the security review, and lists it. The build is Salesforce engineering work, though it does not have to be done by your own engineers: teams either hire, contract a partner, or buy it as a service. For the full process, see our guide on getting your app on the AppExchange.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Salesforce AppExchange used for?
The marketplace for finding and installing apps, components, and services that extend the platform. Customers install apps (as managed packages) into their org, and ISVs distribute their products there after passing the security review (Salesforce Trailhead).
How many apps are on the Salesforce AppExchange?
Salesforce reports more than 7,000 apps and 10 million-plus installs, a figure that includes apps plus experts and services. Independent trackers counting only app listings put it near 6,233 as of December 2025. Growth is roughly 10% per year.
Is AppExchange the same as AgentExchange?
Same marketplace. In 2026, Salesforce began rebranding the AppExchange as AgentExchange, adding AI agents and Slack apps. The installation process, security review, and fees are unchanged during the transition.
Are AppExchange apps safe to install?
Yes. Every listed app must pass Salesforce's mandatory security review, which checks for secure coding and data handling before the app can be listed. That's what makes installing third-party apps into a Salesforce org trustworthy.
Is the Salesforce AppExchange free?
Browsing is free and many listings are free to install, including most components. Paid apps are priced by the vendor, either billed through Salesforce with AppExchange Checkout or contracted directly with the ISV. There is no fee to the customer for using the marketplace itself.
How do you install an app from the AppExchange?
You open the listing, choose the org to install into, and pick who gets access: admins only, all users, or specific profiles. Install into a sandbox first and test there before touching production. Because apps arrive as managed packages, the components are namespaced and will not collide with your own.
Who can list an app on the AppExchange?
Any company that joins the Salesforce Partner Program, builds the app as a managed package, and passes the security review. There is no invitation requirement, but the security review is mandatory and most teams clear it on the second attempt rather than the first.
What is the difference between an AppExchange app and a Salesforce integration?
An app is distributed through the marketplace and installs into the customer's org as a managed package. An integration is a connection between Salesforce and another system, which may be delivered as an installed app or may run entirely outside Salesforce through the API. Plenty of integrations never appear on the marketplace at all.
Key takeaway
The Salesforce AppExchange is Salesforce's marketplace for apps, components, and services that extend the platform, and 91% of Salesforce customers install from it. Since the 2026 AgentExchange merge it also carries Slack apps and Agentforce agents in one storefront. ISVs distribute apps as managed packages after passing the security review, and Appnigma builds those managed packages for you as a done-for-you engineering service.
About the author. Sunny Chauhan is the founder and CEO of Appnigma AI, a done-for-you engineering service that builds Salesforce AppExchange-ready managed packages. He helps B2B SaaS companies get listed on the AppExchange.
Related Articles
- How to get your app on the Salesforce AppExchange
- What is the AppExchange Partner Console
- What is a managed package in Salesforce
- What is a Salesforce ISV
Sources
- Salesforce Trailhead, AppExchange Basics
- Salesforce AppExchange, marketplace stats (7,000+ apps, 10M+ installs, 91%)
- State of AppExchange Salesforce Apps Market 2026 (independent count)
- Salesforce Ben, AppExchange to AgentExchange rebrand, April 2026
Which AppExchange app actually made it into your stack first?
