Best Pax8 Alternatives for MSPs in 2026
If you are comparing Pax8 with other IT distributors, the closest alternatives for an MSP are Sherweb for Microsoft-first shops, TD SYNNEX and Ingram Micro for much larger catalogs with more complexity, and ConnectWise or AppDirect if you want buying built into a platform. BetterCloud manages SaaS you already sell rather than selling it.
You may not need to replace Pax8 at all. One r/msp poster buys through Pax8, TD SYNNEX and Ingram at the same time and still rates Pax8 the best of the three, so adding a second distributor for missing vendors is a common answer to hitting Pax8's limits.
This guide covers 7 Pax8 alternatives, what each does best and who it fits, plus a direct Sherweb vs Pax8 comparison and a look at how each one connects to your PSA.
What is Pax8?
Pax8 is a Colorado-based cloud marketplace founded in 2012. It sells cloud products to MSPs with consolidated billing, automated provisioning and PSA integrations. Owler estimates its annual revenue at $1.0 to 5.0 billion with 1,000 to 5,000 employees, and lists $468.2 million in funding.
The Pax8 Marketplace lists hundreds of cloud products across security, continuity, infrastructure, productivity and IT operations. Pax8 says 47,000+ partners and 140+ vendors use the marketplace. In October 2025 it added the Pax8 Agent Store, a curated set of AI agents MSPs can evaluate and deploy for SMB clients, and in October 2026 it announced 8os, which it calls an agentic workforce operating system for deploying AI agents, billing their usage and managing them across clients.
Pax8 works well for MSPs who want a modern interface and strong Microsoft partnerships, and it integrates with ConnectWise, Autotask and HaloPSA. The vendor catalog is narrower than the big distributors, though, and some MSPs find its pricing less transparent than they would like.
How we compared Pax8 with other IT distributors
We looked at four things that matter to MSPs. First, whether the distributor plugs into your PSA and RMM without custom development. Second, whether you can see costs upfront or everything sits behind "contact sales". Third, how broad the vendor catalog is and whether you will still need a second distributor. Fourth, whether there are MSP-specific partner programs, white-label options and support staff who understand MSPs.
Data comes from official websites, G2, RepVue and Reddit threads, and revenue estimates from Owler and CB Insights.
Pax8 alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Best For | Starting Price | Key Strength | PSA Integrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingram Micro | Enterprise MSPs | Contact sales | 1,500+ vendors | ConnectWise, Autotask via API |
| TD SYNNEX | Mid-to-large MSPs | Contact sales | Solution aggregation | Multiple via marketplace |
| Sherweb | Microsoft-centric shops | Free partner program | Microsoft expertise | ConnectWise, Autotask, HaloPSA |
| ConnectWise | Existing ConnectWise users | Modular pricing | Unified platform | Native (same platform) |
| AppDirect | Branded marketplaces | Custom pricing | White-label flexibility | API-based |
| D&H Distributing | Traditional MSPs | Contact sales | Employee-owned culture | Limited |
| BetterCloud | SaaS management focus | $0 basic tier | SaaS operations automation | 100+ integrations |
1. Ingram Micro
Ingram Micro is the largest technology distributor. Founded in 1979, the company pulls in $52.6 billion in revenue with 23,500 employees, and its own site cites more than 165,000 customers and 1,500+ vendors.
Xvantage is Ingram's digital distribution platform. It uses AI and machine learning models to surface offers and automate workflows, and Ingram says it lets you quote hundreds of SKUs for a complex solution in minutes. The platform offers 200+ cloud solutions with specialists in 59 countries. Vendor partnerships include Microsoft, AWS, Cisco, Nvidia, Apple, HP, HPE, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet.
The downside is complexity. Ingram's scale works against smaller MSPs, who can get lost in the system. Pricing sits behind sales, minimums can exclude smaller shops, and the interface feels dated next to cloud-native competitors.
Best for: Large MSPs needing one distributor for everything, enterprise customers requiring global reach, partners needing extensive financing options.
2. TD SYNNEX
TD SYNNEX formed in 2021 from the merger of Tech Data and SYNNEX, creating a $50+ billion distributor with 23,000 co-workers. It positions itself as a solutions aggregator rather than a parts mover. Sales reps at Pax8 rank it as the competitor they meet most often in deals, according to RepVue.
The portfolio covers edge solutions (PC, mobile, print, AR/VR, endpoint security), advanced solutions (infrastructure, hybrid cloud, data, security, networking) and specialized services (lifecycle, consultancy, professional AV, education). TD SYNNEX also offers a library of Click to Run solutions, pre-packaged paths built by its system engineers and solution architects.
Post-merger, TD SYNNEX has put more weight on cloud. It offers FinOps capabilities for cloud cost management and emphasizes helping partners avoid surprise bills. You get solution architecture help on top of product access, but the organizational complexity of merging two large distributors still shows in the partner experience. Our guide to TD SYNNEX for MSPs covers its programs in more detail.
Best for: Mid-to-large MSPs wanting cloud specialization, partners needing solution aggregation, organizations wanting FinOps capabilities.
3. Sherweb
Sherweb's approach is to be the best at Microsoft and expand from there. The company has 20+ years of Microsoft partnership experience, 198 certifications and every Solutions Partner designation.
The partner program offers three models, all free with no quotas:
- White-label, where you own the customer, set margins and provide support, and Sherweb supports you 24/7.
- Co-branded, where you own the relationship and Sherweb provides 24/7 support to your customers.
- Advisor, where Sherweb owns the relationship and you earn commissions.
Sherweb added 12+ solutions to its marketplace in the past year, across security, productivity, infrastructure and backup. The partner platform handles quoting, provisioning and invoicing, with PSA integrations for ConnectWise, Autotask and HaloPSA, and a Self-Service Portal gives your clients a branded storefront for licenses, users and subscriptions. Sherweb also sells professional services: outsourced IT helpdesk, MDR and NOC.
Sherweb's 2026 partner survey backs up the claims: 85% of partners say Sherweb is easy to work with and 85% would recommend it to peers, and its support CSAT survey puts partner satisfaction at 4.7/5.
The limitation is portfolio breadth. Sherweb is narrower than Ingram or TD SYNNEX, so if you need niche vendors outside Microsoft, you will need a second distributor. See Sherweb vs Ingram Micro for how those two compare.
Best for: Microsoft-centric MSPs, smaller shops needing hands-on support, partners wanting flexible partnership models.
4. ConnectWise
ConnectWise is not a traditional distributor. The company built its reputation on PSA and RMM software, then added distribution through its marketplace, selling into the MSPs that already run its PSA and RMM.
ConnectWise now describes its platform as unified data, workflows and agents on one AI-native platform covering PSA, RMM, cybersecurity and data protection. For MSPs already on ConnectWise PSA, buying through ConnectWise means native integration, with no API work and no data sync to maintain. The IT Nation community adds peer groups, live events and coaching on top of the software.
The catch is that distribution is secondary to the core PSA and RMM business, so the vendor catalog is smaller than a pure distributor's. If you are not already a ConnectWise shop, the platform can be overkill. Our ConnectWise PSA pricing breakdown shows what the core product costs.
Best for: MSPs already using ConnectWise PSA, organizations wanting a unified platform, IT solution providers who value community.
5. AppDirect
AppDirect powers millions of cloud subscriptions worldwide. The platform lets businesses launch white-label marketplaces, manage billing and build reseller networks. Customers include Vodafone, Comcast, Deutsche Telekom, BT and Swisscom.
The catalog spans software (collaboration, security, business apps), infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure, IBM, colocation), connectivity (UCaaS, CCaaS, SD-WAN) and even energy. The 300+ software partners include Acronis, Adobe, Cisco, DocuSign, Dropbox, Google, Microsoft and Zoom.
For MSPs, the draw is a white-label marketplace: you brand the storefront as your own while selling from the full catalog, and AppDirect handles monetization, procurement and subscription management. It was named a 2024 Forrester Wave Leader in Marketplace Development Platforms, and it acquired Broker Online Exchange in mid-2025 and Tackle.io in late 2025.
Setup takes more work than a simpler distributor, pricing is custom, and the platform is geared toward larger providers and telcos rather than small MSPs.
Best for: MSPs wanting a branded marketplace, telcos and large service providers, organizations needing full subscription commerce.
6. D&H Distributing
D&H is the outlier on this list. Founded in 1918, the company is employee-owned and privately held, and its "True Partnership" pitch emphasizes personalized service from a 100% North American team.
D&H covers commercial and consumer markets, plus public sector through the OMNIA partnership (600,000+ members). Recent initiatives include Go Big AI for AI solutions and D&H BFG (Built for Growth, Giving, Generations) for partner support. Partners get dedicated sales and support teams, marketing agency services, and finance and supply chain support.
D&H's cloud offer was the hardest to verify on this list, because its public site says far more about hardware and services than about cloud subscriptions. Treat it as a traditional distributor still building out a cloud practice.
Best for: Traditional MSPs moving to cloud gradually, partners who value an employee-owned distributor, SMB-focused resellers.
7. BetterCloud
BetterCloud is a SaaS Management Platform rather than a distributor. It helps IT teams manage applications, automate workflows and cut spend, which means it manages the SaaS you already have instead of helping you buy more.
The platform has three modules. User Automation is a no-code workflow builder for onboarding, offboarding and self-service IT requests, with hundreds of actions, triggers and templates. Spend Optimization gives one view of apps, users and contracts, with license reclamation, a Chrome extension for usage data and contract benchmarking for renewals. Workspace Management for Google adds granular Google Workspace controls, lifecycle automation, bulk user updates and file sharing security.
BetterCloud offers 100+ integrations and 1,000+ actions out of the box, and it guarantees 3x ROI in 90 days. Its published customer results: FIRST eliminated 2,200+ hours of manual work in one year, BARK cut 1,200+ hours of user management, and Kin Insurance saved $100,000+ in SaaS spend.
BetterCloud is a Leader in 30+ G2 Winter 2026 categories. A free tier exists for Spend Optimization Basic, plus 21-day trials for File Governance.
Best for: MSPs prioritizing SaaS management over distribution, organizations with SaaS sprawl, teams automating user lifecycle work, Google Workspace-heavy environments.
Other Pax8 competitors MSPs mention
A few more names come up when MSPs and sales reps compare Pax8 with other distributors. RepVue's ranking from Pax8 sales reps puts Arrow Electronics (ArrowSphere) fifth, after TD SYNNEX, Ingram Micro Cloud, Sherweb and ConnectWise, and also lists CloudBlue, Cloudmore and Crayon Group as regular competitors. PeerSpot users compare Pax8 most often with Jamcracker and ArrowSphere, and an MSP Facebook group thread added Cyberforce Security to the usual TD SYNNEX, Sherweb and Ingram shortlist.
Be careful with the generic review sites. G2's Pax8 alternatives page leads with consultancies such as Alta Vista Technology and SHI, and Gartner's list is enterprise cloud brokers such as Wipro Digital Services Hub. Neither group is built for an MSP reselling licenses to clients.
Sherweb vs Pax8
Sherweb and Pax8 are the two cloud-first distributors MSPs compare most directly, and both are free to join. The difference is focus.
| Pax8 | Sherweb | |
|---|---|---|
| Catalog | Hundreds of products across security, continuity, infrastructure, productivity and IT operations | Narrower, Microsoft-first, 12+ solutions added in the past year |
| Microsoft depth | Strong Microsoft partnership | 20+ years, 198 certifications, every Solutions Partner designation |
| Partner models | Standard reseller | White-label, co-branded or advisor, no quotas |
| Client portal | Partner-facing marketplace | Branded Self-Service Portal for your clients |
| Extra services | AI Agent Store in the marketplace | Outsourced IT helpdesk, MDR and NOC services |
| PSA integrations | ConnectWise, Autotask, HaloPSA | ConnectWise, Autotask, HaloPSA |
Pick Pax8 if you sell a wide spread of non-Microsoft vendors and want them on one bill. Pick Sherweb if most of your revenue is Microsoft 365 and Azure and you want a distributor that will also support your clients under your brand. If your Microsoft work is mostly CSP licensing, our guide to CSP automation for MSPs covers what to automate on either platform.
Pax8 PSA integration compared with the alternatives
PSA integration decides how much manual reconciliation you do every month. Pax8 connects to ConnectWise, Autotask and HaloPSA, syncing subscriptions into agreements so billing matches what you provisioned. Sherweb connects to the same three PSAs. ConnectWise needs no integration if you already run ConnectWise PSA, because the marketplace and PSA are the same platform.
Ingram Micro and TD SYNNEX offer API-based integrations that need more setup, and an r/msp thread on running several distributors recommends third-party PSA sync tools to fill the gap. AppDirect is API-based as well, and D&H publishes little about PSA integration.
If you are still choosing a PSA, see our comparison of the best PSA software for MSPs, or ConnectWise PSA vs Autotask if you are deciding between those two.
Which Pax8 alternative should you choose?
The right distributor depends on your MSP's size, focus and existing stack.
| Your situation | Look at | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Large MSP wanting one distributor for everything | Ingram Micro | You need volume to get attention and staff to handle the complexity |
| Mid-to-large MSP wanting cloud specialization | TD SYNNEX | Strong FinOps and solution help, but a large organization to work through |
| Microsoft 365 and Azure shop | Sherweb | Narrower catalog, so niche vendors need a second distributor |
| Already on ConnectWise PSA | ConnectWise | Little reason to use it if you run another PSA |
| Want your own branded marketplace | AppDirect | More setup and custom pricing, aimed at larger providers |
| Traditional MSP moving to cloud slowly | D&H | Personal service, limited cloud offer |
| SaaS sprawl is the real problem | BetterCloud | Complements a distributor rather than replacing one |
Tips for evaluating cloud distributors
Before committing to any distributor, test these areas:
- Run a test workflow through your PSA and check that subscriptions and billing data arrive correctly and on time.
- Check the distributor carries your top 10 vendors, since most MSPs end up with a secondary distributor anyway.
- Understand billing cycles, because when you pay versus when your clients pay you drives cash flow.
- Call support before you sign. Response time and technical knowledge vary widely.
- Read the contract for minimums, termination clauses and price increase caps.
Automate the tickets that come after the sale
Whichever distributor you pick, the license sale is the start of the work. Password resets, account unlocks, mailbox permissions and new-user setups still land on your board as tickets, and an L1 tech still has to pick each one up.
Rallied is an AI agent that closes those tickets in your PSA. It works in ConnectWise, HaloPSA and Autotask, runs the fix in Microsoft 365 and your RMM (including NinjaOne), pulls the client's docs from IT Glue or Hudu during triage, and writes the notes and time entry back to the ticket. If Pax8 is part of your stack, see the Pax8 integration page.
Pricing is one plan at $300 a month with 2,000 credits included. A password reset counts as a standard ticket at 3 credits, and a ticket Rallied couldn't finish or wasn't allowed to act on is never charged. In Rallied's production data a charged ticket averages about 2.7 credits, so 2,000 credits covers roughly 700 tickets in a typical month. Run your own numbers in the MSP ROI calculator, or if L1 tickets are eating your techs' week, talk to Rallied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sherweb better than Pax8?
Sherweb is the better fit if most of your revenue is Microsoft 365 and Azure, because it has 20+ years of Microsoft partnership, free white-label, co-branded and advisor programs, and a branded client portal. Pax8 is the better fit if you sell a wide spread of non-Microsoft vendors and want them on one bill. Both integrate with ConnectWise, Autotask and HaloPSA.
What is the best Pax8 alternative for Microsoft-focused MSPs?
Sherweb is the strongest choice for Microsoft-centric shops. It has 20+ years of Microsoft partnership, 198 certifications and every Solutions Partner designation. Its white-label, co-branded and advisor programs are all free with no quotas.
Which Pax8 alternative has the largest vendor catalog?
Ingram Micro has the largest catalog, with 1,500+ vendors and 200+ cloud solutions. The scale is unmatched, but the complexity can overwhelm smaller MSPs. You need the volume and staff to work the system well.
Are there any free Pax8 alternatives for small MSPs?
Sherweb's partner programs are free with no sales quotas, and BetterCloud offers a free Spend Optimization Basic tier. Ingram Micro, TD SYNNEX and D&H require you to contact sales for pricing and may have minimums that exclude very small shops.
What Pax8 alternative works best with ConnectWise PSA?
ConnectWise itself, if you already use its PSA, because the marketplace and PSA are the same platform with no API work or sync to maintain. For MSPs on other PSAs, Sherweb integrates with ConnectWise, Autotask and HaloPSA, the same three PSAs Pax8 supports.
How do Pax8 alternatives compare on PSA integrations?
Pax8 and Sherweb both integrate with ConnectWise, Autotask and HaloPSA, and ConnectWise is native for its own PSA. Ingram Micro, TD SYNNEX and AppDirect offer API-based integrations that need more setup, and some MSPs add third-party PSA sync tools to fill the gap. D&H publishes little about PSA integration.
Which Pax8 alternative is best for SaaS management rather than distribution?
BetterCloud is the only option on this list focused on SaaS management rather than distribution. It helps you manage existing SaaS applications, automate user lifecycle work and cut spend. It complements a distributor rather than replacing one.