Not every workflow deserves a native marketplace app. Pretending it does is how you burn a quarter.
Native
Listed, branded, usually OAuth, support is yours. Highest trust. Highest cost. Right when pull is high, the partner’s marketplace matters, and you will maintain it.
Direct API, unlisted
You build against their API, you do not go through their store. Faster. You lose the storefront and sometimes the partner’s blessing. Fine for a private workflow a few big customers need.
iPaaS (Zapier, Make, native-like connectors)
Fastest test of demand. A customer can run the workflow next week. You do not control the UX. You should not report it as “our Salesforce app” in a board deck.
CSV / native export
Honest. Sometimes enough. A merchandiser who exports once a week may not need a sync. Shipping a brittle connector to avoid a CSV is not craft. It is anxiety.
How to choose
If you are validating, iPaaS or CSV. If you already have pull and a marketplace that ranks apps, native. If one customer will fund the build, direct API with a contract.
Write the choice in the one-pager so nobody is surprised at QBR. “We are on Zapier while we measure pull” is an adult sentence. “We are fully integrated” when you mean a Zap is how you lose trust.