Is buying software licenses through a reseller actually cheaper?
Short answer: sometimes. But cost is only part of the equation, and focusing purely on “cheapest” is usually how companies get burned later.
The common assumption
Many buyers assume resellers exist purely to undercut vendor pricing. That’s occasionally true, but it’s not the primary value, and it’s not guaranteed.
If a reseller promises blanket discounts with no context, that’s a red flag.
How vendors price software in reality
Most enterprise SaaS pricing has:
Artificial list prices
Wide discount bands
Flexibility tied to timing, volume, and commitment length
Two companies of the same size can pay very different amounts for the same product.
When a reseller can be cheaper
A good reseller can reduce cost when:
You’re consolidating multiple renewals
You’re mid-cycle and need to realign quantities
You’re negotiating multi-year terms
You lack leverage or pricing benchmarks internally
The saving often comes from structure, not just discount percentage.
When a reseller won’t save you money
A reseller won’t magically fix:
Late renewals
Poor licence hygiene
Overbuying “just in case”
Contracts already locked into rigid terms
In those cases, the value is risk reduction and clarity, not headline savings.
The real value most teams miss
Resellers are most effective when they:
Surface renewal risks early
Pressure-test vendor proposals
Translate licensing language into commercial reality
Act as a buffer between sales pressure and procurement decisions
That rarely shows up on a price comparison sheet, but it matters.
Bottom line
If your only question is “is it cheaper?”, you’re asking the wrong thing.
The better question is:
“Will this reduce cost, risk, or effort over the next 12–36 months?”
If the answer is no, don’t use a reseller. If it’s yes, price is only one variable.
Written by AmperStack, a procurement-led software licensing reseller focused on reducing cost, risk, and friction in enterprise SaaS buying.
