Runs on Atlassian Now Take Home 100% of Revenue

Atlassian has just introduced a game-changing incentive for its Marketplace app developers. If you have an app that qualifies as "Runs on Atlassian," you can now keep 100% of your Atlassian Marketplace revenue until you reach $1 million in total earnings. This means that Atlassian is temporarily waiving its usual marketplace fees for certain apps, allowing partners to take home every dollar of their app sales up to the million-dollar mark. As an Atlassian Solution Partner, Atlas Bench has been following this development closely, and we’re here to break down what this means for you and how to make the most of it.

Why Atlassian Is Offering 100% Revenue Share and Why It Matters

Atlassian’s partner community plays a vital role in extending the capabilities of products like Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket through apps and integrations. By enabling third-party developers to build solutions that “plug in” to Atlassian’s tools, the Marketplace has become a thriving ecosystem. Atlassian knows that when partners succeed, customers benefit from a richer selection of high-quality apps. This new 100% revenue share incentive is a clear signal that Atlassian is doubling down on its commitment to partner success. From Atlassian’s perspective, allowing partners to keep all the revenue until a certain threshold is an investment in future innovation. Forgoing its cut of the sales for a time means developers have more resources to reinvest in their products, improve security, and scale their solutions. In turn, customers get access to more robust and enterprise-ready apps built on Atlassian’s secure cloud platform. In short, when partners thrive, customers and Atlassian’s ecosystem thrive too. This approach puts customer needs and partner success at the center of Atlassian’s strategy, ensuring that together we can unlock the next wave of innovation in the world of work.

How the 100% Revenue Share Incentive Works

• Full earnings up to $1M: Qualifying apps that earn the “Runs on Atlassian” badge will keep 100% of their Marketplace earnings until the total lifetime revenue of all their Forge apps reaches $1 million. Atlassian typically takes a small percentage of Marketplace sales as a fee, but under this incentive it’s waiving that cut entirely for eligible apps until you hit the $1M milestone.

• Lifetime Forge revenue tracking: Atlassian calculates this $1M threshold across all of a partner’s Forge apps combined, not on a per-app basis. Think of it like an accumulated earnings account. The clock started ticking when you first listed a Forge-based app on the Marketplace, and it keeps counting until the cumulative Forge earnings across your apps reach $1,000,000. It’s important to note that this is lifetime Forge revenue, so if you’ve already been selling Forge apps, you might have some progress on that counter. The balance does not reset now that the incentive is live.

• “Runs on Atlassian” gets a head start: This program was initially announced for all Forge apps to begin on January 1, 2026, but Atlassian accelerated the timeline specifically for "Runs on Atlassian" apps. Effective immediately, if your Forge app meets the "Runs on Atlassian" criteria, you qualify to pay zero revenue share right away. Other Forge apps that don’t yet have the badge will continue on the standard revenue share split for the rest of 2025. Starting January 1, 2026, however, they’ll also get the 100% revenue privilege until hitting $1M in lifetime earnings. In other words, apps with the Runs on Atlassian badge get roughly a six-month head start on enjoying fee-free revenue.

• After $1M, standard rates apply: What happens once you cross that $1 million lifetime Forge revenue mark? At that point, Atlassian’s standard Marketplace revenue share kicks in again for all future earnings beyond $1M. Both Runs on Atlassian apps and regular Forge apps will revert to the normal revenue split after the threshold is reached. Atlassian hasn’t changed its long-term revenue share model aside from this temporary waiver up to $1M, so once you “graduate” past the incentive, expect to share a portion of your app revenue with Atlassian as usual going forward.

What Exactly Is a “Runs on Atlassian” App?

If you’re wondering what makes an app qualify as “Runs on Atlassian,” it’s essentially about meeting Atlassian’s highest standards for cloud app development on the Forge platform. The “Runs on Atlassian” badge is awarded to cloud apps that are built fully on Atlassian’s modern Forge framework, meaning they run within Atlassian’s infrastructure and adhere to specific guidelines. Here are the key requirements an app must meet to earn this designation:

• Built entirely with Forge: The app should not use any legacy Connect modules. In other words, it runs completely on Atlassian’s Forge platform without mixing in older Connect architecture. This ensures the app benefits from Forge’s enhanced security sandbox and seamless integration.

• Uses Atlassian’s recommended authentication method: The app must use OAuth 2.0 authentication for any API calls or integrations. This modern auth standard is more secure and aligns with Atlassian’s cloud best practices.

• Employs Forge UI for its interface: All user interface components should be built using the Forge UI toolkit. This means the app’s front-end elements are using Atlassian’s library for Forge apps, which likely ensures a consistent look-and-feel and better compatibility with Atlassian’s cloud products.

Only apps that tick all of these boxes count as true Forge apps for the purpose of this incentive. If an app meets these criteria, it can proudly carry the “Runs on Atlassian” badge on its Marketplace listing. Not only does this badge signal to customers that the app meets Atlassian’s highest standards for cloud readiness and security, but it is now also the ticket to receiving 100% of your app revenue during the incentive period.

What This Means for Marketplace Partners

For Marketplace vendors and app developers, this incentive is a big deal. Here’s why it should be on your radar:

• Significant financial boost: If you’re a smaller vendor or just starting out with a Forge app, not having to share revenue until you reach your first $1 million in sales means more capital stays in your business. This is money you can invest in feature development, marketing, or hiring talent to improve your app.

• Encouragement to go all-in on Forge: Atlassian is clearly nudging developers toward Forge, its cloud app development platform. If you have been on the fence about migrating an existing cloud app from the older Connect framework to Forge, or building your next app on Forge, the promise of keeping 100% of early revenues is a compelling reason to do so. In simple terms, Atlassian is rewarding those who adopt its latest technology stack.

• Leveling the playing field: By extending the 0% revenue share to all Forge apps starting in 2026, Atlassian is helping new entrants and smaller players compete. Young apps often need time to gain traction; not having a chunk taken out by marketplace fees early on can help them offer competitive pricing or just reach profitability sooner.

• Signal of Atlassian’s ecosystem investment: This move shows Atlassian is prioritizing long-term ecosystem growth over short-term revenue. It’s reassuring for partners to see that Atlassian is willing to invest in their success. When the platform owner goes out of its way to let you keep all of your early earnings, it's a strong signal that now is the prime time to build on Atlassian's platform.

What Should Partners Do Now?

So, you might be asking: what actions, if any, do I need to take to benefit from this change? The answer depends on where you currently stand with your apps:

• If you already have a “Runs on Atlassian” app listed and your total Forge app revenue is still below $1 million, you don’t need to do anything special. The 100% revenue share is automatically applied. You should see the effects in your next payout and on your remittance reports. Essentially, Atlassian will not deduct their usual fee on new sales. It’s a hands-off reward for work you’ve already done by building on Forge.

• If you have Forge apps that aren’t yet “Runs on Atlassian”: You’ll continue with the standard revenue share for now, but note that after January 1, 2026, those apps will also get 100% revenue share until $1M. However, you might consider upgrading or refactoring those apps to meet the Runs on Atlassian criteria sooner rather than later. Doing so could let you qualify for the incentive immediately, instead of waiting until the new year. Plus, having the badge can be a selling point to customers in its own right.

• If you’re planning to build or launch a new app: Now is a perfect time to go all-in with Forge and aim for the Runs on Atlassian badge from the start. Any new Forge app that meets the criteria will qualify for the incentive as soon as it’s listed. This means you can launch knowing that every dollar you earn out of the gate will stay with you. Make sure to follow Atlassian’s developer guidelines so that your app qualifies: for instance, use only Forge modules and follow the security best practices.

• Check your status and stay informed: If you’re unsure whether your app meets the criteria or how close you are to the $1M threshold, Atlassian provides tools and documentation. You can run the Forge CLI command to check your app’s eligibility for the “Runs on Atlassian” badge. Also, keep an eye on your Forge lifetime revenue. Atlassian’s Partner Portal and Marketplace reports will show your earnings to date, making it easy to gauge how close you are to the $1M mark. Knowing where you stand will help you plan the future of your product pricing and development strategy.

Maximizing the Opportunity: Growing With Forge

This incentive isn’t just a one-off bonus; it’s part of a larger push towards Atlassian’s Forge platform and cloud ecosystem. To make the most of it, partners should align with Atlassian’s cloud-first approach and leverage the benefits Forge offers:

• Forge comes with built-in security and compliance, which is increasingly important for enterprise customers. By running your app on Atlassian’s infrastructure, you inherit many security benefits without extra cost.

• The “Runs on Atlassian” badge is like a stamp of quality. Apps that carry it may attract more customers because they know the app meets Atlassian’s criteria for cloud readiness and performance. Use this in your marketing: highlight that your app is officially recognized for its robust integration.

• Consider the $1M mark as a runway. You have until reaching significant revenue to solidify your product’s market position without revenue share overhead. Plan your roadmap accordingly: invest in user feedback, add features that widen your appeal, and perhaps adjust pricing or offer promotions knowing that the revenue is all yours up to that point.

• Engage with Atlassian’s ecosystem community. Share your success stories or tips about getting the badge, and learn from others. Atlassian often showcases successful partners; being an early beneficiary of this program could give you a platform to get noticed, which can indirectly boost your app’s popularity.

By taking these steps, you can not only maximize the immediate financial benefit but also set your app business up for long-term success on the Atlassian Marketplace.

Wrapping Up

Atlassian’s move to let "Runs on Atlassian" apps take home 100% of the first $1M of their Marketplace revenue marks an exciting shift in the Marketplace dynamic. It’s rare to see a platform give such a generous head start to its developers. For many vendors, this could be the break that helps turn a side-project app into a sustainable business, or encourages a company to invest in building that integration they’ve been considering. It underscores a simple but powerful idea: Atlassian wins when its partners win.

If you’re in the Atlassian ecosystem, or even considering joining it, now is the time to evaluate your app strategy. Make sure your existing apps qualify for the badge, or plan your new apps with Forge best practices from day one. Doing so isn’t just about getting a badge; it’s about aligning with Atlassian’s vision for the future of cloud apps and reaping the rewards for doing so.