Salesforce, known for its "No Software" number one CRM platform, has always taken an ecosystem approach to partnering rather than a classic reselling model.
This means that Salesforce has developed relationships with companies that build software applications that integrate with Salesforce and with companies that offer services around Salesforce.
Reselling does exist, but it is a secondary model. The end customer contracts directly with Salesforce and is invoiced based on usage, although it is not a pure consumption model like AWS. Instead, customers commit to a fixed level of usage over a fixed period. Partners make money from referral fees and from software or services they add to the Salesforce deployment.
The Salesforce Partner Program underwent a major overhaul in 2019 and relaunched in 2020. It has two tracks: the AppExchange Partner Program for software developers and the Consulting Partner Program for companies that offer value-added services, practices, and tools.
The Consulting Partner Program uses a points system to evaluate partner commitment to Salesforce and to trigger rewards. It has four levels, and partners are placed into levels based on their points. Points are earned based on customer success, innovation, and engagement. Partners can also become resellers by enrolling in the Cloud Reseller sub-program, but they must meet certain revenue and certification goals.
Suffice it to say, Salesforce partners are not simply compiled in a list of the "best salesforce partner companies". The best Salesforce partner for you is one who understands your business with a demonstrated history of success in similar Salesforce implementations.