Today, we are going to talk about multi-vendor marketplaces. We will compare 4 no-code marketplace platforms: Arcadier, Sharetribe, Bubble, and Webflow.
First, let’s understand what a marketplace tool/platform is. A marketplace (multi-vendor market) allows users to create and manage digital storefronts that host listings of products and services from various vendors. These tools simplify and streamline the overall process of creating, hosting, and managing an online marketplace, covering everything from site design to communication with vendors, shipping, and more.
We can compare a marketplace to an e-commerce platform in the sense that both facilitate the construction, development, and management of digital storefronts. However, e-commerce platforms are designed for a single vendor. In contrast, marketplace platforms are essentially digital marketplaces where supply meets demand.
To qualify as a marketplace, the platform/tool must meet several standards or criteria:
- It must be able to create and host an e-commerce website
- It must support multiple vendors
- It must provide payment tools (natively or through integrations)
- It must allow vendors to create new product and service listings
- It must offer security (data and information encryption)
- It must comply with e-commerce regulations
- It must provide communication channels between vendors and customers
Choosing the right platform to create your marketplace will heavily depend on your target audience and budget. However, in recent years, marketplace-type platforms have evolved significantly and now offer quality services for both vendors and customers.
Before embarking on the creation of a marketplace, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- What type of tools do I need?
- What is my budget?
- What kind of features am I looking for?
We will explore no-code platforms to create your marketplace easily and with complete freedom.
The different no-code platforms for creating marketplaces
1 - Arcadier
First, let’s examine Arcadier. Arcadier is a rapidly growing SaaS technology provider for marketplaces.
Arcadier meets the needs of open-source marketplaces and custom marketplace solutions. Unlike other open-source marketplace software providers, Arcadier offers APIs as well as customization options for CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to modify existing templates. This gives you the ability to personalize things yourself.
Who is Arcadier for?
Arcadier’s offering caters to the needs of entrepreneurs, SMEs, and even larger businesses. The platform provides significant freedom, particularly through APIs and custom code. You can create large marketplaces with automation features, in addition to its ease of use.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of Arcadier’s key features:
- Keyword filtering and search system
- Private marketplace
- Social media login
- Integrations for payments (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
- Multilingual site
- Custom codes
- Admin space
- Vendor space
- Analytics reports
- Chat
- Negotiation possibilities
- Responsive design
- Basic SEO features
- Custom Domain
- Rating, review, and feedback system
- API access
Arcadier also offers exclusive features for retail marketplaces such as one-time payments for multiple items, the ability to create variations for items/services, and bulk shipping options.
Additionally, Arcadier provides service-specific features such as the addition of a fixed duration, complementary services, or a reservation calendar.
In terms of themes (design), a wide range is available to help you create personalized marketplaces. However, some coding knowledge is required to enhance the design and achieve a completely customized/unique marketplace.
Regarding pricing, Arcadier offers several plans to suit different needs (they provide a 30-day free trial).
- Basic: $68 per month
- Growth: $170 per month
- Enterprise: custom pricing
2 - Sharetribe
Now let’s discuss Sharetribe. Sharetribe is a direct competitor to Arcadier since both platforms are quite similar. Indeed, Sharetribe is also a SaaS platform that allows you to quickly build and launch a marketplace.
It is an ideal no-code platform for both entrepreneurs and small businesses. If you want to launch your marketplace swiftly, Sharetribe is a very convenient no-code solution.
Like Arcadier, this platform also offers numerous services and features. We will focus particularly on Sharetribe Go.
Sharetribe Go promises to allow you to launch a marketplace website as early as today. Sharetribe Go provides you with a professional marketplace platform that is easy to set up, maintain, manage, and grow—all “without writing a single line of code.”
Sharetribe’s features include:
- Order flow for various types of marketplaces (rentals, services, products)
- All users have a profile page, including their biography, listings, and comments
- Simplified listing creation
- Availability and reservation system
- Filtering and search system
- Secure payment, integration with Stripe and PayPal and the possibility of international payments
- Review and rating system (admin-controlled)
- Multiple signup options (Social media, forms, etc.)
- Mobile-friendly marketplace
- Management and tracking via an admin panel
- Full control over the marketplace and collaboration options
- Multilingual site
- Analytics
- Best SEO practices
In terms of design, the possibilities are somewhat limited or require additional payment for extensions. Similar to Arcadier, customization may not be optimal.
For pricing, two types of plans are available: Go and Flex.
The Sharetribe Go plan is divided into 4 offers:
- Hobby: $79 per month for a maximum of 100 users
- Pro: $119 per month for a maximum of 1,000 users
- Growth: $159 per month for a maximum of 10,000 users
- Scale: $239 per month for a maximum of 100,000 users
The Sharetribe Flex plan allows you to customize your offer (according to your needs) based on monthly transaction volume in dollars.
3 - Bubble
We have previously discussed Bubble in relation to the no-code website creation platforms. While Bubble can be used to create “basic” sites, its functionalities also allow for the creation of marketplaces.
These design features give you the opportunity to build a marketplace that reflects your vision. You are also guided through the project creation process. Numerous templates are available to assist you.
Bubble allows for the creation of workflows, connections to other apps (API connector), and the installation of various plugins (Figma, Airtable, Algolia). You can build your marketplace from scratch. The platform is relatively more challenging to navigate as it is less intuitive than Sharetribe and Arcadier.
This platform is quite advanced, but it is accessible to everyone (entrepreneurs, businesses, etc.).
The platform offers various plans to create your marketplace:
- Free
- Personal: $25/month
- Professional: $115/month
- Production: $475/month
4 - Webflow
Webflow is the advanced version of Bubble. This no-code software allows you to create platforms of all types (E-commerce, marketplace, etc.).
With Webflow, you can build almost anything. Its numerous integration and automation options can enable you to construct complex platforms like marketplaces. You can connect Webflow to various no-code tools like Memberstack (member space management), Stripe (Payment), or Airtable (Database).
Regarding design, you can do virtually everything with Webflow. Build a unique site using the stacking system. The cascade construction system allows you to customize your site for mobile or tablet. Creating a marketplace that reflects your image is entirely feasible.
In terms of pricing, it is necessary to differentiate between the “site” and “e-commerce” plans.
Site plans:
- Basic plan: $12/month
- CMS plan: $16/month
- Business plan: $36/month
Ecommerce plans:
- Standard: $29/month (500 items)
- Plus: $74/month (1,000 items)
- Advanced: $212/month (3,000 items)
Comparison of no-code marketplace creation platforms
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