Which no-code platform to create your marketplace?

Today we are going to talk about multi-seller marketplaces. We will compare 4 nocode marketplace platforms: Arcadier, Sharetribe, Bubble and Webflow.

Let's first look at what a marketplace tool/platform is. A marketplace allows users to create and manage digital storefronts that host listings of products and services from multiple sellers. These tools simplify and streamline the entire process of creating, hosting and managing an online marketplace. This includes site design, communication with sellers, shipping, etc.

A marketplace can be compared to an e-commerce platform in that it facilitates the construction, development and management of digital storefronts. However, e-commerce platforms are only intended for a single seller. In contrast, marketplaces are in fact digital marketplaces where supply and demand meet.

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 be able to handle several vendors
• It must provide payment tools (natively or via integrations)
• It should allow sellers to create new lists of products and services
• It must offer security (encryption of data and information)
• It must comply with e-commerce regulations
• It should provide channels of communication between vendors and customers

Choosing the right platform to create your marketplace will strongly depend on your target audience and your budget. However, in recent years, marketplace platforms have evolved to offer a quality service for both sellers and customers.

Before you start creating a marketplace, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• What kind of tools do I need?
• What is my budget?
• What kind of features am I looking for?

We will take a tour of no-code platforms to create your marketplace with ease and complete freedom.

The different no-code platforms for creating a marketplace

1 - Arcadier

First, we will look at the case of Arcadier. Arcadier is a fast-growing provider of SaaS (Software as a Service) technology for marketplaces.

Arcadier allows to meet the needs of open-source marketplaces and custom marketplaces. Unlike other marketplace software providers that are open source, Arcadier offers APIs as well as css, html and javascript customisation to allow you to modify existing templates. So you have the possibility to customize things yourself.

Who is Arcadier for?

Arcadier's offer meets the needs of entrepreneurs, SMEs and even larger companies. Indeed, the platform offers a great freedom thanks to the API and custom code. You can then create large marketplaces with automations. Moreover, it is easy to use.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of Arcadier's main features:

• Filtering and keyword search system
• Private Marketplace
• Connection from social networks
• Integrations especially for payments (Stripe, Paypal, etc.)
• Multilingual website
• Custom codes
• Administrator area
• Seller's area
• Analytics reports
• Cat
• Possibility of negotiation
• Responsive design
• Basic SEO functionality
• Custom Domain
• Rating system, evaluation, criticism
• API access

Arcadier also offers features exclusive to retail marketplaces such as one-time payment for multiple items, the ability to create variants for items/services and bulk shipping.

Arcadier also offers service-specific functionalities such as the addition of a fixed duration, complementary services or a reservation calendar.

As far as themes (design) are concerned, a large panel is available to help you create your marketplaces in a custom way. However, you will need some basic coding skills to push the design and have a completely custom / unique marketplace.

When it comes to pricing, Arcadier offers several plans for every need (they offer a free 30-day trial).

• Basic: $68 per month
• Growth: $170 per month
• Company: customised price

2 - Sharetribe

We will now talk about Sharetribe. Sharetribe is a direct competitor of Arcadier as the two platforms are quite similar. Indeed, Sharetribe is also a saas platform that allows you to build and launch a marketplace quickly.

It is an ideal no-code platform for both entrepreneurs and small businesses. If you want to launch your marketplace quickly, Sharetribe is a very practical no-code solution.

Like Arcadier, this platform also offers many services and features. We will focus on Sharetribe Go.

Sharetribe Go promises to enable you to launch a marketplace website today. Sharetribe Go offers you a professional marketplace platform that is easy to set up, maintain, manage and develop. All without writing a single line of code.

The features of Sharetribe are as follows:

• Order flow for all types of contracts (rentals, services, products)
• All users have a profile page, with their biography, ads and comments.
• Simplified advertisement creation
• Availability and reservation system
• Filtering and search system
• Secure payment, Stripe and Paypal integration and international payment options
• Notice system, rating (controllable by the administrator)
• Multiple registration options (social networks, forms, etc.)
• Mobile friendly market place
• Monitoring and management via an administration panel
• Full control over the marketplace and the possibility of collaboration
• Multilingual website
• Analytics
• Best practices SEO

For the design, the possibilities are rather limited or you have to pay extra with extensions. Like Arcadier, the customisation is not optimal.

Concerning pricing, two kinds of offers exist: Go and Flex. :

The Sharetribe Go plan is divided into 4 offers:

• Hobby: $79 per month for up to 100 users
• Pro: $119 per month for up to 1,000 users
• Growth: $159 per month for up to 10,000 users
• Scale: $239 per month for up to 100,000 users

The Sharetribe Flex plan allows you to customize your offer (according to your needs) based on your monthly transaction volume in dollars.

3 - Bubble

We have already talked about Bubble in the context of nocode platforms for creating websites. Of course, Bubble can be used to create "basic" websites, but its functionalities can also be used to create marketplaces.

These design features give you the opportunity to create a marketplace that suits your image. You are also guided through the creation of your project. Many templates are available to help you.

Bubble allows you to create workflows, to connect to other apps(API connector) or to install many plugins (Figma, Airtable, Algolia). You can build your marketplace from scratch. The platform is more difficult to learn because it is less intuitive than Sharetribe and Arcadier.

This platform is quite advanced, but it is accessible to everyone (entrepreneurs, companies, etc.).

The platform proposes different offers to create its marketplace:

• Free
• Personal: $25/month
• Professional: $115/month
• Production: $475/month

4 - Webflow

Webflow is the advanced version of Bubble. Indeed, this no-code software allows to create all types of platforms (E-commerce, marketplace, etc.).

With Webflow, you can build anything or almost anything. These numerous integration and automation possibilities can allow you to build complex platforms such as marketplaces. You can connect Webflow to many nocode tools such as Memberstack (member space management), Stripe (payment) or Airtable (database).

About Design, you can do anything with Webflow. Build your own unique site with the block stacking system. The cascading construction system allows you to customize your site on mobile or tablet. A marketplace with your image is completely feasible.

In terms of price, the "site" and "ecommerce" plans must be separated.

Site plans :

• Basic plan: $12/month
• CMS plan: $16/month
• Business plan: 36$/month

Ecommerce plans :

• Standard: 29$/month (500 items)
• Plus: $74/month (1000 items)
• Advanced: 212$/month (3000 items)

Comparison of nocode platforms for marketplace creation

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