Best Platforms for Building Marketplace

What is a Marketplace?

The marketplace is an online platform that helps to connect buyers and sellers in one place. By importing data, sellers can upload their products in bulk, and buyers can browse the goods they need. Some notable examples are Aliexpress, Amazon, eBay, Rakuten, and Etsy. In this article, we will talk in detail about the basic features and advantages of different platforms and technologies for your first online marketplace development.

Woocommerce

Perhaps everyone has heard of WordPress. The most popular website engine in the world. With plugins for WordPress, it is possible to run not only blogs but also online stores and marketplaces.

Popularity. According to BuiltWith, there are 27,000,000 websites worldwide running on WordPress. With a plugin WooCommerce – 3,900,000.

Functionality. It is quite rich: flexible commission management, online payment, and shipping with tracking, vendor management, content moderation, booking functions, and other features. Everything you need to launch and start selling immediately.

Accessibility. Even a child can cope with WordPress.

Сustomization. WordPress and WooCommerce are both open-source, which provides ample opportunity to modify the platform for yourself. However, be careful with the customization and scaling: large, and especially high-loaded projects – are not about WordPress.

CS-CART

CS-Cart is an independent multivendor platform designed specifically to create a marketplace. Based on the core engine CS-Cart is known for its powerful functionality and simplicity.

Popularity. CS-Cart Multi-Vendor often tops ratings of e-commerce platforms with excellent user reviews.

Functionality. Based on the core CS-Cart, has a large number of built-in functions and additional modules. Also, additional features are available for an extra charge.

Accessibility. Simple admin panel. Both the admin panel and the storefront are adaptive. To customize the design, promotions, and pages, one does not need programming and design skills.

Сustomization. CS-Cart – multivendor platform is open source. You can scale this CMS without limitation.

Magento with Marketplace module

Magento is an open-source e-commerce engine. Initially positioned as a platform for traditional online stores with a single seller, the functionality of the marketplace can be added by third-party modules.

Popularity. Magento is the second most popular e-commerce platform in the world. According to BuiltWith, there are 191,000 live sites worldwide on Magento.

Functionality. Magento is one of the most functional CMS. The Multi-Vendor module adds marketplace functionality: a control panel for sellers, customer reviews, subscribers, and wishlists. There is also a system of commissions: depending on the type of goods, or a fixed one.

Accessibility. Simplicity is not Magento’s strongest point. Users often complain that some settings are difficult to understand.

Customization. Magento Marketplace – open-source product, so you can redesign the platform for yourself. Finding developers will also not be a problem, since Magento is quite popular.

Framework

The main advantage of framework development is the maximum customization of the product, as well as optimized code and therefore, the speed and reliability of the site.

One of the best frameworks for creating an online store or a large trading platform is Laravel, released in 2011. While Angular in Javascript has lost its position since 2012, conceding to React and Vue today, Laravel is only gained ground. It’s a comprehensive development environment for building applications using MVC architecture.

Popularity. It is one of the most popular PHP frameworks, has a large active community, and is actively maintained. Nowadays it is easy to find a professional studio or even a freelancer to outsource Laravel development.

Functionality. As said, in contrast to the CMS, all modules are created by programmers to meet the needs of the customer. Also, there are many ready-made modules, admin panels, and the possibility of integration with other systems.

Accessibility. People who are not familiar with programming will not be able to create their marketplace, but the finished marketplace can be made extremely simple and user-friendly for administrators, customers, and users.

Сustomization. Limited only by the technologies of our time and imagination.