Best Ecommerce Marketplace Platforms Shortlist
Here’s the list of the top ecommerce marketplace tools that I’ll cover in this article.
Ecommerce is big business—and growing fast! Online retail sales now amount to 4.9 Trillion U.S dollars worldwide and these numbers are forecast to grow by over 50% within the next four years. So if you’re looking to get a piece of the action, there’s still a lot of opportunity available.
Ecommerce marketplace platform software can help you turn the opportunity into profit. In this article, I’ll review the best software applications in this niche to save you the headache of endless research. You can take a shortcut and discover the top picks right here.
What are Ecommerce Marketplace Platforms?
Ecommerce marketplace platforms are online marketplaces where multiple third-party sellers can offer their products and services to customers. These platforms facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers, providing a centralized location for product listings, payment processing, and order fulfillment. Examples of ecommerce marketplace platforms include Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Taobao, Walmart, and Alibaba. These platforms typically charge sellers a commission or listing fee for using their platform, while customers benefit from a wide selection of products and competitive pricing.
Overviews Of The 10 Best Ecommerce Marketplace Platforms
Here’s a brief description of each ecommerce marketplace solution with some noteworthy features and screenshots to give a snapshot of the user interface.
Lightspeed eCom
Best for small to mid-sized businesses
Lightspeed is a cloud-based ecommerce marketplace platform that’s perfect for small to mid-sized businesses who want to start selling right away. Once you set up your store, you can immediately sell on social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping, and Walmart.
Lightspeed Ecommerce has an awesome drag-and-drop website builder that doesn’t require any coding experience to get started. Non-technical users can easily design and customize their online stores. Lightspeed also has advanced inventory management features, including product variants and bundling, allowing you to really customize how your products are purchased.
Lightspeed’s built-in SEO tools help you to boost conversion rates. Features like abandoned cart emails can help your customers come back for more. And their Lightspeed Retail feature allows you to sync products between a bricks-and-mortar store and your ecommerce storefront.
You can optimize your ecommerce operations with features like product management, order fulfillment, and customer relationship management. It’s easy to add shipping and payment options. And their mobile app is handy for keeping track of things on the go.
Lightspeed integrates with a wide variety of platforms like Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Printful, ShippingEasy, Zoho CRM, Salesforce, bindCommerce, Quickbooks, Kliken Stats, UniSender, HubSpot, and ZenDesk. Many additional integrations are available by connecting a paid Zapier account.
BigCommerce
Best open source eCommerce marketplace platform solution
BigCommerce is an eCommerce platform for online businesses. The platform provides users with a powerful suite of features that help them build an effective online presence, attract more customers, and increase sales.
Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for users to customize their store’s look without needing any technical knowledge. The platform provides robust security measures like SSL encryption, so customers feel safe buying from a user’s store. Users can manage all sales channels from one place without needing multiple accounts or logins. They can also connect with leading shipping carriers for real-time shipping quotes and analytics tools such as Google Analytics for tracking customer behavior on their websites.
Because the platform is open source, the staging environment allows businesses to preview and test changes before they go live, ensuring that any changes made to the online store won’t affect existing customers already shopping there. With this feature, companies can verify that all the website buttons, menus, and shopping cart checkout processes are working correctly before making major updates to the site.
The platform’s faceted search feature allows users to quickly locate specific items using filters such as item name, color, price, and size. The facets intersect so users can narrow their search according to whatever criteria they require for their desired product, making it easier than ever to find what they need efficiently.
Other features include marketing tools such as coupons and discounts, payment options including PayPal and Apple Pay, shipping integrations with major carriers like UPS and FedEx, and inventory tracking capabilities. The platform integrates seamlessly with most common eCommerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.
Nautical Commerce
Best for an on-demand multi-vendor marketplace platform
Nautical Commerce is a modern platform designed specifically for multi-vendor ecommerce. The native self-service tools make it easy for vendors to sign up, while the API helps with importing products from existing catalogs. The software equips you with content management tools to facilitate catalog and inventory control.
Automated record-keeping tools assist experts in organizing and storing operational data. The reporting and analysis tools give real-time visibility into process flows to drive better decision-making.
Nautical Commerce also provides visibility into market trends in your niche.
Nautical Commerce integrates with ecommerce platforms such as Shopify and ShipStation.
Nautical Commerce offers customized pricing on request.
Ultra Commerce
Best for an agile ecommerce solution
Ultra Commerce is a headless, agile ecommerce platform for everything from B2B manufacturers to D2C and retail, food, and beverage. Features include support for subscription commerce, selling tools, analytics, and automation.
Ultra Commerce creates an entire ecommerce ecosystem, covering everything from search to shipping. The software integrates with back-office, accounting, and pricing systems to provide a complete shop-to-ship solution.
Ultra Commerce supports headless commerce, meaning that you can create an aesthetically pleasing storefront experience without encumbering the backend mechanics of ecommerce management. Technical features include full-coverage APIs, accessible development environments, and starter kits.
Ultra Commerce integrates with business applications such as Authorize.net, Click & Buy, and Google.
Ultra Commerce provides customized pricing on request.
Pepperi
Best for consolidating omnichannel sales on a single platform
Pepperi is a cloud-based platform that unifies B2B ecommerce, sales force automation, and trade promotions to increase sales and margins. Core features include sales automation, retail merchandising, mobile CR, order management, and route accounting.
Pepperi consolidates omnichannel sales on a single platform and helps companies manage trade promotions across all sales channels. As a single-platform solution, it helps companies manage sales processes, order taking, ecommerce, and the management of customer information.
Admins can customize workflows, business rules, forms, and the dashboard to suit specific requirements. The platform also supports ecommerce business owners by handling catalog listings, debt, price lists, discounts, and sales performance.
This tool integrates with many different business tools, including Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle, Salesforce, and Sage.
Pepperi offers customized pricing on request.
Paragon Commerce
Best for people-driven commerce
Paragon is a SaaS commerce platform for companies that work with direct sellers, affiliates, influencers, distributors, and ambassadors. The software offers seller tools, a flexible commission engine, and compelling incentive features. This platform can be configured to meet your specific needs. Partners get the tools they need, from simple sign-up to a mobile-first web office.
Paragon provides for advanced product types and is able to handle returns, refunds, and exchanges. Easy-to-use admin tools help you manage customers and sellers effectively.
This tool integrates with business tools such as ShipStation, SendGrid, and Twilio.
Paragon offers customized pricing on request.
Aleran Connected Commerce
Best for a plug-and-play ecommerce system
Aleran is a B2B ecommerce platform tool. Using this platform, you can manage all channels and revenue sources from a single dashboard. Features include sales order management, commission structuring, and task automation.
You can add new selling channels, key accounts, and channel partners to capture more revenue and scale. Aleran supports headless commerce, providing a full set of endpoints to attach to any front-end experience.
The front-end may be mobile, social, IoT, marketplace or a custom development.
Aleran provides native integrations with many ERP, CRM, WMS, and 3PL services.
Aleran offers customized pricing on request.
Spryker
Best for a headless, cloud marketplace platform
Spryker is an ecommerce software platform designed for managing B2B, B2C, and other digital marketplaces across multiple interfaces, devices, and customer touchpoints. Thanks to the white-labeling capabilities, organizations can create personalized online store designs to handle products, stocks, or catalogs.
The software includes a content management system featuring templates with predefined slots. These allow sellers to easily update product SKUs, product category IDs, page titles, and ecommerce website elements. Additional features include split delivery, GDPR compliance, and configurable modules.
Sellers can also leverage wishlists, ratings, and discount tools. Various reporting and analytics options give managers insights into customer emails, revenue, product performance, and other metrics.
Spryker integrates with business applications such as PayPal, LiveChat, and TrustPilot.
Spryker offers customized pricing on request.
Mirakl
Best for enterprise-level ecommerce marketplaces
Mirakl is an ecommerce marketplace platform designed to help enterprises scale rapidly. Businesses can invite sellers into the shop ecosystem using self-service tools, including tailored onboarding flows.
They can also define advanced payment workflows and set up granular commission grids. Sellers follow an intuitive wizard to map their products to catalogs, leveraging various integration methods according to their needs. They can access their own command center to manage KPIs and fulfill orders.
Mirakl offers enterprise-grade security so that large organizations know their data is secure.
Mirakl integrates with major business applications such as SAP, Salesforce, and Stripe.
Mirakl offers customized pricing on request.
VTEX
Best for B2C digital ecommerce
VTEX is a cloud-based ecommerce solution that helps businesses manage online stores and multi-channel digital commerce. This multi-vendor platform offers a white-labeling option, so sellers can create their own custom web pages, banners, and landing pages.
VTEX allows sellers to manage SEO for any product listing using metatags, custom URLs, canonical tags, and 301 redirects. Other features include promotions management, web analytics, and customer communication management. Sellers can connect all their stores and warehouses, orchestrating all orders from every channel in one place. They can also generate additional sales using live shopping and conversational commerce.
VTEX integrates with popular business systems such as Google Analytics.
VTEX offers customized pricing on request.
The 10 Best Ecommerce Marketplace Platforms Summary
Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lightspeed eCom Best for small to mid-sized businesses | Freemium plan available | From $14.08/month | Visit Website |
2 | BigCommerce Best open source eCommerce marketplace platform solution | 15-day free trial | From $29.95/month | Visit Website |
3 | Nautical Commerce Best for an on-demand multi-vendor marketplace platform | Not available | Visit Website | |
4 | Ultra Commerce Best for an agile ecommerce solution | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
5 | Pepperi Best for consolidating omnichannel sales on a single platform | Not available | Visit Website | |
6 | Paragon Commerce Best for people-driven commerce | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
7 | Aleran Connected Commerce Best for a plug-and-play ecommerce system | Not available | Visit Website | |
8 | Spryker Best for a headless, cloud marketplace platform | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
9 | Mirakl Best for enterprise-level ecommerce marketplaces | Demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
10 | VTEX Best for B2C digital ecommerce | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
Other Ecommerce Marketplace Systems
Here are a few more marketplace platforms that didn’t make the top list.
- Skynamo - Best for wholesale ecommerce operations
- Movista - Best for complex inventory management
- CS-Cart Multi-Vendor - Best for starting a multi-vendor ecommerce marketplace fast
- Sellacious - Best for optimized ecommerce storefronts
- Web-Cart - Best for startups
- Yo!Kart - Agile multi-vendor marketplace
- Uppler - Best for B2B ecommerce
- Dokan - Best WordPress-based ecommerce marketplace platform
- Fast Commerce - Best for a quick launch marketplace
- Marketplacer - Best for enterprise-level marketplaces
- Webkul - Best multi-vendor ecommerce platform
- Adobe Commerce (was: Magento) - Best personalized B2C and B2B commerce experiences
Other Ecommerce Platform Reviews
Here are some similar software review lists that will complement your research of marketplace platform.
- Best Ecommerce Platforms
- Easiest Ecommerce Platforms
- B2B Ecommerce Platforms
- Open Source Ecommerce Platforms
- Free Ecommerce Platforms
- Subscription Ecommerce Platforms
- Ecommerce Platforms For Small Businesses
- Headless Ecommerce Platforms
How I Selected the Best Ecommerce Marketplace Software
You might be wondering how I selected the marketplace platform software on this list. First, I collected ecommerce marketplace software that had high customer reviews. I then compared each ecommerce marketplace software to each other as they relate to the key features I find most important.
Comparison Criteria
Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria.
Core Functionality:
Each ecommerce marketplace platform will have a different range of features and nich specialty, but they should all accomplish the following:
- Serve as a central hub for product listings, payment processing, and order fulfillment, streamlining transactions between buyers and sellers
- Space for multiple third-party sellers can offer their products and services to customers
Key Features:
Here are the key features I look for in ecommerce marketplace platforms.
- User-friendly seller portal: Making the experience of building catalogs, inserting products, and organizing orders as easy as possible.
- Order management system: The best platforms sellers keep track of orders, regardless of the sales channel.
- Intelligent search: Advanced features to help buyers find products they may wish to buy.
- Customization: Allowing sellers to customize layouts to highlight their branding.
- Content management system: CMS built into the platform to help sellers communicate key marketing messages.
- Product pages: The system should include well-designed product pages that help buyers understand the product and its features.
- Product recommendations: Recommending related products to cross-sell and increase overall sales.
- Ratings & reviews: Generating social proof through robust options for user-generated content.
- Multiple payment options: Payment gateway choices, giving buyers the option to pay using the method that suits them best.
- Mobile App: Shopping marketplaces need a mobile shopping experience to keep up with the greats in the industry.
Usability:
Usability is a crucial factor to consider when selecting an ecommerce marketplace platform because it directly impacts the overall user experience for both buyers and sellers. A platform with intuitive navigation, clear and concise product listings, and easy-to-use search and filtering options can improve the likelihood of customers making a purchase and returning to the site. Likewise, sellers benefit from a platform that simplifies the process of creating and managing product listings, as well as monitoring sales and shipping.
Software Integrations:
There are a variety of ecommerce apps out there designed to plug into your website, so I'm looking for compatibility with most or many of them. Software integrations are crucial when selecting an ecommerce marketplace platform because they allow for the seamless flow of data between different systems, streamlining business processes and increasing efficiency. For example, integrations with accounting software can simplify the process of tracking sales and expenses, while integrations with shipping software can automate the shipping process and provide real-time tracking information to customers.
Value for Pricing:
Pricing is an important factor to consider when selecting an ecommerce marketplace platform because it can have a significant impact on the profitability of a business. Marketplace platforms typically charge sellers a commission or listing fee for using their platform, and these fees can vary widely depending on the platform and the type of product being sold. Some platforms may also charge additional fees for features such as advertising or premium listing placement.
People Also Ask
Here are a few questions I wanted to cover for those interested.
What are the benefits of using an ecommerce marketplace platform?
There are several benefits of using an ecommerce marketplace platform for both buyers and sellers.
- More product selection: For buyers, ecommerce marketplaces offer a wide selection of products and services from multiple sellers, often at competitive prices.
- Convenience: Buyers can also benefit from the convenience of being able to compare products and make purchases from a single platform, with streamlined checkout and shipping options.
- Built-in Customer Base: For sellers, ecommerce marketplaces provide a ready-made audience of potential customers.
- Product Management: Sellers get broader access to tools and resources for creating and managing product listings, processing payments, and handling shipping and order fulfillment.
- Brand Exposure: Marketplace platforms can help to increase brand exposure and credibility, as well as provide opportunities for growth and expansion through advertising and other promotional tools.
- Support Small Businesses: Provide a selling platform for those who have products to share but not the resources or manpower to build an ecommerce site from scratch.
How much do ecommerce marketplace platforms cost?
The price ranges for ecommerce marketplace platforms can vary widely depending on the platform and the specific needs of a business. The cost of using a platform may also depend on factors such as the size of the business, the number of products being sold, and the level of customer support and software integrations needed. On average, ecommerce marketplace platforms range from $29.95/month to $10,000/month.
What is ecommerce marketplace vs ecommerce platform?
An ecommerce marketplace is a type of platform that allows multiple third-party sellers to offer their products and services to customers. These marketplaces typically facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers, providing a centralized location for product listings, payment processing, and order fulfillment. Examples of ecommerce marketplaces include Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.
An ecommerce platform, on the other hand, is a software application that enables businesses to build and manage their own ecommerce website or online store. These platforms typically provide tools and resources for creating and managing product listings, processing payments, and handling shipping and order fulfillment. Examples of ecommerce platforms include Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.
While both ecommerce marketplaces and platforms enable businesses to sell products online, the key difference is that marketplaces provide a ready-made audience of potential customers, while platforms give businesses more control over their own branding, customer experience, and product selection. Ultimately, the choice between an ecommerce marketplace and platform will depend on a business's specific needs and goals, as well as factors such as budget, scalability, and marketing strategy.
Facilitate Ecommerce Selling with a Robust Marketplace
Those are my recommendations for the best ecommerce marketplace platform software. But are these really the very best options? We’d love to hear your opinion, so let us know in the comments below.
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