Marketplace Factory blog
Build, launch and run a marketplace
Sourced, dated guides: what it really costs, the tools compared, payments, the law and your first sellers.
Start here
How to build a marketplace in 2026: a step-by-step guide
How to build a marketplace in 2026, in the right order: niche, booking flow, business model, tools, payments, legal basics and first sellers, with real costs.
Read the guideDecide
What a marketplace must include, what it costs, how long it takes, and how it makes money.
Turnkey marketplace: what it must include on launch day
Turnkey marketplace: the ten points to check before you open, what turnkey offers really include and cost, and how to get yours, complete, in a few minutes.
How long does it take to build a marketplace?
How long does it take to build a marketplace? Months custom, weeks to configure, a few minutes with Marketplace Factory: the full timeline, step by step.
Cost to build a marketplace, and how to launch on a budget
What is the real cost to build a marketplace in 2026? Custom, subscription software, a CMS with plugins, no-code or Marketplace Factory: every budget line, and how to launch on a budget.
Marketplace business model: commission or subscription?
Commission, seller subscriptions, featured listings or listing fees: how to choose your marketplace business model and take rate, with worked numbers and fees.
Build
No-code, AI or dedicated software: the options, compared.
Build a marketplace with AI: one sentence is enough
Build a marketplace with AI: one sentence, six finished proposals in about a minute, edits on request, and what AI must never touch. A plain-English guide.
Marketplace template: six finished sites, not a theme
Marketplace template: what it must cover, the design that sells, and why six finished sites in sixteen styles beat a theme you still have to configure.
No-code marketplace builders: what actually works
No-code marketplace builder or AI app builder? What Sharetribe, Bubble, Lovable and Marketplace Factory really do in 2026, and what is left for you to build.
Sharetribe alternatives: marketplace software compared
Sharetribe alternatives compared: Marketplace Factory, WordPress with Dokan, Bubble and Lovable. Dated prices, what each one includes, and how fast you go live.
Run
Payments, the law, SEO, security, metrics and your first sellers.
Marketplace SEO: get found on Google from day one
Marketplace SEO: the pages that bring traffic, the faceted navigation trap, structured data, free Google Shopping listings and a 15-point launch checklist.
Marketplace terms and conditions: what they must say
Marketplace terms and conditions in 2026: what the law requires, from ranking to withdrawal, a twelve-section outline, and what is left to have reviewed.
Marketplace hosting and security: 5 guarantees to demand
Marketplace hosting, backups, security, data in Europe: the five guarantees to demand from any tool, and everything Marketplace Factory takes care of.
Marketplace metrics: the 12 KPIs to track every week
The 12 marketplace metrics that matter: net sales, order value, take rate, disputes, active sellers. Definitions, thresholds and a simple weekly dashboard.
Marketplace payments: Stripe Connect, KYC and seller payouts
Marketplace payments explained: Stripe Connect, seller verification (KYC), commissions, payouts, real fees in the EU, UK and US, and who may hold the money.
Marketplace legal requirements in the EU: DSA, DAC7, GDPR
DSA, DAC7, GDPR, terms, withdrawal button: marketplace legal requirements in the EU in 2026, what applies from launch day, the texts, and UK and US notes.
Marketplace chicken and egg problem: getting first sellers
No buyers without sellers, no sellers without buyers: practical ways to solve the marketplace chicken and egg problem and win your first sellers in 90 days.
By industry
Classifieds, stays, second-hand, jobs, rentals, services, makers, real estate: the guide for your sector.
Build a website like Craigslist, for a niche or a city
Build a website like Craigslist for a niche or a city: features, trust and scams, revenue and real budget, with a classifieds marketplace ready in minutes.
Build a website like Airbnb: your vacation rental platform
Build a website like Airbnb for a niche of stays: nights, seasonal prices, payments, short-term rental rules and the real budget, without a line of code.
Build a website like Vinted: a second-hand marketplace
Build a website like Vinted for your community: resale, consignment or designers. Features, the law, shipping and the real budget, without a line of code.
How to start a job board: your own niche job site
How to start a niche job board: applications with CVs, stage tracking, Google for Jobs, the rules to follow and the business model, without a line of code.
How to build a rental marketplace: deposits and insurance
Calendar, deposit, insurance, reviews: how to build a rental marketplace for peer-to-peer equipment, car or boat rentals, and what it really costs to run one.
How to build a service marketplace: bookings and quotes
Profiles, time slots, requests, quotes: how to build a service marketplace connecting clients and providers, from tutoring and coaching to home services.
How to start a handmade marketplace without relying on Etsy
How to start a handmade marketplace for a makers' collective: shops, basket, commission, budget, Etsy fees compared, and what your makers gain from it.
Real estate listing website: how to build a property portal
Map search, alerts, agencies and private landlords: how to build a real estate listing website or flatshare portal, what listings must show, licences, budget.
How we write
These articles are written by the Marketplace Factory team, who build the studio and the marketplaces it generates. They are drafted with the help of AI, then checked: every figure links to its source, every price is dated, and an adversarial review hunts down errors and overpromises.
When we talk about our own product, we are an interested party: we say so, and we only write what Marketplace Factory really does today, checked in the product.
Spotted an error or a price that changed? Write to us: we fix it and date the correction.
Your marketplace, in one sentence
Describe your idea: your complete marketplaces arrive. 2 ideas and 10 edits free when you sign up, no card needed.