What a marketplace needs
Every marketplace is different, but most are built from the same five blocks. We help you decide which ones your first version needs.
People
- User registration and profiles
- Business accounts and roles
- Applications and bookings
Listings + discovery
- Listings and categories
- Search and filters
- Location-based discovery
Trust
- Verified listings
- Reviews and ratings
- Private contact details
Money
- Subscriptions and plans
- Credits and tokens
- Promotional boosts
- Card and mobile payments
Running it
- Admin dashboards
- Notifications and messaging
- Moderation tools
Deciding how it makes money
The business model shapes the build, so we settle it early. Subscriptions, pay-per-contact credits, promoted listings and commission each need different features. On BarGig, for example, contact details stay private until a bar unlocks them with tokens. On ZanziBiz, businesses can boost a listing using credits.
Payments and integrations
We connect Stripe and mobile-payment systems, booking and hotel APIs, maps, sign-in providers, email services and webhooks. On travel projects we've worked with booking API flows directly: search, availability, pre-booking and confirmation, including the error cases.
From idea to first version
Most marketplaces start as a sentence. We work through who each side is, what they need, how you'll earn and what to leave for later, then build a first version you can put in front of real users.
Examples from our work
Common questions
How much does it cost to build a marketplace?
It depends mostly on features, so scope matters more here than anywhere else. A first version with accounts, listings and messaging is a very different job from one with payments, subscriptions and admin tools. We scope it with you in a free consultation and give you one fixed price for a clearly defined first release. For general UK ranges, see our website cost guide.
Do I need to build everything at once?
No. Most marketplaces should launch with the smallest version that lets both sides use it, then grow. Cutting the first release down to what it needs is the biggest factor in launching sooner.
Can you integrate payments and third-party APIs?
Yes. We've built subscription and credit systems, mobile-payment flows and booking API integrations, including hotel search, availability and confirmation.
What technology do you use?
Mostly Next.js, React and TypeScript on the front end, with Supabase and PostgreSQL behind it, hosted on Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare or a Linux server.
Do I own the platform and the code?
Ownership and handover are agreed in writing before we start, and we document the code so you're not dependent on us to keep it running.
Tell us what you want to build.
A few lines is enough: who it's for, what it needs to do and when you'd like it live. We'll reply with honest advice and a clear next step. Your first consultation is always free.
Book your free consultation