What does marketplace software cost? Marketplace platform pricing and total cost explained

Marketplace software ranges from a few dozen dollars a month for a plugin to quote-based contracts for an enterprise marketplace platform, and most vendors do not publish their prices: only 15 of the 43 platforms in our ranking do, almost all of them builders and plugins for small businesses. For an enterprise platform, the licence is only part of the total cost of ownership, which also includes implementation, integration, payments and the team that runs the marketplace.

The four pricing models

Our ranking groups vendor pricing into four models (a platform can combine several):

• Quote-based: the price is negotiated; the norm for enterprise marketplace platforms. 23 platforms.
• Subscription: a monthly or annual fee, often tiered by orders, sellers or features. 17 platforms.
• One-time licence: you buy the software, usually self-hosted. 6 platforms.
• Revenue share: a percentage of the marketplace’s sales (GMV) or a fee per order. 6 platforms.

Platforms that publish a price

Prices below are the normal list price published by each vendor on the date shown on its page, never a launch offer:

What an enterprise budget must include

1. Licence: annual fee, sometimes plus a share of GMV.
2. Implementation: configuration, integration with the storefront, the ERP, the product information system and the order management system. Usually done by a systems integrator.
3. Payments: payment-provider fees and payout costs, unless the platform includes its own payout service.
4. Seller operations: the team that recruits sellers, validates catalogues and handles disputes.
5. Ongoing development and support over three years, not one.

Ask every shortlisted vendor for a like-for-like three-year quote covering the same scope; enterprise platforms are quote-based, so do not assume an alternative is cheaper.

See also: how to choose a marketplace platform and the pricing model pages.