How much does it cost to build a marketplace: every cost line, three budgets.
How much does it cost to build a marketplace? It depends on the route: custom development, a script with plugins on your own server, or a hosted builder. This page lists every cost line for each, the payment fees people forget, and three year-one budgets. Yclas plans are $19, $99 and $149 a month, and we say what is extra.
Free for 15 days · No credit card
Marketplace development cost: three routes, three shapes of spending.
The routes differ less in their total than in when you pay. Custom development is paid up front, before you know whether buyers come. A script is cheap to start and costs time every month. A hosted builder is a steady monthly fee with little up front.
| Route | You pay for | When you pay | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom development | Design, development, testing, then hosting and maintenance | Mostly before launch | A proven market with needs no product covers |
| Script and plugins | Licence, theme, plugins, server, your time | Small up front, time every month | Someone on the team who runs servers |
| Hosted builder | A monthly plan; domain and payment fees | Monthly | Testing a niche and growing it |
Developer quotes for a marketplace vary widely by country and scope. Ask at least two, for the same written list of features.
How much it costs to build a marketplace, line by line.
The same lines appear on every route; what changes is who carries them. Use this table as a checklist when you compare quotes.
| Cost line | Custom build | Script and plugins | Yclas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Yours to buy | Yours to buy | Yours to buy; connecting it is included |
| Hosting and SSL | Paid monthly | Paid monthly | Included |
| Software licence | Built for you | Free or one-off | Included in the plan |
| Design or theme | Designed for you | Bought, then adapted | 109 looks included; custom design on request |
| Multi-vendor, bookings, payments | Built for you | Plugins, often one per feature | Included, by plan |
| Updates and security | A maintenance contract | Your time | Included |
| Backups | Set up and paid | Set up and paid | Included |
| Payment provider fees | Per transaction | Per transaction | Per transaction; Yclas adds none |
| Moderation and support | Your time or staff | Your time or staff | Your time; AI checks help on every plan |
| Marketing | Your budget | Your budget | Your budget |
Payment fees come out of your commission.
Card providers charge a percentage and usually a fixed amount per payment, more for cards from abroad and for currency conversion. Marketplace payouts can add their own fees. Prices change and differ by country, so read your provider's current pricing page rather than any list on the web, including ours.
Plan your take rate with the fee in mind. With Stripe Connect as Yclas uses it, the buyer pays on your Stripe account, your commission stays with you and the rest goes to the seller, so the card fee on the whole payment is paid from your side. A 10% commission on a $100 sale leaves you $10 minus that fee.
On low-priced items a fixed fee per payment can eat most of a small commission. A fixed part in your own fee, like 8% plus $0.50, keeps small sales worth having.
Payment gateways for marketplaces →
Three year-one budgets for a hosted marketplace.
These budgets use Yclas because we can quote its prices exactly. The other lines are yours to fill in: marketing in particular ranges from nothing but your time to most of the budget.
| Budget | What you run | Software, a year | Add your own |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test a niche | Starter: up to 5,000 listings, listings, offers, featured ads | 12 × $19 | A domain, your time, a little local promotion |
| Grow with sellers | Professional: seller plans, Buy now, bookings, several languages | 12 × $99 | Domain, marketing, help with moderation |
| Take payments and commission | Marketplace: cart, storefronts, escrow, commission, branded iPhone app | 12 × $149 | Domain, payment fees, marketing, optional custom design |
Plan prices as shown on our pricing page today, before any local taxes. Every plan starts with a free 15-day trial.
What a Yclas plan includes, and what it does not.
No setup fee and no transaction fee: the plan price is all you pay Yclas, unless you order custom work. You can export your listings and users at any time.
| Included in every plan | Not included |
|---|---|
| Hosting, SSL, backups and updates | Your domain name |
| Templates and the page builder | Payment provider fees |
| Listings, search, messages, moderation | Marketing and advertising |
| A monthly allowance of AI features | Unlimited AI: allowances are monthly |
| Support from our team | Custom design and development, quoted separately |
Keep year one cheap.
- Write the feature listOnly what the first buyers and sellers need. Leave the rest for later.
- Price the routesGet two developer quotes and try a hosted builder on a free trial.
- Do the fee mathsYour commission minus the payment fee, on your typical sale.
- Start on the smallest planMove up when sellers ask for features, not before.
How much does it cost to build a marketplace like Etsy or Airbnb?
Copying a large marketplace feature for feature is a large custom project, usually paid up front. Most founders start with the core: listings, search, messages, payments. That core is ready-made on a hosted builder for a monthly fee.
What is the cheapest way to build a marketplace?
A hosted builder on its smallest plan, with your own time for finding sellers. On Yclas that is Starter at $19 a month after a free 15-day trial.
Is marketplace development cost a one-off?
No. A custom build also needs hosting, security updates and fixes every month. Ask any developer what maintenance will cost after launch.
Does Yclas charge a transaction fee?
No. Yclas charges the plan price only. Payment providers charge their own fees on each payment.
Which plan do I need to take a commission?
The Marketplace plan, $149 a month, with your own Stripe account and Stripe Connect.
Can I get a custom design?
Yes. Our custom design and development service quotes each project separately, and the site stays on Yclas hosting with updates included.
Are there setup fees?
No. Moving an existing site with the importer is included too.
Related pages.
Read next.
Find out what your marketplace costs by running it.
Fifteen days with every feature of your plan, no credit card, and nothing to pay if you stop.
Try it free for 15 days