Best Multi Vendor Marketplaces Platforms for eCommerce to consider in 2023
Contents
- Multi Vendor Marketplace Definition: What Is a Multi Vendor Marketplace?
- How to Set up a Multi Vendor Marketplace?
- Pros and Cons of Multi Vendor Marketplaces
- Benefits and Features of the Multi Vendor Marketplace Software
- Types of Multi Vendor Marketplace Solution Providers
- How Do You Know Which Multi Vendor Marketplace Platform Is Right for You?
- Summary on How to Create a Multi Vendor Website
- Apply For Multi Vendor Marketplace eCommerce Platform Demo
- Conclusion
- FAQs
If you want to build your own ecommerce marketplace, then you’re probably looking for multi-vendor marketplace platforms or plugins and extensions that you can use on top of your existing ecommerce solution. To save you time, we’ve compiled a list of the best multi vendor marketplace platforms in 2022, so you don’t have to!
Before we dive in, here’s what you’ll learn by the end of the article:
- Definitions of a multi vendor marketplace platform, plugin, and extension
- Key features you need to look for in an ecommerce platform
- Things to consider while building a multi vendor marketplace
- How to choose the best marketplace platform
- Best multi vendor marketplace platforms
- Why Virto Marketplace is the best marketplace solution for your business
Multi Vendor Marketplace Definition: What Is a Multi Vendor Marketplace?
How does a multi-vendor website work?
How does multi vendor marketplace differ from an ecommerce website?
How does an online marketplace make money?
There are a few different ways that marketplaces can make money:
- charging listing fees from sellers
- charging transaction fees on each sale
- selling advertising space on the marketplace platform
- offering premium memberships with additional features and benefits.
The best way to monetize your marketplace will depend on your specific business model and goals.
Examples of multi vendor marketplace websites
The best well-known examples of multi vendor ecommerce marketplaces are Amazon, eBay, Etsy, AliExpress, Taobao, and Flipkart. We’ve written a few comprehensive articles about multi vendor ecommerce platforms, including Best Marketplace Platforms to Sell Merch and Shop and B2B marketplaces, so you may check them for more examples.
How to create multi vendor marketplace







How to Set up a Multi Vendor Marketplace?
There are many possible ways to start a marketplace. From a technological standpoint, you can either create a marketplace from scratch or buy multi vendor marketplace software. Since there are different types of multi vendor software available, it’s important to understand which is which.
How to properly choose multi vendor marketplace software for your business?
If you’re looking for a solution that’s instantly available and is ready to roll out of the box, then you’re looking for a readymade multi vendor marketplace platform. Readymade platforms might not be ideal solutions for those whose business processes follow specific non-standard logic and require a high degree of customization, but those companies who are on a tight budget, do not require any specific features, and would like to launch a marketplace business as soon as possible, might prefer to go with a readymade solution.
You may choose to buy a B2C or B2B online marketplace multi vendor software that would require some retrofitting and tweaking or you may choose to use a marketplace plugin or extension on top of your existing B2C or B2B ecommerce platform.
A marketplace plugin can help you create a multivendor store like Amazon or eBay with just a couple of clicks. Marketplace plugins are usually not as sophisticated as marketplace extensions but they do their job just as well and might be exactly what you need if you’re operating a small business and would like to expand your offering by including more suppliers and partners in your network.
A marketplace extension, on the other hand, is a more sophisticated implementation that stretches an existing ecommerce solution by adding marketplace functionality on top of the core platform. Instead of building a marketplace from scratch or buying a readymade marketplace platform, you may choose to utilize a marketplace extension that attends to different marketplace scenarios that your business requires. Virto Marketplace is one of those marketplace extensions (also available as a standalone complete solution out-of-the box) that supports both first and third-party marketplace models and consists of separate operator and vendor portals that can be seamlessly added to your existing ecommerce platform. We’ll talk about Virto Marketplace in more detail in later sections.
For a detailed review of major software players, proceed to Best Multi Vendor Marketplace Software in 2022.
For the bottom line advice on setting up your own marketplace and choosing the best software, jump to Summary
Pros and Cons of Multi Vendor Marketplaces
What are the benefits of using a multi vendor website?
What are the disadvantages of using multi vendor websites?
Benefits and Features of the Multi Vendor Marketplace Software
When you’re looking for multi vendor software, such as a readymade platform, plugin, or extension, you need to make sure that the solution has enough capabilities to cater to your specific business needs. We suggest looking for at least the following features:
- A dedicated vendor portal
It goes without saying that the most important feature of multi vendor software is a dedicated vendor portal that facilitates the registration and listing of third party vendors. Online sellers need to be able to register, upload their product listings, and have a dedicated place to showcase those products to potential buyers, such as a vendor page or an ecommerce storefront.
- A dedicated operator portal
- To make sure you have control over the platform’s performance, seller-buyer interactions, and overall operations of the store, your chosen multi vendor software must have specific operator functionality, such as
- All-encompassing overview of buyer and vendor activities,
- Task management features,
- Case tracking to provide timely support for buyers and vendors,
- Lead management features, and so on.
- 3rd party API integration
It’s extremely important that your chosen multivendor platform connects easily and seamlessly to third-party systems, including your own internal software like ERP or CMS and those of your multiple vendors. Moreover, if your platform supports API integrations, it will connect to any sophisticated third-party ML and AI engines, such as recommendation mechanisms, intelligent search, and so on. So make sure that the platform of your choice is API-powered.
- Advanced & intelligent search features
In our practice, we’ve seen clients who switched solutions because their previous ecommerce platforms could not cater to the search needs of their buyers. As mentioned above, your multi vendor platform has to be API-driven to be able to connect to a desired third-party engine. For example, Virto Commerce works with such engines as Azure Cognitive Search and Elastic Search that leverage knowledge mining to a whole new level. One of the many advantages of a multi vendor platform that uses Azure Cognitive Search is that it uses custom ML models to extract information from all types of content.
- Dashboards and analytics
Both vendor and operator tracking and analytics are much better when data is visualized. So look for platforms that allow you to not only keep track of earnings and expenditures but also have reporting features that gather and structure the available information and data insights for you.
- Multi-channel communication
Extensive involvement of third parties clearly implies that the communication must be at the top-notch level to ensure everyone stays on the same page and any issues are addressed in a timely and efficient manner. Therefore, make sure that the platform of choice supports multi-channel communication in the following directions: seller-to-admin, admin-to-seller, buyer-to-admin, and buyer-to-seller.
- Support for a chosen revenue model
Since your multi vendor platform must be able to support your revenue model (whatever it might be, for instance, vendor commissions or subscription fees), you need to make sure there’s a built-in subscription and/or commission management system within the multi vendor software of your choice.
- Scalability under peak demand
Your platform must be able to handle a large number of buyers and vendors, so make sure it is powerful enough to sustain any scalability issues.
Types of Multi Vendor Marketplace Solution Providers
There are two more things to consider when choosing a multi vendor marketplace solution provider, as there are typically two types of multi vendor solutions you can encounter on the market, such as:
- Self-hosted/open-source
Open source platforms imply that the solution vendor provides you with the source code and gives you all the freedom (and responsibility) to choose a hosting solution on a supported web server.
- SAAS/Managed
The SAAS solution vendors do not typically offer source code but offer web-based access to a hosted solution instead, meaning while you can’t choose a web hosting provider, you are not responsible for the security of your marketplace as that responsibility is fully delegated to your SaaS solution provider.
How Do You Know Which Multi Vendor Marketplace Platform Is Right for You?
To arrive at the best possible decision regarding the choice of a multivendor marketplace platform, you need to consider a few things and answer the following questions:
- How much money are you willing to spend? What’s your budget?
- What type of platform are you looking for? Is it software with open-source code? Is it a proprietary solution? Do you have to find a hosting provider? Are you willing to be responsible for the platform’s security?
- If you happen to operate an ecommerce platform, are you willing to buy a marketplace multivendor module or an extension that connects to your own marketplace? Do you want to start from scratch? And if you don’t have an ecommerce website yet, would you want to invest in a ready-made multivendor marketplace or build a solution out of separate composable modules?
- What kind of multi-vendor marketplace are you building? What type of features do you require? Does the platform of your choice have all the necessary functionality for the successful operation of a multi-vendor marketplace? Are you going to be responsible for product management? Will your vendors have to deal with their own product listings? What responsibilities are you willing to delegate to your sellers in general?
- Are you going to operate on a local market or do you have international ambitions? If you’re aiming at international sales, does the platform of your choice have localization options? What about payment integrations? Does the platform have multiple payment gateways? What are the preferred payment methods of your local suppliers?
- Does the marketplace vendor have an online demo or can you schedule a consultation? Does the platform’s vendor offer any development services?
Answering these questions will help you to arrive at the ultimate decision regarding the choice of a suitable solution.
Best Multi Vendor Marketplace Software in 2022 & Multi Vendor Marketplace Platform Comparison
Below you’ll find what we consider the top 20 multi vendor marketplace platforms in 2022, so take your pick!
Readymade platforms
Mirakl: B2B and B2C marketplace solutions

CS Cart multi vendor ecommerce software

Zielcommerce ready-to-go multi vendor ecommerce marketplace platform

Yo!Kart multi vendor marketplace ecommerce software

Arcadier multi vendor marketplace platform

IXXOCart multi vendor platform & shopping cart solution & ecommerce software

X-Cart multi vendor marketplace ecommerce software for ecommerce stores

Spree multi vendor marketplace ecommerce software and multi-store platform

Laraship Laravel multi vendor marketplace & online marketplace software

Multi-vendor marketplace extensions
Virto Commerce marketplace extension

Virto Marketplace supports both first and third-party marketplace models and connects to virtually any existing ecommerce solution without replatforming. The resulting solution can be further adapted, extended, or recomposed to accommodate different marketplace requirements and business scenarios.
Virto Marketplace has all the necessary features for running a successful ecommerce store: catalog, order, contract, and inventory management, third-party system integrations, order-specific workflows, and access controls, among many other features specific to a B2B environment.
Virto’s Extension can support multiple monetization strategies from commissions to subscriptions, can be localized with ease in any language you want, can support multiple payment options including net terms and credit lines, and can be adapted to support any scenario that’s unique to your business. Virto Commerce is headless, open source, cloud-native and API-powered, which means it can scale and supports third party integration with any system.
Spryker multi vendor marketplace extension
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Orocommerce multi vendor marketplace extension with multi vendor marketplace module

OroMarketplace Extension is primarily a B2B focused integrated marketplace solution that can be built on top of an existing online marketplace platform. Since the solution involves custom development, Oro stresses the fact that its solutions can follow any business logic and can be developed in collaboration with its implementation partners to suit any specific need of the customer.
Multi-vendor marketplace plugins
Webkuls multi-vendor marketplace for Magento & BigCommerce stores

If you’re operating a Magento or BigCommerce store and would like to extend its functionality to allow third parties to sell their products alongside yours, then Webkul’s plugin, available on Magento and BigCommerce Application Marketplaces, can help you to convert your default Magento/BigCommerce store into a complete multi-seller ecommerce marketplace platform. By utilizing a Webkul’s plugin you will allow third parties to sign-up on your store, create their seller storefronts, manage orders, and shipments. Moreover, buyers will be able to leave reviews, rate sellers, and interact with them. As a business owner, you’ll have access to an extensive and feature-rich admin panel that will help you oversee your store operations.
Webkul Shopify multi vendor marketplace extension

Complete multi vendor marketplace for Opencart from Purpletree

OpenCart is an online store management system that’s PHP- and MySQL-based; although it’s available for free under the GNU General Public License, the extensions and plugins on its online marketplace are typically offered for a small fee. With that said, if you’re owning an OpenCart store and are willing to extend its functionality to include the sales by third parties, there’s a plugin called Complete Multi Vendor Marketplace that’s available from the OpenCart extension marketplace for 69 dollars. As advertised on the extension marketplace, the multi vendor marketplace plugin for OpenCart that’s developed by Purpletree software company has more features than similar plugins by competitors: it supports PayPal and Stripe, works with OpenCart Mobile app, has comprehensive documentation, is available in multiple languages (19), has dedicated seller and admin panels with respective functionalities.
WooCommerce WordPress multi-vendor plugins
WooCommerce Product Vendors
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YITH WooCommerce multi vendor marketplace

Dokan WooCommerce multivendor marketplace

WC Marketplace for Wordpress
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Multi vendor marketplace platform comparison infographic
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It’s important to note that the platforms that have been listed for B2B marketplaces can be adequately used for B2C, however, the opposite is true – the B2C marketplaces can be rarely satisfactory for B2B purposes (even with B2B extensions such as those offered by Yo!Kart). So if you’re operating a serious B2B-first marketplace, it’s important to choose the platform that is specifically built with complex B2B scenarios in mind and can fully meet your and your customer needs. For more insights into the functionality of B2B ecommerce platfroms and detailed review of the seven best players, head on to read Best B2B eCommerce Platforms in 2022: Essential B2B eCommerce Features
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If you’re looking for opportunities to create your own multi vendor store, you have a few options:
- If you’re operating an existing ecommerce store and would like to extend its functionality to allow third parties to sell their products using your ecommerce platform, then you can opt for purchasing a marketplace extension such as the one offered by Virto Commerce
- If you’re operating a single vendor BigCommerce, Magento stores, or some such websites, you can check out their respective application marketplaces for any marketplace extensions or plugins that can add marketplace functionality to your existing ecommerce store
- If you own a marketplace on WordPress like a single vendor Woocommerce, you can look for marketplace plugins to extend the existing marketplace functionality, such as Dokan or Product Vendors.
- If you don’t have an existing store, but would like to create a marketplace website, then you may purchase a ready-made marketplace platform such as the one offered by Zielcommerce.
Otherwise, you can create a single vendor store first and then add marketplace functionality on top. For example, create an ecommerce platform with Virto Commerce and then use its Virto Marketplace Extension to allow third party vendors to register and trade on your site.
Interested to learn more? Schedule a demo now and we’ll explain how it works!
FAQs
What is single vendor and multi-vendor?
What is a multi vendor ecommerce website?
Muti vendor ecommerce website is a marketplace where multiple marketplace vendors sell their products or services to multiple customers.
What is multi vendor shopping cart?
A multi vendor shopping cart allows buyers to add products from multiple vendors.
What is multi vendor CMS?
Multi vendor CMS is a Content Management System for creating a multi vendor ecommerce marketplace. One of the best CMS for multi vendor ecommerce is WordPress, which can be converted to a full-fledged marketplace with one of the WordPress themes like WooCommerce and a full-fledged multi vendor marketplace with a plugin like WooCommerce Product Vendors.
How does a multi-vendor website work?
In a multi-vendor marketplace, there are three parties: marketplace vendors, buyers, and marketplace owners or operators. The marketplace owner manages the marketplace platform and oversees the operations of the store. Depending on the operator’s chosen business model and business strategy, all suppliers pay either a commission for selling on a marketplace or a subscription fee. There are other business models that the marketplace owner might employ, for example, earn revenue through the selling of marketplace data or by offering marketing services.
What is a multi-vendor service (MVSS)?
What is the difference between a paid multi vendor marketplace plugin or extension and a free one?
What is a peer to peer marketplace?
What are the benefits of using a multi vendor website?
There are multiple benefits for all involved parties. This way, besides the freedom to choose which revenue model and platform they use, marketplace owners benefit from extending their marketplace offering and getting direct access to valuable data and customer insights which can be further capitalized on should they choose to do so. Vendors benefit from choosing the platform they wish to partner with, market their products and services alongside competitors, and get access to analytic reports and actionable insights. Customers primarily benefit from an abundance of choices that the marketplace platform offers.
How do you know which multi vendor marketplace platform is right for you?
To arrive at the best possible decision regarding the choice of a multivendor marketplace platform, you need to consider a few things and answer the following questions:
- How much money are you willing to spend? What’s your budget?
- What type of platform are you looking for? Is it software with open-source code? Is it a proprietary solution? Do you have to find a hosting provider? Are you willing to be responsible for the platform’s security?
- If you happen to operate an ecommerce platform, are you willing to buy a marketplace multivendor module or an extension that connects to your own marketplace? Do you want to start from scratch? And if you don’t have an ecommerce website yet, would you want to invest in a ready-made multivendor marketplace or build a solution out of separate composable modules?
- What type of features do you require? Does the platform of your choice have all the necessary functionality for the successful operation of a multi-vendor marketplace? Are you going to be responsible for product management? Will your vendors have to deal with their own product listings? What responsibilities are you willing to delegate to your sellers in general?
- Are you going to operate on a local market or do you have international ambitions? If you’re aiming at international sales, does the platform of your choice have localization options? What about payment integrations? Does the platform have multiple payment gateways? What are the preferred payment methods of your local suppliers?
- Does the marketplace vendor have an online demo or can you schedule a consultation? Does the platform’s vendor offer any development services?
Answering these questions will help you to arrive at the ultimate decision regarding the choice of a suitable solution.
What is a peer to peer marketplace?
A peer to peer marketplace is a decentralized marketplace model where two individuals interact with each other to buy or sell either goods or services.
What is a self hosted platform?
Are there any multi vendor platforms that are ready to roll out of the box and do not require technical skills and technical knowledge?
What are product and service marketplaces?
Is the multi vendor marketplace software customizable?
What makes a marketplace successful?
How much does it cost to build a multi vendor marketplace?
What are product and service marketplaces?
In a product marketplace, the seller is dealing in physical goods. In a service marketplace, the producer is providing a service.
What is a three-sided marketplace?
How long does it take to build a marketplace?
How do I start a multi vendor website?
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