Build Custom Marketplace Apps That Connect Buyers & Sellers
Adalo is the no-code app builder that pairs AI-powered generation with a visual multi-screen canvas, so entrepreneurs and business teams can design, build, and publish custom database-driven apps to the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and web from a single project — no code, no developers required. Build a marketplace that matches your niche, not a generic template.
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Build Any Marketplace You Can Imagine
From local buy-sell platforms to specialized service directories—describe what you need and Ada, Adalo's AI builder, generates a working marketplace app with Magic Start in minutes.
Building a Two-Sided Marketplace Shouldn't Cost Six Figures
Most marketplace platforms charge high transaction fees, force you into rigid templates, or require a full development team. There's a better way to connect buyers and sellers.
The Marketplace Problem
- Custom marketplace development costs $100K–$500K+ with a development team
- Template platforms like Sharetribe charge 7–10% transaction fees that eat into margins
- No native mobile apps—buyers and sellers stuck with web-only experiences
- Separate iOS, Android, and web builds triple the development cost and timeline
- Rigid templates don't accommodate unique listing types or custom workflows
- Scaling from MVP to growth stage means rebuilding on a different platform
The Adalo Marketplace Solution
- Visual canvas lets you design custom listing pages, search flows, and seller dashboards
- Built-in relational database connects listings, sellers, buyers, reviews, and messages
- Native iOS and Android apps with push notifications for new listings and messages
- $36/mo with unlimited users, records, and storage—no transaction fees from Adalo
- Ada generates a working marketplace from a description—ship in days, not months
- One build deploys to web, iOS, and Android simultaneously
Everything Your Marketplace Needs in One App
Built for platforms that connect buyers and sellers—on web, iOS, and Android from a single build.
Listing Management
Sellers create listings with photos, descriptions, prices, and categories. Adalo's built-in relational database links listings to seller profiles, reviews, and buyer inquiries—no external backend required.
Search & Filter
Build search with category filters, price ranges, location, and custom attributes. Buyers find what they're looking for quickly across your entire catalog on any device.
Seller Profiles & Dashboards
Custom seller profiles with ratings, listing counts, and response times. Sellers manage their inventory, track inquiries, and view performance from a dedicated dashboard.
Reviews & Ratings
Buyers rate sellers and leave reviews after transactions. Star ratings, written feedback, and verified purchase badges build trust and help quality sellers stand out.
Buyer-Seller Messaging
In-app messaging lets buyers ask questions about listings and negotiate with sellers. Conversation threads keep all communication organized within your marketplace app.
Push Notifications
Native push notifications alert sellers of new inquiries, buyers of price drops, and both parties of message replies. Critical for keeping your marketplace active and transactions moving.
From Idea to Marketplace App in Five Steps
Adalo 3.0's infrastructure (launched late 2025) is 3–4x faster and scales to 1M+ monthly active users. Here's how to build your marketplace on it.
Describe Your Marketplace to Ada
Tell Ada, Adalo's AI builder, what your marketplace needs. Magic Start generates a complete app with screens, database, and navigation from your description—typically in under two minutes.
Customize Listings & Workflows
See every screen on the visual canvas simultaneously. Point at elements and visually direct Ada to adjust your listing cards, category filters, and seller dashboards. Add features with Magic Add using natural language.
Connect Data & Payments
Use Adalo's built-in relational database for listings, users, reviews, and messages. Connect Google Sheets via SheetBridge if you're migrating an existing catalog. Add Stripe via Zapier for payments, or link to external checkout flows.
Test on Real Devices
Preview your marketplace on any device form factor directly from the canvas. Test the full buyer and seller flows—creating listings, searching, messaging, reviewing—on iPhone, Android, tablet, and desktop before publishing.
Publish to App Stores
Deploy your marketplace as a native iOS app on the Apple App Store, a native Android app on Google Play, and a web app—all from a single build. Buyers and sellers download your marketplace and start transacting immediately.
Your Marketplace, Your Rules, Your Revenue
Stop paying transaction fees to platform providers. Build a marketplace you fully control.
No Platform Transaction Fees
Adalo charges $36/mo flat—no percentage of your transactions. Sharetribe and similar platforms take 7–10% of every sale. On $10K/mo in transactions, that's $700–$1,000/mo saved.
Native App Store Presence
True native iOS and Android apps with push notifications. Your marketplace lives in the app store next to Amazon and Etsy—not as a web bookmark on someone's phone.
One Database for Everything
Adalo's built-in relational database connects listings, sellers, buyers, reviews, messages, and favorites without configuring external services. No Firebase. No Supabase. It just works.
Validate Before Investing
Ship your marketplace MVP in days, not months. Test product-market fit with real users at $36/mo before committing to custom development. The free plan includes 500 records to prototype.
Search & Discovery Built In
Build powerful search with category filters, price ranges, and sorting. Help buyers find exactly what they need in seconds—good discovery drives conversion more than anything else.
In-App Messaging
Keep buyer-seller communication inside your marketplace. When users exchange emails or phone numbers, they transact off-platform. Adalo's chat components keep the relationship and revenue on your app.
Custom Marketplace App vs. Sharetribe vs. Custom Development
See how building your own marketplace with Adalo compares to the alternatives.
| Factor | Adalo Marketplace App | Sharetribe | Custom Development |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build Time | ✅ Days to weeks | Weeks (from template) | 4–12 months |
| Monthly Cost | ✅ $36/mo flat (unlimited) | $99–$299/mo + transaction fees | $10,000–50,000/mo (hosting + team) |
| Transaction Fees | ✅ None from Adalo | 7–10% per transaction | Only payment processor fees |
| Native Mobile App | ✅ iOS and Android (true native) | Web only (responsive) | Yes (if budgeted separately) |
| Push Notifications | ✅ Built-in | Email only | Custom implementation required |
| Customization | ✅ Full — your screens, your flows | Constrained by template | Full (at development cost) |
| Scalability | ✅ Adalo 3.0 supports 1M+ MAU | Limited by plan tier | Scales with architecture |
Tips for Marketplace Success
Patterns from Makers who have built and launched successful marketplace apps with Adalo.
Solve One Side First
The classic marketplace chicken-and-egg problem: no buyers without sellers, no sellers without buyers. Pick a side and build value there first. Most successful Adalo marketplaces start by onboarding sellers, then driving buyer traffic.
Build Trust with Reviews
Reviews and ratings are the currency of marketplace trust. Implement a review system early so buyers can evaluate sellers. Verified purchase badges add an extra layer of credibility that drives repeat transactions.
Invest in Search & Discovery
If buyers can't find what they want in under 10 seconds, they leave. Build robust search with category filters, price ranges, and sorting options. Good discovery drives conversion more than anything else.
Keep Communication In-App
Buyer-seller messaging should happen inside your marketplace app. When users exchange phone numbers or emails, they transact outside your platform. In-app messaging keeps the relationship and the transaction on your marketplace.
Track Key Metrics Early
Monitor take rate, GMV, repeat purchase rate, and time-to-first-transaction from day one. These numbers tell you whether your marketplace is building real liquidity or just accumulating signups.
Launch in One Niche
The best marketplaces start narrow. Focus on one category, one city, or one audience segment. Dominate that niche before expanding. Spreading too thin too early kills marketplace liquidity.
Everything You Need to Build & Run a Marketplace
Unlimited Records on Paid Plans
No caps on listings, users, reviews, or messages. Adalo paid plans include unlimited database records, users, and storage. Free plan includes 500 records to get started.
Push Notifications
Native push notifications for new listings, buyer inquiries, message replies, and review alerts. Keeps both sides of your marketplace engaged and transactions moving.
Google Sheets via SheetBridge
Already tracking inventory in Google Sheets? SheetBridge connects your spreadsheet as a relational database so you can populate your marketplace from existing catalog data.
Zapier & Make Integrations
Connect your marketplace to 6,000+ tools. Process payments via Stripe, send order confirmations, sync with inventory systems, and automate seller payouts.
Learn How to Build Marketplace Apps with Adalo
Step-by-step guides, video walkthroughs, and documentation to help you build and ship your marketplace.
How to Build a Marketplace App Without Code
Full walkthrough: database schema, listing screens, search, seller dashboards, and publishing to app stores.
Read guide →Connecting Payment & External APIs
How to use External Collections and Custom Actions to connect your marketplace to Stripe, shipping, and inventory APIs.
View docs →Google Sheets to App via SheetBridge
Populate your marketplace from an existing product catalog without manual data entry.
Read guide →Relational Database Basics
Understand collections, relationships, and record linking — the foundation of any marketplace data model.
View docs →Common Questions About Building Marketplace Apps
What is Adalo?
Adalo is the no-code app builder that pairs AI-powered generation with a visual multi-screen canvas, so entrepreneurs and business teams can design, build, and publish custom database-driven apps to the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and web from a single project — no code, no developers required.
Can I build a two-sided marketplace with Adalo?
Yes. Adalo's built-in relational database supports multiple user roles (buyer, seller, admin) within a single app. Sellers get their own dashboard to manage listings, track inquiries, and view reviews. Buyers browse, search, message sellers, and leave ratings. Both roles are managed through one app deployed to web, iOS, and Android from a single build.
How do payments work in an Adalo marketplace?
Adalo doesn't include built-in payment processing, but you can integrate Stripe through Zapier or Custom Actions to handle buyer payments and seller payouts. Many Adalo marketplace Makers use Stripe Connect for split payments, where your platform takes a fee from each transaction. For simpler models, you can link to external checkout pages or use in-app messaging to arrange payment outside the app.
Can buyers leave reviews and ratings for sellers?
Yes. You can build a full review system with star ratings, written feedback, and verified purchase badges using Adalo's relational database. Reviews link to both the seller profile and the listing, so buyers see aggregate ratings on seller pages and individual feedback on listings. This is one of the most common features Makers build into marketplace apps.
How does search and filtering work?
Adalo supports search across any database field and filtering by categories, price ranges, location, and custom attributes. You build the search and filter interface on the visual canvas using list components with filter conditions. For marketplaces with thousands of listings, Adalo 3.0's improved database performance (3–4x faster, launched late 2025) ensures search results load quickly.
Can sellers manage their own listings and dashboards?
Yes. Adalo's role-based access lets you build separate experiences for buyers and sellers within the same app. Sellers see a dashboard with their active listings, pending inquiries, review scores, and sales history. They can create, edit, and remove their own listings through dedicated screens—without ever seeing other sellers' data.
How does Adalo compare to Sharetribe for marketplaces?
Sharetribe is purpose-built for marketplaces with built-in payment processing, transaction management, and marketplace-specific templates. If you need a standard marketplace with minimal customization, Sharetribe gets you live faster. Adalo's advantage is flexibility and native mobile: you design exactly the marketplace experience your niche needs, deploy to iOS and Android app stores (Sharetribe is web-only), and pay $36/mo flat with no transaction fees. Sharetribe charges $99–$299/mo plus 7–10% per transaction.
What can't Adalo do for marketplace apps?
Adalo excels at building custom marketplaces with listings, search, messaging, and reviews, but it doesn't include built-in payment processing, escrow, or dispute resolution—you integrate these via Stripe and Zapier. Adalo also doesn't provide geo-location search with map views out of the box (you'd need a map component or API integration), and advanced recommendation engines (like Amazon-style "you might also like") require external services. For marketplaces that need a fully custom experience with native mobile apps at a fraction of custom development cost, Adalo is the practical choice.
Explore more solutions: Social Media Apps, CRM Apps, Restaurant Apps, and AI-Powered Apps. Learn more about Adalo's no-code app builder.
Ready to Build Your Marketplace?
Start building for free with Adalo's no-code app builder. Your free plan includes 500 records, unlimited screens, and Ada AI—no credit card required.