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Karol Andruszków
Karol is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully founded 4 startup companies. With over 11 years of experience in Banking, Financial, IT and eCommerce sector, Karol has provided expert advice to more than 500 companies across 15 countries, including Poland, the USA, the UK, and Portugal.
The Best Stack to Build a Marketplace Platform - 2025 Update
Updated:
Tue, Apr 15
Czas czytania: 13 minut
Some marketplaces crash under load. Others fail because they’re too hard to change and scale.
Most of the time, the problem isn’t the idea, but the tech stack.
The tools behind your marketplace shape how fast you can build, test, and grow. They affect how your team works, how much you spend, and how well the system holds up.
In this guide, we examine the best marketplace stacks in 2025. We compare what’s fast to launch, what’s easy to scale, and what others use today.
Whether you’re planning a new platform or improving one, these insights can help you avoid mistakes.
No trends. No buzzwords. Just straightforward advice based on our experience and real-world use.
Most of the time, the problem isn’t the idea, but the tech stack.
The tools behind your marketplace shape how fast you can build, test, and grow. They affect how your team works, how much you spend, and how well the system holds up.
In this guide, we examine the best marketplace stacks in 2025. We compare what’s fast to launch, what’s easy to scale, and what others use today.
Whether you’re planning a new platform or improving one, these insights can help you avoid mistakes.
No trends. No buzzwords. Just straightforward advice based on our experience and real-world use.
What are Popular Technology Stacks for Marketplace Platforms?
Marketplace platforms power many of the most used services today, from retail to service booking. Behind each of these platforms is a well-chosen technology stack. A tech stack is the combination of tools, frameworks, and languages used to build and run software. The right one will define your development speed, costs, and long-term stability.
However, there is no universal blueprint. Your decision depends on what kind of marketplace you're building and your growth plans. Popular options include MERN, MEAN, MEVN, Next.js with Node.js, and LAMP. Each comes with its own strengths, weaknesses, and common use cases.
In the next sections, we’ll break down these stacks to help you decide which one fits your online marketplace development.
However, there is no universal blueprint. Your decision depends on what kind of marketplace you're building and your growth plans. Popular options include MERN, MEAN, MEVN, Next.js with Node.js, and LAMP. Each comes with its own strengths, weaknesses, and common use cases.
In the next sections, we’ll break down these stacks to help you decide which one fits your online marketplace development.
MEAN Stack For Marketplace Development
The MEAN stack is often the go-to choice for startups building a marketplace.
One industry analysis called it “the most popular tech stack among marketplace startups.” The main appeal? Developers can use JavaScript or TypeScript across the entire stack, from database to frontend.
MEAN is a good fit for fast-moving teams working on data-driven single-page applications. Its backend, built on Node.js, supports real-time features and handles many users at once. MongoDB pairs well with flexible data models. Angular helps manage complex user interfaces with a structured approach.
A large ecosystem of JavaScript libraries also shortens build time
One industry analysis called it “the most popular tech stack among marketplace startups.” The main appeal? Developers can use JavaScript or TypeScript across the entire stack, from database to frontend.
MEAN is a good fit for fast-moving teams working on data-driven single-page applications. Its backend, built on Node.js, supports real-time features and handles many users at once. MongoDB pairs well with flexible data models. Angular helps manage complex user interfaces with a structured approach.
A large ecosystem of JavaScript libraries also shortens build time
JS/TS full stack is a great option as it’s very easy to find developers well versed in those technologies.
One contributor on Reddit
However, Angular’s learning curve is steep, especially for small teams. Many companies now swap Angular for React or Vue, while keeping the rest of the stack the same. Node.js also has a single-threaded architecture.
This works well for many use cases. However, it may slow down under CPU-heavy tasks unless you scale with worker threads or microservices.
The MEAN stack works best for MVPs and single-page apps where speed, interactivity, and quick iterations plays key role.
This works well for many use cases. However, it may slow down under CPU-heavy tasks unless you scale with worker threads or microservices.
The MEAN stack works best for MVPs and single-page apps where speed, interactivity, and quick iterations plays key role.
MEVN Stack (MongoDB, Express, Vue.js, Node.js)
MEVN is another JavaScript-based stack that swaps the frontend for Vue.js.
Vue is known for being simple, lightweight, and easy to pick up. It offers a middle ground between Angular’s structure and React’s flexibility.
While MEVN is not as widely used as MERN or MEAN, it appeals to teams who prefer Vue’s cleaner syntax and lower barrier to entry.
The rest of the stack stays the same. Node.js for the backend, MongoDB for storage, and Express for routing. This keeps the end-to-end JavaScript flow, which helps streamline development.
Vue’s main strength is that it can be adopted step by step. The framework has a smaller but dedicated developer community. That said, its ecosystem is more limited. You may find fewer ready-made templates or marketplace kits when using Vue compared to React.
MEVN fits well in niche or regional projects where Vue has strong adoption. Some startups in the EU, for example, favor Vue for its simplicity. It’s also a good choice if your team is already using Vue in other parts of your product.
Vue is known for being simple, lightweight, and easy to pick up. It offers a middle ground between Angular’s structure and React’s flexibility.
While MEVN is not as widely used as MERN or MEAN, it appeals to teams who prefer Vue’s cleaner syntax and lower barrier to entry.
The rest of the stack stays the same. Node.js for the backend, MongoDB for storage, and Express for routing. This keeps the end-to-end JavaScript flow, which helps streamline development.
Vue’s main strength is that it can be adopted step by step. The framework has a smaller but dedicated developer community. That said, its ecosystem is more limited. You may find fewer ready-made templates or marketplace kits when using Vue compared to React.
MEVN fits well in niche or regional projects where Vue has strong adoption. Some startups in the EU, for example, favor Vue for its simplicity. It’s also a good choice if your team is already using Vue in other parts of your product.
Next.js and Node.js
Next.js is a React framework that supports server-side rendering and static site generation.
These features help pages load faster and rank better in search engines. That’s why many teams building e-commerce or marketplace platforms choose this setup.
In this stack, Next.js handles the frontend while Node.js (often with Express or NestJS) runs the backend. This is similar to MERN, but with better performance and SEO. Built-in routing and page-level rendering options make Next.js useful for marketplaces with many product pages or vendor listings.
The developer experience is also strong. Next.js supports React components, hot reloading, and smart defaults that reduce setup time.
This setup does add some complexity. You’ll need to manage both frontend and backend logic, especially when using server-side rendering. However, Next.js handles most of this behind the scenes, keeping the workflow simple.
This stack is a good fit for marketplace engine that rely on search traffic or serve content-heavy pages. Many startups now use Next.js as the storefront, paired with a Node-based API or headless CMS to serve data.
If you're interested to learn more about Node.js popularity and adoption in 2025, read about it in our article: What Does Hiring a Node js App Development Company Mean for Your Budget?
These features help pages load faster and rank better in search engines. That’s why many teams building e-commerce or marketplace platforms choose this setup.
In this stack, Next.js handles the frontend while Node.js (often with Express or NestJS) runs the backend. This is similar to MERN, but with better performance and SEO. Built-in routing and page-level rendering options make Next.js useful for marketplaces with many product pages or vendor listings.
The developer experience is also strong. Next.js supports React components, hot reloading, and smart defaults that reduce setup time.
This setup does add some complexity. You’ll need to manage both frontend and backend logic, especially when using server-side rendering. However, Next.js handles most of this behind the scenes, keeping the workflow simple.
This stack is a good fit for marketplace engine that rely on search traffic or serve content-heavy pages. Many startups now use Next.js as the storefront, paired with a Node-based API or headless CMS to serve data.
If you're interested to learn more about Node.js popularity and adoption in 2025, read about it in our article: What Does Hiring a Node js App Development Company Mean for Your Budget?
LAMP Stack (PHP and MySQL)
The LAMP stack include Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. It has powered marketplaces since the early days of the web. While newer stacks get more attention, LAMP remains a stable, low-cost choice in 2025.
Many marketplaces still run on PHP. Teams often use frameworks like Laravel or CMS platforms like WordPress. WooCommerce, paired with vendor plugins, can get a very basic marketplace live fast.
The PHP and MySQL combo is familiar to most developers. It offers strong community support and works well for structured, relational data. Hosting is cheap, and many tools support LAMP out of the box.
Many marketplaces still run on PHP. Teams often use frameworks like Laravel or CMS platforms like WordPress. WooCommerce, paired with vendor plugins, can get a very basic marketplace live fast.
The PHP and MySQL combo is familiar to most developers. It offers strong community support and works well for structured, relational data. Hosting is cheap, and many tools support LAMP out of the box.
If you want to worry about business and not tech… go with something tested like WooCommerce!
shares one contributor in Hacker News
That mindset still works. A niche marketplace built on WordPress can serve users well without large upfront costs.
However, LAMP has limits. Classic PHP apps can become hard to scale or maintain. Plugins may conflict or cause security issues. Some teams see LAMP as “old tech,” which might make hiring harder.
To solve some of these problems, developers use the LEMP stack (means swapping Apache for Nginx) and build on Laravel. Laravel offers better structure and tools like Nova (admin panels) and Cashier (payments). The framework works for custom B2C or online service marketplace platform that don’t need a microservices setup yet.
Laravel apps can scale with tools like Redis, queues, and load balancers. But this adds complexity. As teams grow, so does the need for skilled PHP developers.
Ruby Marketplace
Ruby on Rails has been a popular choice for building marketplaces for over 15 years.
It helped launch many well-known platforms, including Airbnb and Fiverr. Rails focuses speed and clear structure, using a principle called “convention over configuration.”
This makes it easier to build and extend applications without writing repetitive setup code.
Rails uses the Ruby language, which many developers enjoy for its clean syntax. The framework also has a large collection of pre-built libraries, called gems. These handle common marketplace needs like user accounts, two-factor authentication, payments, and admin tools.
Teams often choose Rails when speed of development is a top priority. Rails makes it easy to build and test features quickly, which is ideal for launching MVPs. Its strong testing culture also supports long-term code quality.
In real-world use, Airbnb started with a full Rails app and kept much of that structure as they scaled. Fiverr did the same in its early years.
Modern Rails apps often pair Rails with a JavaScript frontend. Teams use Rails to power the backend API, while frameworks like React or Angular handle the user interface. This setup combines Rails’ reliability with a more flexible frontend.
While Ruby is not the fastest language, Rails apps scale well with the right setup. Teams add background workers, caching, and service layers to meet performance demands.
It helped launch many well-known platforms, including Airbnb and Fiverr. Rails focuses speed and clear structure, using a principle called “convention over configuration.”
This makes it easier to build and extend applications without writing repetitive setup code.
Rails uses the Ruby language, which many developers enjoy for its clean syntax. The framework also has a large collection of pre-built libraries, called gems. These handle common marketplace needs like user accounts, two-factor authentication, payments, and admin tools.
Teams often choose Rails when speed of development is a top priority. Rails makes it easy to build and test features quickly, which is ideal for launching MVPs. Its strong testing culture also supports long-term code quality.
In real-world use, Airbnb started with a full Rails app and kept much of that structure as they scaled. Fiverr did the same in its early years.
Modern Rails apps often pair Rails with a JavaScript frontend. Teams use Rails to power the backend API, while frameworks like React or Angular handle the user interface. This setup combines Rails’ reliability with a more flexible frontend.
While Ruby is not the fastest language, Rails apps scale well with the right setup. Teams add background workers, caching, and service layers to meet performance demands.
Java and .NET (Typical Enterprise Stacks)
Java (Spring Boot and Microservices)
Java remains a common choice for large-scale marketplaces, especially in the enterprise space.
Many B2B platforms use Java for its performance, structure, and long-term stability. While companies like Mirakl do not disclose their tech stacks, the pattern suggests they rely on enterprise technologies. For example like Java to handle high load and complex transactions.
Spring Boot helps teams build Java-based APIs and microservices with less effort than older Java frameworks. It works well with enterprise tools like message brokers, monitoring platforms, and relational databases. These make Java a strong fit for complex systems with many moving parts.
Java supports multithreading and handles large traffic volumes well. Its ecosystem includes mature commerce platforms (Broadleaf and SAP Commerce Cloud) that are used in major marketplace deployments. Teams with existing Java systems often continue using Java for better integration and reuse.
Companies like eBay began with a Java-based backend, and parts of that core still run on the JVM today. This makes Java a trusted choice. When marketplace scale, system complexity, and long-term support matter more than development speed.
.NET (C# and ASP.NET Core)
.NET has grown in popularity, especially after .NET Core made it cross-platform and open-source. It’s a solid choice for marketplaces built by teams with Microsoft experience or hosted on Azure.
ASP.NET Core is known for its high performance. It handles web requests quickly and pairs well with tools like Visual Studio.
Developers often use it to build APIs with C#, but it also supports front-end frameworks like Blazor. While Blazor is not widely used yet, it lets teams build interactive interfaces in C# instead of JavaScript.
.NET integrates well with Microsoft SQL Server and Azure services. That’s useful for companies already using Microsoft tools, such as Dynamics CRM or Active Directory.
While .NET has fewer plug-and-play marketplace libraries than PHP or Rails, it’s used in many custom B2B platforms. These include marketplaces in finance, equipment trading, or SaaS products with multi-tenant logic.
What’s the Best Stack for Your Marketplace Development?
There’s no universal answer to which tech stack is best. The right choice depends on your goals, your team, and how you expect your marketplace to grow.
However, we’ve created a core list of questions to help guide your decision.
Below are 13 essential questions you should go through before the final decision:
However, we’ve created a core list of questions to help guide your decision.
Below are 13 essential questions you should go through before the final decision:
- What type of marketplace are you building?
- How fast do you need to launch your MVP?
- What operational complexity are you willing to manage over time?
- Which parts of your system require strict consistency, and where is eventual consistency acceptable?
- How will you handle identity, access, and multi-role permissions at scale?
- What level of real-time functionality do you require across services and interfaces?
- What’s your strategy for deployment, rollback, and service observability?
- How important is SSR (server-side rendering) or static generation for your SEO and performance goals?
- What’s your long-term integration roadmap with external systems (CRM, ERP, PIM, etc.)?
- Do you plan to support custom logic or workflows per vendor, category, or customer segment?
- What’s your strategy for handling payments, fraud prevention, and compliance workflows?
- How much vendor or cloud lock-in are you willing to accept?
- How will you approach domain-driven design and service boundaries from the start?
💡 Planning to Build a Marketplace Platform?
We help teams ship fast with proven frameworks and architecture!
📨 business@ulansoftware.com
We help teams ship fast with proven frameworks and architecture!
📨 business@ulansoftware.com
Comparing Stacks for Marketplace Software Development
Nowadays, most marketplace platforms aren’t built using a single, rigid tech stack. Instead, teams combine tools based on what works best for each layer of the system.
You might see Node.js used for the API layer, React on the frontend, and PostgreSQL powering the database.
Another scenario is marketplace may start with Ruby on Rails for core business workflows, while real-time features are offloaded to a Node.js service.
This approach is called composable architecture. Each component like frontend, backend, database, messaging, or payment service is selected independently. It’s not about sticking to one acronym (like MEAN or LAMP), but about assembling the right tools for the right job.
To help you make sense of these combinations, we’ve created a high-level visual comparison table. It highlights how various stacks perform across critical areas like scalability, developer availability, support for custom logic, SSR, and more.
See below how different stacks compare across key decision factors:
You might see Node.js used for the API layer, React on the frontend, and PostgreSQL powering the database.
Another scenario is marketplace may start with Ruby on Rails for core business workflows, while real-time features are offloaded to a Node.js service.
This approach is called composable architecture. Each component like frontend, backend, database, messaging, or payment service is selected independently. It’s not about sticking to one acronym (like MEAN or LAMP), but about assembling the right tools for the right job.
To help you make sense of these combinations, we’ve created a high-level visual comparison table. It highlights how various stacks perform across critical areas like scalability, developer availability, support for custom logic, SSR, and more.
See below how different stacks compare across key decision factors:
When choosing JavaScript and Node.js (MEAN, MERN, etc.) for Marketplace?
JavaScript-based stacks use the same language on both the frontend and backend. It speeds up development and simplifies hiring. Node.js supports APIs and real-time features, while frameworks like React or Angular offer a fast, interactive UI.
Choose this when: your team already works with JavaScript, you're building a modern MVP, or you want a flexible stack that can scale and evolve with modular services. For CPU-heavy tasks, plan for offloading or scaling early.
When to build a marketplace with LAMP and PHP?
LAMP could be a choice. Especially for marketplaces built with WordPress, Magento, or plugin-based systems. It supports fast launch cycles and lower upfront costs. But scaling a monolithic PHP setup takes planning and strong code discipline.
Choose this when: your team needs to ship quickly, has limited dev capacity, or you're extending a CMS-based site already running on PHP.
When is Ruby on Rails a good fit for marketplace development?
Rails focuses on speed, structure, and productivity. It offers strong conventions and a mature ecosystem of gems for payments, auth, and dashboards. Platforms like Airbnb and Fiverr used Rails in early stages to launch and iterate fast.
Choose this when: your marketplace involves complex user flows, business logic, or role-based access. As well as if you want to keep the codebase easy to extend as your team grows.
When to create a marketplace with Java or .NET?
Java and .NET are suited for large, enterprise marketplaces. They offer high performance, strong typing, and mature tooling. These stacks handle complex logic, data integrity, and integrations with ease. However, usually it need more engineering time.
Choose this when: your platform must support heavy traffic, meet strict compliance rules, or connect with internal systems like CRMs, ERPs, or payment gateways.
Many successful platforms are built using a combination of these stacks.
We also asked our Chief Technology Officer for his take on the best tech stack for building a marketplace platform. Here’s what he said:
“From a technical point of view, you can build a marketplace app with almost any tech stack. Most options are ‘doable.’ ....But based on our experience over the past three years, we’ve seen a clear pattern. In 9 out of 10 cases, we recommend a stack based on TypeScript, NestJS on the backend and Vue.js on the frontend. Both work well together and offer strong developer experience.
That’s because it gives teams the speed to launch and the flexibility to evolve. That said, tech choices should always follow the business logic, not the other way around.”
That’s because it gives teams the speed to launch and the flexibility to evolve. That said, tech choices should always follow the business logic, not the other way around.”
Wojciech Andruszkow, CTO of Ulan Software
What Tech Stacks Do Marketplace Giants Use?
Some of the largest marketplace companies didn’t follow a single template. Instead, they built custom stacks based on their early needs and later evolved them to support growth, complexity, and scale. These examples show that the best tech stack is often one that adapts over time.
Airbnb started with a Ruby on Rails monolith. As the platform grew, they moved toward a service-oriented setup. Rails still powers many core features, while newer components use Java and Kotlin. Airbnb runs on AWS and is known for shaping modern deployment practices, including immutable infrastructure and Kubernetes.
Uber, while more of an on-demand service than a marketplace, shows what scale looks like. They began with a Python backend and a Node.js dispatch layer. Later, they shifted to a full microservices architecture with services in Go, Java, and Node.js. Uber uses Kafka for event streaming and built its own mobile UI frameworks to manage complex interactions across platforms.
Etsy, a marketplace for handmade goods, started in PHP. Much of the platform still runs on it. Over time, Etsy split the frontend and backend, adopting React and Backbone.js on the UI side, and Java for select services. Their infrastructure includes sharded MySQL databases and Solr for search. Etsy proves that even legacy stacks can scale, though modern builds might use lighter or more flexible tools to reach the same outcomes faster.
Airbnb started with a Ruby on Rails monolith. As the platform grew, they moved toward a service-oriented setup. Rails still powers many core features, while newer components use Java and Kotlin. Airbnb runs on AWS and is known for shaping modern deployment practices, including immutable infrastructure and Kubernetes.
Uber, while more of an on-demand service than a marketplace, shows what scale looks like. They began with a Python backend and a Node.js dispatch layer. Later, they shifted to a full microservices architecture with services in Go, Java, and Node.js. Uber uses Kafka for event streaming and built its own mobile UI frameworks to manage complex interactions across platforms.
Etsy, a marketplace for handmade goods, started in PHP. Much of the platform still runs on it. Over time, Etsy split the frontend and backend, adopting React and Backbone.js on the UI side, and Java for select services. Their infrastructure includes sharded MySQL databases and Solr for search. Etsy proves that even legacy stacks can scale, though modern builds might use lighter or more flexible tools to reach the same outcomes faster.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right tech stack for your marketplace platform is not about following trends.
Whether you're building a service marketplace, a multi-vendor marketplace platform, or adding marketplace features to an existing system, your architecture should support the business, not hold it back.
There’s no single “best” stack. JavaScript, PHP, Rails, Python, Java, and .NET all have their place, depending on the problem you're solving. What matters is clarity around trade-offs and confidence in execution.
At Ulan Software, we work with teams at different stages. Some need to build a platform from the ground up. Others want to scale what they already have. In both cases, we help teams create flexible, maintainable systems, without overengineering.
If you're planning a marketplace project or thinking about your tech choices, we’re happy to share our perspective. Let's Talk!
Whether you're building a service marketplace, a multi-vendor marketplace platform, or adding marketplace features to an existing system, your architecture should support the business, not hold it back.
There’s no single “best” stack. JavaScript, PHP, Rails, Python, Java, and .NET all have their place, depending on the problem you're solving. What matters is clarity around trade-offs and confidence in execution.
At Ulan Software, we work with teams at different stages. Some need to build a platform from the ground up. Others want to scale what they already have. In both cases, we help teams create flexible, maintainable systems, without overengineering.
If you're planning a marketplace project or thinking about your tech choices, we’re happy to share our perspective. Let's Talk!
Karol Andruszków
Karol is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully founded 4 startup companies. With over 11 years of experience in Banking, Financial, IT and eCommerce sector, Karol has provided expert advice to more than 500 companies across 15 countries, including Poland, the USA, the UK, and Portugal.
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