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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.
Build Custom Marketplace Software or Use Sharetribe? - an Ultimate Comparison
Updated:
Thu, Apr 17
Czas czytania: 17 minut
Launching a two-sided marketplace is a major step. One of the first decisions is choosing HOW to build the platform. You can build it from scratch or use a ready-made one, like Sharetribe.
Sharetribe is a no-code platform. It helps founders launch fast without much coding. The other path is custom marketplace software development. This means building a platform tailored to your needs.
In this article, we compare both options. We look at cost, speed, scale, customization, and long-term value. We also consider different marketplace types like product, service, and rental.
While custom builds may win in the long run, we stay fair. We use real feedback, expert views, and case studies to guide your choice.
Sharetribe is a no-code platform. It helps founders launch fast without much coding. The other path is custom marketplace software development. This means building a platform tailored to your needs.
In this article, we compare both options. We look at cost, speed, scale, customization, and long-term value. We also consider different marketplace types like product, service, and rental.
While custom builds may win in the long run, we stay fair. We use real feedback, expert views, and case studies to guide your choice.
When Does Sharetribe Work, and When Custom Builds Win?
Marketplaces come in three main types: product-based, service-based, and rental-based. Each has different needs. These needs shape whether Sharetribe is enough or if a custom build makes more sense.
Sharetribe offers only basic tools here. It handles listings and payments, but doesn’t go far beyond that. You won’t find advanced features like detailed order tracking or strong vendor tools.
For larger product marketplaces, Sharetribe will likely fall short. A custom-built or an e-commerce-focused platform can handle the complexity better.
Sharetribe doesn’t handle this well out of the box. Services are treated like products: you list, someone checks out. But service-based platforms often need more steps, like proposals, chat, or milestone payments. These aren’t built in.
If your marketplace revolves around services, you may find Sharetribe too limiting. A custom platform gives you the freedom to design the right user flow.
Sharetribe was built for rentals. It includes strong booking features and works well for peer-to-peer rentals. Many of Sharetribe’s case studies focus on rental marketplaces, like car-sharing or pool rentals.
If your idea follows a simple rental model, Sharetribe might be enough. You still have the option to build custom features, but the base tools work well here.
Product Marketplaces
These marketplaces sell physical goods, like Etsy or eBay. They need advanced e-commerce tools. This includes product catalogs, inventory tracking, carts, shipping, and order management. Vendors often expect full store features.
Sharetribe offers only basic tools here. It handles listings and payments, but doesn’t go far beyond that. You won’t find advanced features like detailed order tracking or strong vendor tools.
For larger product marketplaces, Sharetribe will likely fall short. A custom-built or an e-commerce-focused platform can handle the complexity better.
Service Marketplaces
Now take Upwork or TaskRabbit. These platforms match people with skills to people who need help. That means profile pages, portfolios, booking systems, messaging, and flexible pricing.
Sharetribe doesn’t handle this well out of the box. Services are treated like products: you list, someone checks out. But service-based platforms often need more steps, like proposals, chat, or milestone payments. These aren’t built in.
If your marketplace revolves around services, you may find Sharetribe too limiting. A custom platform gives you the freedom to design the right user flow.
Rental Marketplaces
Platforms like these rent out items or spaces, like Airbnb or Turo. They need booking tools, availability calendars, and map-based search. Trust is key, so features like ratings or deposits matter.
Sharetribe was built for rentals. It includes strong booking features and works well for peer-to-peer rentals. Many of Sharetribe’s case studies focus on rental marketplaces, like car-sharing or pool rentals.
If your idea follows a simple rental model, Sharetribe might be enough. You still have the option to build custom features, but the base tools work well here.
Our Opinion
Sharetribe covers the basics for rentals and simple listings. But if you're building a full e-commerce or complex service marketplace, its limits show fast. Custom marketplace development may be the only way to get the features you need.
Cost Comparison: Custom Development vs. Sharetribe Subscription
Cost is often the first major factor. You need to think about both what you pay upfront and what it takes to keep things running.
This price covers core features like user accounts, listings, search, and payments. If you want mobile apps, advanced logic, or solid QA, the cost will grow.
Once launched, you’re also responsible for maintenance. That includes fixing bugs, updating software, adding features, and paying for servers. Many teams end up hiring full-time engineers just to keep the platform stable.
You can also launch faster by tweaking settings and making small design changes yourself—or with a freelancer’s help.
Sharetribe also offers a “Flex” version. This is a headless version with usage-based pricing. It’s cheaper at first, but you’ll pay more as traffic and transactions grow.
Sharetribe has also changed its pricing tiers in the past. Mid-tier plans were removed, forcing users to upgrade. These shifts mean you don’t fully control your long-term costs.
With a custom build, you pay more up front, but costs are more stable later.
You won’t get pushed into new pricing tiers or usage limits. If your platform succeeds, the money spent goes toward an asset you fully control.
But Sharetribe has limits. If you need custom features beyond what’s built in, you may need developers anyway. Sharetribe has a developer platform and partner agencies that offer custom work. That adds cost on top of your monthly fee.
Founders often hit a wall when they want to add unique workflows or tools. You can work around it, if you have the budget or the coding skills. If not, you may have to compromise.
Building from Scratch
If you build your own platform, expect a high starting cost. You’ll need a dedicated software development team or a lot of your own time if you’re technical. Even a basic version can cost tens of thousands. Rough estimates place a simple marketplace MVP at $30,000–$60,000.This price covers core features like user accounts, listings, search, and payments. If you want mobile apps, advanced logic, or solid QA, the cost will grow.
Once launched, you’re also responsible for maintenance. That includes fixing bugs, updating software, adding features, and paying for servers. Many teams end up hiring full-time engineers just to keep the platform stable.
Using Sharetribe
Sharetribe avoids most upfront costs. It runs on a monthly subscription model. Plans start low—$79 per month for the Hobby tier, and go up to $239 for the Scale plan. You don’t pay to build the core platform. Hosting, updates, and security are all included.You can also launch faster by tweaking settings and making small design changes yourself—or with a freelancer’s help.
Sharetribe also offers a “Flex” version. This is a headless version with usage-based pricing. It’s cheaper at first, but you’ll pay more as traffic and transactions grow.
Hidden and Long-Term Costs
While Sharetribe is cheap at first, its cost grows with your user base. Each plan has user limits. If you grow beyond 1,000 users, you’ll need to switch to higher tiers like Growth or Scale. At that point, the monthly cost starts to add up.
Sharetribe has also changed its pricing tiers in the past. Mid-tier plans were removed, forcing users to upgrade. These shifts mean you don’t fully control your long-term costs.
With a custom build, you pay more up front, but costs are more stable later.
You won’t get pushed into new pricing tiers or usage limits. If your platform succeeds, the money spent goes toward an asset you fully control.
Maintenance: Who Owns the Problem?
Sharetribe handles core maintenance. You don’t need DevOps, server admins, or a backend team. That’s a clear advantage, especially early on.
But Sharetribe has limits. If you need custom features beyond what’s built in, you may need developers anyway. Sharetribe has a developer platform and partner agencies that offer custom work. That adds cost on top of your monthly fee.
Founders often hit a wall when they want to add unique workflows or tools. You can work around it, if you have the budget or the coding skills. If not, you may have to compromise.
What Founders Say About Cost
Many early-stage founders like Sharetribe’s low price and fast launch. Some call it:"basically the Shopify of marketplaces… "
Commented user on Indiehacker
But admit the monthly fee can feel steep compared to Shopify itself.
On the other side, we warn that custom builds are never cheap. Even a minimal MVP can run $40,000 or more before you go live. So while Sharetribe might seem pricey over time, it’s still the cheaper way just to test an idea.
If your project is small or short-lived, Sharetribe helps you avoid high risk. If you plan to build a lasting business, custom development can save you money long-term.
Many teams split the difference. They launch with Sharetribe to validate the idea, then move to a custom platform once the business proves itself.
On the other side, we warn that custom builds are never cheap. Even a minimal MVP can run $40,000 or more before you go live. So while Sharetribe might seem pricey over time, it’s still the cheaper way just to test an idea.
Thinking About ROI
We’ll explore ROI later, but here’s the basic idea. A custom build is a one-time capital investment. Sharetribe turns your software into a monthly cost. If your marketplace grows large, owning the code may pay off.
If your project is small or short-lived, Sharetribe helps you avoid high risk. If you plan to build a lasting business, custom development can save you money long-term.
Bottom Line on Costs
Sharetribe wins on price and speed at the start. You can spend a few hundred and launch. That’s a smart choice if you’re testing the idea. But if you already have funding or a strong plan, building your own platform may give you more freedom and avoid costly migrations later.
Many teams split the difference. They launch with Sharetribe to validate the idea, then move to a custom platform once the business proves itself.
Time to Market: How Fast Can You Launch Marketplace Platform?
For startups, speed matters. Getting to market early helps you test ideas, learn from users, and stay ahead of competitors. When it comes to launch speed, Sharetribe and custom development offer very different paths.
Many founders report launching MVPs within a day or two.
With some branding or layout tweaks, a few weeks is still a realistic timeline. For early-stage startups, this kind of speed can be the difference between moving forward and stalling out.
Sharetribe Flex, the headless version, takes longer. You or your developer need to connect a custom front-end to Sharetribe’s APIs. Still, it’s much faster than building your own backend.
You have to design the system, code each part, test it, and polish the user experience. This includes listings, search, profiles, payments, and notifications.
Some teams try to speed up coding by using templates or frameworks, like WordPress with plugins, or Ruby on Rails engines. Others start with open-source marketplace code, like the legacy Sharetribe. But all these options still take setup time, and you’ll be responsible for hosting and maintenance.
However, there’s a middle path. At Ulan Software, we take a modular approach that helps clients save time. We build marketplaces using our pre-made components, then tailor them to the client’s needs. This speeds up development, shortens time to market, and supports future growth without sacrificing performance. In one of our projects, we reduced the development time up to 60% thanks to this approach. Read more about how we developed Delivery Service App.
Sharetribe lets you put out a simple version fast. You get feedback sooner and can start improving. As one founder put it:
Sharetribe: Fast by Design
Speed is Sharetribe’s biggest strength. You can launch a basic marketplace in days or even hours. It comes with ready-made features like user sign-up, listings, search, messages, booking, payments, and reviews. The hosted version, the “New Sharetribe”, lets you set up everything from a web interface. No coding needed.
Many founders report launching MVPs within a day or two.
With some branding or layout tweaks, a few weeks is still a realistic timeline. For early-stage startups, this kind of speed can be the difference between moving forward and stalling out.
Sharetribe Flex, the headless version, takes longer. You or your developer need to connect a custom front-end to Sharetribe’s APIs. Still, it’s much faster than building your own backend.
Building From Scratch - A Longer Road
A custom build takes time. Even with a good team, building a working MVP often takes 3 to 9 months. Complex platforms can take more than a year.
You have to design the system, code each part, test it, and polish the user experience. This includes listings, search, profiles, payments, and notifications.
Some teams try to speed up coding by using templates or frameworks, like WordPress with plugins, or Ruby on Rails engines. Others start with open-source marketplace code, like the legacy Sharetribe. But all these options still take setup time, and you’ll be responsible for hosting and maintenance.
However, there’s a middle path. At Ulan Software, we take a modular approach that helps clients save time. We build marketplaces using our pre-made components, then tailor them to the client’s needs. This speeds up development, shortens time to market, and supports future growth without sacrificing performance. In one of our projects, we reduced the development time up to 60% thanks to this approach. Read more about how we developed Delivery Service App.
Why Speed Matters for Marketplace Development
Launching early helps you learn. You can test your assumptions, see how users respond, and fix things fast. If it turns out no one wants the product, you’ve saved months of effort.Sharetribe lets you put out a simple version fast. You get feedback sooner and can start improving. As one founder put it:
“Most founders worry a little too much about what happens if it scales… the reality is that [scaling] is a great problem to have, but most founders never experience it...
So the best tool… is the one that allows you to validate [your idea] the quickest and cheapest.”
So the best tool… is the one that allows you to validate [your idea] the quickest and cheapest.”
wrote user on Reddit
If that’s true for you, then speed should be your top priority.
The fast launch Sharetribe gives you comes from using its built-in tools. That’s great—until you want something it doesn’t support. Custom flows, new features, or smart algorithms? You can’t add those on day one.
Some founders solve this by launching with Sharetribe, then building a custom version later. That way, they test demand first. One user described this well:
The fast launch Sharetribe gives you comes from using its built-in tools. That’s great—until you want something it doesn’t support. Custom flows, new features, or smart algorithms? You can’t add those on day one.
Some founders solve this by launching with Sharetribe, then building a custom version later. That way, they test demand first. One user described this well:
“For [the] MVP it might be worth it, and while the MVP is working, you can start building on another tool [custom solution]”
If your goal is to launch fast, Sharetribe wins. It offers a working MVP in days, not months. Custom builds take longer.
Many now-successful marketplaces began with simple tools. Airbnb’s first version was basic. If Sharetribe had existed, they might’ve used it too. Start fast, learn quickly, and be ready to adapt.
Many now-successful marketplaces began with simple tools. Airbnb’s first version was basic. If Sharetribe had existed, they might’ve used it too. Start fast, learn quickly, and be ready to adapt.
Can Sharetribe Grow With You or Will You Need to Rebuild?
Scalability is about how well your marketplace engine supports growth, user count, traffic, transactions, and added features. For a CTO planning to build something lasting, this is a key concern. We’ll look at both technical scalability and what it takes to grow your business on each platform
Custom Build & Full Control
When you build your own platform, you control everything - code, architecture, and infrastructure. You can design for scale from day one by choosing the right tools and setting up auto-scaling systems. There’s no built-in limit. If your system is well engineered, it can grow with your user base.
That’s why large platforms like Etsy, Airbnb, and eBay went custom. As they grew, they evolved their tech, from monoliths to microservices, from single databases to sharded systems. A custom build gives you that same flexibility.
But scalable architecture takes skill. Many MVPs aren’t built with scale in mind, and that’s okay at the start. The good news is you can fix or refactor later, on your own terms.
You can upgrade infrastructure, optimize queries, add caching, or deploy new instances when needed. Modern cloud platforms like AWS and Azure make this easier.
Fast Start with Sharetribe but Fixed Limits
Sharetribe is a hosted solution. That makes it easy to launch, but harder to scale beyond a certain point. Their classic hosted product (formerly Sharetribe Go) has hard user caps. The Pro plan supports up to 1,000 users. Growth allows 10,000. Scale supports 100,000. If your platform grows past that, you’ll need custom pricing, or switch to Sharetribe Flex.
Those numbers may sound large, but a fast-growing marketplace can hit them in months. As our CTO says:
“Sharetribe is a good choice for launching fast, but it’s not built to support large-scale communities. It works well for early-stage or small marketplaces. But if you aim to grow big, you’ll run into limits sooner or later.”
Wojciech Andruszkow, CTO of Ulan Software
Flex handles things differently. It doesn’t cap users directly, but you’ll pay more as your traffic and transactions grow. It’s API-based and more flexible, but still hosted by Sharetribe. That means you rely on their backend for performance. If traffic spikes, and things slow down, you have to wait for their team to fix it.
Some founders also raise concerns about pricing during off-peak months. If usage drops, you still pay the higher-tier fee. With a custom platform, you could scale servers down to save money, something you can’t do on Sharetribe.
Scaling Features, Not Just Users
As your business evolves, you’ll need new features: advanced search, loyalty programs, dashboards, analytics. With a custom build, you can add anything, anytime. With Sharetribe, you’re limited to what the platform supports, or what their API allows.
Founders often hit a wall not because of traffic, but because they need something Sharetribe doesn’t offer. That’s functional scalability and it’s another reason teams eventually outgrow no-code.
Flex is API-first, so you can improve front-end speed with smart CDN use, but you’re still tied to their backend. For global marketplaces, this may limit performance optimization.
With a custom build, you pay a lot up front, but scaling costs stay predictable. If your infrastructure is efficient, adding users won’t push costs through the roof.
Custom online marketplace offers true long-term scalability, both in performance and features. If you plan to serve thousands of users or support complex workflows, you’ll need to go custom.
Sharetribe is enough for local and small marketplaces. But if you're building the next Airbnb or Etsy, you’ll hit Sharetribe’s ceiling. Plan for that from the start.
Some founders also raise concerns about pricing during off-peak months. If usage drops, you still pay the higher-tier fee. With a custom platform, you could scale servers down to save money, something you can’t do on Sharetribe.
Scaling Features, Not Just Users
As your business evolves, you’ll need new features: advanced search, loyalty programs, dashboards, analytics. With a custom build, you can add anything, anytime. With Sharetribe, you’re limited to what the platform supports, or what their API allows.
Founders often hit a wall not because of traffic, but because they need something Sharetribe doesn’t offer. That’s functional scalability and it’s another reason teams eventually outgrow no-code.
Infrastructure Limits
With a custom build, you can deploy servers near your users, use global CDNs, and scale resources regionally. With Sharetribe, you use their infrastructure. You don’t control server location, caching strategy, or backend performance tuning.
Flex is API-first, so you can improve front-end speed with smart CDN use, but you’re still tied to their backend. For global marketplaces, this may limit performance optimization.
Cost of Scaling
Sharetribe keeps costs low at the start. But as usage grows, so do costs. Higher plans, transaction fees, or API usage fees can add up. At high scale, Sharetribe’s monthly cost can rival the cost of hiring engineers and running your own servers.
With a custom build, you pay a lot up front, but scaling costs stay predictable. If your infrastructure is efficient, adding users won’t push costs through the roof.
Custom online marketplace offers true long-term scalability, both in performance and features. If you plan to serve thousands of users or support complex workflows, you’ll need to go custom.
Sharetribe is enough for local and small marketplaces. But if you're building the next Airbnb or Etsy, you’ll hit Sharetribe’s ceiling. Plan for that from the start.
What are Limits in Customization?
Customization refers to how easily you can modify or extend the platform’s features and user experience to meet your needs. For a CTO/founder, this is often where the rubber meets the road in deciding build vs buy, because every marketplace has unique elements that off-the-shelf solutions may not ideally support.
This freedom matters. As your marketplace grows, your feature needs evolve. You might want to integrate a CRM, add smart recommendations, or roll out vendor dashboards. With a custom setup, you can keep building without rewriting the core. You can use a modular design that makes extending your platform easier over time.
This flexibility is how companies like Airbnb and Uber were able to expand their services. You don’t have to fit your idea into someone else’s box, you build the box yourself.
Sharetribe Flex offers more room. It’s headless, meaning you can design your own front-end and use Sharetribe’s backend through APIs. This gives you more control over UX and branding.
You can also use serverless functions to add some backend logic. Still, you’re bound by what the API allows. If a key feature isn’t supported, you’ll need to wait or work around it.
There’s also an older open-source version of Sharetribe, written in Ruby on Rails. You can self-host and modify it. This gives you access to the code, but with some resrtrictions. The open-source edition lacks newer features and isn’t actively supported.
Once you customize it heavily, you’ll lose the ability to update from the main repo. You’re essentially maintaining a fork.
This can be a shortcut for teams with Rails developers, but you're still dealing with someone else’s architecture. If you want full flexibility, building from scratch might be cleaner in the long run.
Custom Build
A custom build gives you full control. You can create any feature, design any flow, and tailor every detail to your market. Want a custom ranking system? You can build one. Need subscriptions, escrow, or multi-party payments? You’re free to implement whatever your model requires.
This freedom matters. As your marketplace grows, your feature needs evolve. You might want to integrate a CRM, add smart recommendations, or roll out vendor dashboards. With a custom setup, you can keep building without rewriting the core. You can use a modular design that makes extending your platform easier over time.
This flexibility is how companies like Airbnb and Uber were able to expand their services. You don’t have to fit your idea into someone else’s box, you build the box yourself.
Sharetribe Offers Some Flexibility with Clear Limits
Sharetribe’s hosted version (Go) is built for speed, not deep customization. You can change colors, logos, listing fields, and some transaction settings. But you can’t rewrite how the platform works. You can’t add auction bidding, custom payment flows, or new transaction types. The backend is closed, and you can’t access or change the core logic or the database.
Sharetribe Flex offers more room. It’s headless, meaning you can design your own front-end and use Sharetribe’s backend through APIs. This gives you more control over UX and branding.
You can also use serverless functions to add some backend logic. Still, you’re bound by what the API allows. If a key feature isn’t supported, you’ll need to wait or work around it.
There’s also an older open-source version of Sharetribe, written in Ruby on Rails. You can self-host and modify it. This gives you access to the code, but with some resrtrictions. The open-source edition lacks newer features and isn’t actively supported.
Once you customize it heavily, you’ll lose the ability to update from the main repo. You’re essentially maintaining a fork.
This can be a shortcut for teams with Rails developers, but you're still dealing with someone else’s architecture. If you want full flexibility, building from scratch might be cleaner in the long run.
Flexibility in Tech Stack and Integrations
When you build your own platform, you choose every layer. This includes programming language, framework, database, cloud provider, and third-party tools.
You can match the stack to your team’s strengths and business needs. If you want to integrate with niche payment gateways, custom CRMs, or AI-powered search engines, you can. You're not limited by someone else’s infrastructure.
You also own the data and the APIs. That means full control over analytics, performance tuning, and how your system connects to others.
With Sharetribe, you work within a fixed stack. On Sharetribe Go, customization is minimal. You use what’s included. Stripe or PayPal for payments, basic email, and some Zapier automation. That may be enough early on, but advanced or deep integrations are hard to achieve.
Sharetribe Flex offers more freedom. You can build your own front-end and interact with the backend via their API. This allows some data syncing and custom workflows. But the backend itself remains locked and you can't swap out systems or change core logic.
Data access is also limited. To run complex analytics or combine data with other systems, you’ll need to export it manually or build API workarounds. And if you outgrow Sharetribe, you're starting over. Their backend is not portable.
If you're considering develop custom marketplace platform read about The Best Stack to Build a Marketplace Platform
You can match the stack to your team’s strengths and business needs. If you want to integrate with niche payment gateways, custom CRMs, or AI-powered search engines, you can. You're not limited by someone else’s infrastructure.
You also own the data and the APIs. That means full control over analytics, performance tuning, and how your system connects to others.
With Sharetribe, you work within a fixed stack. On Sharetribe Go, customization is minimal. You use what’s included. Stripe or PayPal for payments, basic email, and some Zapier automation. That may be enough early on, but advanced or deep integrations are hard to achieve.
Sharetribe Flex offers more freedom. You can build your own front-end and interact with the backend via their API. This allows some data syncing and custom workflows. But the backend itself remains locked and you can't swap out systems or change core logic.
Data access is also limited. To run complex analytics or combine data with other systems, you’ll need to export it manually or build API workarounds. And if you outgrow Sharetribe, you're starting over. Their backend is not portable.
If you're considering develop custom marketplace platform read about The Best Stack to Build a Marketplace Platform
Security and Data Ownership
With a custom build, you control security and own all user data. You choose how to protect sensitive information, which tools to use, and where to host. This gives you flexibility, but also full responsibility. You must follow best practices, stay compliant, and respond quickly to threats.
Data is stored on your servers or cloud. You can access it anytime, back it up, or move it freely. The software is yours both the code and the IP. This setup is ideal for marketplaces needing strict compliance (GDPR, HIPAA) or full control.
Sharetribe, on the other hand, handles most of the security for you. They manage servers, patches, and secure payment integrations.
However, you have limited visibility into their systems and rely on them for fixes. There are situations where this can play against you.
For example, imagine a critical outage happens the day before your big press launch. Your site is down, users can’t log in, and you can’t fix it, only Sharetribe can. Or say you land an enterprise client who needs ISO-certified infrastructure. Sharetribe may not offer that level of compliance, and you won’t be able to upgrade it yourself.
Your data lives in their cloud. You can export it, but you don’t have direct access to the backend or control over storage.
If you leave, your data moves, but your setup does not.
Data is stored on your servers or cloud. You can access it anytime, back it up, or move it freely. The software is yours both the code and the IP. This setup is ideal for marketplaces needing strict compliance (GDPR, HIPAA) or full control.
Sharetribe, on the other hand, handles most of the security for you. They manage servers, patches, and secure payment integrations.
However, you have limited visibility into their systems and rely on them for fixes. There are situations where this can play against you.
For example, imagine a critical outage happens the day before your big press launch. Your site is down, users can’t log in, and you can’t fix it, only Sharetribe can. Or say you land an enterprise client who needs ISO-certified infrastructure. Sharetribe may not offer that level of compliance, and you won’t be able to upgrade it yourself.
Your data lives in their cloud. You can export it, but you don’t have direct access to the backend or control over storage.
If you leave, your data moves, but your setup does not.
Build vs Buy: Long-Term ROI and Impact
If you're deciding between building your own marketplace or using Sharetribe, this table highlights the long-term trade-offs. It helps you compare the real cost, control, and strategic value of each approach, beyond just the launch phase.
What Real Users Say?
We can’t talk about Sharetribe’s strengths or limits without hearing from the people who’ve used it. That’s why we looked at what founders and developers say after building their marketplaces on the platform. Their feedback helps us understand when Sharetribe works and when it starts to show cracks.
When Sharetribe Works Well
Most users agree: Sharetribe is a strong option for launching fast.
You won’t find a tool that can create a marketplace as quick as Sharetribe... however this speed comes at a cost like lack of customization & extra fees. But for MVP it might be worth it.
Reddit user
These comments reflect a shared view: Sharetribe saves time. You can build a working version of your idea quickly and without a large team. That makes it a good fit for early-stage startups that need to move fast and prove demand.
Where Users Hit the Limits
Once marketplaces grow, the trade-offs become more visible."Sharetribe is great if you don’t plan to change much... I used it to build my business, but quickly branched off and hired a developer to customize it."
Community contributor
This quote points to a common path. Sharetribe works well as long as your needs match the built-in feature set. The moment you need to go beyond that, things get harder. Users with more complex roadmaps often feel pushed toward alternatives.
Even Sharetribe’s CEO admits the platform has limits:
Even Sharetribe’s CEO admits the platform has limits:
“No-code has a huge problem: it’s not scalable.”
Juho Makkonen, CEO of Sharetribe
That admission is important. The product is built for fast validation, not long-term scale. It’s not designed to support high-growth businesses that rely on custom features or deep integrations.
When it Comes to Real Pain Points
Some users face real obstacles when trying to push Sharetribe further.“If you need any serious custom integration or payment system, you’re better off building from scratch.”
Reddit user
In some cases, users felt stuck. They couldn’t add key features or support new workflows. Migration also came up often. It’s not easy, but users agree it’s possible and worth it once the business shows traction.
Here’s a real example highlighted in yellow (source: G2):
Here’s a real example highlighted in yellow (source: G2):
This highlights the hidden cost of using a rigid template. Even small gaps, like a missing search bar, can lead to delays and extra work.
Key Takeaway: Don’t Decide Alone
There’s no single answer to the “build or Sharetribe” question. The right path depends on your goals, your resources, and how far you expect to grow.
Sharetribe is a great tool when speed matters most. It gets your idea live fast, with less risk upfront. But once your business starts to grow, the platform’s limits become more visible—higher costs, less flexibility, and growing reliance on a tool you don’t control.
A custom-built platform costs more at the start, but it gives you room to scale, full ownership, and the freedom to shape your marketplace around your strategy.
That’s why it helps to speak with someone who’s done both.
Choosing the right apporach for your marketplace development is a critical decision. Many projects fail due to early missteps. The Standish Group's report estimates that around 66% of software projects fail . Common issues include unclear requirements and poor planning.
At Ulan Software, we’ve supported marketplaces at every stage, from MVP to fully custom platforms with high scalability, integrations, and growth in mind. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all answers. We’ll help you think through the trade-offs before you commit.
Let’s talk. A short consultation might save you months of guesswork and thousands in rework.
Sharetribe is a great tool when speed matters most. It gets your idea live fast, with less risk upfront. But once your business starts to grow, the platform’s limits become more visible—higher costs, less flexibility, and growing reliance on a tool you don’t control.
A custom-built platform costs more at the start, but it gives you room to scale, full ownership, and the freedom to shape your marketplace around your strategy.
That’s why it helps to speak with someone who’s done both.
Choosing the right apporach for your marketplace development is a critical decision. Many projects fail due to early missteps. The Standish Group's report estimates that around 66% of software projects fail . Common issues include unclear requirements and poor planning.
At Ulan Software, we’ve supported marketplaces at every stage, from MVP to fully custom platforms with high scalability, integrations, and growth in mind. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all answers. We’ll help you think through the trade-offs before you commit.
Let’s talk. A short consultation might save you months of guesswork and thousands in rework.
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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