What is Sharetribe?
Sharetribe is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform designed to help entrepreneurs create and launch online marketplaces. Founded in 2011, the company's core value proposition is to democratize platform ownership by making marketplace technology accessible to everyone. Sharetribe enables founders to build a wide variety of marketplaces, including peer-to-peer rentals, service-based platforms, and multi-vendor product stores, without needing to write a single line of code.
What sets Sharetribe apart is its dual approach. It offers a powerful no-code builder that allows for rapid launch and validation of a marketplace idea. Once the business gains traction and requires more unique features, founders can leverage Sharetribe's developer platform and headless architecture to extend and customize their marketplace infinitely. The company underwent a significant product rework, publicly releasing the "new Sharetribe" in January 2024, which unified its previous products (Go and Flex) into a single, more powerful platform.
"Build a successful marketplace business. Fast. Launch your marketplace in a day without coding. Extend infinitely with code. Scale your business to any size."
— Sharetribe Official Website
Key Features & Capabilities
Sharetribe provides a comprehensive suite of tools to build and manage a marketplace. The platform is built on the principle of providing all the essential features out-of-the-box, while allowing for deep customization through its developer tools.
Marketplace Creation & No-Code Builder
User Profiles & Accounts
Full user management with email verification, Google and Facebook login, and custom user fields to collect the information you need.
Listings & Search
Create customizable listings with custom fields, availability calendars, and powerful search with filters for discovery.
Content Management
Manage your marketplace content, layout, and branding without code. Customize the look and feel to match your brand.
Pre-built Integrations
Connect to hundreds of third-party services through Zapier integration and other pre-built connectors.
Transaction Engine & Payments
Flexible Transaction Flows
Support for various transaction types including bookings, purchases, and free messaging. Configure up to 20 different listing types.
Stripe Payments
Process online payments in 26+ countries with automated KYC, commission collection, and delayed payouts for security.
Messaging & Notifications
Built-in on-platform messaging and email notifications to keep buyers and sellers connected throughout transactions.
Reviews & Ratings
Enable trust with a built-in review and rating system for both buyers and sellers on your marketplace.
Developer Platform & Extensibility
Headless Architecture
Take full control with Sharetribe's headless solution. Build a custom front-end website or mobile app connected to a powerful backend.
Customizable Data Schema
Define custom data fields and structures to match your unique marketplace requirements and business logic.
Open-Source Templates
Start faster with Sharetribe's open-source web template and third-party mobile app templates for iOS and Android.
Full API Access
Integrate any third-party service or custom backend with comprehensive API access on higher-tier plans.
Pricing & Plans
Sharetribe's pricing is designed to grow with your business, starting with an affordable plan for building and testing your idea and scaling up as your marketplace gains traction. All plans come with a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required to get started.
- ✓ No-code builder (Test mode)
- ✓ API access to Test marketplace
- ✓ Mobile app development (Test)
- ✓ 14-day free trial
- ✓ Everything in Build
- ✓ Live marketplace
- ✓ mysharetribe.com domain
- ✓ 50 free transactions/month
- ✓ Everything in Lite
- ✓ Custom domain
- ✓ Zapier integrations
- ✓ Social logins
- ✓ 250 free transactions/month
- ✓ Everything in Pro
- ✓ Customize live code
- ✓ Full API access
- ✓ Mobile app support
- ✓ 500 free transactions/month
Note: After free transactions are used, Sharetribe charges $0.19 or less per initiated transaction. Additional development environments are available at $49/month.
Strengths — Where Sharetribe Shines
Sharetribe's primary strength is its ability to get a marketplace MVP to market incredibly quickly and affordably. For founders who need to validate their idea without a large upfront investment in custom development, Sharetribe is an excellent choice.
✓ Speed to Launch
Launch your marketplace in a day without coding. The no-code builder is intuitive and covers the vast majority of features needed to launch a functional marketplace.
✓ Low Upfront Cost
Start at just $39/month with a 14-day free trial. No credit card required to get started, making it accessible for bootstrapped founders.
✓ Seamless Extensibility
The transition from no-code to custom code is seamless. You can start with the builder and hire developers to build custom features as your business evolves.
✓ Excellent Support & Documentation
The company's customer support and extensive documentation, including the Marketplace Academy, are frequently praised by users.
✓ Built-in Marketplace Flows
Essential features like payments, messaging, reviews, and transaction management are included out-of-the-box, saving significant development time.
"It comes with the vast majority of the all of the feature you need to launch a product, service or rental marketplace and the UI/UX, content management system and customizability are all best-in-class."
— Verified User on Capterra
Weaknesses & Trade-offs
While Sharetribe is powerful, it's not without its limitations. Understanding these trade-offs is essential for making an informed decision.
⚠ Limited Out-of-Box Customization
The out-of-the-box customization, while extensive, may not be sufficient for highly unique or complex business models without developer involvement.
⚠ Better for Rentals/Services Than Products
Some users have found that specific features for peer-to-peer product sales are not as developed as those for rentals or services.
⚠ Transaction-Based Pricing
While entry-level pricing is low, costs can increase with transaction volume. For high-volume, low-margin marketplaces, fees could become significant.
⚠ Platform Lock-in Considerations
While you can export user and listing data, migrating the entire marketplace logic to a different platform would be a significant undertaking.
⚠ Not Ideal for Large Enterprises
For large enterprises with complex integration needs, a more specialized solution like Mirakl might be a better fit.