Top 10 eCommerce Software to Build A Multi-Vendor Marketplace in the UK

The UK eCommerce market is projected to reach $185.97 billion by the year 2029, with online marketplaces accounting for over 70% of all online retail sales, according to Statista and other IMRG reports. With the consumer trends shifting heavily in preference for one-stop-shop experiences in retail, now is the time to launch a multi-vendor marketplace in the UK, as it is a high-potential new business model.

No matter whether you are building a niche marketplace for local artisans, a services-based platform, or a full-fledged product-based marketplace, your success is highly dependent on the multi-vendor eCommerce software you choose. The software controls everything which vendor onboarding, what commission settings you will provide, the customer experience, mobile performance, and long-term scalability.

A report by Statista reveals that:

• Amazon UK alone generated net sales of $33.6 billion.
• Platforms like OnBuy and Etsy UK saw double-digit year-over-year growth.
• Over 55% of UK-based SMBs are exploring marketplace models in 2025 to expand reach and revenue.
  

Because competition is fierce and customer expectations are constantly rising, employing a robust, scalable, and UK-compliant marketplace option is no longer a choice, but a necessity.

In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits of building a multivendor marketplace in the UK and compare the top 10 eCommerce software to build a multi-vendor marketplace in the UK.

What is Multi-Vendor Marketplace Software?

Multi-vendor marketplace software is an out-of-the-box, ready-to-launch software that allows entrepreneurs and businesses to build a multi-vendor eCommerce marketplace, where multiple sellers or vendors can register, list their products/services, and manage their sales activities through their own dashboard, quickly and cost-effectively. Instead of creating a marketplace from scratch, which takes time and money, you can use multi-vendor marketplace software to acquire all the essential tools and features to get you started today.

Whether you’re targeting the UK market or going global, multi-vendor marketplace software helps reduce development time and cost while providing scalability, customization options, and third-party integrations to suit your business model.

Benefits of Launching a Multi-Vendor Marketplace in the UK

Starting a multi-vendor marketplace in the UK signals robust business opportunities by 2025. Here’s why you should move on it now:

• Booming eCommerce Market: UK online sales are expected to exceed £260B by 2025, with 70% of sales coming from marketplaces.

• Low Inventory Risk: You don’t need to stock products, as each vendor manages their own inventory.

• Multiple Revenue Streams: You can derive revenue from commissions, subscriptions, featured listings, or listing fees.
  
• Scalable Model: You can grow within your model and onboard additional sellers without dramatically increasing operational costs.
  
• High Customer Retention: Variety of products/services keeps users engaged and increases repeat purchases.
  
• Mobile-First Advantage: With 65% of UK eCommerce via mobile, responsive marketplaces thrive.
  
• Local Payment Support: Seamless integration with Stripe, PayPal, Klarna, etc.
  
• Favorable Regulations: GDPR-compliant and VAT-ready platforms simplify compliance.
  
• Empowers SMEs: Supports local sellers and independent businesses, building a strong ecosystem.

Top Multi-Vendor Marketplaces in the UK

The UK hosts some of the most successful multi-vendor marketplaces in Europe. These platforms have established themselves by catering to specific niches, offering seller-friendly policies, and providing seamless buyer experiences. Below is a breakdown of the leading multi-vendor marketplaces in the UK, along with their focus areas and recent stats:

1. Amazon UK: Amazon UK is the undisputed leader in the multi-vendor eCommerce space. It allows third-party sellers to list their products and offers them logistical support through Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA).

• Category: General Retail
• Model: B2C / B2B / FBA
• Revenue: $33.6 billion
• Sellers: 85,000+
• Key Features:
  
  

  – Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) logistics

  – Global seller central dashboard

  – Advanced SEO & ranking algorithms

  – Built-in A+ content tools

  – Prime delivery for customer loyalty

  – Amazon Ads & affiliate programs
  

2. Etsy UK: Etsy UK focuses on handmade, vintage, and personalized products. It’s popular among independent artists, designers, and crafters.

• Category: Handmade, Vintage, Creative Goods
• Model: C2C / B2C
• UK Buyers: 2.1M+
• Sellers: 175,000+
• Key Features:
  
  

  – Niche targeting for creatives and artists

  – Easy product customization options

  – Community-based selling tools

  – Seller stats and analytics dashboard

  – Integrated marketing tools (discounts, promotions)

  – Social integration (Pinterest, Instagram, etc.)
  

3. OnBuy: OnBuy positions itself as a fairer, UK-first alternative to Amazon. It charges sellers a subscription fee rather than high commissions.

• Category: General Retail
• Model: B2C (subscription-based)
• GMV: $340.3 million
• Sellers: 17,000+
• Key Features:
  
  

  – No commission, fixed monthly plans

  – Instant payments to sellers

  – Local customer support

  – Transparent seller performance tracking

  – VAT-compliant invoicing

  – SEO-optimized product listing tools
  

4. Not On The High Street (NOTHS):  A carefully curated marketplace known for high-quality, personalized, and unique gifting items.

• Category: Personalized Gifts & Lifestyle
• Model: B2C (curated)
• Revenue: $28.4 million
• Sellers: 5,000+ partners
• Key Features:
  
  

  – Curated, invite-only vendor model

  – Personalization & custom gift options

  – Premium product packaging and branding

  – Seasonal campaign visibility

  – Seller onboarding and content coaching

  -Strong social media presence
  

5. Trouva: Trouva connects independent boutiques to a global audience, offering luxury and design-driven home and fashion products.

• Category: Boutique Home & Fashion
• Model: B2C (curated boutiques)
• Sellers: 700+ independent shops
• Key Features:
  
  

  – Boutique-level product filtering

  – Real-time inventory syncing

  – Click-and-collect from physical stores

  – High-resolution visual merchandising

  – Curated home/lifestyle collections

  – Local delivery integration
  

6. eBay UK: eBay UK remains a powerhouse for everything from electronics to collectibles. Sellers can run fixed-price listings or auctions.

• Category: General Products, New & Used
• Model: C2C / B2C / Auction
• Users: 151.39 million monthly visits
• Sellers: 200,000+ UK vendors
• Key Features:
  
  

  – Auction or fixed-price listings

  – Buyer and seller rating systems

  – Global shipping program

  – Integrated payment (eBay Managed Payments)

  – eBay Ads for promotions

  – Seller hub with performance insights
  

7. Wayfair UK: Though known as a retailer, Wayfair operates as a marketplace with thousands of suppliers. It focuses on affordable and stylish home goods.

• Category: Furniture & Home Décor
• Model: B2C (supplier marketplace)
• Revenue: $11.8 billion
• Key Features:
  
  

  – Drop-shipping fulfillment model

  – 3D visual product previews

  – Bulk product listing tools

  – Interior styling suggestions

  – Integrated logistics management

  – Supplier dashboard and analytics
  

8. Folksy: A niche marketplace promoting British-made arts and crafts. Often seen as the UK-based alternative to Etsy.

• Category: Handmade & Crafts (UK Etsy alternative)
• Model: C2C
• Sellers: 10,000+ UK-based artisans
• Key Features:
  
  

  – UK-only seller policy

  – Low transaction fees

  – Simple store setup for beginners

  – Editorial & featured seller options

  – Integrated blog & inspiration gallery

  – Community events & forums
  

9. Fruugo: Fruugo is a global marketplace that connects UK buyers with international sellers and vice versa. Ideal for merchants looking to go global.

• Category: Cross-Border General Marketplace
• Model: B2C
• Global Reach: 40+ countries
• Key Features:
  
  

  – Multilingual store translation

  – Currency conversion support

  – Cross-border tax/VAT automation

  – Integration with 30+ payment methods

  – International shipping integrations

  – Marketplace advertising tools
  

10. Depop: A popular resale fashion marketplace aimed at Gen Z. Users can follow sellers, like items, and shop via mobile-first features.

• Category: Fashion, Vintage, Re-sale
• Model: C2C (social commerce)
• Users: 4M+ UK users
• Key Features:
  
  

  – Mobile-first app experience

  – Instagram-style shop feeds

  – One-click PayPal checkout

  – Chat-to-buy functionality

  – Hashtag-based product discovery

  – Seller insights and social analytics

Factors to Consider While Choosing the Best Multi-Vendor Marketplace Software

The success of your platform largely depends on the multi-vendor marketplace software you select. Here are a few considerations you must weigh:

1. Scalability: Make sure that the platform can scale with your business, and that it will support more users, products, and transactions without having performance issues.

2. Customization & Branding: The software you select must allow the ability to customize your design, features, and user experiences to suit your brand identity.

3. Payment Gateway Support: It is essential that you select a platform that can integrate with UK-preferred payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, Klarna, and Square to ensure that the transaction is secure and runs smoothly.

4. Mobile Responsiveness: An optimized mobile user interface is essential, as 65% of online shoppers in the UK are using a smartphone to shop.

5. SEO & Marketing Features: Look for software with helpful SEO tools, clean URLs, meta tags, and optional integrations with email marketing and social media to define the market their experience.

6. Security & Compliance: Ensure that the platform is GDPR compliant and able to support secure user authentication, a secure payment process, and any other secure methods for handling data.

7. Multi-Currency & VAT Support: If targeting a UK and international audience, make sure the software handles multi-currency transactions and VAT calculations automatically.

8. Technical Support: Choose a provider that offers reliable technical support and documentation for troubleshooting and scaling.

Top 10 eCommerce Software to Build A Multi-Vendor Marketplace in the UK

Choosing the right multi-vendor eCommerce platform is the foundation of launching a successful online marketplace. Below are the top 10 software options used in the UK, including descriptions, pros, and cons.

1. Yo!Kart

Yo!Kart is a self-hosted, ready-to-launch multi-vendor marketplace software built for startups, SMEs, and enterprises to build scalable multi-vendor marketplaces. Tailored for both product and service marketplaces, it offers robust vendor tools, full customization, and one-time licensing.

Developed by FATbit Technologies, Yo!Kart has gained global traction for its affordability, flexibility, and comprehensive feature set, making it one of the most sought-after solutions for businesses targeting the UK eCommerce sector. Understanding the importance of mobile users in the eCommerce space, Yo!Kart comes with a mobile-responsive design out of the box. Additionally, it offers ready-to-launch native mobile apps for both Android and iOS, ensuring seamless shopping experiences across devices.

Pros:

• 100% white label solution
• Self-hosted solution
• Affordable one-time pricing
• Lifetime license, no recurring costs
• Highly scalable and customizable
• Built-in vendor management, payouts, SEO tools
• Multi-lingual and multi-currency support
• Secure & GDPR-Compliant
• Free personalized demo availability
• 1 year of free technical support

Cons:

• Requires initial technical setup
• Learning curve

2. CS-Cart Multi-Vendor

CS-Cart Multi-Vendor is a noteworthy eCommerce marketplace platform tailored for businesses looking to build scalable online marketplaces. Known for its advanced vendor management, multi-store setups, and a wide range of add-ons, it’s a popular choice among developers and businesses with in-house technical teams.

Pros:

• Mature product with extensive built-in features
• Scalable with a rich marketplace of add-ons
• One-time license fee with flexible upgrade options

Cons:

• Complex and slightly outdated admin UI
• Add-ons and mobile apps cost extra

3. Sharetribe

Sharetribe is a cloud-based marketplace platform ideal for quickly launching service-based or rental-focused peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplaces. It allows entrepreneurs to test business ideas with minimal upfront investment and no coding skills.

Pros:

• No coding required
• Clean and intuitive user interface
• Quick MVP launch for market testing

Cons:

• Limited functionality for product-based marketplaces
• Monthly fees increase as your business scales
• Customization is restricted in the SaaS version

4. Shopify

While Shopify doesn’t natively support multi-vendor capabilities, you can convert a Shopify store into a marketplace using third-party apps like Webkul. This is a suitable option for small-scale marketplaces or entrepreneurs wanting a simple, hosted solution.

Pros:

• Easy and fast setup with hosting included
• Large app ecosystem for extending features
• Trusted platform with a reliable checkout system
  

Cons:

• High ongoing costs (Shopify subscription + app fees)
• Limited scalability and backend customization
• Vendor management is handled via external plugins

5. Arcadier

Arcadier is a SaaS-based marketplace builder offering ready-to-use templates for various marketplace types, product sales, rentals, or services. It focuses on ease of use for non-technical users who want to launch quickly.

Pros:

• Pre-built themes for different marketplace models
• Multi-language and multi-payment support
• No coding required for setup and management

Cons:

• Limited control over backend customization
• Data and hosting are fully managed by Arcadier
• Less flexibility for UK-specific tax (VAT) setups
  

6. WooCommerce + Dokan/WC Vendors

By combining WooCommerce with multi-vendor plugins like Dokan or WC Vendors, WordPress users can create affordable, customizable marketplaces. It’s ideal for small businesses already familiar with WordPress.

Pros:

• Affordable entry point, especially for WordPress users
• Huge plugin and theme ecosystem
• Open-source flexibility for customization
  

Cons:

• Potential performance and security issues at scale
• Manual setup required for VAT compliance and GDPR
• Risk of plugin conflicts with multiple add-ons
  

7. Marketcube

Marketcube allows you to turn your existing online store (on Shopify or similar platforms) into a multi-vendor marketplace without coding. It’s ideal for brands looking to add third-party sellers without migrating to a new platform.

Pros:

• No-code marketplace builder
• Integrates seamlessly with existing eCommerce stores
• White-label support for branding

Cons:

• SaaS model with limited backend control
• Costs grow with usage and vendor numbers
• Not ideal for building complex, standalone marketplaces
  

8. Magento (Adobe Commerce) + Marketplace Extensions

Magento (Adobe Commerce), when extended with third-party marketplace modules, offers an enterprise-grade, fully customizable multi-vendor solution. Best suited for large businesses with dedicated developer resources.

Pros:

• Extremely powerful and customizable
• Backed by a large global developer community
• Scales easily for enterprise needs
  

Cons:

• Very high development and hosting expenses
• Requires a full-time development team
• Long time-to-market due to complex setup
  

9. Mirakl

Mirakl is an enterprise marketplace platform used by global retailers like Best Buy and Carrefour. Designed for high-volume, B2B and B2C marketplace operations, Mirakl excels in stability, integrations, and cross-border commerce.

Pros:

• Enterprise-grade reliability and scalability
• Deep API and system integration capabilities
• Proven for large-scale, global marketplaces
  

Cons:

• Extremely high cost, targeted at large enterprises
• Not suitable for small businesses or startups
• Complex onboarding and setup process
  

10. X-Cart

X-Cart is a PHP-based eCommerce platform that offers marketplace functionality through add-ons. It’s a lightweight and affordable solution for small businesses with modest multi-vendor requirements.

Pros:

• One-time license purchase available
• Decent selection of marketplace add-ons
• Lightweight setup suitable for small catalogs

Cons:

• Limited built-in vendor management tools
• Smaller extension and developer community
• The default UI/UX feels outdated without customization
  

Why Yo!Kart Is the Best Fit for UK Marketplace Startups?

Yo!Kart stands out as an ideal eCommerce marketplace software for UK startups aiming to launch a scalable, feature-rich multi-vendor platform without overshooting their budget or timelines. Here’s why it’s particularly suited for the UK market:

• GDPR Compliance: Yo!Kart offers built-in GDPR-ready tools for user consent, data requests, and secure storage, ensuring legal compliance for UK startups.

• Pay Once, Own Forever: Yo!Kart follows a one-time license fee model, helping startups avoid recurring monthly or yearly costs and retain full revenue.

• Quick Go-to-Market with Customization Flexibility: Yo!Kart enables a fast marketplace launch with readymade features and also offers source code ownership at an affordable price.

• Multi-Language and Multi-Currency Support: The software supports multiple languages and currencies, making it ideal for UK businesses targeting global customers.

• Mobile-Ready with Optional Native Apps: Yo!Kart offers responsive web design and optional native mobile apps for reaching UK mobile shoppers effectively.

• SEO & Marketing Tools: Yo!Kart comes with SEO-friendly architecture and marketing tools to help UK startups grow their online presence.

• Local & Global Payment Gateway Integration: Yo!Kart integrates with popular UK and international payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe for smooth transactions.

• Proven Track Record: Yo!Kart has successfully powered multiple UK marketplaces, ensuring region-specific expertise and reliability.

Conclusion

Choosing the best eCommerce software to build a multi-vendor marketplace in the UK in 2025 depends on your business model, budget, and long-term scalability needs. Platforms like Yo!Kart offer robust features out of the box, while options like Sharetribe or WooCommerce give flexibility for lean startups.

Hence, it is essential to evaluate the core requirements of your niche, assess the total cost of ownership, and ensure the solution is SEO-optimized and user-friendly, especially for a competitive market like the UK.

FAQs

Q 1. Which is the best eCommerce software to build a multi-vendor marketplace in the UK?

Ans. Yo!Kart is a highly recommended eCommerce software to build a multi-vendor marketplace in the UK due to its one-time license model, built-in multi-vendor capabilities, and strong UK-specific support. It offers GDPR compliance and integrations with popular payment gateways as well. Its scalability and customization options make it ideal for startups aiming for long-term growth.

Q 2. Is Yo!Kart GDPR-compliant and suitable for UK-specific requirements?

Ans. Yes. Yo!Kart comes with built-in GDPR-compliant features, including user consent management and data protection tools. It also supports UK-preferred payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, and Klarna, along with VAT configuration options.

Q 3. Can Yo!Kart help build a mobile-optimized marketplace?

Ans. Definitely. Yo!Kart offers mobile-responsive web designs and native mobile apps (iOS and Android), ensuring seamless shopping and selling experiences on smartphones and tablets.

Q 4. Is there a free demo available to explore the functionalities of Yo!Kart before purchase?

Ans. Yes. You can request a free, personalized live demo to explore Yo!Kart’s features, user interface, and vendor management capabilities before making a buying decision.

Q 5. Do I need any prior coding knowledge to use Yo!Kart?

Ans. No, you don’t need coding experience to operate Yo!Kart. It comes with an intuitive admin dashboard and built-in management tools for easy store, vendor, and product management. The platform is designed for non-technical users, allowing you to configure, manage, and run your marketplace without any programming knowledge.

Q 6. Can Yo!Kart be customized to launch a niche multi-vendor marketplace?

Ans. Yes, Yo!Kart is fully customizable to fit your niche marketplace model. Its modular architecture allows you to tailor the design, features, and workflows easily as per your specific business needs.