Reviewed by the NexaToolkit team · Last reviewed June 2026. A practical build path for two-sided marketplaces, with honest costs. NexaToolkit may earn a commission from links on this page — it never changes what we recommend.
A marketplace — think Airbnb or Fiverr in miniature — is the hardest no-code build because it’s two-sided: buyers, sellers, listings, and payments that split between them. But it’s genuinely doable in 2026 without an engineer. Here’s the step-by-step, the tools, and what it really costs.
Step 1: pick a platform that handles two-sided logic
You need user roles, listings, search, and payment splitting. Bubble (Starter $29, Growth $119) is the most capable no-code tool for this — its database and workflow engine handle buyer/seller roles and complex logic. Sharetribe is the off-the-shelf marketplace alternative if you want a faster, more templated start.
Step 2: build the two sides and listings
In Bubble, create user types (buyer/seller), a listings database (title, price, images, owner), and search/filter pages. The visual database makes the relationships — a seller has many listings, a booking links a buyer to a listing — manageable without code.
Step 3: payments with a split — Stripe Connect
This is the marketplace-specific piece: Stripe Connect handles paying sellers while taking your platform commission automatically. It’s built for exactly this two-sided money flow and plugs into Bubble. Don’t try to bolt a normal payment flow onto a marketplace — use Connect.
Step 4: automation and trust
Make ($9) automates notifications (new booking, new message), and you’ll add reviews/ratings in Bubble for trust. Transactional email (Resend $20) handles confirmations.
The marketplace build, priced
| Step | Tool | Cost/mo |
|---|---|---|
| App + two-sided logic | Bubble | $29–$119 |
| Split payments | Stripe Connect | % of transactions |
| Automation/notifications | Make | $9 |
| Email confirmations | Resend | $20 |
A real scenario
A founder building a local services marketplace: model buyers, providers, and listings in Bubble Starter ($29), wire Stripe Connect so each booking pays the provider minus a 15% platform fee automatically, and use Make ($9) to fire booking notifications. Live for about $60/month — the commission flows are handled by Connect, which is the part founders usually get stuck on. As volume grows, the platform fee funds the upgrade to Bubble Growth ($119). Use Stripe Connect from day one; retrofitting split payments later is painful.
Frequently asked questions
Can I build a marketplace without code?
Yes — Bubble handles two-sided logic (buyers, sellers, listings) and Stripe Connect handles split payments with automatic platform commission. Founders ship real marketplaces this way for ~$60/month to start.
How do marketplace payments work without code?
Use Stripe Connect — it pays sellers and takes your commission automatically, built specifically for two-sided money flows. It plugs into Bubble; don’t try to use a standard single-payment flow.
Is Bubble or Sharetribe better for a marketplace?
Bubble for full custom control and complex logic ($29–$119); Sharetribe for a faster, more templated marketplace if you want less to build. Bubble wins on flexibility, Sharetribe on speed-to-launch.
More: see our building SaaS without code and complete guide to no-code.
