The 9 best marketplace builders in the Netherlands (2026)
How this list was compiled
For this overview, we reviewed the websites and portfolios of Dutch software and platform agencies ourselves and selected agencies that demonstrably develop marketplaces and two-sided platforms. We deliberately avoid a numerical ranking — the order is not a judgement of quality — to avoid false precision. We link to each agency so you can compare for yourself. What we looked at:
- Proven marketplace experience — previous two-sided platforms, not just websites or web shops
- Knowledge of payment flows — experience with split payments, payouts and escrow via a PSP such as Mollie, Stripe or Adyen
- Well-thought-out seller onboarding — how easily providers can enter their listings and details
- SaaS or custom: whether the agency works with a standard platform or with custom development, to suit ambition and budget
- Scalability and ownership — whether the architecture grows with you and you get the source code and intellectual property
- Thinking along on growth — attention to the chicken-and-egg problem and to getting the first transactions going
The top 9 marketplace builders in the Netherlands
Appfront (Amsterdam)
Custom software and app agency — two-sided and multi-sided platforms from strategy to maintenance
- ✓ Builds custom two-sided and multi-sided marketplace platforms
- ✓ Seller onboarding, split payments via PSPs and scalable architecture built in from the start
- ✓ One team for strategy, design and build, with no handover between separate parties
- ✓ Custom software, web apps and mobile apps for Dutch organisations
Appfront compiled this overview and therefore transparently comes first. Where many agencies stop at a website or web shop, Appfront builds the complete two-sided platform: the data model, the commission logic, the payment flows and the user experience for both providers and customers. If you want to talk through a platform idea or build a marketplace, get in touch with Appfront.
Build a marketplace →Freshheads (Tilburg)
Platform builder with 20+ years of experience in marketplaces, portals and communities
From Tilburg, Freshheads develops digital platforms that connect users with one another, with marketplaces, portals, communities and e-learning as its core areas of expertise. The agency has been building platforms for both start-ups and larger organisations for more than twenty years and also helps you think through the business model behind a marketplace.
View Freshheads →Digital Natives (Amsterdam)
Scalable marketplace platforms on Laravel and Vue.js, with UX at the heart of the approach
Digital Natives from Amsterdam designs and builds scalable marketplace platforms that bring supply and demand together effectively. The agency works with technology such as Laravel and Vue.js and has built platforms ranging from niche service marketplaces to B2B platforms and rental sites. User research and the customer journey are central to its approach.
View Digital Natives →Lizard Global (Rotterdam)
Digital product studio: web and mobile, from strategy to DevOps
Lizard Global is a digital product studio from Rotterdam that builds custom web and mobile applications, including marketplace and e-commerce platforms. The agency guides projects from strategy and design through to full-stack development and DevOps, and works for start-ups, scale-ups and innovation teams at larger companies.
View Lizard Global →Agencies #5 – #9
#5 Qlic (Groningen)
ISO 27001 & NEN 7510Qlic from Groningen develops custom software and platforms, including online marketplaces and community platforms that connect customers, service providers and users. The agency works with Laravel-certified developers and values certifications such as ISO 27001 and NEN 7510, which makes it a logical choice for projects with higher security and privacy requirements.
View Qlic →#6 Codelevate (Amsterdam)
SaaS & scalabilityCodelevate from Amsterdam focuses on production-ready SaaS platforms and marketplaces and emphasises scalable, secure and compliant solutions rather than quick throwaway MVPs. The agency combines platform development with API integrations, automation and AI, and positions itself on platforms that need to be able to grow with the business.
View Codelevate →#7 Web Whales (The Hague)
MVP-firstWeb Whales from The Hague develops online platforms and marketplaces, often starting from a minimal first version so an idea can reach the market quickly and budget remains for marketing and growth. The agency focuses both on start-ups building a platform from scratch and on organisations that want to further develop their existing application.
View Web Whales →#8 H1 Webdevelopment (Rotterdam)
Own marketplace platformH1 Webdevelopment from Rotterdam builds online marketplaces on its own scalable base platform, which it adapts to the client's marketplace concept. This combines the benefits of existing functionality with room for customisation. The agency draws on its own marketplace projects and focuses on platforms that need to support many providers and visitors at once.
View H1 Webdevelopment →#9 Hamaka (Utrecht)
Built-in payment methodsHamaka from Utrecht develops custom online software, including marketplaces for members, employees or an open public. The agency integrates payment methods such as iDEAL, Apple Pay and PayPal and offers additional functionality such as reviews, subscriptions and analytics, with support from functional design through to maintenance after go-live.
View Hamaka →All 9 marketplace builders at a glance
A direct comparison on the most important characteristics. Use this table to quickly see which type of agency best fits your platform ambitions.
| # | Agency | Location | Focus | Typical client |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appfront | Amsterdam | Custom marketplace platforms, web apps and mobile apps | Organisations building a custom platform |
| 2 | Freshheads | Tilburg | Digital platforms, marketplaces, portals and communities | Start-ups and larger organisations |
| 3 | Digital Natives | Amsterdam | Scalable marketplace platforms (Laravel, Vue.js) | Marketplace and platform initiatives |
| 4 | Lizard Global | Rotterdam | Custom web and mobile apps, marketplace and e-commerce platforms | Start-ups, scale-ups and innovation teams |
| 5 | Qlic | Groningen | Custom software, marketplaces and community platforms | Projects with higher security requirements |
| 6 | Codelevate | Amsterdam | SaaS platforms and marketplaces, integrations and AI | Platforms that need to grow with you |
| 7 | Web Whales | The Hague | Online platforms and marketplaces from MVP onwards | Start-ups and growing platforms |
| 8 | H1 Webdevelopment | Rotterdam | Online marketplaces on your own scalable platform | Marketplaces with many suppliers |
| 9 | Hamaka | Utrecht | Custom online software and marketplaces | Marketplaces for members, employees or the public |
Marketplace platform: SaaS solution or custom?
One of the first choices when building a marketplace is whether to use an existing SaaS solution or have a custom one built. Both have their place.
SaaS solution (e.g. Sharetribe)
Gives you a working marketplace platform with standard functionality: sign-up, listing offers, search, booking and payments are all built in.
- Start quickly and at lower cost
- Ideal for validating an idea
- Note: the data model and payment flows are largely fixed
Custom
An agency builds the platform from the ground up around your specific marketplace, so the data model, commission logic and user experience fit exactly.
- Full control and room to grow
- Ideal if your platform becomes a core part of your business
- Note: more time and investment upfront
The rule of thumb
Which way you go depends on how unique your marketplace is and how far you want to scale.
- Use SaaS to validate quickly
- Choose custom if your logic deviates from the standard pattern
- Choose custom if the platform becomes a core part of your business
Whichever route you choose, a few challenges stay the same. The chicken-and-egg problem is one: your platform is only valuable once there are both suppliers and customers, but each side is waiting for the other. That is why you often build up one side first. Payments and escrow are a second point of attention: you split money between the platform and the supplier, usually via a PSP such as Mollie, Stripe or Adyen that supports split payments and payouts, with escrow so that money is only released once a transaction is complete. And seller onboarding determines whether suppliers actually come on board: the easier it is for them to enter their offering and details, the faster your platform fills up.
Red flags and green flags when choosing a marketplace builder
Not every agency that claims to build "platforms" has real marketplace experience. Learn to recognise these signals before you choose. This is about what to ask in general, not a judgement on specific agencies.
Deal breakers
- Only experience with websites or web shops, not with two-sided platforms
- No answer on how split payments and payouts work
- No idea how money is released only after a completed transaction (escrow)
- Seller onboarding is an afterthought rather than a design choice
- No plan for further development and maintenance after go-live
Warning signs
- A marketplace is treated as "just a big web shop"
- No clear story on SaaS versus custom
- No attention to abuse, fake accounts and trust between parties
- Unclear about source code and intellectual property
- Not a word about the chicken-and-egg problem or kick-starting supply and demand
Green flags
- Starts by asking about your marketplace model, roles and parties
- Has a clear story on split payments, payouts and escrow via a PSP
- Thinks along on seller onboarding and the first transactions
- Is honest about when SaaS is enough and when custom is needed
- Explicitly arranges code ownership and maintenance after go-live
Looking for something else?
Perhaps your question fits better with a related overview. A few pointers:
- The best SaaS builders in the Netherlands — for anyone who wants to build their own SaaS product rather than a two-sided marketplace.
- The best custom software agencies in the Netherlands — for custom software in the broader sense, not specifically marketplaces.
- The best software companies in the Netherlands — for an overview of Dutch software product companies and scale-ups.
Conclusion
Building a marketplace requires an agency that looks beyond a website or web shop: one that understands two-sided platforms, payment flows between parties, seller onboarding and the chicken-and-egg problem. The agencies in this overview have a proven track record of building marketplaces and platforms, spread across the Netherlands, from Amsterdam and Utrecht to Rotterdam, Tilburg, The Hague and Groningen. Which agency fits depends on your ambition, your budget and the choice between a SaaS solution and custom development.
If you are considering a custom marketplace or platform, Appfront is happy to help. Read more about building a marketplace platform or get in touch directly to discuss your idea.
Frequently asked questions about marketplace builders
What this article is and isn't. This is an editorial overview of Dutch agencies that build online marketplaces and two-sided platforms on commission — not a list of marketplace companies themselves such as bol.com or Marktplaats, and not a comparison of generic shop builders. Rather than a two-sided marketplace, do you want to build your own SaaS product? Then take a look at our overview of the best SaaS builders in the Netherlands.
Why Appfront for your marketplace platform
Most companies build websites or web shops. Appfront builds complete two-sided platforms where providers and customers find each other. Here is what that difference means in practice.
Custom software, apps and AI
From Amsterdam, Appfront builds custom software, web applications and mobile apps for Dutch organisations. We build a marketplace platform around your specific model: we tailor the data model, the roles for providers and customers, the commission logic and the payment flows precisely to your marketplace.
Building a marketplaceFrom design to maintenance
A marketplace is never finished. We take care of the entire process: from strategy and design to build, launch and ongoing development. Seller onboarding, split payments via a PSP and scalable architecture are included from the start, so your platform can grow with supply and demand.
One fixed point of contact
No handovers between separate parties. One team takes care of strategy, design and build, with a single point of contact. Short lines of communication, quick decision-making and transparent communication throughout the project.
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