Sellers in the B2B domain are increasingly turning to B2B eCommerce platforms to conduct their business activities. According to research, the B2B eCommerce market in the US is expected to reach USD 8,573 billion by 2030, accounting for a CAGR of 21.6%.
Globally, B2B eCommerce is gaining steam and the significant driver of this growth is the contribution of the top B2B multi-vendor marketplaces like Alibaba and Amazon Business. These B2B marketplaces have maximum traction with small and medium enterprises. Moreover, according to Statista, Amazon’s gross merchandise volume is projected to reach USD 83.1 billion by the year 2025.
According to Gartner, about 80% of B2B sales interactions will take place through B2B eCommerce marketplace platform channels by the year 2025. This figure has seen a huge jump from the year 2021. The key factor driving this upsurge is customer demand. Moreover, online sales now drive about a fifth of all revenue for an average B2B company. This figure equals in-person sales for these businesses and exceeds all other channels. As retail giants like Amazon Business surge ahead, B2B sellers are realizing the importance of an online marketplace to keep up with the competition.
While these numbers indicate a rising opportunity to start with a B2B eCommerce marketplace, you might be wondering what is the best way to do so. The answer is easier than you might be aware of. The industry has some very capable B2B eCommerce software available. In this blog, let’s discuss the most favored options amongst such software.
Amazon Business, Alibaba and Global Sources are popular examples of B2B multi-vendor Marketplaces that typically have sellers (including brands, manufacturers, wholesalers, and suppliers) selling products in bulk to other businesses (buyers). B2B eCommerce marketplaces deal with orders in large volume and value compared to B2C eCommerce marketplaces.
B2B multi-vendor marketplaces operate differently and require a comprehensive set of features and functionality. Both sellers and buyers in a B2B eCommerce marketplace are businesses where payments are usually carried out digitally. However, there is a high chance of initiating payments in installments because of the order value and the delivery timeline.
What is a B2B eCommerce Platform?
A B2B eCommerce platform is a solution that establishes a technology or a digital platform that allows B2B trade online. It helps entrepreneurs and businesses build B2B multi-vendor marketplaces. There is a large number of B2B marketplace software available in the market. They are readymade solutions supporting all the necessary features and functionalities required to initiate B2B transactions online.
B2B eCommerce platforms simplify transactions by enabling businesses (sellers and buyers) to sell or buy products in bulk. These platforms streamline procurement processes, automate transactions, and offer separate dashboards for buyers, sellers and admins to participate and ensure seamless transactions.
Essential features of B2B eCommerce Platforms
Operating a B2B multi-vendor marketplace requires distinct features and functionality. Let’s explore some essential features offered by B2B eCommerce Platforms that help marketplaces facilitate B2B trade between businesses online seamlessly.
Features from an Admin Perspective
1. Complete Admin Control
Decisive Admin control on the B2B eCommerce marketplace in regulating operations, ensuring consistency. It helps the business to project coherence and predictability.
2. User Management
Admins need to manage users, their roles and much more. User management tools enable admins to accept seller requests, give permissions, manage accounts and more. They can even assign sub-admins and give them access to the operations required.
3. Product Management
The capability to provide detailed product information allows buyers to gauge the products in a digital environment. Furthermore, controlling variables related to product management like reviews, allows the admin to navigate nefarious activities and inconsistencies on the B2B eCommerce marketplace.
4. Revenue Streams
A marketplace or a multi-seller business opens up multiple avenues for revenue generation. Typically, the marketplaces generate revenue via charging commissions on sales taking place on the marketplace, levying subscription plans in lieu of better services, monetizing website assets for sellers’ advertisements, running PPC campaigns, and a lot more. A B2B eCommerce platform supporting these revenue streams opens up multiple opportunities for the marketplace to generate revenue.
5. Multiple Payment Methods and secure payment gateways
Allow buyers to transact on the platform in their preferred payment modes and open up opportunities for higher conversions. Furthermore, including popular, fast-performing, and secure payment gateways ensure buyer confidence in the platform.
6. Streamlined Shipping Management
Better shipping and fulfillment features in a B2B eCommerce platform allow the admin to streamline the delivery process. Furthermore, with a streamlined process and availability of shipping options, sellers can ensure efficiency and evaluate the best-suited strategy by factoring in cost and logistical variables.
7. Tax Management
To navigate varying tax slabs, for instance, varying tax laws in various states of the US, Tax management is an essential B2B eCommerce platform feature. It allows the admin to automate levying taxes subject to varying specific state laws. This further reduces manual involvement, reduces errors, and automates a repetitive process.
8. Reporting and Analytics tools
The best B2B eCommerce platform offers comprehensive reporting and analytics tools to monitor platform performance, track sales, and gain access to valuable data and insights.
9. Inventory Management
Sellers need to manage their sales stocks effectively. Inventory management streamlines stock-keeping with low stock alerts and other features. With this module, sellers can maintain optimum stock levels and avoid missed sales due to understocking or excess working capital investment due to overstocking.
Features from the Sellers’ Perspective
1. Inventory Management
Sellers need to manage their sales stocks effectively. Inventory management streamlines stock-keeping with low stock alerts and other features. With this module, sellers can maintain optimum stock levels and avoid missed sales due to understocking or excess working capital investment due to overstocking.
2. Quote Management
An interaction in a b2b multi-vendor marketplace platform is different from the B2C multi-vendor eCommerce marketplace platform. Sellers have a multi-prong strategy toward their product prices. Typical considerations may include branding requirements, stock levels, market demand, order volume, buyer relations, and many others. Hence, RFQ gives sellers the necessary flexibility and allows them to stay open for negotiations via quote management.
3. Minimum Order Quantity & Bulk Order Discounts
B2B eCommerce marketplace platforms deal in bulk purchases. The capabilities to set minimum order quantity and offer bulk order discounts, restrict buyers from making purchases on minimum order quantities and encourage them to more purchases to get more discounts by placing orders in bulk.
4. Real-Time Inventory Updates
The real-time inventory updates feature on the B2B eCommerce platform allows sellers to track the current stock level and list products accordingly, reducing instances of shortages or overstocking.
5. Separate Vendor Store
A separate storefront allows the vendor to set up a virtual storefront within the marketplace. This helps in their branding and allows buyers to find all products listed by sellers under a single point.
Features from the Buyers’ Perspective
1. Advanced Search and Filtering
The interaction of a buyer on a B2B multi-vendor marketplace begins with searching for products and checking their details. Therefore, a B2B marketplace that offers advanced search and filtering features enables buyers to search and find products they are specifically looking for.
2. Request for Quote
Pricing on the B2B marketplace varies greatly depending on several factors. However, the RFQ (Request for Quote) feature allows buyers to request a quote from the sellers. Both parties interact and counteroffer until they don’t get the best deal. The RFQ closes once the quote is accepted. On the B2B multi-vendor marketplaces, buyers get the option to raise a request either to the specific sellers or can request globally.
3. Part Payment Option
On the B2B multi-vendor marketplace, transactions initiated are generally high in volume. Initiating the entire amount in one go may disrupt the business’s flow. Additionally, the order fulfillment may take a longer duration, which encourages payment in installments. The part payment option on the B2B eCommerce platform gives flexibility to buyers when making payments. They can pay partially according to the order fulfillment and other key considerations.
4. Multilingual & Multi-Currency
Marketplaces, especially in the eCommerce landscape, tend to scale both voluminously and geographically. Adding Multilingual and Multicurrency capabilities on a B2B eCommerce marketplace platform enables buyers to interact with the marketplace in their local language and initiate payments using their currency.
5. Multiple Payment Methods and Secure Payment Gateways
Top B2B eCommerce platforms supporting multiple payment gateways allow buyers to transact on the marketplace in their preferred payment modes and payment gateways. Ultimately, multiple payment gateways enable buyers to make payments fast and securely, which boosts their confidence and increases conversion rates for the businesses.
What to Look for in Multi-Vendor B2B eCommerce Platforms
There are a few key considerations that you should not ignore when selecting a B2B eCommerce platform to launch a B2B multi-vendor marketplace. Let’s explore them:
User experience: An intuitive and user-friendly marketplace is the primary need. No matter whether you are launching a B2B marketplace or a B2C marketplace. However, if you are looking for the best eCommerce platform that can engage your users and make navigation seamless, select the platform that is user-friendly.
100% White-Label: Selecting a white-label eCommerce platform means choosing a solution that allows you to rebrand it as your own. If the readymade B2B marketplace software is 100% white-label, that implies you can promote it as your own without any legal restrictions.
Customizability: Whether you are choosing a readymade B2B eCommerce platform to launch a B2B multi-vendor marketplace or even developing a marketplace from scratch, flexibility with customization is always paramount. Such a solution lets you tailor the platform based on your specific requirements, which is essential even now or in the future to be relevant.
Scalability Support: Building an online marketplace is like setting up a business that can grow unexpectedly can even become the leading one in the industry. Choosing a B2B eCommerce platform that is scalable lets you grow your business without worrying about the technical challenges associated with the marketplace, whether it’s performance, speed or any other.
Multi-vendor and B2B Specific: Choosing a solution that is natively built to handle specific functionality, transactions and operations is always right rather than selecting a software that relies on third-party applications or tools. A dedicated multi-vendor eCommerce platform supporting B2B features can offer an enhanced experience.
Third-party Integration: You can’t get everything in-built and custom development can be costlier. There are several services, features and functionality such as payment processing, shipping management and more that require third-party integrations. Hence, choosing a solution compatible with the third-party integrations can help you integrate APIs and tools required seamlessly.
Introduction – Yokart B2B is the best B2B eCommerce platform that lets startups or existing businesses launch a B2B multi-vendor marketplace. The solution is specially designed to handle B2B transactions, ensuring a seamless online marketplace experience
What adds value to this powerful solution is the team behind it. Yo!Kart B2B is designed by the same team behind Yo!Kart, a leading B2C multi-vendor marketplace solution. Yo!Kart B2B is fully customizable and scalable which makes it equally suitable for SMBs as well as large enterprises. YoKart B2B has been developed from the ground up, perfected, and backed by Agile teams. This has resulted in a secure, robust, and reliable solution. Team YoKart has taken the same trusted underpinnings used for a Fortune 500 brewing company, UNI Diamonds – Israel’s biggest B2B diamond distributor, and many other stellar B2B eCommerce platforms.
Features – YoKart B2B eCommerce marketplace software is built to offer B2B-specific features. The following features, integral to B2B success – come out of the box in the turnkey solution:
YoKart B2B has an in-built RFQ module that is usually offered at an additional cost by other B2B solutions. It lets buyers place a quote for products listed on the website. The sellers can accept, reject, or present a counteroffer.
The B2B eCommerce marketplace platform solution offers manufacturers, distributors, and other sellers intuitive B2B features. It has functionalities like personalized vendor storefronts, automated shipping management, offering part-payments, setting minimum order quantity for products on sale, bulk ordering with the option of adding bulk discounts, and more.
YoKart B2B also allows the sale of services with products, either bundled or exclusively. This further broadens the scope of the B2B eCommerce platforms.
The intuitive solution has been built to offer satisfying end-user experiences. The most notable features include multicart checkout, one-click re-order, multiple payment gateways pre-integrated, cart abandonment recovery solution, easy registration and social login, multilingual and multi-currency functionality, supplier search, the ability to add reviews, and much more.
The marketplace owners can run successful businesses underpinned by features like PWA compliance, ease of business operations with pre-integrated business APIs, the option to hide prices at admin and seller level, measuring business health with detailed reporting and analytics, multiple revenue streams including subscription fee, commission fee, PPC, and more.
Pricing – The prices start from $1249. Customizations can be availed with the support of an Agile team. With every YoKart B2B package, you receive lifetime ownership with free installation and no recurring fees.
Software reviews and ratings – With no additional hidden costs such as on platforms like WordPress, Prestashop, WooCommerce, Joomla, and others, YoKart B2B offers Agile technical support, which is very important during the initial phase of business. But, given its comprehensive nature, first-time users’ only concern is that they need to invest time to learn the system. Yo!Kart has a rating of 4.7/5 on Capterra, and 4.7/5 on G2.
Similar B2B multi-vendor marketplace software by FATbit Technologies:
Yo!Rent is a rental eCommerce software that helps entrepreneurs to launch their B2B eCommerce marketplaces with rental functionalities. This online rental software is a fully customizable, white–label and self-hosted solution available at a one-time cost.
Features:
In-built RFQ module for orders in high volume
Bulk volume discount, depending on the order volume
The software comes with features such as a late return module, rental security management, order cancellation, and various other features that make it an excellent B2B rental platform
Pricing – The pricing for Yo!Rent is available in tiered price packages. The price for these packages is available on the quote.
Software Reviews and Ratings – Yo!Rent is rated highly by its users, although a common concern is that the availability of multiple features can mean a longer learning curve. It is rated at 4.7/5 on G2.
Yo!Coach Plus is a bespoke online course marketplace software that is designed for entrepreneurs to launch their course-based platform with ease. It incorporates advanced features like progress tracking, dynamic search filters, resource management, automated refund and cancellation, and so on. Blended with user-centered technology, Yo!Coach Plus is ideal for tutors and subject experts to upload and sell (pre-recorded) course-based videos. In addition, tutors can also conduct one-to-one sessions and group sessions in real-time.
Features:
Facility to provide certificates to learners for their skill authentication
Addition of pre-recorded course-based videos for selling
Offers notes to keep condensed records for future revision
User-friendly, offers multicurrency and multilingual support
Pricing – The pricing for Yo!Rent is available in tiered price packages. The price for these packages is available on the quote.
Software Reviews and Ratings – Multiple online reviews suggest that Yo!Coach has been very well received by its clients. However, some users faced difficulty in learning the system’s functionalities. It is rated at 4.8/5 on G2.
2. CS-Cart
Introduction – Founded in 2005, CS-Cart is a B2B multi-vendor marketplace software for marketplaces. It offers a customizable storefront, admin panel, and integrations with major shipping and payment services. While it is a B2C software out of the box, paid B2B features can be added to the solution.
Features – The top features of CS-Cart :
Real-time shipping rate estimation
Tax management tool to automate tax management,
CRM Integration compatibility to provide a unified view of customer data and automate workflows.
Multi-store management to manage multiple and distinct storefronts and associated products or information.
CS-Cart has the ability to manage the newsletter and send mass notifications with ease.
Pricing – CS-Cart B2C package incurs recurring charges ranging from $1250 – $6950 per year. There’s 1 month of free technical support with the B2B package.
Software Reviews and Ratings – Hassle-free accounting and the ability to create your own promotions. But any tweaks done to the marketplace are lost during upgrades, switching it to the default. Also, users often complain about the failed update system, bad internal policies, and poor customer support (only available during GMT+4 business hours). CS-Cart has a rating of 4.7 on Capterra.
3. BigCommerce Enterprise
Introduction – BigCommerce is a flexible, SaaS-based B2B eCommerce platform that allows businesses to launch B2B multi-vendor marketplaces. Founded in 2009, BigCommerce is popularly known for building online stores. However, operating a B2B multi-vendor marketplace requires third-party integrations. However, the platform allows you to build sleek site designs with customer and price segmentation. Plus, you can easily integrate existing business tools with one-click integration.
Features – BigCommerce has several key features for a successful eCommerce marketplace. Its most notable features include:
Customizable design themes to tailor the platform to the personalized needs.
Abandoned cart savers.
Pre-integrated payment options to ensure seamless transactions.
Professional SEO tools, and more. It is a highly valuable platform for an online store setup. However, the solution lacks when it comes to competing with the best B2B eCommerce platform like Yo!Kart B2B, which is dedicatedly designed to build B2B multi-vendor marketplaces.
Pricing – BigCommerce is a subscription-based platform with a starting price of $29.95/month. Its Plus plan costs $79.95/month and the Pro plan costs $249.95/month. Also, it offers a free trial to users. For pricing information on its enterprise plan, contact the BigCommerce team.
Software Reviews and Ratings – A useful platform to launch your eCommerce store. But, the most frequent complaint from users is that the support sometimes has no idea about the ongoing issue which is a bit frustrating. Also, the themes are pretty similar and there’s a limit on yearly sales forcing you to upgrade. BigCommerce has a rating of 4.3 on Capterra.
4. Magento by Adobe Commerce
Introduction – Open source multi-seller B2B eCommerce marketplace platform founded in 2008, Magento is designed for both small-scale and large organizations in the retail industry. It allows you to edit, create, and manage eCommerce websites, offering a personalized consumer experience. The platform is easy to customize and allows seamless third-party integrations.
Features – Magento offers features like:
Custom coupon creation.
SEO and marketing tools to drive more traffic on the marketplace.
Multiple payments and shipping options.
The platform is PCI-DSS compliant.
Pricing – While Magento’s open-source version is free to download, the starting price for Magento Commerce is $1988/month. There is a free demo available.
Software Reviews and Ratings – Magento is among the most comprehensive products with several add-ons and options available. But there are several users who complained about how hard it is to use and customize. Also, there are continuous security issues that force businesses to switch to another platform. Magento has a rating of 4.3 on Capterra.
5. Shopify Plus
Introduction – Founded in 2006, Shopify today is among the popular solutions that help businesses create and manage their eCommerce solutions. When it comes to build a B2B multi-vendor marketplace, Shopify Plus can be an option that lets businesses trade with other businesses through online stores. It allows businesses to customize and scale their b2b eCommerce platform as per their requirements. Shopify Plus also helps them automate their operations. However, the solution requires third-party integration when it comes to multi-vendor.
Shopify Plus is cloud-hosted software, which is hosted on an internal server. It’s not like self-hosted software, which gives freedom to host software on the preferred server.
Features – Shopify Plus is also in the list of the best eCommerce platforms that allow businesses to:
Manage their inventory via advanced inventory management tools.
Enable marketing and allow businesses to reach a wider customer base using advanced marketing and SEO tools.
Offers multiple payment options and allows businesses to initiate payment securely.
Automates shipping and order fulfillment more.
Pricing – Shopify operates on a monthly subscription-based model. Its plans may vary according to the different business sizes and needs. Businesses can choose a plan that best suits their business and fits their budget. Shopify also provides the opportunity to scale your business.
Software Reviews and Ratings – Talking about reviews, people often show dissatisfaction with the pricing model mentioning charges are not fixed, some say customization options are limited and the B2B functionalities are poor. However, the overall rating is 4.5 out of 5.
6. Sharetribe
Introduction – Sharetribe is one of the best B2B marketplace software solutions that allows entrepreneurs and businesses to build and launch their B2B eCommerce marketplace. It is a no-code marketplace builder that allows users to create an online marketplace without coding. However, Sharetribe is a customizable solution but allows limited customization and the charges may be high even for simple customization.
Features – It comes with all the essential features and functionalities to tackle B2B marketplace needs. However, Sharetribe’s functionalities may not be suitable for large communities or seasonal businesses.
Integrate secure payment gateways to offer flexible options, typically for B2B transactions.
Allows integration with essential business tools like CRM and ERP systems via no-code integrations.
Provide necessary features to the admin in order to allow them to manage users, listings, transactions, and other marketplace functions.
Pricing – Sharetribe works on a subscription-based pricing model.
Software Reviews and Ratings – Sharetribe’s interface is intuitive, customer support is amazing, the no-code option seemed a bit limited, but overall good. Overall, its rating is 4.7 out of 5.
7. Salesforce B2B Commerce
Introduction – Salesforce B2B Commerce marketplace platform is a native solution that enables enterprises to create eCommerce storefronts to enable trade on a large scale. This B2B eCommerce solution helps them streamline their eCommerce operations and add value to their business. With Salesforce B2B Commerce, businesses can build personalized storefronts and do a fast setup to have a seamless experience and gain profit
Features – The Features of salesforce include:
Salesforce B2B Commerce comes with features like Sales Cloud to manage leads and opportunities
B2B Cart Upload to upload multiple items to a cart in one go.
Service Cloud for service delivery.
Sales for CPQ is a sales tool that helps companies generate accurate quotes and automate the sales process and more.
Pricing – Salesforce B2B Commerce has two pricing plans. One is the Starter Plan, which charges 1% of Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) for growing companies and the Growth Plan is another pricing plan that charges 2% which is for established businesses looking to scale, with features like multiple storefronts and unified customer views.
Software Reviews and Ratings – According to the reviewers, Salesforce B2B is easy to use and navigate. However, it requires minimal expertise to operate. It is rated 4.4 out of 5 on G2.
8. PrestaShop
Introduction – PrestaShop is a free, open-source, downloadable eCommerce software better equipped for mid to large-scale businesses. Founded in 2007, the software enables users to create fully functional B2B eCommerce marketplace platforms at the lowest possible cost. PrestaShop is highly customizable, supports numerous integrations, and has a strong user community that ultimately makes the best B2B eCommerce platforms after Yo!Kart B2B.
Features – While being a free eCommerce solution, PrestaShop offers several key features like:
An inventory management tool that helps in managing stocks efficiently.
Multi-channel marketing features to expand reach.
Loyalty programs to drive business growth by fostering repeat purchases, attracting more valuable customers.
Multilingual and multi-currency support that allows businesses to break barriers.
Salesforce also comes with advanced in-built SEO features for greater visibility.
Pricing – PrestaShop is 100% free software with no hidden fees or commission on sales. But it isn’t the easiest software to use. Modules and add-ons come at a steep price while integrating with the likes of Quickbooks or Amazon costs a pretty penny. Initially, it may be free, but you have to pay for web hosting or even hire a developer which might make it more expensive than even self-hosted options.
Software Reviews and Ratings – PrestaShop engine has developed several useful extensions and the default theme is surprisingly useful. But users often complain about how difficult it is to customize the appearance. Also, the modules on which the platform relies are truly expensive. PrestaShop has a 4.2 rating on Capterra.
9. OroMarketplace
Introduction – OroMarketplace is also among the top B2B eCommerce platforms built for B2B users. It has been built to provide enterprises key capabilities to navigate the complexities that typically surround their eCommerce ambitions. It is flexible software offering multiple hosting options.
Features – OroMarketplace offers features like:
OroMarketplace packs in efficient customer management functionalities with the inclusive CRM systems.
It is built with a flexible architecture that supports enterprise legacy system integrations.
It can allow businesses to automate eCommerce activities such as seller onboarding, RFQ, and more.
Pricing – Pricing for OroMarketplace is available via Request For Quote
Software Reviews and Ratings – OroMarketplace has been built for B2B eCommerce marketplace platforms and does offer some nifty features. That said, the B2B eCommerce software can get pricey. Moreover, there are complexities and a relative lack of control for the Admin that users find the most significant impediments. OroMarketplace is rated 4.3/5 on G2
10. Mirakl
Introduction – Mirakl is a versatile SaaS eCommerce platform that can be used to launch a B2B multi-vendor marketplace. However, the solution is not dedicatedly built for B2B, but supports B2B and B2C business models. Developed by a France-based company, this B2B eCommerce platform is more tailored towards use by enterprises.
Features – Features offered by Mirakl are:
Mirakl supports multiple monetization channels that are key to efficient multi-tenant operations.
The solution has an advanced product recommendation engine.
It enables the option to provide personalized pricing and manage quote requests to cater to individual buyer needs.
The system lacks key capabilities to sell digital downloadable products.
Pricing – Pricing for Mirakl is available via Request For Quote
Software Reviews and Ratings – Mirakl is the best B2B eCommerce platform used by some renowned names in the industry. That said, the costs for using this B2B eCommerce platform can be higher. Moreover, it is a backend-only system and companies will need to build a front-end for this solution. Mirakl is rated 4.5/5 on G2
11. Intershop
Introduction – Intershop is a SaaS-based B2B marketplace solution from Germany. It is a solution built for manufacturers and distributors. Intershop’s Commerce Platform provides solutions for B2B businesses to sell on online marketplaces. However, the solution is not exclusively built for a B2B multi-vendor marketplace. Yet, you can create custom catalogs, process bulk orders, and manage complex B2B transactions using Intershop. The company has offices worldwide, serving clientele from Deutsch, French, and English-speaking countries.
Features – Intershop offers:
Intershop offers a B2C-like intuitive shopping experience.
Product catalog management tool to streamline products and their information.
Request for quote feature to allow buyers and sellers to negotiate on the pricing.
Then there is browsable order history, order templates, and subscription packages. Moreover, the workflows of the B2B marketplace platform add to efficiency.
Pricing – Pricing for Intershop is available via Request For Quote
Software Reviews and Ratings – Intershop is a well-known B2B eCommerce software popular in Europe and other parts of the world. However, some users have reported slow performance and lack of integration support. Like all SaaS solutions, clients can’t opt for faster servers, so this can be a consideration. Intershop is rated 4.4/5 on G2 and 4.0 on Gartner.
12. NuORDER (By Lightspeed)
Introduction – NuORDER is a SaaS product i.e. it is a cloud-based B2B eCommerce platform―primarily developed for B2B industries like fashion, health, food & beverage, and other consumer products. It streamlines the wholesale buying process by offering a B2B eCommerce solution for product catalog management, order entry, and inventory management. NuORDER serves businesses of all sizes.
Features – Just like LightSpeed, NuORDER also has a good set of features aimed at enhancing the B2B buying experience.
It offers Customizable Product Catalogs which allow the merchants to create tailored catalogs.
The platform provides robust tools for tracking and managing orders, including real-time inventory updates and order templates.
The B2B eCommerce solution can be integrated with ERP solutions.
It also offers marketing features for email marketing and personalized merchandising, helping businesses maintain strong relationships with their buyers.
Pricing – NuORDER operates on a quotation-based pricing model. Businesses need to request the team to get a personalized quote for their project
Software Reviews and Ratings – NuORDERS is a B2B eCommerce software based in the US. However, some users have reported a lack of back end integration capabilities, glitches such as inventory sync, and a higher learning curve. NuORDER is rated 4.2/5 on G2.
13. Pepperi
Introduction – Pepperi is a B2B commerce platform that helps launch B2B multi-vendor marketplaces for brands, wholesalers, and distributors. It has a unified solution for sales order management and online B2B retail execution. Pepperi is well-suited for businesses in the consumer goods and FMCG industries.
Features – Out-of-the-box features offered by Pepperi:
Pepperi features digital catalog management and CRM capabilities.
The leading B2B platform solution supports trade promotions, automated pricing features, and inventory management.
It is mobile responsive, making it ideally suited to sales teams who need real-time access to product and customer data.
Pricing – Pepperi’s pricing is flexible, with packages that can be customized based on the number of users and the specific functionalities required. It has Pro ($500 onwards) Corporate ($1500/month onwards) and Ultimate (Custom pricing available on quote)
Software Reviews and Ratings – Peppari is the best B2B eCommerce platform with a comprehensive set of features for enterprises. However, clients have reported a lack of robust customization and customer support. Moreover, modifications can be challenging and the learning curve is higher. Pepperi is rated 4.4/5 on G2
14. Aleran
Introduction –Aleran is a SaaS-based B2B eCommerce platform. It is a unified online platform for B2B manufacturers and distributors. The B2B solution has been built with the vision to streamline and accelerate sales processes. Aleran has a flexible back-end architecture, making it compatible with existing business-critical systems, such as ERP, CRM, WMS, and PIM. The B2B eCommerce platform is designed to facilitate multi-channel sales operations, offering a future-proof solution for modern manufacturers.
Features – Aleran offers a good range of features that enhance customer experience and augment the operational efficiency of the online business. These features include:
It offers multi-storefronts from a unified backend.
The B2B solution has a centralized management of data such as products, prices, and more.
Catalog-Embedded Buying: AI-driven transformation of traditional PDF catalogs into dynamic, digital eCommerce experiences.
It also offers configure, price, and quote (CPQ) tools. This allows streamlined quote generation and order conversion for configurable products.
There are also self-service capabilities for users that reduce operational costs and improve customer loyalty.
Pricing – Pricing for Aleran’s B2B eCommerce platform software is available upon request, allowing entrepreneurs to receive personalized quotes that align with their business needs.
Software Reviews and Ratings – Aleran is a B2B marketplace software that has good reviews. It is appreciated for its ease of use, flexibility, and good customer support. However, some performance issues and glitches have been reported by some of the users. Also, the solution tends to be pricier than other alternatives. Aleran is rated 4.6/5 on G2
15. Retaxis
Introduction –Retaxis is a popular B2B eCommerce platform software from C S Tech Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd in India. Retaxis is also a SaaS B2B platform.
Features – Retaxis offers a decent feature suite that includes:
Seller and buyer onboarding that allows seamless registration on the marketplace.
Minimum order quantity that restricts buyers to place an order minimum quantity set by sellers to encourage bulk selling.
Catalog approvals for streamlined operations.
Request for quotes feature to enable negotiations between the buyer and seller.
Credit allocation & tracking for high-value B2B transactions.
Pricing – Pricing for Retaxis is available via Request For Quote
Software Reviews and Ratings – Retaxis is a multi-vendor b2b marketplace software with good features; however, clients do feel the pricing is on the higher side. That said, it has a rating of 4.5/5 on G2.
Comparison Chart – Brief Analysis of Top 5 B2B eCommerce Platforms
Conclusion
Building a B2B multi-vendor marketplace is not just an innovation; it’s a competitive necessity. The best B2B eCommerce platforms that we’ve explored go far beyond standard eCommerce functionality—acting as launchpads for building ecosystems where businesses can collaborate, scale, and innovate. Whether you’re a distributor, wholesaler, or niche industry leader, choosing the right B2B eCommerce platform will define how effectively you connect buyers and sellers, automate eCommerce operations, and future-proof your business. Therefore, choose the best B2B eCommerce platform that perfectly aligns with your business model and requirements to launch a multi-vendor marketplace.
Ans: A B2B multi-vendor marketplace is a digital platform that connects buyers, sellers and admins for online B2B trade. Primarily, three participants – Owner/Admin, Sellers, and Buyers participate on the marketplace. The marketplace is owned by an intermediary that typically sets up the eCommerce website infrastructure, manages it, and may offer backend operations such as shipping fulfillment to the sellers.
The business further invites multiple third-party B2B sellers to register and sell their products and services to potential B2B buyers on the platform.
Q 2. What are the top 5 B2B Multi-vendor marketplaces currently conducting operations?
Ans: Amazon Business, Alibaba, Rakuten, IndiaMart, and Global Sources are the top five B2B eCommerce marketplaces globally. Alibaba dominates the market with a 30% share in China, followed by Global Sources; Rakuten, IndiaMart, and Amazon are the largest B2B platforms in Japan, India, and the USA, respectively, according to a Statista study.
Q 3. How to build a B2B multi-vendor Marketplace?
Ans: There are 2 popular approaches to setting up a B2B multi-vendor marketplace.
The more traditional process is building the B2B eCommerce platform from scratch. This means the interested party connects with an eCommerce development company. They share their requirements with the company. The company then conceptualizes, designs, and tests the entire website. This process, however, is very resource intensive. This process requires a higher investment with significant time investment.
The second approach is using a readymade B2B eCommerce platform. By using this type of solution, the interested party can bypass the process of developing from scratch. These B2B eCommerce marketplace platforms are robust and come with all the essential features and functionalities. By choosing this approach, one can easily save a lot of money and launch a B2B multi-vendor marketplace quickly, even within weeks.
In addition, the B2B eCommerce platforms are highly customizable and scalable, which ultimately offer an experience similar to a marketplace built from scratch.
Q 4. What is B2B multi vendor marketplace software?
Ans: A B2B multi-vendor marketplace software is a turnkey solution that allows an entrepreneur, SMBs, or enterprises to launch a B2B multi-vendor marketplace effortlessly. Moreover, these have pre-built functionalities to conduct B2B eCommerce operations. They can either be cloud-hosted (SaaS) or self-hosted, with the freedom to deploy on any server of their choice.
Q 5. Why Request For Quote (RFQ) module required in B2B eCommerce Platforms?
Ans: B2B interactions between buyers and sellers differ from those in the B2C domain. Sellers have a multi-prong strategy toward their product prices. Typical considerations may include branding requirements, stock levels, market demand, order volume, buyer relations, and many others. This is the reason why a Request For Quote module is a quintessential requirement in a B2B eCommerce platform. It allows sellers to stay open for negotiations for the prices of their products. The RFQ module assists in a two-way negotiation interaction and allows sellers to close the deal by meeting their price criterion, and also stay competitive.
Q 6. What is B2B eCommerce? Who are the users in a B2B marketplace?
Ans: A B2B eCommerce is the sale of goods/services between businesses digitally via an online portal. These are prominent types of sellers in B2B eCommerce:
Raw Material Suppliers: These are suppliers that provide semi-finished or raw materials to the manufacturers.
Manufacturers: Manufacturers procure raw material, process it, and further supply it downstream to distributors, wholesalers, or even other manufacturers.
Distributors: Brand distributors are the link between manufacturers and entities further downstream – wholesalers and/or retailers.
Wholesalers: Where businesses purchase goods in bulk and at a lower price from wholesalers.
Retailers: Retailers are the last point in the supply chain. These will sell the products to the end consumers.
Q 7. What is the cost of a B2B eCommerce platform?
Ans: B2B eCommerce platform comes in multiple types. They can be SaaS-based or self-hosted. Moreover, the features and inclusions vary vastly as well. Accordingly, the price of the software varies.
A SaaS-based solution like Shopify comes with recurring rental/subscription costs.
An open-source B2B eCommerce platform like Prestashop is free to download, but the scope of customization is high. Accordingly, customization teams are needed and the total cost is as per the customization availed.
Self-hosted B2B eCommerce platforms like YoKart B2B, is license-based and come with a one-time payment option.
As mentioned in this blog, YoKart B2B prices currently start at US $1249.
Q 8. What is the Role of inventory management in a B2B eCommerce marketplace platform?
Ans: Inventory relates to the product stock that sellers have allocated to sell on the online marketplace platform. Inventory management features such as low stock alerts allow sellers to keep a tab on that stock. Thus with inventory management sellers can avoid both understocking and unnecessary overstocking – thus maintaining product stocks at optimum levels.
Q 9. How do I choose the best B2B ecommerce platform?
Ans: To find the best B2B ecommerce platform to build a B2B multi-vendor marketplace, look out for the following factors:
A Readymade solution with In-built features/integrations: A turnkey B2B eCommerce platform is one that delivers an online marketplace with all essential eCommerce features like bulk discounts, multiple payment methods, vendor subscription plans, and more shipped out of the box.
Competitive pricing: Pricing is an integral factor when choosing a B2B eCommerce platform. Solutions that pack all the essential features even in a base package offer full value for money to business owners.
Customization: A customizable platform that can be personalized to cater to your business requirements is a great asset. Since not every solution allows customization, choosing the right eCommerce platform is imperative.
Scalability: The ability to handle system processing demands either through modifications to an existing module or by integrating new modules is termed as scalability. A scalable solution is vital for business growth.
Built-in marketing tools: From email marketing, and real-time analytics to in-built SEO support, there are several marketing tools that are essential for businesses’ marketing strategies. These tools should come pre-integrated into your choice of eCommerce platform.
Q 10. Which is the best B2B multi-vendor eCommerce platform?
Ans: YoKart B2B is the best B2B multi-vendor eCommerce platform with a comprehensive list of all essential eCommerce features, expert technical support (free for 1 year), the ability to customize, highly scalable, and more. The platform offers a complete package to kick-start your B2B marketplace and streamline eCommerce operations.
Kick-start your B2B eCommerce marketplace with Yo!kart.
All innovation starts with an idea to solve real-world problems. At FATbit Technologies we are passionate about driving digital transformation to prepare businesses for a digital-first tomorrow. Let’s discuss your BIG idea NOW.
Disclaimer: The Blog has been created with consideration and care. We strive to ensure that all information is as complete, correct, comprehensible, accurate and up-to-date as possible. Despite our continuing efforts, we cannot guarantee that the information made available is complete, correct, accurate or up-to-date. We advise - the readers should not take decisions completely based on the information and views shared by FATbit on its blog, readers should do their own research to further assure themselves before taking any commercial decision. The 3rd party trademarks, logos and screenshots of the websites and mobile applications are property of their respective owners, we are not directly associated with most of them.
Abhishek Kataria is a business consultant at FATbit Technologies. He assists entrepreneurs and business owners in developing viable digital touchpoints and marketplaces. Abhishek is curious about exploring and analyzing new business trends and has a keen eye for the latest developments in the eCommerce sector. Apart from consulting, you can find him practicing French and exploring his creativity in Photoshop.
I completely agree, It is great. And I am always surprised when I read posts about the food. This great content. I have learned something powerful today.
Comments (1)
Dai software
I completely agree, It is great. And I am always surprised when I read posts about the food. This great content. I have learned something powerful today.