Same problem, opposite ends
Marketplacer and Mercur both put third-party vendors on your store – from opposite ends. Marketplacer is a closed SaaS you rent. Mercur is an open platform you own. Here is what owning it gives you.
- Zero GMV fees — The license is your only platform cost. Your success isn’t taxed.
- Own the source — Open source, full source for licensees – an engine you can read, audit, and extend.
- Your infrastructure — Any cloud, on-premise, or air-gapped. Data residency is your decision.
- Built on the most popular framework — Standard JavaScript and TypeScript – any web developer can work on it, no certified specialists to hire.
- Additive, not disruptive — Add a third-party layer without replatforming, or stand up a full marketplace from scratch.
- No vendor lock-in — Keep the version you paid for and everything built on it – forever.
Marketplacer vs Mercur, by architecture
The differences that decide this are structural, not feature-by-feature.
| Category | Marketplacer | Mercur |
|---|---|---|
| Core technology | Closed, vendor-only | Open source (MIT), public |
| Enterprise code | Black box | Full source access for licensees |
| Integrations | Separate products & platforms | Built into one platform |
| Customization | Limited, on the vendor’s roadmap | Official extension points, your own layer |
| Deployment | Vendor cloud only | Any cloud or on-premise |
| Cost model | Grows with your GMV | Zero GMV fees |
| Exit | Rebuild | You keep what you paid for |
| Developer pool | Vendor specialists | Any web developer |
Your success isn’t taxed
Marketplacer charges an implementation fee, a subscription, a percentage of transactions, and usage fees. With Mercur you pay to build and run the platform – not a cut of every sale. At scale, you pay more every year for the same platform.
When Marketplacer is the right call
Marketplacer’s real strength is its network – a curated network of thousands of vendors a retailer can tap from day one. Software doesn’t beat that, and we won’t pretend otherwise.
Choose Marketplacer
You don’t have your own vendors and you want a ready, curated network from day one – and neither a cost that grows with your GMV nor running on their cloud stands in your way.
Choose Mercur
- You bring your own vendors
- You want to own the code and the data
- You need on-premise or data residency
- You want a predictable cost that doesn’t grow with your success