Customizable Marketplaces with Limitless Potential

Within the online marketplace industry, building a custom platform can be complex and expensive. Previously known as Sharetribe Flex, this powerful marketplace solution has now been integrated into a unified platform simply called Sharetribe. Nearly ten years ago, Sharetribe launched Sharetribe Go, the world’s first no-code marketplace builder. Six years later, they released Sharetribe Flex, a marketplace solution specifically designed for developers. Today, these two solutions have come together to form one product: Sharetribe—the ultimate marketplace software for founders​.

While the product name has changed, researching Sharetribe Flex offers a unique opportunity to explore its original capabilities and understand how it became the foundation for the new Sharetribe platform. This journey through Flex's development showcases the features and flexibility that made it a cornerstone for the powerful marketplace solution we have today.

What Makes Sharetribe Flex Unique?

Sharetribe Flex was designed to give businesses the power to create entirely custom marketplaces. Unlike traditional marketplace builders, Flex offers limitless design flexibility and the ability to integrate advanced features like AI-powered algorithms or even native mobile apps. The goal was simple: to make building a marketplace more accessible and affordable, especially for bootstrapped founders looking to scale their marketplace ideas into full-fledged businesses.
With Flex, the possibilities are endless. Whether you're aiming for a pixel-perfect design, advanced user experiences, or seamless mobile functionality, Flex’s powerful developer platform allows you to achieve this in a fraction of the time compared to traditional development methods. The scalable cloud infrastructure and marketplace management tools ensure that your platform grows seamlessly, even when you reach hundreds of thousands of users or process millions in payments.

The Flex Developer Platform Advantage

A standout feature of Sharetribe Flex is its developer-first approach. Unlike other platforms, Flex requires coding to implement custom changes and design features. This coding requirement allows for an unprecedented level of customization. Businesses can easily build on top of the Flex infrastructure to create tailored user experiences that go beyond what typical no-code platforms offer.
Over time, many Sharetribe Flex-powered marketplaces have raised millions in funding, scaled to thousands of users, and built entire engineering teams dedicated to enhancing their marketplace. This highlights Flex’s scalability and its capacity to support growth in a way that no-code platforms may struggle with.

Sharetribe Flex vs. the New Sharetribe

The transition from Sharetribe Flex to the new Sharetribe brings together the best of both worlds. While Sharetribe Go was a no-code marketplace builder aimed at non-technical founders, Sharetribe Flex catered to developers who wanted deeper customization. The new Sharetribe platform combines these two approaches: it allows founders to launch a no-code marketplace quickly and then extend it with custom features through code.
With Sharetribe, you no longer need to switch between platforms. It’s now possible to start simple and gradually build out more complex features, which previously required migration from Go to Flex.

Journeyhorizon: Top Sharetribe Experts

When it comes to working with both Sharetribe Flex or Sharetribe, partnering with an experienced Sharetribe developer is essential to unlocking the platform's full potential. This is where Journeyhorizon shines. As one of the leading Sharetribe experts, Journeyhorizon has been awarded Sharetribe badges for their exceptional work in developing and optimizing Sharetribe-powered marketplaces.
With a deep understanding of both Sharetribe Go and Sharetribe Flex and the new Sharetribe, Journeyhorizon has helped numerous businesses create custom marketplaces that stand out in a competitive market. Whether you need to build unique features, integrate third-party tools, or scale your marketplace, Journeyhorizon offers expert development services.