The verdict in three sentences
A custom B2B industrial spare parts marketplace costs EUR 80,000 to 180,000 excl. VAT to build in 2026, in 6 months, while a Mirakl licence starts around EUR 100,000 per year before integration. The model runs on a 6 to 12% commission collected through split payments, with break-even around EUR 3M of annual gross volume at an 8% commission. The decisive factor is search by manufacturer part number: without it, no maintenance technician will drop the phone and their usual distributor.
Build custom or license Mirakl
An entrepreneur from industrial maintenance, for example around the Port of Rotterdam industrial cluster, bringing together 40 distributors has two options. The first is to license a vendor marketplace platform (Mirakl, or cheaper alternatives such as Izberg or Origami Marketplace). The second is to have a custom platform built and owned. For a launch with 40 sellers, custom is usually more profitable over 3 years, provided the initial scope stays tight.
| Criterion | Custom build | Mirakl | SaaS alternative (Izberg, Origami) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 80,000 to 180,000 | EUR 50,000 to 150,000 integration | EUR 30,000 to 80,000 integration |
| Annual recurring cost | EUR 15,000 to 35,000 (hosting, maintenance) | EUR 100,000+ (licence + share of volume) | EUR 30,000 to 70,000 |
| 3-year total cost (order of magnitude) | EUR 125,000 to 285,000 | EUR 350,000 to 500,000 | EUR 120,000 to 290,000 |
| Search by manufacturer part number | Designed for the trade | Via custom development | Limited, needs adapting |
| Launch timeline | 6 months | 4 to 8 months | 3 to 5 months |
| Code and data ownership | Full | Licence | Licence |
| Best for | 20 to 300 sellers, specific trade | Operators above EUR 50M volume | Fast launch, standard catalogue |
Mirakl makes sense once gross volume exceeds several tens of millions of euros. For a marketplace starting with 40 distributors, the licence would absorb most of the commissions for the first two years.
Essential building blocks and their cost
Industrial spare parts have one peculiarity: the buyer looks for an exact reference (SKF 6205-2RS, Schneider LC1D18, Festo DSBC-32-100) or its equivalent. Search, catalogue normalisation and cross-reference management therefore weigh heavily in the budget.
| Building block | Scope | Indicative 2026 cost excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Search by manufacturer part number | Tolerant to dashes and spaces, equivalents, technical filters | EUR 15,000 to 35,000 |
| Catalogue import and normalisation | CSV or API feeds from 40 distributors, deduplication, product pages | EUR 12,000 to 30,000 |
| Seller back office | Stock, prices, orders, invoices, shipping times | EUR 15,000 to 30,000 |
| Split payments and KYC | Stripe Connect, Mangopay or Lemonway, seller payouts | EUR 10,000 to 25,000 |
| B2B buyer accounts | Multi-user, internal approval, 30-day terms | EUR 10,000 to 25,000 |
| Quotes and RFQs | Off-catalogue parts, compared seller responses | EUR 8,000 to 20,000 |
| Operator back office | Commissions, disputes, reporting, moderation | EUR 10,000 to 15,000 |
Split payments are regulated: in Europe, a platform collecting on behalf of third parties must use a licensed payment institution (Stripe Connect, Mangopay, Lemonway). Their fees run around 1.5 to 2.5% of collected amounts depending on volume, to factor into the commission.
Break-even table
Assumptions: EUR 130,000 build amortised over 3 years (EUR 43,000 a year), recurring costs of EUR 207,000 a year (2 people on seller management and support at EUR 120,000, acquisition marketing EUR 60,000, hosting and maintenance EUR 27,000). Annual total to cover: about EUR 250,000.
| Average commission | Annual break-even volume | Average volume per distributor (40) | Monthly platform volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6% | EUR 4.2M | EUR 104,000 | EUR 347,000 |
| 8% | EUR 3.1M | EUR 78,000 | EUR 260,000 |
| 10% | EUR 2.5M | EUR 63,000 | EUR 208,000 |
| 12% | EUR 2.1M | EUR 52,000 | EUR 174,000 |
| 8% + seller subscription EUR 200/month | EUR 2.4M | EUR 60,000 | EUR 200,000 |
The calculation shows the value of a hybrid model: a modest seller subscription (EUR 200 per month per distributor, EUR 96,000 a year) cuts the required volume by about 25%. In practice, 6% is realistic on low-margin bearings and fasteners, 10 to 12% on automation parts or rare parts.
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Mini case study
Julien, former maintenance manager at a food-processing plant near Lyon, brings together 40 regional distributors. He launches a EUR 135,000 version in 6 months: part-number search, Mangopay split payments, buyer accounts with 30-day terms, RFQs. He sets a 9% average commission and a EUR 150 monthly subscription. In year one, 180 industrial sites buy an average of EUR 1,400 a month, EUR 3M of annual volume. Revenue: EUR 272,000 in commissions plus EUR 72,000 in subscriptions, EUR 344,000 in total, against EUR 252,000 of costs. The platform earns about EUR 92,000 in year one, and the build is paid back within 18 months. The same economics apply to a Rotterdam-based operator serving Benelux plants.
FAQ
How much does a B2B spare parts marketplace cost in 2026?
EUR 80,000 to 180,000 excl. VAT for a custom platform, depending on how deep the part-number search goes and how seller catalogues are integrated. Recurring technical costs then run at EUR 15,000 to 35,000 a year.
What commission should distributors pay?
The market range is 6 to 12% depending on product family margins. A seller subscription of EUR 100 to 300 a month usefully complements the commission and stabilises revenue.
Is Mirakl suitable for a launch?
Rarely: at over EUR 100,000 a year, Mirakl targets operators handling tens of millions of euros. For 40 sellers, custom or a SaaS alternative costs 2 to 3 times less over 3 years.
How do split payments work?
The buyer pays the platform, a licensed institution (Stripe Connect, Mangopay, Lemonway) keeps the commission and pays the balance to the seller, usually within 7 to 30 days. Fees of 1.5 to 2.5% must be planned into your margin.
Why 6 months?
Development takes about 4 months; normalising the 40 distributors' catalogues and piloting with 10 buyers take the remaining 2. That step determines search quality.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of distributors, their catalogue sizes and your target commission: we will price a marketplace between EUR 80,000 and 180,000 with a 6-month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
