Full tutorial on creating a service marketplace
Build a Rover-Style Marketplace in Minutes Using Prometora
Service marketplaces are one of the best opportunities in tech right now. Learn how to build a Rover-style marketplace for any niche — pet sitting, tutoring, home services, and more.
Service marketplaces are quietly becoming one of the best opportunities in tech. Unlike product marketplaces where you compete with Amazon, service marketplaces tap into local demand, recurring relationships, and real-world needs that can't be fulfilled by a warehouse.
Rover built a $2B+ business connecting pet owners with sitters. Thumbtack, Care.com, TaskRabbit — they all prove the model works. And the best part? Most niches are still wide open.
In this tutorial, I show you exactly how to build a Rover-style service marketplace using Prometora — no coding required, live in minutes.
Why Service Marketplaces Are a Huge Opportunity
Service marketplaces have unique advantages over product marketplaces:
- Recurring revenue — Services are often repeat purchases (weekly dog walking, monthly cleaning, ongoing tutoring)
- Local demand — You're not competing globally; you're serving a specific area
- Higher margins — No inventory, shipping, or fulfillment costs
- Defensible moats — Trust and relationships matter more than price
- Less competition — Most niches don't have a dominant player yet
What Rover Does Right
Rover became the leader in pet services by nailing a few key things. If you're building a service marketplace, these are the principles to replicate:
- Trust through profiles — Detailed provider profiles with photos, bios, and verified reviews
- Easy booking flow — Customers can search, compare, and book without friction
- Secure payments — Money flows through the platform, protecting both sides
- Communication tools — Built-in messaging and updates keep everyone connected
- Clear policies — Cancellation rules, guarantees, and dispute resolution are transparent
These aren't just nice-to-haves — they're the foundation of any successful service marketplace. Prometora includes all of these out of the box.
Service Marketplace Ideas You Can Build
The Rover model works for far more than pet sitting. Here are niche service marketplaces you could build today:
Service Marketplace Niches
Pick a niche and build a better home for that community
Pet Services
Dog walking, pet sitting, grooming, training, and pet photography.
Target: Pet owners in your city or region
Tutoring & Education
Academic tutoring, music lessons, language learning, test prep.
Target: Students, parents, lifelong learners
Home Services
Cleaning, handyman work, lawn care, organizing, moving help.
Target: Homeowners, renters, property managers
Wellness & Fitness
Personal training, yoga instruction, massage therapy, nutrition coaching.
Target: Health-conscious individuals
Creative Services
Photography, videography, graphic design, music production.
Target: Businesses, event planners, content creators
Care Services
Babysitting, elderly care, special needs support, companionship.
Target: Families, caregivers, healthcare coordinators
Calculate Your Marketplace Revenue
Before you build, understand the math. Service marketplaces typically charge 15-25% commission. Use the calculator below to model your revenue at different volumes.
Your Settings
Break-Even Analysis
Orders to Break Even
21
GMV at Break Even
$1,050
You're 79 orders above break-even! Your subscription is covered.
Net profit per order: $4 (your 10% commission minus 1.5% Prometora fee)
Per Transaction Breakdown
What you earn as marketplace owner
Seller side (for reference)
Monthly Projections
Yearly Projections
Revenue Growth Chart
Visualize how your net revenue scales with order volume
Monthly orders → Net revenue/month
Scaling Projections
See how your revenue grows as your marketplace scales (based on $50 AOV, 10% commission, Professional plan)
| Orders | GMV | Commission | Fees | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $2,500 | $250 | -$127 | $124 |
| 100Current | $5,000 | $500 | -$164 | $336 |
| 250 | $12,500 | $1,250 | -$277 | $974 |
| 500 | $25,000 | $2,500 | -$464 | $2,036 |
| 1,000 | $50,000 | $5,000 | -$839 | $4,161 |
Ready to Start Earning?
With 100 orders at $50 AOV, you could be earning $336/month. Start building your marketplace today.
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Money back, no questions
Custom Domain
Your brand, your URL
Frequently Asked Questions
You can create pages, customize listing forms, and design your marketplace entirely through the visual interface shown in this tutorial.
The initial setup is fast — most of your time will be spent refining the design and listing structure to match your specific niche.
Use the calculator above to model different commission rates.
Service marketplaces often have recurring revenue, require scheduling/availability features, and depend heavily on trust and reviews.
For more advanced scheduling, you can integrate with external calendar tools.
You can add custom fields for things like service duration, pricing options, availability, certifications, service area, or any other information relevant to your marketplace.
You can configure commission rates and payout schedules to match your business model.
You can also set up approval workflows for new listings and service providers, require profile photos, and create clear policies for disputes.
Many successful service marketplaces started in one city before expanding.
• People are already paying for the service (proven demand)
• Trust matters (so a platform adds value)
• There's no dominant player in your area
• You have some connection or insight into the market
Pet services, tutoring, and home services are proven models, but less obvious niches (senior tech help, plant care, meal prep) can work too.
Get Started
Ready to build your own service marketplace? Prometora makes it easy to go from idea to live marketplace in minutes, not months. Try it out and see how quickly you can bring your marketplace idea to life.
Ready to build your marketplace?
Turn your marketplace idea into reality. No coding required.
Start building — $39/mo