The comparison
XPRE vs build, vs stitched SaaS, vs a point platform
No marketing numbers. Every figure is drawn from the same verified value model the composer uses — engineer-weeks to build, and the published price of the subscriptions each module removes.
Three real stacks
What it actually costs, side by side
| Stack | Build from scratch | Stitched SaaS / mo | XPRE / mo | First-year saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Marketplace Starter Marketplace Engine 1 mo to build yourself | £44,000 one-off, then you run it | £600 2 separate bills | £299 one platform, one bill | £47,537 vs build + a year of SaaS |
Live Commerce Platform Marketplace Engine, Auction & Bidding, Live Streaming, Live Commerce, Messaging & Community 5 mo to build yourself | £170,500 one-off, then you run it | £3,150 8 separate bills | £1,499 one platform, one bill | £189,937 vs build + a year of SaaS |
Flagship Operator Stack Marketplace Engine, Auction & Bidding, Live Streaming, Live Commerce, Video Conferencing, AI Meeting Intelligence, E-Commerce, Memberships & Subscriptions, SEO & Growth Engine, Wallets & Token Infrastructure, Messaging & Community 9 mo to build yourself | £316,250 one-off, then you run it | £5,173 18 separate bills | £3,499 one platform, one bill | £338,787 vs build + a year of SaaS |
Figures are indicative, sourced from vendor pricing pages and a blended £550/day senior engineering rate. The XPRE column is the tier monthly ceiling; the taper and term discounts only make it cheaper.
What you lose the other way
The cost of not composing
Three honest routes off XPRE, and what each one actually costs you.
Build it yourself
You own the code, but you also own the bugs, the on-call, the scaling, the security patches and the hiring. The first year costs you the build plus the running; XPRE's first year costs the subscription.
Stitch the SaaS
Every capability is a separate vendor, contract, rate limit and support tier. They do not share a data model, so your marketplace, your streams and your wallet live in three different worlds. XPRE is one model.
A point platform (Shopify, Sharetribe, Whatnot)
Each is one shape: a store, a marketplace, a live show. The moment you need two of those things to talk to each other, you are back to building. XPRE composes them on shared infrastructure by default.
£338,787
Flagship first-year saving
9 mo
To build the flagship yourself
18
SaaS bills it replaces
1
XPRE bill, always
See your own numbers.
Compose the exact stack you want and the composer shows the build cost, the SaaS it replaces and your saving, live.