Introduction
Mobile usage has become the default way users discover, browse, and interact with online platforms. With more than 60% of global online traffic now coming from mobile devices, marketplaces that offer a seamless mobile experience consistently see higher engagement, retention, and transaction frequency.
While a mobile-optimized web experience works well for many marketplaces, some platforms—especially peer-to-peer, service, and community-driven marketplaces—benefit significantly from having a dedicated mobile app. Native apps unlock deeper engagement, stronger brand presence, and easier re-engagement through push notifications and home-screen access.
That’s why Sharetribe has partnered with Twinr, a no-code mobile app wrapper, to help marketplace operators launch iOS and Android apps quickly—without writing a single line of mobile code.
What Is Twinr?
Twinr is a no-code mobile app wrapper that transforms your existing Sharetribe marketplace into fully functional iOS and Android applications. Instead of building and maintaining separate mobile codebases, Twinr wraps your marketplace website inside a native mobile container and enhances it with mobile-specific capabilities. This approach eliminates the need to rebuild your marketplace from scratch, hire iOS or Android developers, or spend months on app development.
Your existing Sharetribe marketplace becomes the foundation for your mobile app, helping you save significant time, reduce costs, and avoid unnecessary technical complexity while still delivering a polished native app experience.
Why Launch a Mobile App for Your Marketplace?
Higher User Engagement
A mobile app places your marketplace directly on the user’s home screen, removing the friction of opening a browser and typing a URL every time they want to return. This ease of access naturally encourages more frequent visits and deeper engagement. Marketplaces built around peer-to-peer interactions, bookings, or local services particularly benefit from this, as users tend to check availability, messages, or updates multiple times a day. With an app, these interactions feel faster and more natural, helping your marketplace become part of users’ daily routines rather than an occasional destination.
Stronger Brand Presence
Launching a native mobile app significantly strengthens your brand’s credibility. Being available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store signals professionalism and trustworthiness, especially for marketplaces that involve payments, bookings, or personal interactions. A branded app icon on a user’s phone keeps your marketplace visible and top of mind, reinforcing brand recognition over time. For new or growing marketplaces, this added layer of trust can make a meaningful difference in user confidence and conversion rates.
Faster Access and a Smoother User Experience
Mobile apps are designed specifically for touch-based interactions, making navigation more intuitive and responsive than mobile browsers. Pages load faster, transitions feel smoother, and common actions like browsing listings, messaging, or checking bookings require fewer steps. This optimized experience reduces friction across the user journey, helping users find what they need quickly and complete actions with less effort. As a result, users are more likely to stay longer, explore more listings, and complete transactions.
Retention and Re-engagement Opportunities
One of the biggest advantages of a mobile app is its ability to support long-term user retention. Apps make it easier to bring users back through updates, reminders, and future mobile-first features. Even without active engagement, your app remains visible on the user’s device, acting as a constant reminder of your marketplace. Over time, this helps reduce churn, encourages repeat usage, and strengthens ongoing relationships between users and your platform.
Why Use Twinr with Sharetribe?
Automatic Syncing
Twinr is built to work seamlessly with Sharetribe, ensuring that your web marketplace and mobile apps always stay in sync. Any updates you publish to your Sharetribe marketplace—such as design changes, content updates, new listings, or feature enhancements—are instantly reflected in your iOS and Android apps. There is no need to manage separate updates or worry about inconsistencies between platforms, allowing you to maintain a single, unified marketplace experience across web and mobile.
Native App Experience
With Twinr, your marketplace is transformed into a true native app experience for your users. Customers can download your app directly from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, install it on their devices, and use it just like any other mobile app. This enhances usability, increases trust, and gives users the convenience of accessing your marketplace with a single tap from their home screen.
No Technical Overhead
Twinr removes the complexity traditionally associated with mobile app development. You don’t need to manage separate iOS and Android codebases, handle operating system compatibility issues, or maintain mobile development workflows. Twinr takes care of the mobile app wrapper and infrastructure, allowing you to focus entirely on growing and improving your marketplace rather than managing technical details.
Built-in Analytics
Twinr also provides app-level analytics that give you visibility into how users engage with your marketplace on mobile. Metrics such as the number of sessions, daily active users, total installs, and overall engagement trends help you better understand user behavior. These insights enable you to make informed, data-driven decisions to optimize user experience, improve retention, and drive marketplace growth.
How to Get Started with Twinr?
Before creating your mobile app, it’s recommended to have either a live Sharetribe marketplace or a test marketplace that is close to launch. This ensures your app reflects a stable and near-final version of your marketplace experience.
To begin, create a Twinr account and start with the 14-day free trial. This allows you to build, preview, and test your mobile app without any upfront commitment, giving you a clear idea of how your marketplace will look and function on mobile devices.
Next, connect your Sharetribe marketplace to Twinr by following Twinr’s setup guide. The integration process is straightforward, and Twinr’s no-code tools allow you to customize your app’s appearance and behavior without technical complexity. Any changes you make to your marketplace are automatically reflected in the app.
As a Sharetribe customer, you can then claim an exclusive lifetime 25% discount on all Twinr plans. This makes launching and maintaining a mobile app significantly more cost-effective over the long term, whether you’re an early-stage founder or scaling an established marketplace.
Once your app is ready, Twinr provides clear, step-by-step guidance for publishing it to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. To publish your mobile app, you’ll need an active Sharetribe Lite, Pro, or Extend plan. After approval, your marketplace will be available to users as a fully functional native mobile app on both major platforms.
Conclusion - A Faster Path to Mobile Marketplace Success
Building native mobile apps from scratch can be expensive, time-consuming, and technically complex. With Sharetribe + Twinr, marketplace founders get a faster, simpler path to launching professional mobile apps—without sacrificing flexibility or control.
By turning your existing marketplace into a mobile app, you meet users where they already are: on their phones.
FAQ's
1. Do I need to build a separate mobile app for iOS and Android?
No. With Twinr, you don’t need to build or maintain separate iOS and Android codebases. Twinr wraps your existing Sharetribe marketplace into native mobile apps for both platforms, allowing you to manage a single marketplace while delivering a consistent app experience on iOS and Android.
2. Will changes made to my Sharetribe marketplace reflect in the mobile app?
Yes. Any updates you publish to your Sharetribe marketplace—such as design changes, new content, listings, or feature updates—are automatically synced with your mobile apps. This ensures your web and mobile experiences always stay aligned without additional work.
3. Is coding or mobile development experience required to use Twinr?
No coding or mobile development expertise is required. Twinr is a no-code solution designed for marketplace founders and operators. You can customize, test, and publish your mobile app using Twinr’s tools without hiring iOS or Android developers.
4. Can I publish my Twinr app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store?
Yes. Twinr supports publishing your marketplace app to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Twinr also provides step-by-step guidance to help you through the app submission and approval process. To publish, you’ll need an active Sharetribe Lite, Pro, or Extend plan.
5. Is Twinr suitable for all types of Sharetribe marketplaces?
Twinr works well for most Sharetribe marketplaces, especially those focused on peer-to-peer interactions, services, bookings, or repeat usage. Marketplaces with strong community engagement, messaging, or local dynamics often see the greatest benefit from launching a dedicated mobile app.
