How the marketplace works

The Solo Market exists for one simple exchange: a solo developer sells a small piece of software they already built, and a buyer owns it forever. No subscription, no platform to log into, no data leaving the buyer's machine. This page is the whole model in one read; the rest of the docs go deeper on each part.

What it is

Think of it as the opposite of a big SaaS suite. Instead of renting a thirty-feature platform to use one feature, a buyer finds the single tool made for the job they have and buys it once. Every tool is a small folder of code the buyer downloads and runs on their own computer.

• Buy once, own forever. A one-time price, not a monthly bill. The tool is yours and keeps working with no account and no expiry.
• Runs locally. The code runs on the buyer's machine, not our servers. Their data never leaves their computer.
• Software only. Self-contained tools with readable source — scripts, CLIs, desktop and browser apps, automations. Not SaaS, not ebooks or courses, not services.

Who it's for

Sellers are solo builders and indie developers who made something to fix their own problem — the kind of tool that's too niche to turn into a startup, so it usually just sits on a laptop. Someone else has that same problem. List it once and keep 85% of every sale.

Buyers are people who need one specific thing done and would rather own the tool for it than rent a large platform. Many aren't developers at all — the tools are built to be run by an AI assistant if the buyer would rather not touch a terminal.

The journey of a tool

Here's the full path, from a seller's folder to a buyer running it:

1. A seller packages their tool as a standard zip — the App Package — with the source, a setup guide, a licence and a short manifest, plus a demo video and screenshots.
2. They submit it for review. Nothing lists automatically. Every submission is checked before it can go live (see Trust & safety).
3. Once approved, it appears in the catalogue with its own page, screenshots and price, and is discoverable by the problem it solves.
4. A buyer pays once and downloads the package immediately. The purchase lives in their library to re-download any time.
5. The buyer runs it on their own machine — either the one command in the setup guide, or by opening the folder in an AI assistant and asking it to set the tool up. See Running an app you bought.
6. The seller gets paid their 85% share through Stripe. See Pricing & payouts.

What it costs

Listing is free. When a tool sells, The Solo Market keeps a flat 15% commission and the seller keeps 85%. That 15% is all-inclusive — it covers payment processing and the delivery, hosting and versioning of the download, so there are no separate card fees, listing fees or monthly costs on either side.

Next: if you're here to sell, start with Get your project live. If you're here to buy, jump to Running an app you bought.