Mercado Livre (mercadolivre.com.br)
Brazil's largest e-commerce and payments marketplace, part of MercadoLibre Inc.
Mercado Livre at a glance
Mercado Livre is an e-commerce website and one of the most visited sites in Brazil, currently ranked #2 in the country. It was founded in 1999 by Marcos Galperin and is headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay (corporate); Brazil operations based in São Paulo. Today Mercado Livre is owned by MercadoLibre, Inc.. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 400 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through marketplace commissions, mercado pago fintech and payments fees, advertising (mercado ads). Its closest rivals include Amazon Brazil, Magazine Luiza, Shopee Brasil, Americanas.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 400 million | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 400 million | -1% |
| Q3 | ≈ 400 million | +4% |
| Q4 | ≈ 400 million | +3% |
Traffic sources
- Direct42%
Brand loyalty and app usage
- Organic search32%
- Referral10%
- Social12%
- Paid & other4%
Audience & demographics
- Men52%
- Women48%
- Age 18-2420%
- Age 25-3428%
- Age 35-5432%
- Age 55+20%
The audience skews toward Brazil's large urban centres, with mobile-first usage patterns typical of the country's internet population.
Geographic reach
- Brazil88%
- Portugal3%
- United States2%
- Other Latin America4%
- Other3%
SEO profile
- Organic keywords
- ≈ hundreds of thousands to millions, depending on site scale
- Estimated organic traffic
- A large share of total monthly visits
- Strongest clusters
- Brand and category terms in Portuguese
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| mercadolivre | 1 | Very high | — |
| mercadolivre login | 1 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- ≈ hundreds of thousands
- Link profile
- Widely cited by Brazilian media and partner sites
Top referral sources
- Google Search40%
- Direct / app38%
- Social media14%
- Other8%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Like most large Brazilian digital platforms, the site relies on major cloud providers and modern JavaScript frameworks, with heavy investment in mobile app performance given Brazil's mobile-first user base.
Mobile app statistics
- Cumulative downloads
- ≈ tens of millions
- Daily active users
- Millions
Company information
- Website
- mercadolivre.com.br
- Sector
- E-commerce
- Owner
- MercadoLibre, Inc.
- Owner type
- Publicly traded company (NASDAQ: MELI)
- Founders
- Marcos Galperin
- Founded
- 1999
- Headquarters
- Montevideo, Uruguay (corporate); Brazil operations based in São Paulo
- Employees
- ≈ 60,000 across MercadoLibre group, large share in Brazil
- Ownership
- Publicly traded on NASDAQ, with founder Marcos Galperin as a major shareholder
- Valuation
- ≈ USD 90+ billion market capitalisation (MercadoLibre, Inc.)
- Revenue
- ≈ USD 16+ billion annually (group-wide, Brazil the largest single market)
- Languages
- Portuguese (primary), with Spanish and English support in some regional operations
- Top traffic sources
- Direct navigation, organic search, app usage, paid search
Ownership, investors & funding history
| Date | Round | Amount | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Founded | N/A | Marcos Galperin |
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ USD 16+ billion annually (group-wide, Brazil the largest single market)
- Ownership structure
- Publicly traded on NASDAQ, with founder Marcos Galperin as a major shareholder
Business model & revenue
Mercado Livre operates a commission-based marketplace connecting buyers and sellers across Brazil, integrated with the Mercado Pago payments platform and Mercado Envios logistics network.
- Marketplace commissions
- Mercado Pago fintech and payments fees
- Advertising (Mercado Ads)
- Logistics and fulfilment fees
- Mercado Livre credit and lending
Products & services
Online marketplace for new and used goods.
Digital wallet and payments platform.
Logistics and delivery network.
Retail media and advertising platform for sellers.
Lending products for consumers and merchants.
Related deals on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate, Global Site Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Seller ecosystem
- Partners/advertisers
- Brazilian and international brands
International presence
- Primary market
- Brazil
- Secondary presence
- Selected Latin American markets
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
API & developer information
- Public API
- Limited or partner-only APIs depending on business line
Website rankings
- Brazil rank
- #2
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Brazil | Comparable regional scale | — | Different business model |
| Magazine Luiza | Comparable regional scale | — | Different business model |
Overview
Mercado Livre is the leading e-commerce and payments marketplace in Brazil and across Latin America, operated by NASDAQ-listed MercadoLibre, Inc.
Traffic Statistics
The Brazilian site attracts an estimated 400 million monthly visits, making it one of the country's most visited websites and a top e-commerce destination.
Traffic Sources
Traffic is driven by strong direct and app-based navigation, complemented by organic and paid search for product categories.
Audience & Demographics
Mercado Livre's user base spans nearly all adult age groups in Brazil, reflecting its broad product catalogue from electronics to fashion and groceries.
Geographic Reach
Brazil is by far the largest single market, though the group also serves Argentina, Mexico and other Latin American countries under the same brand.
SEO Profile
The marketplace ranks for millions of product and category keywords in Portuguese, benefiting from vast product catalogue depth and strong domain authority.
Technology Stack
Mercado Livre runs on a large-scale proprietary cloud infrastructure supporting its marketplace, Mercado Pago payments and Mercado Envios logistics systems.
Social Media Statistics
The brand maintains a large social media presence across Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, used heavily for promotions and seller education content.
Mobile App Statistics
The Mercado Livre and Mercado Pago apps have been downloaded hundreds of millions of times across Latin America, ranking among the top shopping and finance apps.
Company Information
Founded in 1999 by Marcos Galperin, MercadoLibre is headquartered in Montevideo with major operations centred in São Paulo for the Brazilian market.
Ownership & Investors
MercadoLibre, Inc. trades publicly on NASDAQ under ticker MELI, with founder Marcos Galperin among its largest shareholders.
Financials
The group generates over USD 16 billion in annual revenue worldwide, with Brazil consistently its largest and fastest-growing market.
Business Model
Revenue comes from marketplace commissions, Mercado Pago transaction fees, advertising through Mercado Ads, and logistics and lending services.
Products & Services
Core products include the marketplace itself, Mercado Pago digital wallet, Mercado Envios logistics, Mercado Ads and Mercado Crédito lending.
Competitors
Key competitors in Brazil include Amazon Brazil, Magazine Luiza, Shopee Brasil, Americanas and Casas Bahia.
Company History & Milestones
Since its 1999 founding, Mercado Livre has expanded from a simple marketplace into a full commerce and fintech ecosystem spanning payments, logistics and credit.
Latest News
MercadoLibre continues to report strong growth in Brazilian gross merchandise volume and Mercado Pago fintech adoption.
User Reviews & Ratings
Brazilian consumers generally rate Mercado Livre highly for selection and delivery speed, with periodic complaints about third-party seller quality.
Pros & Cons
Pros: huge selection, integrated payments and logistics, strong trust. Cons: high seller fees, some quality-control issues, customer service scale challenges.
Key Statistics
≈400 million monthly visits, #2 most visited site in Brazil, roughly 60,000 employees group-wide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Mercado Livre? MercadoLibre, Inc., listed on NASDAQ. Is it only in Brazil? No, it serves multiple Latin American countries.
Data Sources
Company reports and Similarweb estimates.
Last Updated
September 2026
Related Websites
Mercado Livre, Globo, UOL and other leading Brazilian digital platforms.
Company history & milestones
- 1999
Company founded
- 2026
Continues to expand digital operations in Brazil
Latest news
- mercadolivre.com.br reports continued growth in BrazilIndustry press · 2026
Pros & cons
Pros
- Huge product selection and seller base
- Integrated payments and logistics
- Strong brand trust in Brazil
- Fast delivery network
Cons
- High seller commissions
- Counterfeit/quality control challenges on marketplace listings
- Customer service complaints at scale
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Mercado Livre?
It is owned by MercadoLibre, Inc., a Nasdaq-listed company founded by Marcos Galperin.
Is Mercado Livre only in Brazil?
No, it operates across Latin America, with Brazil as its largest market.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company reportsMercadoLibre, Inc.
- Similarweb estimatesSimilarweb
- Data confidence
- High for ownership and company facts; traffic figures are third-party approximations.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic and audience figures are modelled estimates (≈) based on public reports and third-party analytics tools.
Social media profiles & statistics