AbstractWe study autopropulsion of an interface particle that is driven by the Marangoni stress arising from a self-generated asymmetric temperature or concentration field. We calculate separately the long-range Marangoni flow $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}{\boldsymbol {v}}^{I}$ due to the stress discontinuity at the interface and the short-range velocity field ${\boldsymbol {v}}^{P}$ imposed by the no-slip condition on the particle surface. Both contributions are evaluated for a spherical floater with temperature monopole and dipole moments. We find that the self-propulsion velocity is given by the amplitude of the ‘source doublet’ that belongs to the short-range contribution ${\boldsymbol {v}}^{P}$. Hydrodynamic interactions, on the other hand, are determined by the long-range Marangoni flow ${\boldsymbol {v}}^{I}$. Its dipolar part results in an asymmetric advection pattern of neighbouring particles, which in turn may perturb the known hexatic lattice or even favour disordered states.