Sell an online business: brokers and marketplaces compared
Online businesses - SaaS, ecommerce, agencies, content sites, apps - sell differently from main-street firms. You can list on a marketplace yourself, use a marketplace that adds brokerage support, or hire a specialist broker or M&A adviser. This page compares the routes and the providers we list, using only what the providers publish on their own websites.
Which route fits
Self-serve marketplace (for example Flippa, whose own site is "Buy and Sell Online Businesses, Websites, Apps & Domains"): you list the business and deal with buyers directly. Usually the lowest cost and the most work; suits smaller, simpler businesses and sellers who can answer diligence questions directly. Source: Flippa homepage
Curated or vetted marketplace: Empire Flippers calls itself "The #1 Curated Online Business Marketplace", and Acquire.com offers "1,000s of vetted online businesses". More screening of buyers and listings than a self-serve venue, more process, and the platform charges for completed sales. Sources: Empire Flippers homepage ยท Acquire.com homepage
Specialist broker or M&A adviser (for example Website Closers, FE International): a dedicated adviser runs the sale end to end. Suits larger or more complex deals where positioning and buyer reach matter; fees are usually a negotiated success commission.
Providers we list for online businesses
| Name | Type | Focus (from their own site) |
|---|---|---|
| Empire Flippers | Curated marketplace (own site) | Online businesses and websites |
| Flippa | Marketplace | Online businesses, websites, apps and domains |
| Acquire.com | Vetted marketplace (own site) | Profitable online businesses: SaaS, ecommerce, agencies, content, newsletters, mobile apps, crypto |
| Website Closers | Brokerage | Tech & internet businesses, US nationwide |
| Exclusive Business Brokers | Brokerage | SaaS, agencies, services, e-commerce, healthcare, construction (Charleston SC, works remotely) |
| DealStream | Marketplace / network | Business professional community and deal marketplace |
| FE International | M&A adviser | Technology businesses (SaaS, e-commerce, digital) |
Each name links to our detail page for that provider, including what we found about any referral programme they publish. We describe providers only from what they publish themselves, and no one pays to be listed.
Before you choose
Ask any route: what they charge in total and when it is due; who qualifies buyers and how; whether your financials stay private until an NDA; and what happens if the business does not sell. For valuation basics first, see our US valuation guide; for the wider choice, our guide to choosing a broker.
See also: Business broker fees: what selling costs