Where to Sell Your Startup: Acquire.com vs Flippa vs Empire Flippers
The marketplace you list on isn't a neutral pipe. It shapes the buyers who see your business, the fees you pay, the diligence you'll go through, and ultimately the price you close at. Based on the exits in the FounderSold database, here's how the three main platforms for sub-$1M acquisitions actually compare.
Acquire.com
Acquire.com (formerly MicroAcquire) is the default starting point for most bootstrapped SaaS founders today.
- Best for: SaaS and software businesses from a few hundred to ~$50K MRR.
- Buyer pool: Large and active, skewed toward individual acquisition entrepreneurs and small funds.
- Fees: Free for sellers on the basic tier; premium tiers add features. Buyers can pay for closing support.
- Experience: Self-serve and fast. You control the listing and talk to buyers directly.
The trade-off: because listing is easy, there's a lot of inventory. Standing out requires clean metrics and a clear, honest listing. The self-serve model also means you handle more of the deal process yourself.
Flippa
Flippa is the broadest marketplace — it sells websites, content sites, e-commerce stores, apps, and SaaS.
- Best for: Content sites, e-commerce, apps, and smaller or more varied digital businesses.
- Buyer pool: The widest and most diverse, but also the most variable in quality.
- Fees: Listing fee plus a success fee on sale.
- Experience: Auction-style or classified listings, with optional broker support for larger deals.
The trade-off: the breadth means more tire-kickers and a wider quality range of buyers. Verification matters more here — serious sellers lean on Flippa's vetting tools to filter.
Empire Flippers
Empire Flippers is a curated, broker-led marketplace with a higher bar to list.
- Best for: Established, profitable businesses — typically with a consistent track record.
- Buyer pool: Smaller but more serious and better capitalized. Buyers are vetted with proof of funds.
- Fees: Higher success fees, reflecting the hands-on brokerage and vetting.
- Experience: They vet your business before listing, handle migration, and hold funds in escrow.
The trade-off: the vetting process takes longer and not every business qualifies. But for a clean, profitable business, the curated buyer pool can mean a smoother close.
How to Choose
A simple way to think about it:
- Early-stage SaaS, want control and speed → Acquire.com
- Content, e-commerce, apps, or a mixed business → Flippa
- Established and profitable, want a hands-off close → Empire Flippers
Many founders list on more than one. There's nothing wrong with testing demand across platforms, as long as you're consistent about your numbers everywhere.
The Thing No Platform Fixes
Whichever marketplace you choose, the platform doesn't set your price — the market does, and your preparation does. A clean, owner-independent business with documented metrics sells well anywhere. A messy one struggles everywhere.
Before you list, read our playbook on [preparing your SaaS for acquisition](/blog/how-to-prepare-your-saas-for-acquisition), and use the [FounderSold stats](/stats) to benchmark what businesses like yours have actually sold for.