Alexis Kestler
Owning an online business can be extremely lucrative, allowing you to generate passive income and work remotely from anywhere in the world. However, starting an online business from scratch requires significant time, effort and financial investment. This is where online marketplaces that allow you to buy or sell existing online businesses come in.
According to research, the market for buying and selling online businesses surpassed $4.5 billion in 2020 alone and is projected to grow to over $7 billion by 2025. For entrepreneurs looking to get a head start by acquiring an already profitable business or selling their current business to take some chips off the table, online marketplaces provide a transparent and efficient way to do so.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the 10 best marketplaces to buy and sell online businesses, providing an overview of how each platform works, their key features, pros and cons, and the types of businesses they are best suited for.
Benefits of Buying/Selling Through Online Marketplaces
Before jumping into the specific platforms, let‘s first look at some of the main benefits these online marketplaces provide compared to trying to buy or sell an online business independently:
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Access to a wider selection of businesses: Marketplaces give you access to hundreds of pre-vetted businesses for sale in your niche. This saves you time having to find businesses independently.
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Ability to compare businesses: With key stats like traffic, revenue, profits, and valuation available for each listing, you can easily compare between businesses.
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Secure transactions: Marketplaces have escrow services to securely handle transactions and prevent fraud.
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Expert support: Most marketplaces have dedicated brokers who can provide guidance throughout the buying/selling process.
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Pre-vetted businesses: Marketplaces do due diligence to ensure legitimacy of sellers so you can buy with confidence.
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Anonymity: Many marketplaces allow you to anonymously explore opportunities before revealing your identity.
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Wider exposure: Your business gets exposed to thousands of investors and buyers through the marketplace.
Now let‘s get into the top 10 platforms:
1. Flippa
Flippa is the world’s largest marketplace to buy and sell online businesses, with over 3 million users and businesses listed for sale ranging from $1,000 to $30+ million valuations.
Key Features
- Buy everything from blogs, ecommerce stores, apps, SaaS businesses, and more
- Filter listings by revenue, traffic, profitability, niche and other criteria
- Legitimacy verified through their proprietary Flippa Due Diligence
- Secure escrow service
- Access to financing and payment plans
Pros
- The largest selection of businesses across all sizes and niches
- Very detailed listing information provided
- Easy sorting and filtering to find perfect match
- Highly reputable with over $500 million in transactions
Cons
- Given massive selection, competition can be high for certain listings
- Additional fees for escrow services
Best For
Flippa is ideal for all types of buyers from first timers to seasoned investors looking across all business models and niches. It‘s catalogue of listings and detailed filtration make it easy to find exactly what you‘re looking for.
2. Empire Flippers
Empire Flippers focuses exclusively on selling high-quality and profitable online businesses. Businesses listed range from $50,000-$5 million+ in valuation.
Key Features
- Specializes in the sale of niche sites, ecommerce stores, apps, and SaaS
- Highly selective – only 1% of business listings are accepted
- Provides detailed financials on each business
- Full broker support throughout the sales process
Pros
- High-quality businesses in various niches
- Thorough vetting process ensures legitimacy
- Broker assistance for both buyers and sellers
- Specializes in larger mid-market businesses
Cons
- More limited selection compared to other platforms
- Minimum business valuation of $50,000
Best For
With its rigorous evaluation and mid-market focus, Empire Flippers is ideal for buyers specifically looking for proven, profitable businesses in the $100K+ range. It is also a great option for sellers of established businesses looking for an expert brokerage.
3. MicroAcquire
MicroAcquire focuses on companies with under $1 million valuations, making it a prime marketplace for buying and selling software businesses in their early stages.
Key Features
- Buy and sell bootstrapped and early-stage SaaS businesses
- Get connected with a large investor network
- Shared access to limited financial data to qualify buyers
- Anonymous browsing of deals
Pros
- Specialized in selling smaller, bootstrapped software companies
- Great for both new and experienced SaaS buyers
- Keep your identity anonymous while exploring deals
- 30,000+ active investors registered
Cons
- Limited to software businesses only
- Cannot access full financials upfront
Best For
MicroAcquire is the perfect marketplace for buying and selling smaller SaaS businesses that are under $1 million valuations. Their large investor network is targeted to early-stage software companies specifically.
4. FE International
FE International focuses on multimillion dollar mid-market online businesses. They offer both buy and sell side brokerage services.
Key Features
- Businesses listed range from $2 million – $50+ million valuations
- Represent both buyers and sellers through their broker network
- Specialize in ecommerce, SaaS, apps, lead gen, and content businesses
- Provide professional valuations and financial analysis
Pros
- Catalogue of high value, performance proven businesses
- Expert brokerage team assists throughout process
- Timely notifications when businesses get acquired
- Valuation reports developed for all listings
Cons
- Only suitable for high-net worth individual investors
- Very limited selection of businesses
Best For
FE International is suited for high-net worth investors looking to acquire established businesses with multi-million dollar valuations. Their broker-guided process is also ideal for sellers in this mid-market range.
5. Exchange
Part of Shopify, Exchange is a specialized marketplace exclusively for buying and selling Shopify powered online stores.
Key Features
- Caters to ecommerce stores built on Shopify
- Listings contain sales metrics and other Shopify data
- Support with migrations and transactions
- Tools for valuations specific to Shopify stores
Pros
- Specialized focus on Shopify ecommerce stores
- Official Shopify partnership provides resources and support
- Useful sales and valuation data provided through Shopify integration
Cons
- Only suitable for Shopify based businesses
- Much more limited selection vs. wider marketplaces
Best For
Any buyers or sellers focused specifically on buying Shopify powered ecommerce businesses should consider Exchange. The Shopify data and support they provide streamlines the process.
6. Motion Invest
Motion Invest provides an all-in-one solution for buying and selling web businesses. They purchase businesses directly in addition to listing them on their marketplace.
Key Features
- Option to get acquired directly by Motion Invest
- Assistance with due diligence for sellers
- Support with transition and optimization post-sale
- Listings contain key metrics like traffic, revenue, expenses etc.
Pros
- Sell your business directly to Motion Invest for a quick and easy exit
- Buyers get support in migrating and optimizing businesses
- Clear metrics provided for informed buying decisions
Cons
- More limited business selection vs. wider marketplaces
- 20% fee for sellers who sell through their marketplace
Best For
For sellers looking for a quick and easy business exit, Motion Invest is a solid option given their direct acquisition services. Buyers who want more involved post-purchase support during optimization can benefit as well.
7. Indie Hackers
Indie Hackers provides a community marketplace focused on buying and selling bootstrapped online businesses and side projects.
Key Features
- Caters to micro-SaaS, apps, blogs, and other side projects
- Close knit community of indie hackers and bootstrappers
- Discussion forums to exchange learnings
- Listings contain basic business overviews and metrics
Pros
- Strong sense of community for solo founders
- Focus on micro-businesses and side projects
- Low fees and quick approval process
Cons
- Very limited information provided on listings
- Fewer tools and support systems compared to other platforms
Best For
For bootstrapped entrepreneurs and solo founders buying or selling side projects, micro-SaaS companies, and online businesses under $50K valuations, Indie Hackers provides a great community-oriented marketplace.
8. Investors Club
Investors Club operates a private membership community for qualified investors to buy & sell online businesses.
Key Features
- Caters to established investors with a vetting process
- Private platform only accessible to accepted members
- In-depth analysis on listings including SEO, traffic, and finances
- Networking opportunities with other investors
Pros
- High-quality investor community and listings
- Expanded analysis helps inform buying decisions
- Makes finding off-market opportunities easy
Cons
- Have to become a qualified member to gain access
- Membership can be expensive for smaller buyers
Best For
Investors Club is ideal for more established or experienced investors who pass their qualification criteria. The expanded analysis and private nature enables informed discovery of deals not readily available to the public.
9. Trustiu
Trustiu focuses on buying and selling blogs, ecommerce stores, apps and digital real estate. They extensively vet each business before listing.
Key Features
- Specialists in buying/selling blogs and content sites
- Each business is thoroughly vetted for quality assurance
- Free business valuations provided
- Global reach with sellers and buyers across the world
Pros
- Strong expertise in blogs and content sites
- Highly selective listings
- International buying/selling capabilities
Cons
- More niche focus on blogs vs. wider selection
- Smaller marketplace size vs. others
Best For
For blog and digital real estate investors and sellers, Trustiu provides an ideal avenue with its selective curation and specialization in this space. Their global reach also enables international transactions.
10. Website Broker
Website Broker is a boutique brokerage representing buyers and sellers of sites valued at under $100K.
Key Features
- Broker-guided purchase process
- Businesses listed via weekly email newsletter
- Model financial documents provided on each business
- Free valuation audits
Pros
- Personal broker relationship and advice
- Financial breakdowns help inform purchase
- Low competition given boutique setup
Cons
- Only services businesses under $100K valuation
- Smaller inventory of listings
Best For
For buying or selling micro-online businesses, side projects, or blogs with valuations of less than $100K, Website Brokerage provides attentive broker services in this range.
Choosing the Right Marketplace
With this overview of the top marketplaces available, you can narrow your selection based on your specific criteria:
For general online businesses: Flippa, EmpireFlippers
For niche sites or blogs: Trustiu, WebsiteBrokerage
For ecommerce stores: Exchange, MotionInvest
For SaaS or apps: MicroAcquire, EmpireFlippers
For mid-market established businesses: FE International, EmpireFlippers
For side projects and micro-businesses: IndieHackers, WebsiteBrokerage
Take the criteria that are most important to you such as your budget, business niche, or size of business you are looking for and cross-reference that with the marketplaces reviewed above to shortlist the best options.
Tips for Buyers
If you have decided to buy an online business through a marketplace, keep these tips in mind:
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Thoroughly understand the valuation metrics used to price businesses in respective niches
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Ask clarifying questions on the financials, operations, and growth opportunities
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Hire a lawyer to review the purchase contract and transfer of assets
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Structure a payment plan if you need financing help to purchase the business
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Have a post-acquisition transition plan mapped out for migrating and optimizing the business
Tips for Sellers
For those looking to sell their online business, here are some key tips:
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Honestly evaluate your business including its strengths, weaknesses and potential risks
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Calculate your business valuation using comparable sales data
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Clean up your books, financial statements, contracts etc. which will get scrutinized
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Respond quickly to buyer inquiries and information requests
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Develop a transition plan to ensure smooth transfer of assets and ownership
Conclusion
Buying or selling an online business through a marketplace provides transparency, choice and ease compared to doing it independently. With this list of top marketplaces catering to different niches, business models and stages of growth, you can find the platform that best fits your needs as a buyer or seller.
Do your due diligence, get clarity on valuations and structure a strategic post-acquisition plan. By following the tips outlined, you can seamlessly navigate the process of buying or selling an online business on these marketplaces. The time and effort savings gained allow you to focus on the operational aspects of growth and scaling.
