Choosing where to sell your online business is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a seller. The platform you choose affects your deal price, the quality of buyers who see your listing, how long the process takes, and how much you pay in fees.
This guide gives you an honest, side-by-side comparison of the seven major platforms for selling online businesses in 2026. We've included real fee structures, honest pros and cons, and guidance on which platform suits which type of seller — including our own platform, ExitBid.
Disclosure: ExitBid is one of the platforms covered in this article. We've done our best to be objective and fair to all platforms. Our goal is to help you make the best decision for your specific situation.
Quick Comparison Table
| Platform | Best For | Deal Size | Seller Fee | Listing Fee | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExitBid | SaaS, apps, all digital | $25K–$5M+ | ~5% | Free | Auction |
| Flippa | Starter to mid-tier | $1K–$5M | 4–10% | $29–$499 | Auction + BIN |
| Empire Flippers | Established profitable sites | $50K–$20M | 2–15% | Approval only | Brokerage |
| Acquire.com | Startups & SaaS | $1K–$50M | 4–6% | Free | Marketplace |
| FE International | Premium SaaS, large deals | $500K–$50M+ | ~10% | Approval only | Full brokerage |
| Motion Invest | Content & SEO sites | $5K–$500K | 15% | Free | Brokerage |
| MicroAcquire | Early-stage startups | $1K–$5M | 0% | Free (premium plan) | Marketplace |
Flippa
EstablishedFlippa is the largest and most well-known marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Founded in 2009, it has processed hundreds of thousands of listings across all business types. The sheer volume of buyers on Flippa gives it one of the largest audiences — but that comes with a tradeoff.
Flippa's open marketplace model means anyone can list and anyone can browse. This creates noise: tire-kickers, low-ball offers, and listings with minimal buyer vetting. For sellers of profitable businesses above $100K, this can be frustrating. For smaller businesses or those willing to navigate the process independently, Flippa's reach is hard to beat.
✓ Pros
- Largest buyer audience globally
- Supports all business types
- Auction and buy-it-now options
- Good for smaller deals ($5K–$100K)
✗ Cons
- Lots of unserious buyers
- Upfront listing fees required
- Less hand-holding for complex deals
- Quality signal varies widely
Empire Flippers
Premium BrokerageEmpire Flippers is one of the most respected names in the digital business brokerage space. They have a rigorous vetting process — less than 20% of submitted listings make it onto the marketplace. If you're accepted, you get access to their curated, serious buyer pool and a managed sale process.
The downside: the process is slower (average 3–5 months), and the commission structure means you pay more on smaller deals. They're best suited to sellers with profitable businesses above $100K SDE who value a high-touch experience over speed.
✓ Pros
- High-quality, vetted buyer pool
- Strong track record & reputation
- Full listing support & migration service
- Competitive sale prices for listed deals
✗ Cons
- Difficult to get accepted (selective)
- Slower process (months to close)
- High fees for smaller deals (up to 15%)
- Less control for the seller
Acquire.com
SaaS FocusedAcquire.com (formerly MicroAcquire) has grown into one of the leading platforms specifically for startups and SaaS companies. Their buyer pool is largely composed of strategic acquirers, operators, and tech-savvy investors — making it a strong choice for software businesses.
The platform operates as an open marketplace, connecting buyers and sellers directly, with Acquire.com facilitating the transaction. This means sellers retain more control but also bear more responsibility for negotiating and due diligence.
✓ Pros
- Strong SaaS and tech buyer pool
- Reasonable fees (4–6%)
- Free to list
- Good for pre-revenue and early-stage
✗ Cons
- Less support for non-tech businesses
- Seller drives most of the deal process
- Variable buyer quality without curation
FE International
Enterprise BrokerageFE International is a full-service M&A advisory firm for online businesses, specializing in deals above $500K. They provide valuation, deal preparation, buyer outreach, negotiation, and completion support — a white-glove service justified by their fee on larger deals.
Not accessible to most sellers (they require minimum revenue thresholds), but for founders exiting a $1M+ SaaS or ecommerce business, FE International's deep buyer relationships and deal expertise can justify the premium.
✓ Pros
- Full M&A advisory service
- Access to PE & strategic buyers
- Expert deal structuring
- High close rates for accepted listings
✗ Cons
- Minimum deal size ($500K+)
- High fees (~10%)
- Long exclusivity periods
- Slow process for smaller operators
Motion Invest
Content SitesMotion Invest is purpose-built for content websites and SEO-driven publishers. If you've built a niche site monetized through display advertising, affiliates, or sponsorships, Motion Invest's specialized buyer pool understands your asset and can move quickly to close.
The fee (15%) is on the high end for the deal sizes they handle, but the process is streamlined and their buyers know content sites well, reducing friction in due diligence.
✓ Pros
- Specialized in content sites
- Fast, simple process
- Buyers understand content metrics
✗ Cons
- High 15% commission
- Not suitable for SaaS or ecommerce
- Smaller buyer pool than generalist platforms
MicroAcquire (Acquire.com Free Tier)
Self-ServeMicroAcquire started as a no-fee marketplace for early-stage startup acquisitions and was later folded into Acquire.com. The free tier remains appealing for founders trying to sell small or pre-revenue projects without paying a commission. However, without fees, the platform has less incentive to actively market your listing.
✓ Pros
- Zero commission on free tier
- Good for sub-$100K deals
- Fast to set up a listing
✗ Cons
- Limited active promotion for free listings
- Self-serve — you handle most of the deal
- Less buyer vetting
ExitBid
Auction-FirstExitBid was built around a fundamentally different premise: transparent, competitive auctions produce better outcomes than private, sequential negotiations. Where most platforms rely on back-and-forth negotiation with a single buyer at a time, ExitBid puts your business in front of multiple verified buyers simultaneously — creating the competitive tension that drives prices up.
This model is particularly powerful for founders who have built a quality business and want market validation of their price rather than a take-it-or-leave-it offer from a single acquirer. The auction format means you see all bids in real time, you set reserve prices, and you close on your terms.
ExitBid accepts businesses across all digital categories — SaaS, apps, ecommerce, content sites, newsletters, and marketplaces. Listings are reviewed for quality before going live, ensuring a serious buyer pool. With lower fees than traditional brokerages and a faster timeline than managed M&A firms, ExitBid fills a gap that previously didn't exist: a professional, founder-friendly auction marketplace for digital businesses of all sizes.
✓ Pros
- Competitive bidding drives higher prices
- Real-time, transparent auction process
- Free to list, low ~5% success fee
- Accepts all digital business types
- Verified, qualified buyer pool
- Faster to close than traditional brokerages
- Seller sets reserve price & terms
✗ Cons
- Newer platform (smaller track record vs. Flippa/Empire)
- Auction format requires setting a realistic reserve price
- Less suited for ultra-high-complexity M&A deals ($20M+)
Which Platform Should You Choose?
- Best for sub-$50K deals: Flippa or MicroAcquire (free tier)
- Best for content / SEO sites: Motion Invest or Flippa
- Best for SaaS / tech up to $2M: ExitBid or Acquire.com
- Best for established, profitable businesses $100K–$5M: ExitBid or Empire Flippers
- Best for premium deals $1M+: FE International or ExitBid
- Best for early-stage / pre-revenue: Acquire.com or MicroAcquire
Pro tip: Don't limit yourself to one platform exclusively. You can list simultaneously on an auction platform like ExitBid and a self-serve platform to maximize exposure — just be transparent with buyers about the process.
Related reading
→ How to Sell Your SaaS Business: The Complete 2026 Guide → How to Value an Online Business: Methods, Multiples & CalculatorList on ExitBid — Let Buyers Compete for Your Business
The auction-first marketplace for digital businesses. Free to list. Verified buyers. Competitive bidding.