Flippa Review: The Largest Website Marketplace (But Is It Worth It?)

Flippa is the world's largest marketplace for buying and selling websites, apps, domains, and online businesses. Founded in 2009, they've facilitated over 450,000 transactions and claim a buyer pool exceeding 2 million users. If you're looking to flip a website or acquire an online business, Flippa is probably the first name you'll encounter.

But here's the thing: being the biggest doesn't automatically mean it's the best option for you. I've dug into the platform's fees, user experiences, scam issues, and alternatives so you can make an informed decision.

What Can You Buy and Sell on Flippa?

Flippa handles a wide variety of digital assets:

Listings range from a few hundred dollars for starter sites up to several million for established businesses. In 2022, a portfolio of Singapore-based mobile apps sold for $35 million - Flippa's largest transaction to date.

Flippa Pricing: What It Actually Costs

This is where things get a bit complicated. Flippa has multiple fee types that add up.

Listing Fees (Paid Upfront)

You pay these regardless of whether your site sells:

Success Fees (Paid When You Sell)

Flippa takes a percentage of your sale price, and this is where it adds up:

So if you sell a $75,000 website, Flippa takes roughly $7,500 in success fees alone, plus whatever you paid for your listing package.

Brokered Service Fees

For listings above $100,000 (and required for listings over $1,000,000), Flippa offers a managed broker service. This comes with a $999 non-refundable fee for a 9-month term, plus the standard success fee. The brokers are CM&AA qualified (Certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor) and members of the International Business Broker Association.

Buyer Fees

Buyers get off easier, but it's not free:

How Fast Do Sites Sell on Flippa?

Flippa publishes their median closing times:

Some businesses sell within 48 hours, but that's the exception. Expect lower-value deals to close fastest.

The Scam Problem (Let's Be Honest)

Here's what nobody at Flippa wants to talk about: the platform has a reputation for questionable listings. This isn't because Flippa itself is a scam - it's a legitimate company that's been around since 2009. The problem is their open marketplace model.

Flippa doesn't verify listings below $50,000. That means buyers are responsible for their own due diligence on the majority of listings. And with such a high volume of listings, there are plenty of:

Red flags to watch for: If a site is selling for 6x monthly profit when the standard is 20x-36x, something's wrong. Sites that look too good at unrealistically low prices are almost always a trap.

Flippa has improved verification in recent years, and listings over $50,000 do get due diligence from their team. But if you're buying anything under that threshold, assume nothing is verified and do your homework.

What Flippa Does Well

Massive audience: With over 1.5 million users and 600,000+ monthly searches on the platform, sellers get real exposure. If you're trying to sell a website, this is the largest pool of potential buyers you'll find.

Range of listings: Unlike brokers who only work with established businesses, Flippa accepts everything from $500 starter sites to multi-million dollar acquisitions. This makes it accessible regardless of your budget.

Escrow protection: Their integrated escrow service through Escrow.com protects both buyers and sellers. Money sits in escrow until the business transfer is complete.

Variety of deal structures: You can run auctions, set Buy It Now prices, or accept offers. This flexibility lets sellers find their ideal approach.

Free valuation tool: Sellers can get a ballpark valuation using Flippa's data-driven tool before committing to a listing.

What Flippa Gets Wrong

Fees add up fast: Between listing fees, success fees, and escrow fees, selling a $50,000 site could cost you $5,000+ in total fees. Traditional brokers charge 8-12%, but they also do more of the work.

No migration help: Unlike Empire Flippers or Motion Invest, Flippa doesn't help transfer websites from seller to buyer. You're on your own for the technical handoff, which increases risk.

Tire-kicker central: Sellers report dealing with a lot of non-serious buyers. With free buyer accounts and minimal barriers, you'll field plenty of lowball offers and time-wasters.

Limited support for smaller listings: Unless you're selling something over $100,000 and using their broker service, don't expect hand-holding. Support is basic.

Quality inconsistency: The volume of listings means quality varies wildly. Buyers need to invest serious time vetting opportunities.

Flippa Alternatives Worth Considering

Empire Flippers: The main Flippa competitor for higher-value businesses. They vet listings more thoroughly and help with transfers, but require deposits just to see full listing details. Better for established businesses; not ideal for starter sites.

Motion Invest: A newer player that verifies every listing's earnings. They also buy sites directly. No seller fees. Good for content sites in the $10K-$100K range.

Acquire (formerly MicroAcquire): Better for SaaS businesses and startups. More curated than Flippa but less variety.

Exchange Marketplace: Shopify's own marketplace for e-commerce businesses. If you're specifically buying or selling Shopify stores, worth checking out.

Who Should Use Flippa?

Flippa makes sense for:

Skip Flippa if:

The Bottom Line

Flippa is legit, and it's the biggest game in town for buying and selling online businesses. The sheer volume of buyers and sellers means opportunities exist on both sides of the transaction.

But it's not a hands-off experience. Sellers will deal with lots of unqualified buyers. Buyers need to be vigilant about scams, especially on listings under $50K. And the fees, while competitive with brokers, aren't exactly cheap.

If you go in with realistic expectations and a willingness to put in the work, Flippa can be valuable. Just don't expect the platform to do the heavy lifting for you.

Try Flippa and browse current listings to see what's available in your niche and price range.

Related Resources

If you're building an online business to eventually sell, or looking for tools to run an acquired business, check out these related guides: