Best Flippa Alternatives: Where to Actually Buy and Sell Online Businesses
Flippa is the largest marketplace for buying and selling online businesses, with over 3 million registered users. But its open marketplace model comes with real problems: too many low-quality listings, auction-style pricing that confuses people, and fee structures that have changed so many times even Flippa users struggle to keep track.
If you're looking for alternatives that offer better vetting, different fee structures, or just a more focused marketplace for your specific type of business, here are the options worth considering.
Why People Look for Flippa Alternatives
Let's be real about Flippa's downsides before diving into alternatives:
- Quality control issues: Anyone can list on Flippa, which means you'll wade through a lot of questionable listings with inflated metrics or poorly verified financials.
- Auction format confusion: Many buyers and sellers prefer fixed pricing over Flippa's auction approach.
- Fee creep: Flippa's pricing starts at $29 for entry-level listings, but success fees range from 3-10% depending on what you're selling. Their brokered service for listings over $100K costs $999 upfront plus success fees.
- Due diligence burden: Flippa requires extra homework because the platform doesn't vet listings the way some competitors do.
That said, Flippa still works well for certain sellers, especially those selling smaller sites who want maximum exposure. But if you want more hand-holding, better vetting, or different fee structures, these alternatives deliver.
Empire Flippers: The Premium Option
Empire Flippers is the most well-known Flippa competitor, and they've positioned themselves as the premium choice. They reject about 90% of businesses that apply to list, which means the listings that make it through are generally legitimate.
Empire Flippers Pricing
No listing fees - you only pay if your business sells. The success fee structure:
- Under $700,000: Flat 15% commission
- $700,000 to $5 million: 8% on the amount above $700K
- Above $5 million: 2.5% on the amount above $5M
So a $1 million sale would cost you $129,000 in fees ($105,000 for the first $700K plus $24,000 for the remaining $300K).
Empire Flippers Requirements
Your business must earn at least $2,000 monthly net profit over a 12-month average. The cheapest listing currently available is around $30,000. This isn't the place for starter sites or businesses making a few hundred bucks a month.
What's Good
- Rigorous vetting process verifies all financials
- Free escrow and migration services
- Large pool of verified buyers
- 14-day inspection period with revenue guarantee
What's Not
- High minimum requirements exclude smaller deals
- 15% commission is steep for mid-range sales
- Verification process can drag on for weeks
- Exclusivity requirement during listing period
Best for: Sellers with established, profitable businesses worth $50K+ who want a vetted buyer pool and don't mind paying premium fees.
Acquire.com (Formerly MicroAcquire): Best for SaaS
Acquire.com launched in 2020 and quickly became the go-to marketplace for SaaS acquisitions. Their focus is quality over quantity, with curated listings and a professional workflow.
Acquire.com Pricing
The platform charges a closing fee that's a percentage of the purchase price. Their "Guided by Acquire" white-glove advisory service charges 6% - significantly lower than Empire Flippers' 15% for similar deal sizes.
For buyers, Premium membership costs $390/year for access to startups up to $250K in TTM revenue. Platinum membership grants access to all listings regardless of size.
What's Good
- Curated, vetted listings with verified revenue through Stripe and other integrations
- Confidential by default - buyers sign NDAs before seeing details
- Integrated deal rooms, LOI templates, and escrow
- Attracts serious buyers: PE firms, VCs, experienced acquirers
What's Not
- Focused mainly on SaaS and tech - not ideal for content sites or e-commerce
- Buyer fees can add up if you're browsing multiple deals
- Not for small blogs or side projects under $10K
Best for: SaaS founders looking for a discreet exit with expert support, or buyers seeking vetted tech businesses in the five-to-seven figure range.
Motion Invest: Best for Small Content Sites
Motion Invest fills a gap that most brokers ignore: small to medium content websites typically priced between $1,000 and $100,000. They're co-founded by Spencer Haws of Niche Pursuits, which lends credibility in the affiliate/content site community.
Motion Invest Pricing
No listing fees. Success fees are tiered based on sale price, ranging from 5-20%. For sites in the $100K-$500K range, the fee is just 7% - less than half of what Empire Flippers charges for similar deals.
There's also a direct sale option where Motion Invest buys your site directly with no brokerage fees.
What's Good
- Specializes in content sites under $50K that other brokers won't touch
- All listings are vetted with verified traffic and earnings
- Fast average sale time of 12-14 days
- Handles escrow and migration
- Lower fees than Empire Flippers for larger deals
What's Not
- 20% commission on smaller deals is significant
- Limited to content sites - no SaaS, e-commerce, or apps
- Dutch auction format may not suit all sellers
- $1,000 non-refundable deposit required from buyers
Best for: Buyers looking for vetted starter sites or established content sites under $50K. Sellers with small blogs or niche sites that don't meet Empire Flippers' minimums.
FE International: Enterprise-Level Deals
FE International operates more like a traditional M&A advisory firm than a marketplace. They specialize in SaaS, e-commerce, and content sites generating six-figure revenues, with deal sizes typically ranging from $100K to $50M+.
FE International Pricing
Standard 15% commission for most deals, decreasing for larger transactions (around 10% for a $500K deal). They're one of the few brokers that charges buyers - a 2.5% fee capped at $1,000. Escrow fees are split between buyer and seller.
What's Good
- White-glove service with dedicated M&A advisors
- Over $1 billion in completed sales
- Strong relationships with qualified buyers
- Custom Asset Purchase Agreements included
What's Not
- High minimum requirements ($100K+)
- Longer sales process
- Background checks and NDAs required for buyers
- Not suitable for smaller websites
Best for: Sellers with high-value businesses ($100K+) who want full-service support and don't mind a longer, more formal process.
Investors Club: Zero Seller Fees
Investors Club differentiates itself with something rare in this space: no listing fees AND no success fees for sellers. They use a 24-point due diligence process to vet every listing.
What's Good
- Zero fees for sellers
- Rigorous vetting including ID verification, domain ownership, traffic and revenue validation
- Free website valuation tool
- Focus on content sites and online businesses
What's Not
- Smaller buyer pool than larger marketplaces
- Optional premium membership for buyers ($59/month or $390/year)
- Fewer listings overall
Best for: Sellers who want to keep 100% of their sale proceeds and don't mind a smaller audience.
Other Alternatives Worth Knowing
Sedo
If you're primarily selling domain names rather than full websites, Sedo is the largest marketplace in that space with over 19 million domains. Not useful for full businesses, but excellent for domains.
SideProjectors
A community-focused marketplace for side projects. Free to list, no fees if you sell. Quality varies widely, but useful for finding interesting early-stage projects or finding buyers for something you've built but can't commit to.
Quiet Light Brokerage
Around since 2007, focusing on larger established businesses. Good option for deals above $250K where you want an experienced broker.
Website Closers
Not just brokers - they're consultants who advise entrepreneurs on getting the best deal and coach on how to grow a business before selling.
Quick Comparison: Which Alternative Should You Choose?
| Platform | Best For | Minimum Deal Size | Seller Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Flippers | Established profitable businesses | ~$30K | 15% (decreasing at higher amounts) |
| Acquire.com | SaaS and tech startups | ~$10K | 4-6% closing fee |
| Motion Invest | Small content sites | ~$1K | 5-20% (tiered) |
| FE International | High-value transactions | ~$100K | 10-15% |
| Investors Club | Zero-fee selling | Varies | 0% |
| Flippa | Maximum exposure, any size | None | $29+ listing + 3-10% success |
The Bottom Line
The right Flippa alternative depends on what you're selling and how much hand-holding you want:
- Selling a SaaS business? Acquire.com is the obvious choice.
- Have a content site worth $5K-$50K? Motion Invest specializes in exactly this.
- High-value business over $100K? Empire Flippers or FE International.
- Want to avoid fees entirely? Investors Club.
- Just want maximum exposure? Flippa still has the largest audience.
Whatever you choose, do your own due diligence. Even vetted marketplaces can have issues, and no broker is a substitute for carefully reviewing financials, traffic sources, and business operations before making a deal.