Flippa vs Empire Flippers: The Real Differences That Matter
Looking to buy or sell an online business? Flippa and Empire Flippers are the two biggest names in this space, but they serve very different audiences. One is an open marketplace where anyone can list, the other is a curated broker that rejects 91% of submissions.
Let me break down exactly what you're dealing with so you can pick the right platform.
The Quick Answer
Choose Flippa if: You're selling a business under $50,000, you want lower fees, or your business doesn't meet Empire Flippers' strict requirements.
Choose Empire Flippers if: Your business makes at least $2,000/month in net profit, you want hands-off selling with full migration support, and you're okay paying 15% commission for a premium experience.
Flippa: The Open Marketplace
Flippa has been around since 2009 and is essentially the eBay of online businesses. They list everything from $500 starter sites to seven-figure SaaS companies. The platform publishes around 100 new listings per day, which means massive selection but also a lot of noise to filter through.
With over 600,000 registered buyers and powering approximately 12,000 deals annually, Flippa offers unmatched reach in the online business marketplace. The platform has facilitated transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars since its inception, making it the largest marketplace by volume.
Flippa Fees
Flippa charges both listing fees and success fees. Here's the breakdown:
- Entry Listings (under $10,000): $29 listing fee, 60-day term
- Standard Listings ($10K-$999K): $59-$99 listing fee, 6-month term
- Premium Listings: $399-$699 for added exposure and NDA options
- Brokered Service ($100K+): $999 listing fee for 9-month term, with lower success fees (3-8%)
On top of listing fees, Flippa charges a success fee when your business sells. For sites selling under $50,000, they take 10%. The percentage decreases for higher-priced sales, with success fees starting as low as 3% for larger transactions using their brokered service.
Important: The listing fee is non-refundable even if your business doesn't sell.
Flippa now offers a comprehensive broker service for businesses valued at $100,000 and above. This service includes a dedicated M&A advisor who manages the entire sale process, from valuation and marketing materials to negotiation and closing. Flippa's brokers are members of the International Business Broker Association (IBBA) and some hold CM&AA (Certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor) qualifications, putting them on par with traditional business brokers.
What's Good About Flippa
- No minimum requirements: Any business can list, regardless of profit or age
- Largest buyer pool: Over 600,000 registered buyers and 400,000 AI-powered buyer matches weekly
- Lower fees than brokers: The 10% success fee beats Empire Flippers' 15% for smaller deals
- Fast listing process: Your listing can go live immediately without weeks of vetting
- Auction format available: Can create bidding wars for competitive pricing
- Flexible listing types: Choose between classified ads, auctions, or private sales
- Expert broker support available: Access to professional M&A advisors for larger deals
- Integrated tools: Built-in performance data, secure payments, legal agreements, LOIs, and APAs
What Sucks About Flippa
- Quality control issues: No vetting means scams and inflated numbers are common for lower-priced listings
- Premium buyer program criticism: Paying members get 21-day early access, reducing exposure for everyone else
- You're on your own: No migration support for self-service listings, you handle the transfer yourself
- Lower sale multiples: Buyers expect deals, so prices tend to be lower than brokered sales
- Due diligence burden: Buyers need to verify everything themselves since Flippa doesn't thoroughly vet lower-priced listings
- Variable listing quality: You'll need to sift through many listings to find quality opportunities
Flippa's Average Sale Times
According to Flippa's own data, median closing times vary significantly by deal size:
- Under $50K: 15 days
- $50K-$250K: 49 days (approximately 1.5 months)
- $250K+: 73 days (approximately 2.5 months)
These timelines include matching with buyers, negotiation, due diligence, and asset transfer. Smaller deals close fastest, as buyers can make quicker decisions and require less extensive due diligence.
Flippa's First Access Program: The Controversy
In 2023, Flippa introduced the First Access program, a $49/month membership that gives buyers 21-day early access to new listings before they're visible to the general public. This has created significant controversy in the community.
For sellers, this means your listing gets drastically reduced exposure during the critical first three weeks. For buyers who don't subscribe, the best deals are often already under contract before they see them. Many users feel this paywall contradicts the open marketplace concept Flippa was built on.
Check out Flippa's marketplace →
Empire Flippers: The Premium Broker
Empire Flippers takes a completely different approach. They're a full-service broker that vets every single business before listing. They reject 91% of submissions, which means fewer listings but much higher quality.
Founded by entrepreneurs who built and sold their own online businesses, Empire Flippers has facilitated over $280 million in total sales. Their rigorous vetting process and hands-on approach have earned them a reputation as the premium option in the online business brokerage space.
Empire Flippers Requirements
Your business must meet these criteria to even be considered:
- Minimum $2,000 monthly net profit averaged over the past 12 months
- At least 3 months of traffic data from Google Analytics or Clicky
- No URL changes in the past 12 months for affiliate/AdSense sites
- No evidence of manipulated rankings or Google penalties
- Service businesses can't have more than 50% revenue from one client
- No fake social media followers
- Clean financial records and verifiable revenue streams
Meeting these requirements doesn't guarantee acceptance. Empire Flippers regularly rejects businesses that technically qualify but don't fit their marketplace standards or have characteristics that make them difficult to sell.
Empire Flippers Fees
Empire Flippers doesn't charge listing fees-sellers only pay when the business sells. However, their commission structure uses a blended model:
- Under $700,000: Flat 15% commission
- $700K-$5M: 15% on first $700K, then 8% on the remainder
- Over $5M: Continues at 2.5% above $5M
Example calculations:
- $600,000 sale: $90,000 in fees (15% flat)
- $1 million sale: $129,000 total ($105K on first $700K at 15% + $24K on remaining $300K at 8%)
- $5 million sale: $449,000 total ($105K + $344K at 8%)
For buyers, there are no fees whatsoever. Empire Flippers includes free escrow and migration services, which can save buyers thousands of dollars in third-party costs.
What's Good About Empire Flippers
- Quality vetting: Every business is verified with financial records and traffic data
- Free migration support: They handle the technical transfer of the business
- No upfront costs: You don't pay unless it sells
- Higher sale multiples: Typically 20-60x monthly profit depending on business type
- 94.1% success rate: Most listed businesses actually sell
- Professional listings: Empire Flippers creates comprehensive listing pages highlighting your business's strengths
- Buyer verification: All buyers are vetted and must prove they have funds
- Free escrow: Secure transaction handling at no cost to buyer or seller
- Post-sale support: 14-day inspection period and earn-out management if negotiated
- Strong reputation: Over 10 years in business with thousands of successful transactions
What Sucks About Empire Flippers
- High commission: 15% is steep compared to Flippa's fees for self-service listings
- Strict requirements: If your business makes under $2K/month, you can't list
- Slow vetting process: Expect 3-4 weeks before your listing goes live
- 60-day minimum exclusivity: You can't list elsewhere during this period
- Limited for small sellers: Most listings are $100K+ with few options below that
- Competitive for buyers: Quality listings often receive multiple offers within 24-48 hours
Empire Flippers Average Sale Time
The average sale duration is 109 days from listing to closing, though this varies significantly. Businesses under $100K tend to sell faster, while unique or high-priced businesses can take much longer. Some exceptional businesses have sold in under 30 days, particularly those with strong financials, diversified traffic sources, and clear growth opportunities.
Empire Flippers publishes new listings every Monday at 10 AM EST, and serious buyers set alarms to review opportunities immediately. The most attractive listings can receive multiple offers within the first week.
Fee Comparison: Real Numbers
Let's look at what you'd actually pay on each platform:
| Sale Price | Flippa Fees (self-service) | Flippa Brokered | Empire Flippers Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $29-99 listing + $2,500 (10%) = ~$2,600 | Not available | $3,750 (15%) |
| $50,000 | $59-99 listing + $5,000 (10%) = ~$5,100 | Not available | $7,500 (15%) |
| $100,000 | $99 listing + ~$10,000 (10%) = ~$10,100 | $999 + $6,000 (6%) = $6,999 | $15,000 (15%) |
| $250,000 | Not recommended | $999 + ~$10,000 (4%) = ~$11,000 | $37,500 (15%) |
| $500,000 | Not available | $999 + $15,000 (3%) = $15,999 | $75,000 (15%) |
| $1,000,000 | Not available | $999 + $30,000 (3%) = $30,999 | $129,000 (blended) |
At every price point, Flippa is cheaper on paper. But here's the catch: Empire Flippers often gets higher sale prices because buyers trust the vetting process. A business that sells for $80K on Flippa might fetch $100K+ through Empire Flippers, potentially netting you more even after the higher commission.
Additionally, when using Flippa's brokered service for deals over $100K, the fee difference narrows significantly-and you still won't get the migration support or buyer quality that Empire Flippers provides.
Buyer Experience Comparison
Flippa Buyer Experience
Browsing is free, but there's a catch. Flippa rolled out the Premium buyer program ($49/month) that gives paying members 21-day early access to new listings. Without it, the best deals may be gone before you even see them.
Due diligence is entirely on you. The seller writes their own listing description and could omit important details. Flippa doesn't verify listings under $50,000, and even for larger listings, verification is limited compared to Empire Flippers.
There's no migration service, so you're responsible for transferring everything after the sale. For complex businesses with multiple platforms, hosting accounts, and third-party integrations, this can be a significant challenge.
On the positive side, Flippa offers escrow services through Escrow.com at discounted rates (20% off standard fees), and their FlippaPay service for transactions over $10,000 starts at just 0.5% of the sale price paid by the buyer.
Empire Flippers Buyer Experience
Creating an account is free, but you'll need to verify your identity and prove you have funds to unlock listing details like URLs and business names. This verification process includes:
- Identity verification: Government-issued ID and video verification through Persona
- Liquidity verification: Connect bank accounts via Plaid or upload proof of funds
- Access limits: Buyers can unlock listings worth up to 1.5x their verified funds
Once you've found a business, Empire Flippers facilitates conference calls with sellers for listings above $100K. They handle escrow and the entire migration process at no additional cost, which typically saves buyers $2,000-$10,000 in third-party migration fees.
Empire Flippers also provides a 14-day inspection period after migration. If the business doesn't earn at least 50% of the advertised revenue during this period, buyers can renegotiate or reverse the deal. This protection gives buyers significant peace of mind.
Understanding Valuation Multiples
One crucial factor in buying or selling online businesses is understanding how they're valued. Both platforms use monthly profit multiples, but the actual multiples vary significantly.
Typical Valuation Multiples by Business Type
SaaS businesses: Command the highest multiples, typically 40-70x monthly profit (or roughly 3.5-6x annual profit) due to recurring revenue predictability.
E-commerce: Generally sell for 25-45x monthly profit (2-3.75x annual) depending on inventory model, supplier relationships, and brand strength.
Content/affiliate sites: Typically 25-40x monthly profit (2-3.3x annual), with higher multiples for sites with diversified traffic and revenue sources.
Amazon FBA: Usually 25-35x monthly profit (2-3x annual), influenced heavily by supplier relationships and account health.
Dropshipping: Lower multiples at 20-30x monthly profit (1.7-2.5x annual) due to lower barriers to entry and supplier dependencies.
Factors That Increase Multiples
- Diversified traffic sources: Multiple channels (organic, paid, social, email) reduce risk
- Strong financials: Consistent or growing revenue with clear documentation
- Low owner involvement: Systems and automation that reduce time commitment
- Recurring revenue: Subscriptions, memberships, or repeat customers
- Growth opportunities: Clear paths to scale the business further
- Established brand: Recognizable brand with customer loyalty
Empire Flippers generally achieves higher multiples because their vetting process provides buyer confidence. Flippa's self-service listings typically trade at lower multiples due to perceived risk, though their brokered service can achieve comparable valuations.
Who Should Use Which Platform?
Use Flippa When:
- Your business makes less than $2,000/month profit
- You want to sell quickly without weeks of vetting
- You're comfortable handling due diligence and transfers yourself
- You're looking for deals under $30K as a buyer
- You want to sell domains or starter sites
- You're selling a side project or site that doesn't meet broker requirements
- You have technical skills to manage the transfer process
- You're willing to deal with tire-kickers and less serious buyers
- You need the largest possible buyer pool exposure
Use Empire Flippers When:
- Your business makes $2,000+/month in net profit
- You want professional listing creation and migration support
- You're willing to pay higher fees for higher sale prices
- You're buying and want verified, vetted businesses
- You value a streamlined process over speed
- Your target price range is $100K-$3M
- You want serious buyers only (no tire-kickers)
- You prefer hands-off selling with expert guidance
- You want the security of escrow and post-sale protection
Alternative Platforms Worth Considering
While Flippa and Empire Flippers dominate the online business marketplace, several alternatives serve specific niches:
Motion Invest
Specializes in content sites under $100,000. They offer a faster process than Empire Flippers but focus exclusively on content-based businesses. Good for sellers who want quick exits on smaller content sites.
FE International
A high-end brokerage focusing on SaaS, e-commerce, and content businesses typically valued over $1 million. They offer white-glove service with personalized deal structuring and often achieve premium multiples through strategic buyer matching.
Acquire.com
Popular for SaaS and tech startups, particularly those with venture backing or looking for strategic acquirers. Different buyer audience focused on software and technology businesses.
Investors Club
A newer marketplace that charges no listing fees and no success fees for sellers. They offer curated listings and confidential sales, making them an interesting middle ground between Flippa and Empire Flippers.
Digital Exits
Focuses on mid-market deals ($500K-$50M) with a strong emphasis on SaaS and subscription businesses. Good for larger exits requiring sophisticated deal structuring.
Due Diligence: What Buyers Must Verify
Regardless of which platform you use, buyers should always conduct thorough due diligence:
Financial Verification
- Request bank statements, PayPal/Stripe reports, and tax returns
- Verify revenue claims against actual deposits
- Understand all expenses, including hidden costs
- Check for seasonal variations in revenue
- Confirm profit margins are sustainable
Traffic Analysis
- Review Google Analytics data for traffic trends
- Check traffic sources and their sustainability
- Verify search rankings for key terms
- Identify any recent algorithm impacts
- Analyze bounce rates and user engagement
Operational Assessment
- Document all processes and systems
- Identify time commitment required
- Review supplier/vendor relationships
- Check for legal issues or pending disputes
- Verify ownership of all assets (domains, content, accounts)
Growth Potential
- Identify untapped opportunities
- Assess competition and market position
- Evaluate scalability of the model
- Consider technical debt or required updates
Empire Flippers handles much of this verification before listing, while Flippa buyers (especially on self-service listings) must conduct all due diligence themselves.
The Escrow Process Explained
Both platforms facilitate secure transactions, but in different ways:
Flippa's Escrow Options
Flippa partners with Escrow.com and offers FlippaPay. Escrow fees are paid by the buyer and vary by transaction size. For example, a $50,000 purchase might cost $1,500-$2,000 in escrow fees. Flippa offers a 20% discount on Escrow.com fees when initiated through their platform.
The typical process:
- Buyer wires funds to escrow
- Seller transfers assets
- Buyer has 7 days to inspect and approve
- Funds released to seller
Empire Flippers' Escrow Process
Empire Flippers handles escrow internally at no additional cost. Their migration team manages the transfer process, which typically takes 14-30 days depending on business complexity.
The process includes:
- Buyer wires funds to Empire Flippers
- Migration team begins transfer
- Step-by-step asset migration with documentation
- 14-day inspection period begins after migration
- If revenue is at least 50% of advertised, funds release to seller
Empire Flippers also manages earn-out agreements if negotiated, collecting payments from buyers and distributing to sellers over time.
Success Stories and What We Can Learn
Flippa Success
Flippa has facilitated numerous notable exits, including a software business that sold for over $3 million and a content site that went for $550,000. The platform's massive buyer pool creates competition that can drive prices up, particularly for well-documented businesses with strong fundamentals.
The key to success on Flippa: comprehensive documentation, transparent financials, and active engagement with potential buyers. Sellers who respond quickly and provide detailed answers tend to achieve better results.
Empire Flippers Success
Empire Flippers has sold businesses ranging from $50K content sites to multi-million dollar SaaS companies. Their 94.1% success rate is significantly higher than industry averages, largely due to their selective vetting and professional presentation.
Sellers on Empire Flippers benefit from the platform's reputation and buyer confidence. Businesses listed there are assumed to be legitimate and well-documented, which reduces friction during negotiations.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
For Sellers
- Overvaluing your business: Research comparable sales and be realistic about multiples
- Poor documentation: Missing financial records or unclear processes hurt valuations
- Timing the market wrong: Market conditions significantly impact sale prices
- Neglecting the business during sale: Declining metrics kill deals quickly
- Being unresponsive: Slow responses to buyer questions lose sales
- Hiding problems: Undisclosed issues destroy trust and can void deals
For Buyers
- Skipping due diligence: Never take listings at face value, even on Empire Flippers
- Ignoring time commitment: Many businesses require more work than advertised
- Overpaying for traffic: Not all traffic is equal; quality matters more than quantity
- Underestimating transition difficulty: Some businesses are harder to transfer than they appear
- Failing to verify revenue sources: Ensure income streams are stable and legitimate
The Bottom Line
Flippa and Empire Flippers aren't really competitors-they serve different markets.
Flippa is the Wild West. Lower fees, more options, but you need to know what you're doing. Scams exist, inflated numbers are common, and you're responsible for due diligence. But for smaller deals or businesses that don't qualify elsewhere, it's often the only option. With their new brokered service, Flippa is trying to compete in the mid-market space, though they still lack Empire Flippers' migration support and buyer quality.
Empire Flippers is the premium route. You pay 15% commission, but you get vetting, migration support, and access to serious buyers who trust the process. If your business qualifies and you can stomach the fees, you'll likely get a higher sale price and a much smoother experience. Their 94.1% success rate speaks volumes about their process effectiveness.
For businesses in the $5K-$50K range, Flippa makes sense despite its flaws. You'll save on fees and can list businesses that wouldn't qualify for Empire Flippers. Just be prepared to handle everything yourself and vet buyers carefully.
For businesses in the $100K-$1M range, the decision becomes more nuanced. Flippa's brokered service offers competitive fees but less comprehensive support. Empire Flippers charges more but provides end-to-end service and typically achieves higher multiples.
Above $1M, you might want to consider premium brokers like FE International or Digital Exits alongside Empire Flippers. These brokers specialize in larger deals and can provide sophisticated deal structuring, though their fees are similar to Empire Flippers.
Ultimately, your choice depends on your business size, your willingness to handle the sale process yourself, and whether you prioritize lower fees or higher sale prices. Many sellers list on Flippa first to test the market, then move to Empire Flippers if they don't get the results they want. Buyers often browse Flippa for deals but trust Empire Flippers for quality.
Whichever platform you choose, remember that selling an online business is a significant transaction. Take time to prepare your financials, document your processes, and understand what buyers in your market are looking for. The right preparation can increase your sale price by 20-50%, far more than you'd save on fees.