7 Best Flippa Alternatives for Buying and Selling Websites
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Flippa has massively impacted and shaped the industry. It was the first marketplace of its kind when it launched in 2009, and it still has a larger audience than any of its competitors. But Flippa is not without problems.
In my opinion, Flippa is best for experienced buyers and sellers who are savvy enough to maneuver this open marketplace. I generally don’t recommend Flippa to first-time buyers or sellers (unless you’re working with a broker) because there are safer alternatives.
This article lists some Flippa alternatives you may want to consider.
Who Should Use the Flippa Marketplace?
Here are the scenarios where I think buying or selling a website on Flippa makes sense:
- You have experience buying or selling websites. Flippa can be an excellent resource for experienced buyers skilled at due diligence. It’s possible to find hidden gems that may produce a high return on investment (ROI).
- You’re working with a third-party broker. Brokers like Joe Burrill help website owners sell on Flippa. An experienced broker will handle most of the work for you.
- Your site is worth at least $250,000. Flippa offers its own brokered service called Managed by Flippa for higher-priced listings. This service eliminates many of the common issues for Flippa sellers.
Why Consider Flippa Alternatives?
Although Flippa can be a good option for some buyers and sellers, it’s not for everyone. Here are some of the common issues Flippa buyers and sellers face.
Too Many Listings
Flippa has thousands of active listings. Its popularity can actually be a drawback for buyers and sellers. Buyers face the challenge of browsing through thousands of listings to find the ones that interest them (thankfully, Flippa does offer excellent filtering options).
Sellers may have difficulty standing out on the platform because so many listings compete for attention. Flippa offers promotional upgrades that provide more exposure but require additional costs.
Low-Quality Listings
Flippa attracts a lot of low-quality listings because it’s open to nearly any website or online business. Many other marketplaces and brokers have minimum requirements, but Flippa’s an open platform. As a result, most of the listings at Flippa would not be eligible to be listed elsewhere.
Of course, Flippa has plenty of high-quality websites and businesses listed. However, they’re outnumbered by the low-quality listings.
Unverified Deals
Flippa verifies the revenue and traffic of listings above $50,000, but listings below $50,000 are unverified. Flippa integrates with Google Analytics, which helps improve the accuracy of listed traffic numbers, but nothing is manually verified.
Unfortunately, Flippa has a reputation for scams. In fairness, the company has done a lot in recent years to prevent scams from happening, but any open marketplace is more susceptible to bad actors.
Some (but not all) of the websites like Flippa covered in this article offer improved verification standards that provide buyers and sellers with a safer environment.
Note: It’s always important to perform your own due diligence, even if you buy from a marketplace with vetted and verified listings.
High Fees
Fees are a major consideration for sellers, and overall, Flippa’s fees are on the high side for a marketplace that doesn’t provide much assistance. There are many optional upgrades for things that some competitors offer for no cost (confidentiality, legal docs, escrow, etc.).
Fees | ||||
Listing fee | $49-$599 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Success fee | Up to 10% | 4% | 7% | Up to 20% |
Confidentiality | $199 | $0 | $0 (no NDAs) | $0 (no NDAs) |
Legal docs | $199 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Escrow | Varies depending on selling price | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Migration assistance | Not available | Not available | $0 | $0 |
Buyer's membership | $99/month (optional) | $390/year | $79/month | Not available |
Limited Assistance
Flippa is primarily a DIY platform. There’s nothing wrong with that, but some sellers may prefer a competitor that provides more help with tasks like creating the listing, communicating with potential buyers, completing the sale, and migrating the site to the buyer.
Flippa does offer a brokered service for listings above $250,000, but only a small percentage of listings on the platform fall into that price range.
The Best Flippa Competitors
Now, let’s look at some of the other platforms worth considering.
1. Acquire.com
Best for: Startups and SaaS businesses
We’ll start with Acquire.com because it’s one of the closest competitors to Flippa. Like Flippa, Acquire.com is an open marketplace that (currently) doesn’t have minimum income requirements.
Acquire.com specifically brands itself as a platform for startups. More than half of the listings are for SaaS businesses, but you’ll also find e-commerce, agencies, mobile apps, and even a few content websites.
Although Acquire.com is currently appropriate for low-revenue startups and online businesses (they recommend not listing pre-revenue), that may change. Founder and CEO Andrew Gazdecki has posted on X and LinkedIn about potentially requiring at least $25,000 in annual revenue for listings.
How it’s similar to Flippa:
- Open marketplace where anyone can create a listing
- Huge number of listings
- Limited verification
- Sellers set their asking price
- Many listings priced below $100,000
How it’s different than Flippa:
- Specific focus on startups
- Lower fees for sellers
- Business names and URLs are protected
- Buyers must pay for a premium account to make offers and acquisitions
2. Investors Club
Best for: Verified deals from $10,000 to $500,000+
Investors Club is a curated marketplace with relatively few listings (usually around 50) compared to Flippa. It may be an excellent alternative for buyers and sellers who prefer a marketplace with verified and vetted deals. Investors Club manually verifies the traffic and revenue of each listing, regardless of price.
While Flippa listings cover a wide range of websites and online business models, Investors Club only lists content and e-commerce websites. Content sites must earn at least $500, and e-commerce sites must earn at least $1,000 per month to qualify.
Investors Club is somewhat unique because of the typical price range of listings. Most brokers only list businesses worth at least six figures, and open marketplaces like Flippa attract a lot of listings below $10,000. Investors Club fills the gap by serving those looking to buy or sell sites between $10,000 – $100,000. They also list six and seven-figure websites, but the listings below $100,000 make Investors Club unique, in my opinion.
The tighter focus, income requirements, and verification contribute to a more consistent quality across the marketplace.
Read Investors Club vs. Flippa for more details.
How it’s similar to Flippa:
- Appropriate for buying and selling sites that brokers usually ignore (below $100,000)
How it’s different than Flippa:
- Curated marketplace with only about 50 active listings at a time
- Only for content and e-commerce sites
- All listings are verified
- Simple fee structure and generally lower fees
- Free legal docs, escrow, and migration
3. Motion Invest
Best for: Content sites below $50,000
Motion Invest is another curated marketplace listing sites well below $100,000. In fact, most of Motion Invest’s listings are below $50,000. Motion Invest focuses exclusively on content websites like blogs and niche sites, so it’s definitely not right for everyone. But this marketplace has built a considerable audience, so it’s an excellent choice in the right situation.
Unlike most curated marketplaces, Motion Invest doesn’t have a minimum income requirement. If you have a content site that makes money, you can submit it for review. Their team manually reviews each submission and verifies traffic and revenue.
You’ll find sites for sale at Motion Invest from less than $1,000 to $100,000+. They list a few six-figure websites, but overall, the marketplace is most appropriate for niche websites under $50,000.
Motion Invest listings use a Dutch auction, where the sale price drops every two days until it reaches the reserve.
How it’s similar to Flippa:
- Sites available with low asking prices
How it’s different than Flippa:
- Curated marketplace with fewer listings
- Only for content websites
- Traffic and revenue are verified for all listings
- Free legal docs, escrow, and migration assistance
- No listing fee, but higher success fees
4. Quiet Light
Best for: Six and seven-figure websites
Quiet Light is a leading online business broker that’s an alternative to Managed by Flippa. You can buy or sell almost any type of online business with Quiet Light, including content, e-commerce, Amazon FBA, SaaS, newsletters, and more.
Quiet Light does not have a firm minimum income requirement, but you’ll need at least $5,000 per month in profit to be an ideal fit. All their listings are six figures and above, with many exceeding $1 million.
By going with a full-service broker instead of a marketplace, you’ll get:
- Assistance with the valuation and asking price
- Professional marketing materials to promote your site
- A dedicated broker who handles basic questions from potential buyers (saving you time)
- Assistance with negotiation
- Assistance through each step of the process
I’ve sold two websites through Brad Wayland of Quiet Light and had excellent experiences in both cases. I highly recommend Brad and Quiet Light.
Top Broker: Brad Wayland of Quiet Light
If you want to sell a website or online business, I highly recommend Brad. He has an excellent track record in the industry, and I also recommend him based on personal experience. Brad has sold two sites for me. In both cases, he got multiple offers and prices higher than the list prices suggested by other brokers. Brad’s also honest and trustworthy. I’ve known him for years and highly recommend him.
How it’s similar to Flippa:
- Lists all types of online businesses
- Broked service (competitor of Managed by Flippa)
How it’s different than Flippa:
- No low-priced listings
- Only suitable for listings six figures and above
- Relatively small number of listings
- Higher success fees
5. Empire Flippers
Best for: Six and seven-figure websites
Empire Flippers is often listed as the #1 Flippa alternative. However, it’s quite different. Empire Flippers is a brokerage or curated marketplace that requires websites to earn at least $2,000 monthly profit to be eligible for listing. As a result, almost every listing has a six or seven-figure asking price.
Like Quiet Light, Empire Flippers provides comprehensive services to sellers. They established a strong reputation in the industry as being a trusted place to buy and sell.
Although Empire Flippers doesn’t have thousands of listings like Flippa, it’s still a very active marketplace with a large audience. There are usually about 100 active listings, giving buyers plenty of options while allowing sellers to stand out.
Empire Flippers offers an excellent (and free) website or business valuation tool. It only takes a few minutes to enter the details of your business, and you'll get a report on the estimated value. You don't even have to talk to anyone! It's my favorite tool for online business valuations.
How it’s similar to Flippa:
- Lists all types of online businesses
- Broked service (competitor of Managed by Flippa)
How it’s different than Flippa:
- No low-priced listings
- Only suitable for listings six figures and above
- Fewer listings
- Higher success fees
6. Tiny Acquisitions
Best for: Websites under $100k
Tiny Acquisitions isn’t as well-known as Flippa, but it’s another option for buying or selling small projects. This marketplace specializes in listings below $100,000.
Like Flippa, Tiny Acquisitions is an open marketplace. That means it comes with some of the same potential drawbacks as Flippa, so buyers and sellers must use caution (that’s always the case, but it’s especially important on marketplaces with limited verification and vetting).
You can buy or sell nearly any type of website or project at Tiny Acquisitions. And although it’s not as large as Flippa, Tiny Acquisitions has hundreds of listings.
How it’s similar to Flippa:
- Open marketplace where anyone can create an account and listing
- Unverified listings
- Mostly a DIY platform
- Many low-priced listings
- High volume of listings
- Buy or sell a wide range of websites and businesses
How it’s different than Flippa:
- No listing fee (the success fee is 9.5%)
- Only suitable for listings under $100,000
- No option for brokered service
7. Niche Investor
Best for: Content websites and blogs
Niche Investor is a curated marketplace popular for content websites and blogs, although they also list e-commerce and other business models. It’s a smaller marketplace but still quite active (at the time of writing, there are 24 websites for sale).
Additionally, Niche Investor lists a higher percentage of six-figure sites than Motion Invest and some other small marketplaces. There are a few listings priced below $5,000, but most of the listings are established websites.
The fact that it’s a curated marketplace where only approved deals are listed will appeal to buyers leary of scams. The smaller number of listings also ensures that each seller will get plenty of exposure, rather than getting buried.
How it’s similar to Flippa:
- Wide price range of listings
How it’s different than Flippa:
- Curated marketplace
- Fewer listings
- Higher success fees
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Flippa a scam?
No, Flippa is not a scam. It’s a legit marketplace for buying and selling digital assets like websites, domain names, apps, and social media accounts. However, as an open marketplace, fraud and scams are possible. Buyers and sellers should use caution.
Is Flippa free to use?
Flippa charges a listing fee that ranges from $49-$599, depending on the chosen packages. Sellers also pay a success fee of 6-10% if the site sells. Thy also offer many option upgrades and add-ons.
What percentage does Flippa take?
The success fee varies from 6-10%, depending on the selling price.
Is it easy to sell on Flippa?
It’s easy to create and account and a listing on Flippa. However, your success completing the sale will depend on several factors, including your flexibility on the selling price.
What are the best sites like Flippa?
Acquire.com and Tiny Acquisitions are both open marketplaces that share some similarities with Flippa. Other platforms like Investors Club, Motion Invest, Niche Investor, Empire Flippers, and Quiet Light and not as similar to Flippa, but they are legit alternatives.
Final Thoughts on the Best Flippa Alternatives
Flippa is an excellent place for experienced buyers and sellers, but no marketplace is right for everyone. If you’re looking for sites like Flippa, thankfully, several options exist.
Investors Club, Motion Invest, and Niche Investor are curated marketplaces that may offer more security for buyers and sellers. Quiet Light and Empire Flippers are website brokers that compete with Managed by Flippa. Acquire.com and Tiny Acquisitions are open marketplaces that share a lot in common with Flippa.
