Research. Top US Marketplaces for Buying or Selling an Online Business in 2024.

Buying an online business can be a great alternative to both traditional investments and full-time jobs.

Selling an online business is a great way to monetize talent and effort invested over the years.

Tens of websites position themselves as an online marketplace to buy or sell an online business.

We decided to research the market and build the rating based on the traffic data.

In August 2024, our team identified the largest online businesses acquisition marketplaces on the US market and ranked them by traffic for the trailing twelve months (TTM) as of July 2024.

The key players and their estimated US traffic shares. For the entire rating of 15 marketplaces – please keep reading.

We registered as a buyers and read hundreds of listings, evaluating each website’s niches and markets.

We also paid for the membership, where applicable, to explore the premium features every website offers.

In most cases, we’ve contacted support to check their responsiveness.

I wish I had this knowledge when I started as a business buyer!

So, how do we evaluate the rating participants? What is making them a good partner?

1. 1. 1. The Marketplace Traffic: Ultimately, it’s all about eyeballs and attention. More traffic equals more attention. Since our initial interest was focused on the US market, we used the US traffic estimate to rank all online brokers. We also provide a ranking based on worldwide visits.

      2. Search and Filters: Most buyers clearly understand their acquisition criteria—niche, budget, and metrics—and are focused on finding them. Quick and convenient navigation requires only a few filters in the listing area of your website.

      3. Listing Performance Transparency: More data leads to better-informed decisions for buyers and more opportunities to highlight value for sellers. We paid special attention to brokers who share the maximum amount of information upfront, particularly their performance in organic search.

Rank global	Rank USA	Online Broker	TTM visits July ’24  World	TTM visits July ’24  USA
1	1	flippa.com	22,244,792	8,912,112
3	2	acquire.com	7,063,121	1,266,874
4	3	empireflippers.com	2,557,308	1,088,342
6	4	websiteclosers.com	488,200	409,628
7	5	quietlight.com	465,133	346,063
5	6	motioninvest.com	1,288,836	173,149
8	7	feinternational.com	369,423	152,206
10	8	nicheinvestor.com	125,835	75,903
13	9	websiteproperties.com	70,033	51,338
2	10	sideprojectors.com	9,678,797	47,340
11	11	investors.club	90,647	35,270
14	12	latonas.com	63,500	31,368
12	13	websitebroker.com	86,255	30,491
9	14	indiemaker.co	166,019	5,449
15	15	acquirebase.com	27,674	3,076

1. Flippa

Headquarters: Melbourne, Australia
Business listings on sale: 4500+
CEO: Blake Hutchison
Domain Authority Score: 51

Flippa was founded by Mark Harbottle and Matt Mickiewicz as a SitePoint marketplace (today, the platform provides subscription-based online training services for web developers) and spun off as a separate site in June 2009. By 2015, it had sold more than $140 million worth of websites, domains, and mobile apps.

The absolute leader both in the US market and worldwide, the company is currently the most popular and most advanced global online business acquisition marketplace. Has free access for buyers to listings published more than 21 days ago. A paid subscription gives priority access to the recently published listings, speeds up an NDA signing process, and provides access to traffic insights and domain authority data powered by Semrush. A paid subscription can be canceled anytime in the account settings, which gives additional stars for the customer comfort.

Access for buyer — $0 or $49/month for priority access to the new listings.
For seller — $29—$999 plus 3%—10%, depending on the business size.

Listing Categories:
Website, E-commerce (Shopify, Dropship, Inventory holding, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, digital product), Content (blog, directory, review, forum/community, YouTube channel), Marketplace, SaaS, Services, App, Newsletter, Domain, Investment platform (coming soon).

2. Acquire.com

Headquarters: San Francisco, moving to San Diego (relocation announced in 2023)
Business listings on sale: 3300+
CEO: Andrew Gazdecki
Domain Authority Score: 39

The fastest-growing online marketplace has moved one rank higher in our rating compared to the previous rating based on FY 2023 results. It is now ranked second in the US. Great job, Acquire.com team!

This technically advanced platform has all the basic filters and an intuitive interface.

However, it’s only functional with a paid subscription.

Free buyer accounts cannot access detailed metrics of deals and listings; the interface is designed to sell a $390/year subscription with no monthly option. To access listings with more than $250k in TTM revenue, you’ll need to pay for the higher-tier subscription at $780/year.

After paying for access, the buyer cannot automatically sign an NDA and immediately access the listing—the seller’s confirmation is required. This makes the research process longer versus other marketplaces but likely provides sellers extra control and comfort.

No organic search performance metrics are available, making it hard to do any SEO-targeted filtering of 3,000+ listings.

Subscription cancellation requires contacting support. The refund was immediately provided, though.

Access for buyer — $390 / $780 per year
For seller — 4% success fee

Listing Categories: SaaS, Marketplace, Mobile App, Shopify App, Content, E-commerce, Agency.

3. Empireflippers.com

Headquarters: Wilmington, DE, USA
Business listings on sale: ~143
CEO: Joseph Magnotti
Domain Authority Score: 42

Empire Flippers is the first online business marketplace I have ever visited. EF is known for a smaller number of well-curated listings and lightning-fast and friendly customer support. It has free access for all buyers and no paid subscription. The SEO performance metrics are listed in every lot, helping navigate the catalog. Tons of additional data points are available after “unlocking” the listing.

Access for buyer — Free
For seller — success fee:
5% for businesses under $700,000
8% for businesses between $700,000 and $5M
2.5% for businesses at $5M
Example for a $1 million business:
$700,000 at 15% = $105,000
$300,000 at 8% = $24,000
Total success fee: $129,000.

Listing Categories: Affiliate, Amazon, App, Digital Product, Dropshipping, E-commerce, Shopify, SaaS, Service, Subscription-based, Display advertisement content, Youtube channel.

4. Websiteclosers.com

Headquarters: Tampa, FL, USA
Business listings on sale: 300+
CEO: Jason Guerrettaz
Domain Authority Score: 30

The industry veteran was founded more than ten years ago. All buyers have free access, but navigating the website can be challenging. There are no filters or search options for listings, and they keep all “pending” and “sold” listings in the catalog, making navigation difficult.

Individual brokers on this platform are responsible for their own listing descriptions, leading to inconsistencies in the publicly available information. No SEO metrics are disclosed before signing an NDA, though some data may occasionally appear in post-NDA PDFs provided by more tech-savvy brokers.

WebsitesClosers continues to hold the 4th rank in the US rating but is losing traffic compared to previous ratings. We assume it could move lower over time if the website and listing standards are not updated to meet 21st-century tech expectations.

Access for buyer — free
For seller — no data

Listing Categories: Mostly E-commerce, Amazon, SaaS, services (agencies), and Subscription/Membership-based model.

5. Quietlight.com

Headquarters: Mooresville, NC, USA
Business listings on sale: 45+
CEO: Mark Daoust
Domain Authority Score: 33

A boutique-like player with a handful of well-curated and accurately described listings. 

Free access for the buyers. You don’t need to register, no proof of funds needed. NDA workflow is quick and fully automated – it takes a minute to access all the listing details.

Domain metrics are available inside the listings descriptions in PDF post-NDA.

 

Access for buyer — free
For seller — free listing plus success fee:
15% of the first $500,000 in Value, plus
5% of the second $500,000 in Value, plus
9% of the second $1,000,000 in Value, plus
8% of the third $1,000,000 in Value, plus
7% of the fourth $1,000,000 in Value

Listing Categories: Mostly Amazon, E-commerce, SaaS, Content, Membership – based model.

Company’s stated competitive advantages (not verified by us):
“For buyers:
Quiet Light boasts one of the most established and expansive subscriber bases within the ecosystem, drawing a multitude of loyal buyers who repeatedly choose us for their business acquisitions. Our commitment to transparency and realistic expectations sets the stage for efficient negotiations and swift closings, creating a seamless experience for our buyers. Moreover, we prioritize cultivating strong relationships with our buyers by providing extensive learning resources. To enhance their journey further, we have a dedicated buy-side expert whose sole focus is to warmly greet, profile, educate, and guide buyers to the most relevant listings that fit their needs.”
“For sellers:
Quiet Light’s team of advisor-brokers are all entrepreneurs who have built, bought, and/or sold at least one (but often multiple) online business of their own, making them uniquely qualified to guide other entrepreneurs through the selling process. We recognize that a seller’s business is not just our inventory to sell, and we pride ourselves on being education-oriented and relentlessly honest with our clients while prioritizing their exit goals. Our valuation process is free, with no strings attached, to ensure that partnering for this transaction is a good fit for both parties. Sellers only incur a fee when the sale of their business is successfully completed. “

6. Motioninvest.com

Headquarters: Collingwood, ON, Canada
Business listings on sale: ~77
CEO / co-founder: Kelley Van Boxmeer
Domain Authority Score: 30

Access for buyer — free ($1000 non-refundable deposit for businesses over $2000)
For seller — free listing plus success fee:
$20K — 20%
$20K—50K — 15%
$50K—100K — 10%
$100K—500K — 7%
$500K—1M — 5%
$1M+ — 2.5%
Listing Categories: Mostly Content blogs/Directory/Review websites or E-commerce.

7. Feinternational.com

Headquarters: New York
Business listings on sale: ~10
CEO: Thomas Smale
Domain Authority Score: 34

Access for buyer — free
For seller — no data

Listing Categories: SaaS, E-commerce, Content, Technology.

8. Nicheinvestor.com

Headquarters: West Coast, USA
Business listings on sale: ~57
CEO: Chelsea Clarke
Domain Authority Score: 24

Access for buyer — no data.
For seller — $25 plus 7—20%, depending on the business size. Alternatively, sell directly to them with 0% success fees and 0% listing fees.

Listing Categories: Mostly Content (Website, Blog, Subscription – based model) with a few E-commerce, and SaaS.

9. Websiteproperties.com

Headquarters: Seattle, WA, USA
Business listings on sale: ~12
CEO: David Fairley
Domain Authority Score: 24

Access for buyer — no data
For seller — success fee:
10% for businesses under $2.5 million
2.5M — $5M — 8% commission
$5M — $10M — 6% commission
Over $10M — 5% commission

Listing Categories: Mostly E-commerce (Amazon, Shopify), Services with a few SaaS products.

10. Sideprojectors.com

Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Business listings on sale: 6600+
CEO: Eric Bae
Domain Authority Score: 31

Access for buyer — free, premium features (notifications, better search) possible for a $3 monthly fee
For seller — free

Listing Categories: SaaS, E-commerce, Blog, Website, Mobile App, Browser Extension / Plugin, Domain name.

11. Investors.club

Headquarters: Jackson, WY, USA
Business listings on sale: ~31
CEO: Daniel Buetler (Co-Owner/Managing Director)
Domain Authority Score: 26

Access for buyer — free / premium (price available only after proof of funds approval)
For seller — 0% success fee, no listing fees

Listing Categories: Mostly Content Sites (display advertising and affiliate monetization model) with a few E-commerce Sites.

Company’s stated competitive advantages (not verified by us):

“For Buyers:

• Curated Listings: we vet all online businesses listed
• Niche Focus: content and ecomm only
• Transparency: we provide detailed information and analytics about each business
• Support and Guidance: personalized support throughout the buying process”

“For Sellers:

• Targeted Buyer Pool: Sellers have access to a pool of buyers specifically interested in content and e-commerce websites
• Support and Guidance: personalized support throughout the selling process
• No commissions or success fees for sellers
• Assistance with Transition: escrow, migration, and legal help at no additional cost
• Listing Option flexibility: fixed price or Dutch Auction”

12. Latonas.com

Headquarters: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Business listings on sale: ~53
CEO: Rick Latona
Domain Authority Score: 27

Access for buyer — free
For seller — no data

Listing Categories: Mostly E-commerce (Amazon, Shopify), and Content (Websites), with a few SaaS and Membership-based products.

13. Websitebroker.com

Headquarters: Palm Desert, CA, USA
Business listings on sale: ~7
CEO: Bahman Eslamboly
Domain Authority Score: 21

Access for buyer — free.
For seller — commission-free with listings available $9.95—$29.95 for selling a website or $9.95—$14.95 for selling a domain.

Listing Categories: E-commerce, Website, Directory.

14. Indiemaker.co

Headquarters: London, UK
Business listings on sale: 2225
CEO: Beverley Merriman
Domain Authority Score: 20

Access for buyer — free
For seller — no data

Listing Categories: Website, Blog, E-commerce, App, Tool, Domain, SaaS, Newsletter, Extension, Game, Youtube channel.

15. Acquirebase.com

Headquarters: Punjab, Pakistan
Business listings on sale: ~192
CEO: Atta-Ur-Rehman Shah
Domain Authority Score: 5

Access for buyer — 0% commission on the successful sale (Buyer pays all Escrow.com fees).
For seller — 0% commission on successful acquisition in case of premium subscriber (premium: $149 yearly / $199 lifetime).

Listing Categories: E-commerce (Amazon, Dropshipping), SaaS, Service, Marketplace, Website, Blog, App.

*Trustiu.com

Headquarters: Barcelona, Spain
Business listings on sale: ~97
CEO: Nelson Ferreira
Domain Authority Score: 31

Previously ranked #8 in the U.S. and #6 globally, as of August 2024 Trustiu will be closing. Nelson will be transitioning to a new role at Flippa.  

Access for buyer — free.
For seller — commission is already reflected in the prices you see in the marketplace and is typically 8—10%.

Listing Categories:  Focus on Websites (Content and E-commerce), and YouTube channels.

I hope my research was helpful! Feel free to join a discussion on LinkedIn and subscribe for updates.