Buy Sell Startups vs Acquire.com
Both platforms help founders buy and sell startups — but the fee structures, buyer access model, and deal sizes are very different. Here's an honest breakdown.
0% success fee
Free to browse · Plans from $29/mo to contact sellers
Acquire.com
0% success fee (but high buyer plan cost)
Buyer plans $290–$990/mo · Listing fees for premium placement
Side by side
Startups
Success fee on sale
Neither charges a % of the sale
Free buyer access
Acquire requires $290–$990/mo paid plan to contact sellers
Direct founder messaging
Verified revenue listings
Micro-SaaS focus (<$100k)
Acquire has moved upmarket — most listings are $100k+
LOI / offer workflow
Seller controls listing
NDA / confidential listings
Stripe revenue verification
No minimum deal size
Acquire focuses on businesses with $500/mo MRR minimum
Buy Sell Startups advantages
- Affordable buyer access — browse free, contact from $29/mo
- No minimum MRR or deal size
- Purpose-built for micro-SaaS and bootstrapped indie products
- Stripe-verified revenue charts buyers can trust
- Smaller, higher signal-to-noise buyer pool
Acquire.com advantages
- Larger overall platform with more total listings
- Strong brand recognition in the startup ecosystem
- Better for VC-backed startups and deals over $1M
- Extensive due diligence tooling for larger transactions
Acquire.com is a solid platform for larger deals ($500k+) and funded startups. For micro-SaaS founders looking to exit under $500k without paying high monthly buyer fees, Buy Sell Startups gives you direct access to a focused buyer pool at a fraction of the cost.
Acquire.com (formerly MicroAcquire) is a well-known startup acquisition marketplace. It started as a micro-SaaS platform but has moved upmarket, with buyer access requiring expensive monthly plans. Most listed businesses are $100k+.
Common questions
Does Acquire.com charge a success fee?
Acquire.com does not charge a traditional success fee, but buyers must pay $290–$990/month for premium plans to contact sellers. This effectively transfers the cost to buyers rather than taking a percentage of the deal.
Which platform is better for small SaaS exits under $100k?
Buy Sell Startups is purpose-built for micro-SaaS deals. Acquire.com has moved upmarket, and most active buyers on the platform are looking for deals above $100k MRR.
Can I list on both platforms simultaneously?
Yes. There's no exclusivity requirement. Many sellers list on multiple platforms to maximise buyer reach.
How does revenue verification work on Buy Sell Startups?
Sellers can connect a restricted read-only Stripe API key. We pull live charge data directly and display a verified revenue chart on the listing — buyers can trust the numbers without relying on screenshots.
No fees. No brokers. No middlemen.
List your startup or find your next acquisition on Buy Sell Startups. Create a free account and browse vetted businesses for sale today.
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