Quick answer
- The main places to find online businesses for sale are Flippa (any size, from small sites), Empire Flippers (vetted businesses earning $24,000+ a year in profit) and Acquire.com (startups and SaaS).
- Buying an existing site can be faster than building one from scratch, because it already has traffic and income.
- Always check the numbers yourself: traffic, revenue proof, where income comes from, and how much work the business takes.
- Use the marketplace’s escrow or a trusted escrow service, and never pay a seller directly outside the platform.
Buying an online business, such as a blog, an ecommerce store or a small software product, lets you skip the slow start-up phase. You get a site that already has traffic, content and income, then grow it from there.
Below are the main marketplaces, with details from their official sites checked on November 7, 2026, plus a due diligence checklist so you don’t buy a problem.
Where to buy an online business
| Marketplace | Best for | What sellers need or pay |
|---|---|---|
| Flippa | All sizes, including small sites, domains and apps | Self-service listings from $29, plus a 10% success fee |
| Empire Flippers | Vetted, profitable businesses | $24,000+ a year in net profit and 12+ months of earnings |
| Acquire.com | Startups, SaaS and ecommerce | Says it has 500,000+ buyers |
1. Flippa
Flippa lists almost any type of online asset: ecommerce stores, content sites and blogs, SaaS, apps, domains, Amazon FBA stores and social media accounts. Its self-service listings cover asking prices up to $100,000. Sellers pay from $29 to list, plus a 10% success fee if the business sells. Because listings range from tiny to large, do careful checks on smaller deals.
2. Empire Flippers
Empire Flippers only lists businesses that earn at least $24,000 a year in net profit and have a solid track record of at least 12 months of earnings. It vets listings before they go live and rejects some categories, such as gambling and payday loans. That makes it a good place for buyers who want more established businesses.
3. Acquire.com
Acquire.com focuses on startups and profitable online businesses, including SaaS, ecommerce, agencies, newsletters and apps. It says it has more than 500,000 buyers and entrepreneurs using the platform.
Due diligence checklist
- Traffic: ask for read-only access to Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Look for steady trends and check for sudden drops.
- Revenue: verify income directly in the payment, affiliate or ad dashboards, not just screenshots.
- Income sources: a business that depends on one affiliate program or one traffic source is riskier.
- Content quality: check for copied or thin content that could be hit by Google updates.
- Workload: ask how many hours a week it takes and what the seller does each week.
- Assets included: the domain, content, email list, social accounts, suppliers and any software.
- Escrow: pay through the marketplace or a trusted escrow service. Never wire money directly to a seller.
How much do online businesses sell for?
Prices are usually based on a multiple of the business’s average monthly or yearly profit. The multiple depends on age, stability, traffic sources, how much work it needs, and how risky it looks. Compare similar listings on the marketplaces to get a feel for fair prices.
Buying vs building
Buying saves time but costs money upfront. Building is cheaper but slower. If you’d rather start from scratch, see our guide to making money blogging and our step-by-step guide to starting a WordPress blog.
Online businesses for sale FAQs
Popular marketplaces include Flippa, Empire Flippers and Acquire.com.
At least $24,000 a year in net profit and a solid track record of at least 12 months of earnings.
Self-service listings start at $29, plus a 10% success fee on the final sale price.
It can be, if you verify the traffic and income and understand the risks, such as Google updates or a single income source.
Verify data in the original dashboards, use escrow, and never pay a seller directly outside the platform.
Usually as a multiple of average profit, adjusted for age, stability, risk and workload.
Marketplace details from Flippa, Empire Flippers and Acquire.com, checked on November 7, 2026.
