Where to Buy Sunset Apps and Micro-SaaS (Marketplace Comparison)
By Joshua Chen · About / experience · urbanu619@gmail.com
Stopped apps and small SaaS already trade on public marketplaces. The mistake is treating every site as the same inventory. Start with asset type, then pick the venue.
Classify first: Three asset types. Diligence next: checklist.
Fee figures below were checked against public pricing/help pages on 2026-09-30. Platforms change plans often — re-open the official pricing URL before you list or subscribe.
Quick chooser
| You want… | Start here | Expect mostly |
|---|---|---|
| Verified-ish operating SaaS, structured process | Acquire.com | Type A (and some B) |
| Wide catalog: sites, apps, content, domains | Flippa | Mixed A/B/C — quality variance high |
| Smaller micro-startups, apps, newsletters, extensions | Microns | A/B at lower check sizes |
| Side projects, half-built products, source | SideProjectors | Mostly Type C |
| Tiny profitable side projects (thin liquidity) | Transferslot | Small A — verify every deal yourself |
Platform notes (buyer lens)
Acquire.com
- Fit: Relatively mature online businesses and SaaS; stronger process than pure classifieds.
- Buyer access (public pricing, 2026-09-30): Browse public info free (Basic). Paid plans for private details / founder chat — Premium about $390/year (listings up to a stated revenue/size band), Platinum about $780/year (all sizes). Confirm current bands on Acquire buyer help / pricing.
- Seller side (affects what you see listed): Monthly listing fee roughly $25–$100 by ask price band + closing fee roughly 6–8% on successful sale (seller pricing).
- Watch: Unlocking details is not diligence. Still demand read-only Stripe/store proof.
Flippa
- Fit: Broadest surface — websites, apps, SaaS, content, domains. Good for scanning; noisy for underwriting.
- Buyer access (public pricing, 2026-09-30): Free browsing; Flippa Premium marketed around $49/month or ~$490/year for early access and extras (Flippa pricing). Closing rails (FlippaPay / Escrow.com) advertise fees from roughly 1% / 1.2% — confirm at close.
- Seller side: Upfront listing packages (entry packages advertised from about $29) + success fee on sale (public copy cites success fees starting around 3–5% depending on package/path; broker-led tiers quote higher percentages such as 6–10%). Always open the live pricing matrix before modeling all-in cost.
- Watch: Seller-provided metrics vary wildly. Prefer verified-performance badges and still run your own checklist.
Microns
- Fit: Micro-SaaS, small apps, newsletters, extensions — indie check sizes.
- Buyer access (public pricing, 2026-09-30): Free sees public details (deal flow may be delayed). Premium ~$299 per 12 months for private details, chat, transfer tooling (Microns pricing).
- Seller side: No listing fee in public materials; success commission about 10% / 8% / 6% by sale-price band (sell page / terms).
- Watch: Small absolute dollars still need full transfer and churn checks.
SideProjectors
- Fit: Side projects, experiments, source-heavy listings. Many are not businesses.
- Fees (public help, 2026-09-30): Site states listing is free and they do not take commission on sale; they also do not run payment/escrow — you arrange transfer and should use a third-party escrow (help).
- Watch: Price as Type C by default until proven otherwise. “2–3× annual revenue” folklore on community pages is not underwriting.
Transferslot
- Fit: Small profitable side projects; thinner inventory.
- Fees: Re-check the site on use day — do not rely on third-party roundups.
- Watch: Low liquidity means fewer comps; diligence burden stays on you.
Comparison table (structural, not a ranking)
| Platform | Typical inventory | Buyer paywall | Seller take-rate shape | Escrow / close | Diligence burden on you |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acquire | Mature-ish SaaS / online biz | Free browse; paid for depth | Monthly list + % on close | Platform-oriented close paths | High (still) |
| Flippa | Everything digital | Free + optional Premium | Listing package + success % | FlippaPay / Escrow options | Highest variance |
| Microns | Micro products | Free + Premium ~$299/yr | Success % only (public) | Transfer/escrow tooling claimed | High |
| SideProjectors | Side projects / code | Free core | 0% commission (public) | DIY + external escrow | Extreme |
| Transferslot | Tiny cash-flow projects | Check live | Check live | Check live | High |
How to use marketplaces without getting farmed
- Tag every listing A / B / C before you open a chat.
- Never bid from the marketplace one-liner — use the checklist.
- Prefer venues that make read-only verification socially normal; leave venues that normalize screenshot-only deals for Type C shopping only.
- Model all-in cost: purchase + buyer subscription + escrow + migration hours.
- Low asking multiple is not a gift — read why multiples compress.
Official entry points also listed in research notes: Acquire, Flippa, Microns, SideProjectors, Transferslot.
Stay on the radar
Marketplace fees and inventory mix drift. If you want a periodic shortlist of screened sunset apps (not a firehose of listings):
- Weekly radar notes: urbanu619@gmail.com
- Deeper screening product: App Rescue Radar
Verification log
| Fact | Source checked | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Acquire seller list $25–100/mo + close 6–8% by ask band | acquire.com/seller-pricing, help.acquire.com | 2026-09-30 |
| Acquire buyer Premium ~$390/yr, Platinum ~$780/yr | help.acquire.com buyer FAQs / subscription terms | 2026-09-30 |
| Flippa Premium ~$49/mo or ~$490/yr; FlippaPay from ~1% | flippa.com/pricing | 2026-09-30 |
| Flippa listing from ~$29; success fee band varies by package | flippa.com/pricing, flippa.com/sell (re-open matrix before use) | 2026-09-30 |
| Microns Premium ~$299/12mo; seller success 10/8/6% bands; no list fee | microns.io/pricing, sell-your-startup, terms | 2026-09-30 |
| SideProjectors free list, 0% commission, no in-house escrow | help.sideprojectors.com/about | 2026-09-30 |
This page is a navigation aid, not a broker recommendation.