Too small for Empire Flippers? Where to sell a business making under $2k a month
If your site, store or app makes a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars a month, you're in an awkward spot. It's a real business with real buyers, but it's too small for the brokers who handle six- and seven-figure deals. Empire Flippers, Money Nomad's sister marketplace, works with businesses above $2k a month. Below that you need a different route.
This guide covers four realistic options: Money Nomad, Flippa, Acquire.com and selling privately. For each one it sets out what you pay, what you get and what you're left doing yourself. All fees were taken from each platform's own pricing page on 2 November 2026. Check them again before you list, because platforms change their pricing.
What changes when your business is small
At this size, fees matter more than they seem to. A 10% commission on a $10,000 sale is $1,000, which can easily be several months of the profit you're selling. A flat fee works differently: the bigger the sale, the smaller a share of it the fee takes.
Small deals are also usually more hands-on. A broker that runs due diligence, escrow and handover for you will rarely take a $6,000 content site. So for most small sellers the useful question is how much of the work you're happy to do yourself, and what you're willing to pay for the rest.
Option 1: Money Nomad
Money Nomad is a listing marketplace built for smaller online businesses. Its sell page states the pricing plainly: "One-time $297 listing fee. No commissions. Keep 100% of your sale price."
How it works, according to the site:
- You create a listing with your metrics, screenshots and asking price, and pay the $297 fee.
- The Money Nomad team reviews it. The FAQ says reviews typically take 1 to 3 business days, and that they'll send specific feedback if changes are needed.
- Once approved, the listing goes live and stays up until it sells. There's no expiry date and no renewal fee.
- Buyers send enquiries through your listing. You get them by email and deal with the buyer directly.
The FAQ says the fee is non-refundable, but you get a full refund if your listing isn't approved. Accepted business types include content sites, blogs, newsletters, small SaaS, e-commerce and Amazon FBA stores, browser extensions, apps, plugins, social media accounts and domains. Money Nomad also says listings are marketed to Empire Flippers' buyer list, which it puts at over 300,000. That figure is Money Nomad's own.
Pros
- One flat fee, so you keep the whole sale price. On a $15,000 sale you pay $297 in total.
- Listings don't expire, so there's no deadline pushing you to accept a low offer.
- A human reviews each listing before it goes live.
Cons
- Money Nomad connects buyers and sellers and stays out of the transaction itself. You negotiate, handle due diligence and transfer the assets yourself. The FAQ recommends an escrow service for larger deals, and escrow fees are yours to pay.
- Money Nomad checks each listing before it goes live, but it doesn't audit the figures you give. Buyers do their own checks, so expect them to ask you for proof.
- You pay the $297 whether or not the business sells, unless the listing is rejected.
Browse the current listings to see how other sellers present similar businesses.
Option 2: Flippa
Flippa is the best-known open marketplace for small online businesses. Its pricing page splits sellers into bands by asking price. Flippa's sell-pricing page says self-service packages cover asking prices up to $100K.
For businesses under $10K, Flippa lists three self-service packages:
- Entry: "$29 Flat Fee", 60-day term
- Boosted: "$49 Flat Fee", three-month term
- Premium: "$199 per 6 months"
All three carry a "10% success fee". From $10K to $49.9K the cheapest package is Standard at "$49 per 6 months", again with 10% on self-service sales. Flippa states that "listing and broker fees are payable regardless of whether a business sells."
Pros
- A large, active marketplace with a lot of buyers browsing small listings.
- Very cheap to list at the bottom end ($29 to start).
- Optional extras such as NDAs and higher-visibility packages.
Cons
- The 10% fee on self-service sales is where most of the cost lies. On a $15,000 sale that's $1,500 on top of the listing fee.
- Listings run for a fixed term, so you may need to pay again if the business hasn't sold in time.
- An open marketplace attracts a lot of low-effort offers, and sorting through them takes time.
Option 3: Acquire.com
Acquire.com is best known for SaaS and startups, but its marketplace also covers other online business types. Its seller pricing page says: "For asking prices below $250k 8% closing fee when you sell... Plus $25/mo to list."
The closing fee is "due in full at closing" and you "only pay the closing fee if you sell". The monthly listing fee runs for as long as you stay listed. Acquire also says it covers escrow: "Who pays for escrow? We do!"
Pros
- Escrow is included, which removes one cost and one headache.
- A good audience for software and subscription businesses.
- An 8% closing fee is lower than Flippa's 10% on self-service sales.
Cons
- The $25 monthly fee keeps running until you sell or delist.
- The buyer base and the examples on Acquire's site lean heavily towards SaaS. A small affiliate site may get less attention there.
- Its managed service, "Guided by Acquire", is for SaaS businesses with $100k+ in trailing revenue, so it won't apply to most small sellers.
Option 4: Selling privately
You can skip marketplaces entirely and sell to someone you already know: a competitor in your niche, a newsletter reader, a member of a forum or community you belong to, or a past customer.
Pros
- No platform fees.
- A buyer who already knows your niche may value the business more highly.
Cons
- You have to find the buyer yourself, and you only get one or two bidders instead of a market.
- You still need a written agreement, a safe way to take payment (usually escrow), and a clear handover plan.
- Nobody reviews or vets anything, on either side.
Selling privately works best when there's an obvious buyer. If there isn't one, a marketplace listing usually costs less than the time you'd spend searching.
Which option suits which seller
- You want to keep as much of the sale price as possible and are happy to run the deal yourself: Money Nomad's flat $297 is hard to beat once a sale goes above a few thousand dollars.
- You want the most eyeballs and don't mind a percentage fee: Flippa.
- You're selling a small SaaS and want escrow included: Acquire.com.
- You already know who should buy it: sell privately, but use escrow and put the terms in writing.
If your business makes more than $2k a month in profit, look at Empire Flippers, which handles larger businesses and runs more of the process for you.
Before you list anywhere
Whichever route you take, buyers will ask for the same things:
- A profit and loss statement for at least the last 12 months, month by month
- Screenshots or read-only access to traffic and revenue sources
- A list of every asset included: domains, content, code, social accounts, supplier contacts, email lists
- An honest note on how many hours a week the business takes, and what could go wrong
Having these ready before you list shortens the back-and-forth and makes your asking price more believable.
FAQ
Is there an Empire Flippers alternative for small businesses? Yes. Money Nomad is Empire Flippers' sister marketplace for smaller online businesses. It charges a one-time $297 listing fee and takes no commission. Flippa and Acquire.com also accept small listings but charge a percentage when you sell.
How much does it cost to sell a small online business on Flippa? For asking prices under $10K, Flippa's packages start at $29 for a 60-day listing, plus 10% on self-service sales if it sells. Listing fees are payable whether or not the business sells.
Do I need escrow if I sell through Money Nomad? Money Nomad doesn't handle payment or asset transfer. Its FAQ recommends using an escrow service for larger transactions. You and the buyer agree on which service to use and who pays its fee.
Can I list a business that isn't making money yet? Money Nomad's FAQ lists the business types it accepts but doesn't set a minimum profit. Every listing is reviewed before it goes live. Some other marketplaces, such as Microns, only accept profitable businesses.