Best websites to sell your small business

Choosing the best websites to sell a small business in 2025 comes down to where qualified buyers already look, how credible your listing appears, and what you actually pay to close in a market where time and certainty matter. 

Platforms differ on reach, fee structure, and seller support. The guide below compares leading options and shows which platform fits different business types, from local service companies to eCommerce and SaaS.

Before you pick a platform, sketch your goals. If you want maximum exposure at low cost, self-serve online selling sites shine. If you want a guided process and help negotiating, brokered marketplaces and advisors are worth the fee. Either way, clarity on listing fees, support, and buyer quality will save you time and protect your selling price.

Our Top Picks at a Glance

You can speed up shortlisting by matching your business model to a platform’s strengths. The table provides a quick overview of reach, typical fees, and support, while the sections below offer more in-depth information:

BizBuySell

• Best for: Main Street, many categories

• Typical deal size: Small to mid

• Buyer reach: Very high in the U.S.

• Listing fees: Paid packages

• Success/final value fee: None

• Support level: Self-serve plus broker network

BizQuest

• Best for: Main Street and franchise resales

• Typical deal size: Small

• Buyer reach: High, with network distribution

• Listing fees: Paid packages

• Success/final value fee: None

• Support level: Self-serve

BusinessBroker.net

• Best for: Owners selling FSBO (for sale by owner)

• Typical deal size: Small

• Buyer reach: High

• Listing fees: Per-listing

• Success/final value fee: None

• Support level: Self-serve

LoopNet

• Best for: Real-estate-heavy or location-driven deals

• Typical deal size: Small to mid

• Buyer reach: High with real estate buyers

• Listing fees: Advertising packages

• Success/final value fee: Varies

• Support level: Self-serve

Acquire.com

• Best for: SaaS and online businesses

• Typical deal size: Small to mid

• Buyer reach: Curated, global

• Listing fees: Monthly plans

• Success/final value fee: Closing fee

• Support level: Guided, tech-enabled

Empire Flippers

• Best for: Profitable content, FBA, SaaS

• Typical deal size: Mid

• Buyer reach: Global, vetted

• Listing fees: None

• Success/final value fee: Tiered success fee

• Support level: High-touch

FE International

• Best for: SaaS, content, eCommerce

• Typical deal size: Mid to larger

• Buyer reach: Curated, global

• Listing fees: Engagement-based

• Success/final value fee: Success fee

• Support level: Advisory-led

Flippa

• Best for: Smaller or early-stage online ventures

• Typical deal size: Small

• Buyer reach: Very large, broad

• Listing fees: From a basic plan, plus add-ons

• Success/final value fee: Final value fee

• Support level: Self-serve plus add-ons

Website Closers

• Best for: eCommerce and Amazon FBA

• Typical deal size: Mid to larger

• Buyer reach: Global

• Listing fees: No upfront

• Success/final value fee: Success-based

• Support level: Brokered process
  

For fee details, consult each platform’s public pricing or seller FAQs, for example, the pages for BizBuySell, Acquire.com, Empire Flippers, and Flippa. These references help you compare the total cost of selling online without guesswork.

Best Websites by Business Type

Matching the platform to your business model reduces friction, improves buyer fit, and helps you defend valuation. Use these scenarios to choose where to start.

Main Street Businesses and Local Services

If you run a restaurant, retail shop, trades company, or local service, you want buyers who already browse Main Street categories. BizBuySell, BizQuest, and BusinessBroker.net are purpose-built for local sales, with large buyer pools, straightforward tools, and strong discovery on each online marketplace. BizBuySell’s network distribution attracts interested buyers quickly, which can boost inquiries without a commission on close.

When a property or long-term lease is central to value, LoopNet helps you reach real-estate-minded buyers. Consider how you want to manage confidentiality and messaging across multiple platforms so your details stay consistent and conversations stay organized.

Online Businesses, eCommerce, and SaaS

Digital companies, from Shopify stores to subscription software, benefit from platforms that verify metrics and standardize diligence. Acquire.com combines a curated buyer base with a user-friendly interface, structured listing requirements, and transparent pricing, including monthly fees and a closing fee that scales by valuation tier. Escrow and payment processing are built in, which simplifies transaction fees risk.

Empire Flippers focuses on profitable online businesses and brings a high-touch, vetted process. Their published commission structure is tiered, which keeps selling fees aligned with a larger exit. 

FE International operates like an advisory firm for mid-market online companies, with success-based fees disclosed at engagement and banker-style support. Flippa is the broadest online marketplace and is useful for earlier-stage eCommerce or content sites, with a basic plan for visibility and optional paid plans for marketing, vetting, or due diligence.

Website Closers specializes in eCommerce and Amazon FBA and runs a classic brokered process. Their model, with no upfront fees and success-based compensation, is attractive if you prefer hands-on guidance and are comfortable with a brokerage commission.

Franchise Resales and Regulated Categories

Franchise transfers involve franchisor approvals, training obligations, and transfer fees. Platforms with specific franchise filters, such as BizBuySell and BizQuest, help surface qualified buyers who understand those steps. If you are reselling a location where the real estate carries weight, consider cross-listing with LoopNet while coordinating with your franchisor’s resale team.

Fees and What They Really Cost You

Headline prices rarely tell the whole story. To compare total costs, combine the listing fees or paid plans, any insertion fees, final value fees or success fees, and payment processing or escrow costs. 

Some platforms also charge referral fees for premium placement or for connecting you to partner services. Others keep it simple with free listings at low visibility, then offer upgrades to a professional plan that includes marketing and reporting.

A simple way to model this is to subtract all selling fees from your expected total sales price, then weight by the likelihood of close. A platform with higher fees can still generate more revenue if it attracts more qualified, interested buyers who close faster with fewer retrades. If your deal includes inventory or equipment that must be shipped, add shipping fees and fulfillment services to your model so there are no surprises at the wire.

As you compare, watch for language on the fee structure and the monthly fees. Clarify whether pricing is flat or a percentage of the total sales price, whether there is a minimum, and whether options like a basic plan, professional plan, or premium visibility are worth it for your situation. 

Check if the platform’s escrow partner bundles processing fees, or if you will see separate line items for payment gateways and transaction fees. If you run an eCommerce store, also ask how sales tax, chargebacks, and returns affect net proceeds.

Reach and Credibility: How to Attract Serious Buyers

Buyer confidence is your multiplier. Listings that read like investor briefs attract better offers on several online selling sites and keep conversations moving. 

Before you publish, assemble a light data room: Three years of financials, a clean statement of seller’s discretionary earnings, customer concentration, vendor terms, staffing, and any key person risk. If you run an eCommerce platform, include traffic sources, conversion metrics, average order value, and the role of fulfillment services.

Search visibility matters in 2025. Treat your listing like a landing page and apply basic search engine optimization. Describe the business in plain language that buyers would use to search, avoiding internal jargon. 

Avoid fluff about the best online selling site, and focus on the specifics that signal durability, such as repeat purchase rate, signed contracts, or transferable licenses. If confidentiality is critical, use platform features like screened buyer access, NDAs, and masked locations.

If you plan to list on multiple platforms, coordinate timing and pricing to avoid market confusion. Many sellers post a primary listing, then test a second channel to extend reach without fragmenting communications. Maintain consistent messaging across all platforms for sales and direct inquiries to a single CRM or inbox to prevent any gaps.

How to Choose the Right Platform in Three Steps

Once you see the patterns, the selection gets simple. Use this quick path to cut through decision fatigue.

Step 1: Match Platform to Business Model and Deal Size

Pick a platform that fits your deal profile. For a local service company, BizBuySell or BizQuest usually delivers the most relevant inbound. 

For a content site or FBA brand with clean financials, Empire Flippers or Website Closers brings vetted buyers, for SaaS and other digital products, Acquire.com or FE International lines up well. The closer the match, the fewer unqualified inquiries you field.

Step 2: Map the Fee Structure to Your Sale Strategy

Integrate the fees into your model instead of reacting to list prices. If a site charges a final value fee, compare its buyer quality and support to lower-fee options. 

If another comes with only a per-listing charge, budget for your time answering questions and managing diligence. Include processing fees, escrow costs, and any paid plans or upgrades that improve visibility, then decide where you can get competitive prices and a higher certainty of close.

Step 3: Choose Your Level of Seller Support

Decide how much help you want. Self-serve platforms are fast to publish and cost-effective, but you will manage outreach, screening, and negotiations. Brokered or advisory-led platforms run a tighter process, prepare materials, and negotiate on your behalf. If you prefer a hybrid, some marketplaces offer guided support without a traditional brokerage agreement, a helpful middle ground when you want speed and structure together.

FAQs About Selling Online in 2025

As you move from research to action, a few questions come up again and again. Here are concise answers to keep you moving.

Can I List on Several Online Selling Sites at Once?

Yes, as long as you keep details consistent and respect any exclusivity terms. Multi-listing can widen your pool of interested buyers. 

To avoid mixed signals, choose one platform as your primary and direct inbound traffic there, then utilize a second platform to expand your reach. Keep price, headline metrics, and the total sales price consistent across listings so buyers see a coherent story.

Should I Use My Own Online Store or Website?

A simple landing page that mirrors your listing can help establish credibility. Use it to house a short overview, a contact form, and a way to request an NDA. 

Do not replace the marketplace. Instead, use your own online store to complement the marketplace, then let the marketplace handle buyer discovery and, when relevant, escrow and payment processing.

Can I Sell Internationally?

Yes, but it adds complexity. Cross-border deals affect tax, employment, data security, and compliance. 

Many platforms support international buyers and provide escrow partners. If you plan to sell internationally, state your country preferences in the listing and clarify currency, closing mechanics, and any foreign qualifications up front.

From Research to a Real Exit

You do not need to do everything at once. Select a platform that suits your deal, create a credible listing, and execute an organized process. As you prepare, familiarize yourself with the steps most sellers follow, so you know what to expect and where you can save time. 

Begin by following our guide on selling a business in 5 steps, and then review "How Do I Sell My Small Business" to pressure-test your plan. If you want more resources in one place, bookmark the owner’s guide: The best resources for how to sell a small business, and work down the checklist. 

With the right platform and a clear story, you will spend less time herding inquiries and more time negotiating a clean close.