Microns, a top Empire Flippers alternative: The Best Online Startup Acquisition Marketplace

Microns and Empire Flippers are two of the most popular online marketplaces for buying and selling online businesses. While both platforms do the same thing – connect online business buyers to sellers – and are run by remote teams distributed all over the globe, their services are targeted at different kinds of buyers and sellers.

This guide will reveal the value propositions of both platforms to help you decide if Microns is a great Empire Flippers alternative. So put on your seat belt as we ride on.

Microns vs Empire Flippers Best Online Marketplace Comparison Guide

Microns overview

Unlike most of the other top marketplaces, Microns is an online platform built for the sale and acquisition of micro-startups (small online businesses) – think Amazon but for small businesses. When you’re looking for low-risk online businesses on sale for as low as $300 to kickstart your entrepreneurial journey, the Microns marketplace is the platform to explore. Sellers can also list and sell their business to skilled business people even if it’s yet to make profits.

Here are some of the top reasons why business owners buy and sell online businesses on Microns;

• Help small indie makers looking for a platform to exit their businesses for what it’s worth.
• Help first-time and non-technical founders begin their entrepreneurial journey with low-risk businesses
• Foster the speedy acquisition of online businesses which can be lengthy and strenuous
• Easily connect interested buyers and sellers and reduce friction in closing deals
• Provide a safe platform and the tools for buyers and sellers to exchange businesses

Many marketplaces support the sale of large businesses, marginalizing smaller developers, software engineers, product designers, etc., who want to sell their small projects. Being a developer, myself, I wanted to give these people a fair chance to exit their companies.

Our platform also allows creators, marketers, non-technical founders, and aspiring entrepreneurs to find micro-SaaS startups, mobile apps, web software, etc., on sale and become tech bosses. We also accept other listings such as eCommerce businesses and directories.

Check: Microns vs MicroAcquire

Empire Flippers overview

Empire Flippers was founded in 2013, making it one of the oldest and largest marketplaces to find online businesses on sale. They support the sale of mid to large-sized businesses already making profits, with the minimum listing price valued at $25,000.

Empire Flippers isn’t only a marketplace, they’re also business brokers that offer support in the transfer of businesses. But this comes at a price – you’ll have to pay a commission on the business’s sale. Secondly, businesses listed on Empire Flippers are already profitable as sellers must show proof of a minimum profit of $500/month in the past 6 months.

Unlike most other online business marketplaces, Empire Flippers does due diligence for all listings on its platform - but you’ll still have to vet businesses yourself.

Who can buy/sell online businesses on Microns?

Microns is a platform with a large list of buyers interested in connecting with business owners looking to sell their small online businesses for prices ranging from $300 and $100,000.

Some of the buyers in our community include first-time founders looking to gain experience running tech companies and serial entrepreneurs with multiple acquisitions and exits. You can also find marketers, software engineers, product designers, project managers, ecommerce business owners, creators, and indie makers.

The buyers on Microns believe that buying a small online business and growing it is a low-risk investment. And we give sellers the platform and opportunity to exit their businesses at the right price.

Who can buy/sell online businesses on Empire Flippers?

Empire Flippers was built with the idea of giving buyers profitable businesses. Usually, the listing price starts at $25,000 and can cost higher than 8 figures. What makes the businesses profitable is that the business owners must show proof of a minimum of $500/month.

Most times, the buyers on the platform are established, serial business owners/buyers. They’ve got experience running multiple businesses and have access to funding, maybe from previous exits, VC funds, PE funds, and other investment syndicates. On the other hand, the sellers have built great value for their businesses and aren’t looking for an instant exit.

Microns transaction fee

Microns neither charge a fee for sellers to list their businesses, nor charge buyers for their acquisitions. However, for buyers to get access to listings and their information, you’ll have to pay a subscription fee to become a premium member. We’ve got 3 tiers;

1-month subscription = $49

6-month subscription = $159

1-year subscription = $199

Premium buyers get early access to new (and the best) listings even before they get listed on the marketplace – this saves buyers’ time, so they don’t comb through our huge library for profitable businesses. Also, they’re drafted into our paid newsletter where I share business success tips from my businesses and other community members.

Empire Flippers transaction fee

First-time sellers on Empire Flippers are required to pay a vetting fee of $297. This enables the vetting team to verify data and metrics such as traffic, revenue, expenses, etc. Also, Empire Flippers, as a brokerage, earns a commission on the sale of business – they don’t charge a commission based on the listing price.

15% charge for listings valued under $700,000

8% charge for listings valued between $700,001 and $4,999,999

2.5% charge for listings over $5,000,000

Also, buyers are required to pay a refundable 5% deposit to gain access to listing information from the platform’s vetting process.

How long does it take to buy an online business on Microns?

Microns has been credited for its swift deals. One of the perks of buying/selling an online business on Microns is that deals can be completed within 1 to 30 days - with our concierge service, you can close deals a lot faster.

How long does it take to buy an online business on Empire Flippers?

On average, it takes around 48 days to buy/sell an online business on Empire Flippers. This is because Empire Flippers vets each listing for around 1 to 4 weeks. Aside from that, larger acquisitions usually entail loads of back and forth.

Buyers can either purchase a business at its listing price or make a counteroffer. Should the potential buyer make a counter-offer, the platform circulates the offer to other interested buyers who then have 24 hours to make an offer that’s at least 10% higher than the initial offer.

Read: How to buy your first side project

Types of online businesses listed on Microns

Microns is the first marketplace to check when you’re looking for micro-SaaS startups for sale. Other listings you can find on the Microns marketplace include;

• Ecommerce stores
• Shopify stores
• Web and mobile apps
• Blockchain-based startups
• Bots
• Content websites
• Newsletters
• Directories
• Databases
• Alternative assets

Types of online businesses listed on Empire Flippers

Here are a few of the businesses for sale on Empire Flippers;

• SaaS startups
• Mobile and web apps
• Ecommerce stores
• Affiliate websites
• Agencies and other service-based businesses
• Content sites

Check: Microns vs Flippa

What are some perks of buying/selling on Microns?

Buying and selling online businesses on Microns come with the following benefits;

• The platform provides the tools and resources that eliminate lengthy back and forth and facilitates the swift finalization of deals
• Sellers set their own prices based on their valuation
• Buyers can negotiate and get the best deals
• Sellers can list pre-revenue businesses (businesses not making income, yet)
• The listings are profitable and low-risk businesses to help business enthusiasts gain entrepreneurial experience or expand their business portfolio
• Get one-month free post-sale support
• No commission on the acquisition of businesses
• You get direct access to me for insights on growing startups
• Our pre-vetting process is intense to ensure there are no scam listings and to protect our buyers and the integrity of the platform.
• Pay a tiny subscription fee to get access to weekly lists of the best listings
• Responsive customer support, simple and easy-to-use UI
• Microns offers its own service called Transfer by Microns

What are some perks of buying/selling on Empire Flippers?

There are lots of benefits to trading an online business on Empire Flippers;

• One of the largest marketplaces and business brokers for online businesses
• Buyers are purchasing profitable businesses as each listing makes a minimum profit of $500/month.
• Empire Flippers does due diligence so buyers can be assured they’re acquiring a quality asset
• For sellers, the platform has a team that takes charge of the sales process.
• Empire Flippers sets listing prices based on market prices so sellers can get the best deals for their businesses
• Empire Flippers give the buyers 14 days to inspect the business and either renegotiate or cancel the deal. This is after determining if it makes 50% of the expected monthly revenue

What are the cons of buying/selling a startup on Microns?

Buying and selling on Microns doesn’t come without some disadvantages;

• We don't support the purchase of businesses valued at over $100,000
• Lots of platform listings, so buyers may have to comb through a large library before seeing the one they’d like
• We don't support the sale of offline businesses
• The platform offers lean due diligence: hence, we created this in-depth due diligence guide for buyers

Read: Microns vs Tiny Acquisitions

What are some cons of buying/selling a startup on Empire Flippers?

There are also some cons to buying/selling online businesses on Empire Flippers;

• The sales cycle is usually longer – an average of 48 days.
• Most of the businesses listed on Empire Flippers have a minimum valuation of $25,000 which isn’t great for buyers with little budget
• The platform doesn’t support the sale of small or pre-revenue businesses as every listing is expected to show a minimum of $500/month profit in the last 6 months
• Empire Flippers charge a commission on the sale of businesses
• Sellers have to pay a first-time fee of $297 for their businesses to be vetted
• Buyers have to pay a 5% deposit to gain access to listings’ information
• There’s no post-sale support where the seller will help the buyer after the acquisition

Is Microns legit?

Yes, Microns is a legit marketplace for buying and selling online businesses such as micro-SaaS startups, ecommerce businesses, web and mobile apps, etc.

Is Empire Flippers legit?

Empire Flippers is a legit marketplace for buying and selling large online businesses valued at a minimum of $25,000.

Is Microns the best alternative to Empire Flippers?

Microns is one of the best Empire Flipper’s alternative online marketplaces for buying and selling online businesses. This is because while Empire Flippers supports the acquisition of large businesses costing between $25,000 to 8 figures, Microns supports the sale of micro-startups which costs between $300 to $100,000. So while both marketplaces support the buying and selling of online businesses, they appeal to different kinds of entrepreneurs.

Conclusion

Now you know how both marketplaces differ, you can sign up to gain access to profitable startups. We’ve got lots of sellers waiting to talk to – and support – you and your next business.