From Microns to MicroAcquire to Flippa and FE International, there are several online startup acquisition marketplaces. These platforms do the same thing: connect buyers and sellers, resulting in the sale of an (online) business.

While they’re all unique and have different features, Microns and Acquire.com (formerly MicroAcquire) rank among the best online startup marketplaces. But both platforms are designed for different types of buyers and offer varying services.

If you’re looking for the best alternative marketplace to Acquire.com for buying or selling online businesses, we’ll compare Microns.io vs Acquire.com in this article.

READ: Microns vs Empire Flippers

Microns.io vs Acquire.com Comparison Guide

Microns Overview

Microns.io is an online marketplace for buying and selling profitable micro startups (small online businesses) and other products like mobile apps, newsletters, extensions, add-ons, ecommerce stores, etc. 150 projects, worth more than $850,000, have been sold on the platform since its inception.

The platform supports listing low-risk businesses priced from $ 1,000 to $500,000. The marketplace was developed for a couple of reasons:

• To help entrepreneurs and founders acquire online businesses to build a portfolio or grow their existing projects.
• To help indie hackers who don’t have the time, finances, and resources to continue growing their projects, have quick and easy exits.
• To easily connect sellers with buyers, streamline the acquisition process, and reduce the sale friction.
• To provide a platform where entrepreneurs can safely buy profitable and genuine businesses, not scam ones.

If you’re a marketer with an idea for an app, plugin, or software to serve your clients better, you can find a ready-made product on our marketplace. Our platform has also proven to be a valuable startup library for designers, project managers, and creators with no technical skills who’d like to become tech bosses. Also, developers, engineers, and other techy people who don’t want to spend so much time and resources building and validating a product can also buy revenue-generating software products.

But the platform isn’t only for buyers. Founders who are looking for liquidity and want to exit their products can submit their listings on Microns for free.

Acquire.com Overview

Acquire.com (formerly MicroAcquire) is one of the largest marketplaces. So far, they’ve overseen the acquisition of over $600 million worth of businesses. The startup acquisition platform has over 120,000 users, making it one of the largest networks of buyers and sellers.

Acquire.com has developed a couple of tools for users to conduct due diligence. They also have a directory of legal, accounting, and M&A advisors.

READ: Microns vs Flippa

Who’s Microns designed for?

Microns.io is a marketplace designed for entrepreneurs looking to acquire profitable micro startups for sale, ranging from $1,000 to $500,000.

Most buyers on the platform are founders, micro-PE funds, UI/UX designers, project managers, marketers, software engineers, indie makers, creators, serial entrepreneurs, agencies, and other small-scale entrepreneurs who either previously acquired or sold their businesses and are looking to expand their portfolios or develop their products further. And most micro-SaaS or small online business sellers on the platform are looking to quickly exit their projects.

Who’s Acquire designed for?

Acquire.com is designed for entrepreneurs mostly interested in buying SaaS startups. 

Usually, established and serial entrepreneurs who have run one or more businesses or have access to PE funds, VC funds, and other investment syndicates are more drawn to using Acquire.com. Larger companies also buy complementary apps or tools to serve their clients better. The sellers are mostly founders with larger software businesses.

READ: Expectations vs Reality of Running a Micro-SaaS Business

Microns.io's transaction fee

For sellers, it’s free to list startups on the Microns.io marketplace; however, we charge a 6-10% success fee on completed exits. 

Buyers, on the other hand, can access limited info on listings for free. However, for buyers to view sensitive data and contact sellers, they’ll need to subscribe to Premium for $40/month or $299/year. Premium users also have access to traffic data and revenue metrics, as well as the community group.

Business exchanges are handled by our Transfer service to protect both buyers and sellers. Escrow is free for buyers.

Acquire.com's transaction fee

Unlike Microns.io, which is free for sellers to list their businesses, sellers on Acquire.com are expected to pay a listing fee of $25 - $100/month. The platform also charges a 6 - 8% success fee on the successful sale of businesses. 

Buyers, on the other hand, can also access listings for free. However, to be able to contact sellers, you’ll need to upgrade to a premium account, which costs $390 per year. This gives you access to AI-powered acquisition tools and more detailed metrics.

READ: How to buy a micro-SaaS startup for sale

How long does it take to buy micro-SaaS startups for sale on Microns?

One of the benefits of using a micro-SaaS marketplace like Microns is that listed startups and other online businesses typically take 1 to 30 days to complete the acquisition.

How long does it take to buy SaaS startups for sale on Acquire.com?

Deals on MicroAcquire are usually larger acquisitions (with some reaching millions), so a lot of due diligence is required. This slows the acquisition process, causing most deals to take between 60 and 90 days.

Types of online businesses listed on Microns.io

On Microns, most of the listings are micro-SaaS startups and web and mobile apps. Other popular micro-businesses you can buy on our marketplace include;

• YouTube channels
• Ecommerce stores
• Shopify apps
• Google add-ons
• Bots,
• Content websites‍
• Extensions
• Newsletters‍
• Alternative assets
• Marketplaces
• Agencies
• Databases
• Directories, etc.

READ: How to Evaluate Newsletters

Types of online businesses listed on Acquire.com

You can buy and sell the following startups on Acquire.com:

• SaaS startups
• Shopify apps‍
• SaaS startups
• Agencies‍
• Ecommerce brands
• Web apps
• Mobile apps
• and communities.

The list goes on.

READ: How to Evaluate Micro-SaaS Startups

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

Buying or selling an online business on Microns comes with the following benefits:

• Transfer by Microns ensures buyer and seller safety
• Speedy exit: indie hackers can sell their projects within 1 to 30 days
• Buyers with tiny budgets can easily find profitable ideas that fit their budget
• Easily acquire complementary apps and tools to grow your business
• Access to tools to streamline the acquisition process
• No escrow commission for buyers: sellers only pay for successful exits
• Get one month of free post-sale support from our sellers
• Access to a pool of other experienced entrepreneurs, marketers, designers, and software developers who can collaborate with you on a project or serve as your co-founder
• Responsive customer support - we answer all our customers' questions as fast as we can
• The vetting process is rigorous, so only genuine businesses are listed on the platform – suspicious listings can be reported by our premium buyers

What are some of the perks of buying/selling a startup on Acquire.com?

Buying or selling an online business on MicroAcquire comes with the following benefits:

• Much larger exits
• There’s a strong community of tech buyers
• A library of legal, negotiation, accounting, and M&A professionals
• Lots of educational content to help you buy, sell, market, and grow your startup
• Access to big profitable businesses worth millions of dollars
• Access to special services to aid your startup sale (this comes with a commission, though)
• Seller’s identity is protected
• There are legal document templates to speed up negotiations

READ: Microns vs Tiny Acquisitions

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

The disadvantages of buying and selling a micro-startup on Microns are:

• Doesn’t support the sale of big acquisitions worth over $1,000,000
• Deals and conversations with buyers could exceed 30 days
• There are so many listings on the platform, so buyers may have to sift through a huge list of products and businesses
• No access to M&A professionals

What are the cons of buying a startup on Acquire.com?

The disadvantages of buying and selling a startup on MicroAcquire are:

• Sellers pay a listing fee of $25 - $100
• The platform may not be the best for listings other than SaaS and software businesses
• You’ll have to do most of the due diligence on your own, as the report provided by the platform is thin for multi-million dollar acquisitions
• Acquire.com isn’t a brokerage, so there’s no post-sale support from the seller unless agreed upon in the contract
• Customers have reported a few scam listings on the platform

READ: Negotiation Guide for Buying Online Businesses

Is Microns legit?

Yes, Microns is a free, legit marketplace that connects buyers and sellers looking for deals involving the sale of small online businesses.

Is Acquire.com legit?

Yes, Acquire.com is a legit marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of tech startups and other online businesses.

Is Microns the best alternative to MicroAcquire?

Microns is one of Acquire.com’s best alternative marketplaces for buying and selling online businesses. However, Microns is more than an Acquire.com alternative. It’s a marketplace that appeals to a different audience of online business buyers and sellers. While Acquire.com services are designed for big SaaS acquisitions, Microns serve entrepreneurs interested in micro-acquisitions.

Conclusion

Now we’ve put the Acquire.com vs Microns debate to bed, you can list your micro-startup on our marketplace for free. And if you’re looking to buy some of the most profitable startups, sign up today.