Baton vs Flippa: Fees, Buyers, and Which to Choose
Chat Joglekar
⋅
6 min read
Flippa is a legitimate, long-running marketplace for buying and selling online businesses, and it is the right choice if your business is a website, ecommerce store, SaaS product, or app. Baton is the better fit for most owners of physical, local, and service businesses: it is built for Main Street and lower-middle-market sales and charges a flat 6% at close with no retainer.
This comparison is for owners deciding between the two, and the honest answer is that they mostly serve different sellers. If your business is online only, Flippa may serve you better. If you own a shop, a practice, a trade business, or another company with local customers and staff, that is Baton’s focus.
What Flippa is
Founded: 2009, by Mark Harbottle and Matt Mickiewicz.
Offices: Melbourne, Australia; Austin, Texas (its North American headquarters); and Amsterdam (its European headquarters).
Model: a marketplace for websites, ecommerce stores, SaaS, apps, content sites, YouTube channels, and domains. Sellers list themselves or, from a $100K asking price, use a Flippa broker.
Size: about 2 million buyers and more than 12,000 deals a year, according to its pricing page.
Pricing, as of October 2026: a $29 to $1,499 upfront fee depending on asking price and service, plus a success fee of 10% that falls to 5% at $50 million and up.
Funding: an $11 million Series A in 2021, led by OneVentures.
Baton vs Flippa
Baton | Flippa | |
|---|---|---|
Built for | U.S. Main Street and lower-middle-market businesses, focused on $500K to $100M in value | Online businesses and digital assets, sold worldwide |
Upfront cost | None. No retainer or listing fee. | $29 to $699 for a self-service listing, or $399 to $1,499 for a brokered sale |
Success fee | 6% of the total purchase price, paid at close | By asking price: 10% under $500K, then 9%, 8% ($1M to $4.9M), 7%, 6%, and 5% at $50M and up |
Who runs the sale | A dedicated Baton advisor, through diligence and close | You, on a self-service listing, or a Flippa broker (asking prices from $100K) |
Buyers | 30,000 vetted buyers, major business-for-sale sites, and direct outreach to strategic buyers | About 2 million buyers worldwide, shopping for online businesses |
Off-market option | Yes. Test buyer interest privately with a free anonymous listing. | Flippa Private, for verified seven-figure assets. Fees not published. |
Valuation | Free, data-driven valuation before you list | Free online valuation tool |
Buyer financing | SBA and bank pre-qualification for interested buyers | Flippa Finance connects buyers with lenders, including SBA loan options |
Contract term | Three-month exclusive, then month to month | 60 days to six months for listings; six months for brokered sales |
Pricing and features checked October 2026. Baton figures are from baton.com/pricing. Flippa figures are from its pricing page, which sets fees by asking price, and its About, Flippa Private, and finance pages.
Where the difference shows up
On a $1.5 million sale, Baton’s 6% success fee is $90,000. On Flippa, an asking price between $1 million and $4.9 million goes to its brokered service: a $1,299 upfront fee plus an 8% success fee of $120,000, or $121,299 in total. That is $31,299 more.
The bigger difference is who is looking. Flippa’s buyers come from all over the world to buy online businesses. For a business that runs entirely online, that global pool is a real strength. For a plumbing company, a clinic, or a manufacturer, the right buyer is more often an operator in your region or a competitor, and the deal often depends on an SBA or bank loan. Baton is built for that sale, with an advisor through close, outreach to strategic buyers, and financing pre-qualification.
Flippa has also added broker-style tools. Flippa Private sells verified seven-figure assets off-market and does not publish its fees. LaurenAI helps buyers find and contact owners of unlisted businesses, and Flippa Finance connects buyers with lenders. All three serve the same online-business market.
Which should you use?
Choose Flippa if your business runs online (a website, store, SaaS product, app, or content site), you are selling a smaller asset and are comfortable running the sale yourself, or you want buyers from around the world, including if you sell from outside the U.S.
Choose Baton if you own a physical, local, or service business in the U.S. and want a flat 6% fee with no retainer, an advisor through close, a free valuation, and a private way to test buyer interest.
Start with a number
Whichever route you take, know what your business is worth before you list it anywhere. Get a free Baton valuation.
FAQ
Is Flippa legit? Yes. Flippa has operated since 2009, raised an $11 million Series A in 2021, and offers identity checks and escrow. As on any open marketplace, vet buyers before you share sensitive information.
How much does Flippa charge to sell a business? As of October 2026, Flippa charges $29 to $1,499 upfront plus a success fee of 10% for asking prices under $500K, falling to 5% at $50 million and up. On a $1.5 million sale, that totals $121,299, compared with $90,000 on Baton.
Can I sell a brick-and-mortar business on Flippa? Flippa is built for online businesses and digital assets, and its listing categories reflect that. Owners of physical, local, or service businesses will usually do better with a broker or with Baton, which focuses on Main Street and lower-middle-market companies.
Does Flippa charge a fee if my business does not sell? Flippa’s listing and brokerage fees are paid upfront, and the success fee is due only on a sale. For brokered sales, Flippa says it will refund fees paid if it cannot match your business with the right buyer at the right price. Baton charges only its 6% success fee at close.
What are the best Flippa alternatives? For physical, local, and service businesses, Baton. For other options, see our guide to the best websites to sell a small business and our BizBuySell review.
More comparisons
See every option side by side on Compare Baton, or read another comparison:
Sources
Baton pricing, checked October 2026
Flippa pricing, checked October 2026
Flippa raises US$11M Series A, September 2021