Sell

Baton vs Quiet Light: Fees, Process, and Which to Choose

Chat Joglekar

Updated October 21, 2026

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6 min read

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Quiet Light is a legitimate, long-running brokerage for online businesses (ecommerce and Amazon brands, SaaS, and content sites), and it is the right choice if your business makes its money online. Baton is the better fit for most owners of Main Street and lower-middle-market companies, such as service, trade, and local businesses: it charges no retainer and a flat 6% success fee at close, which is less than Quiet Light’s published scale on sales under about $9 million.

This comparison is for owners choosing between the two, and the honest answer is that they mostly serve different sellers. If your business is online only, a specialist like Quiet Light may serve you better. If you own a company with local customers, staff, and physical operations, that is Baton’s focus.

What Quiet Light is

Founded: late 2006, by Mark Daoust, months after he sold his own website.
Headquarters: its listed address is in Mooresville, North Carolina.
Model: an advisor-led brokerage for ecommerce and Amazon FBA brands, SaaS, and content sites. Every advisor has built, bought, or sold an online business, it says.
Size: more than 750 online businesses sold and more than $500 million in total transaction value, with exits from five to eight-plus figures, according to Quiet Light.
Pricing, as of October 2026: a published success-based fee scale of 10% on the first $1 million, falling one point per million to 3% above $7 million, with a $25,000 minimum fee and no upfront fees.
Content: the Quiet Light Podcast, a YouTube channel, webinars, and a library of guides on buying and selling online businesses.

Baton vs Quiet Light

	Baton	Quiet Light
Built for	U.S. Main Street and lower-middle-market businesses, focused on $500K to $100M in value	Online businesses: ecommerce, Amazon FBA, SaaS, and content sites
Upfront cost	None. No retainer or listing fee.	None, per its published fee schedule
Success fee	6% of the total purchase price, paid at close	10% of the first $1M, falling one point per $1M to 3% above $7M, paid at close. $25,000 minimum.
Who runs the sale	A dedicated Baton advisor, through diligence and close	A Quiet Light advisor who has built, bought, or sold an online business
Valuation	Free, data-driven valuation before you list	Free valuation call with an advisor
Buyer reach	Baton marketplace with 30,000 vetted buyers, major business-for-sale sites, and direct outreach to strategic buyers	Its own buyer pool, built since 2007. Size not published.
Buyer financing	SBA and bank pre-qualification for interested buyers	Some listings are marked SBA pre-qualified
Contract term	Three-month exclusive, then month to month	90-day exclusive, then the engagement can continue if you choose
Time to sell	Offers in about 6 weeks. About 6 months from listing to close on average.	Says 85% of listings sell within 90 days

Pricing and features checked October 2026. Baton figures are from baton.com/pricing. Quiet Light figures are from its sell page and the published fee schedule linked from its Amazon selling guide.

Where the difference shows up

On a $1.5 million sale, Baton’s 6% success fee is $90,000. Under Quiet Light’s published scale, the same sale costs $145,000: 10% of the first $1 million plus 9% of the next $500,000. That is $55,000 more. Quiet Light also charges on inventory sold with the business, which matters for ecommerce brands.

The gap narrows as deals get bigger. Quiet Light’s rate falls to 3% on every dollar above $7 million, so its total fee is less than 6% on sales above about $9.3 million. At the small end, its $25,000 minimum fee is 12.5% of a $200,000 sale.

The bigger question is fit. Quiet Light’s advisors come from ecommerce, Amazon, SaaS, and content businesses, which counts when buyers dig into ad accounts, seller accounts, or churn. For a company with a storefront, crews, or local customers, Baton is built for that sale, with SBA and bank pre-qualification for buyers and direct outreach to strategic acquirers. Contract terms are close: both start with a roughly three-month exclusive.

Which should you use?

Choose Quiet Light if your business is an ecommerce or Amazon brand, a SaaS product, or a content site; you want an advisor who has run that kind of business; or your sale is large enough (above about $9 million) that its scale costs less than 6%.

Choose Baton if you own a Main Street or lower-middle-market company and want a flat fee you know up front, a free valuation before you commit, and buyers who can get SBA and bank pre-qualification. Baton focuses on U.S. businesses worth $500K to $100M, and its Seller Plan requires at least $100K in annual profit.

Start with a number

Know what your business is worth before you talk to anyone about fees. Get a free Baton valuation.

FAQ

Is Quiet Light legit? Yes. Founded by Mark Daoust in late 2006, Quiet Light reports more than 750 online businesses sold and over $500 million in total transaction value.

How much does Quiet Light charge? As of October 2026, Quiet Light publishes a success-based scale: 10% of the first $1 million, 9% of the second, and so on down to 3% above $7 million, with a $25,000 minimum fee. On a $1.5 million sale that is $145,000, compared with $90,000 at Baton’s 6%.

Does Quiet Light charge upfront or listing fees? No, according to its published fee schedule. Quiet Light is paid only if your business sells, and its valuation call is free.

How long does it take Quiet Light to sell a business? Quiet Light says 85% of its listings sell within 90 days, and that closing after a signed letter of intent usually takes 30 to 45 days for cash deals and 60 to 90 days for SBA deals.

What are the best Quiet Light alternatives? For online businesses, marketplaces such as Flippa and Acquire.com are common alternatives; see Baton vs Flippa and Baton vs Acquire. For Main Street and lower-middle-market companies, see Baton and our comparison hub covers every option.

More comparisons

See every option side by side on Compare Baton, or read another comparison: