Microns vs Acquire.com: Which Marketplace Fits a Small SaaS?

Microns and Acquire.com look like the same product from a distance. Both list small software businesses. Both take a cut when you sell. Up close, they are built for different sellers.

One charges nothing until you exit and handles the money for you. The other charges a monthly fee to stay listed, a closing fee on top, and gives you a bigger, paid buyer pool with tools for larger deals.

Here is how the two compare for a small SaaS, from their own pricing pages, terms and help centers, checked on October 23, 2026. Fees, deal sizes, who gets listed, and the rules that matter at closing.

1. The fee model: commission only vs subscription plus closing fee

This is the clearest difference. Microns charges only when you sell. Acquire.com charges while you wait, then again when you close.

• Microns: no listing fee. Commission is 10% from $1K, 8% from $10K and 6% from $100K. Nothing is due if it does not sell.
• Acquire.com: monthly listing fee. $25 a month for asking prices up to $250K, $50 from $250K to $1M and $100 above $1M.
• Acquire.com: closing fee. 8% up to $250K, 7% from $250K to $1M and 6% above $1M, due in full when the sale closes.
• Acquire.com's rate follows the final price. Its help center says the final rate is based on the final purchase price, not the estimate shown when you list.
• Earnouts count on Acquire.com. Its terms include deferred and contingent payments in the closing fee, treated as paid at closing.

2. Deal size: where each one is built to play

Fee bands tell you who a marketplace expects. These two overlap, but the center of gravity is different.

• Microns: $1K to $1M. Its FAQ says it lists startups with asking prices in that range. The recently sold examples on its seller page show exit prices from $1,000 to $5,000.
• Microns gets cheaper sooner. The rate drops to 6% at $100K. On Acquire.com you pay 8% all the way to $250K.
• Acquire.com scales up. Bands run past $1M, and its Guided by Acquire advisory is for profitable SaaS with at least $100K in trailing revenue.
• Acquire.com is cheaper under $10K on rate. 8% beats Microns' 10% on tiny deals, before the monthly fee.

3. Who gets listed

Both marketplaces curate. Neither takes everything.

• Microns wants revenue and age. It says it does not accept pre-revenue projects, and a project should be at least 5 months old with paying customers.
• Microns reviews and edits. Submissions are reviewed and edited before they are published, and must follow its listing guidelines.
• Acquire.com wants revenue too. Its seller FAQ says listings must be operating and revenue-generating, with a working SSL website and multiples its curation team can justify.
• Acquire.com's pre-revenue exception. It may list a functional SaaS or AI product with no revenue, typically priced under $25,000. Other pre-revenue models are not accepted.
• No deep diligence on either. Acquire.com says it does not do in-depth seller due diligence. Microns tells both sides to do their own.

4. The buyer side: who is on the other end

A seller's fee buys access to buyers. How those buyers pay shapes who shows up.

• Microns Premium is $299 a year. Free buyers see public details with a 5-day deal flow delay. Premium unlocks private details, chat, analytics and the transfer service.
• Acquire.com Premium is $390 a year. It covers startups up to $250K in trailing revenue. Platinum, at $780 a year, covers all sizes.
• Reach claims. Acquire.com says it shares listings with over 500K entrepreneurs. Microns promotes listings on its site, newsletter, social media and community, without a published buyer count.

5. Closing: who handles the money

The close is where small deals go wrong. Both platforms want you to stay inside their process.

• Microns Transfer. Microns handles the purchase agreement, invoice, buyer payment, asset transfer and payout, all covered by the commission. Payouts go out in USD by ACH, wire or SWIFT.
• Acquire.com escrow. It says escrow is free to sellers through its partners. With Escrow.com, the closing fee is deducted from the buyer's payment to you.
• Acquire.com tools. Automated NDAs, legal document builders, synced metrics and a customer success manager come with the listing.

6. The off-platform rules

Read these before you take a call with a buyer you met on either site.

• Microns. Its terms make the Transfer service mandatory and say trying to avoid the commission can get your account suspended.
• Acquire.com. The closing fee applies to any sale "on or through" the marketplace, read as broadly as possible, including buyers who found you there. It is due within five business days.
• Exclusivity on Acquire.com. Accepting an LOI starts a no-shop period. You cannot negotiate with other buyers until the offer expires.

Worked example: Say your SaaS sells for $30,000 after three months listed. On Microns, 8% is $2,400 and there is nothing else to pay. On Acquire.com, 8% is $2,400 plus $75 in listing fees, so $2,475. At $8,000, Acquire.com is cheaper: $715 vs $800. At $150,000 the gap flips hard: $9,000 on Microns at 6%, $12,075 on Acquire.com. On StartExus, each of those sales costs $0 in platform fees.

Your 5-minute marketplace checklist

1. Put a realistic price on your SaaS before you pick a platform.
2. Find your band on both fee schedules and run the math at your floor price.
3. On Acquire.com, add the monthly fee for how long you expect to stay listed.
4. Check you meet the listing rules: revenue, age and a working product.
5. Ask how the money moves at closing and who pays for it.
6. Read the off-platform clause before you talk to any buyer.
7. Compare the net with a free marketplace.

Pro tip: If your SaaS is under $10K, curation is the real filter, not the fee. A 2% rate difference on $8,000 is $160. A rejected listing is worth nothing.

Which one fits a small SaaS

Short version, based on published terms.

• Pick Microns for a profitable side project or micro-SaaS from a few thousand dollars to around $100K, when you want no upfront cost and a managed transfer.
• Pick Acquire.com for a growing SaaS with real trailing revenue, especially near or above $100K, when you want a big paid buyer pool, LOI tools and advisor support.
• Pick neither if you would rather keep the 6% to 10%.

The bottom line

Microns is the simpler deal for small exits. Acquire.com is the bigger room, and you pay rent to stay in it. Neither is a bad choice. Both cost real money on a small SaaS.

Price it first with the free valuation tool, check what buyers pay in MRR multiples in 2026, then compare every option in where to sell a micro-SaaS in 2026 and our Acquire.com alternative guide.

Browse current SaaS deals on StartExus, or list your business for sale for free. No listing fee, no success fee.