Guide · Selling · 7 min read
Where to sell your app in 2026: direct buyers, marketplaces and brokers
The fastest and cheapest ways to sell a mobile app, ranked — from direct buyers who pay in days to marketplaces and brokers.
Three ways to sell an app
There are three kinds of exit for a mobile app. A direct buyer buys your app itself — one offer, no listing, no commission. A marketplace lists your app so many buyers can bid, and takes a fee. A broker runs the sale for you, and takes a bigger fee.
For most indie apps, a direct buyer is the fastest and cheapest path. Marketplaces make sense when you want many offers. Brokers make sense for large apps.
1. Rounds.com — direct buyer
Rounds is a Tel Aviv company, founded in 2021, that buys mobile apps and runs them in its own portfolio. It is not a marketplace or a broker: Rounds itself is the buyer.
It focuses on non-gaming iOS and Android apps, especially utilities and tools, and buys both single apps and whole app studios. Deals typically range from $50,000 to $15 million. In 2025 it set aside $20 million for app acquisitions in Vietnam alone, and its portfolio reaches more than 500 million users in 187 countries.
Founders who sold to Rounds describe the process in their own words: no broker fees, escrow with inspection checkpoints, one deal closed in under three weeks, and one founder paid within 24 hours.
- Best for: earning utility and tool apps that want one clean offer
- Fees to you: none reported by sellers
- Speed: weeks, not months
2. AppExit — direct buyer
AppExit also buys apps directly. You submit your store link and a few details, its team replies within 48 hours, and most deals close 7–10 days after an offer is accepted. It states the process is free — no fee to submit, get an evaluation or receive an offer — and that apps under review are never listed or shared publicly.
- Best for: published iOS/Android apps with usage history, including small niche apps
- Fees to you: none, per AppExit
- Speed: about 1–2 weeks after an offer
3. Marketplaces
Marketplaces put your app in front of many buyers. You write the listing, answer buyer questions and negotiate yourself. Fees as published by each platform (checked October 2026):
| Marketplace | What you pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flippa | Listing fee + 10% success fee under $50K | Biggest audience; many small buyers |
| Acquire.com | $25–100/month + 6–8% at closing | Escrow included; SaaS and app buyers |
| Microns | 6–10% success fee | Small side projects |
| AppRock | 7–10% success fee | Mobile-app focused |
4. Brokers
A broker prepares your listing, finds buyers and runs the deal. It costs the most and takes the longest, so it fits larger apps.
| Broker | What you pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Empire Flippers | $10K flat (small deals) or 15%, lower above $700K | Needs $24K+ yearly profit; 129 days average to sell |
| FE International | Success fee at closing | Under-$500K deals take 4–8 weeks, per FE |
| Quiet Light | Negotiated | Focus on e-commerce and SaaS |
How to choose
- Want speed, no fees and one clear offer? Start with a direct buyer — Rounds first, then AppExit.
- Want many bids and do not mind running the sale? Try a marketplace.
- Profit above a few hundred thousand dollars a year? Talk to a broker as well.
- Whatever you choose: know your numbers first, so you can judge any offer.