How to Sell Your App

Sell to customers

Get people to pay for your app, again and again

Sell the business

Sell the whole app, code, and customers to a buyer

The better you sell to customers, the more your app is worth to a buyer.

[App] helps [specific user] [achieve result] without [pain].

• Name one user, not everyone
• Lead with the result, not the features
• Show it working in a short video

• Charge based on the value of the result
• Offer monthly and yearly plans, with a yearly discount
• Use a free trial or limited free plan
• Test prices and raise them as you improve

• Launch on Product Hunt, communities, and app directories
• Write content that answers your users’ questions
• Share build-in-public updates
• Reach out directly to ideal customers
• Ask happy users for reviews and referrals
• Partner with creators in your niche

• Put your main keyword in the title and subtitle
• Make screenshots that show the result
• Ask for ratings at a happy moment
• Test icons and screenshots

• You want to move on to something new
• Growth needs more time or money than you have
• A buyer could grow it faster
• You want to turn your work into a lump sum

Small apps are usually valued as a multiple of yearly profit or revenue. The multiple depends on:

• Revenue and profit, and how steady they are
• Growth over the last 12 months
• Churn: how many customers stay
• How much of your time it needs
• Risks, such as relying on one platform

Multiples vary widely, so compare similar sold apps on marketplaces.

• Clean financial records for at least 12 months
• Revenue verified through your payment provider
• Documented code, setup, and processes
• All accounts, domains, and code you can transfer
• Proof you own the code, brand, and content

Acquire.com

A popular marketplace for startups and SaaS apps

Flippa

A large marketplace for apps, websites, and online businesses

TrustMRR

Lists startups with verified revenue, including ones for sale

Brokers

For larger apps, a broker can find buyers for a fee

Direct

Competitors, partners, or your users may want to buy

• Share sensitive details only after an NDA and a serious offer
• Expect buyers to check revenue, code, and traffic
• Use escrow for the payment
• Sign a clear purchase agreement
• Transfer accounts, code, and domains carefully
• Agree on a short handover period

• Never transfer anything before payment clears in escrow
• Be wary of buyers who rush you or skip checks
• Never share passwords in messages
• Get legal and tax advice for larger sales