Where to sell a SaaS at $5k–$20k MRR.
At this size, finding a buyer is rarely the hard part. The hard part is choosing the path that gives you a fair price, a clean process and a good home for the product.
Contents2.1Where should I sell?1 / 6
§ 2.1
Where should I sell?Compare four paths.
Compare a direct sale to a buyer, a broker or M&A advisor, a listing on a marketplace, and keeping the business. Each path suits a different goal. Prepare your records first; they decide how every path goes.
- $5k–$20k in MRR is about $60k–$240k in annual recurring revenue.
- Buyers at this size look closely at founder hours and support load.
- Clean monthly records shorten every process.
§ 2.2
What this size means.Small enough to run lean, large enough to matter.
A business at this size can often be run by one or two people. That makes the founder’s time the most important cost to understand. A buyer must pay someone to do that work.
Small businesses also feel each customer more. One large customer, one channel or one platform can be a large share of revenue. Buyers check this early.
History matters. Three or more years of records show how customers renew, how channels change and what maintenance costs. Younger businesses can sell, but buyers have less to rely on.
§ 2.3
Sale paths to compare.What each one does well.
| Direct buyer | Broker or advisor | Marketplace | Keep it | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | A private process with one counterparty. | Broad outreach and a managed process. | Wide reach at a lower cost. | Founders who still want to run it, or can hire help. |
| You give up | Some price discovery. | A success fee, and some privacy. | Time, because you screen buyers yourself. | Cash now. |
| Watch for | Buyers who cannot fund the price. | Long exclusive engagements. | Buyers who do not have the skills to run the product. | Your own energy and the product’s upkeep. |
§ 2.4
What to prepare.Before you talk to anyone.
Numbers
- Monthly revenue, refunds and churn for at least 24 months.
- Costs by category, including your own hours.
- Billing exports that match your bank deposits.
Product
- A list of accounts, domains and services that must transfer.
- A short guide to deploying and supporting the product.
- Ownership documents for the code and the brand.
Your goals
- The outcome you want for customers.
- The role you want after the sale, and for how long.
- The lowest price you would accept, and why.
§ 2.5
When Playbook Media belongs on your list.And when it does not.
Talk to us when
- Your product is developer, creator, productivity or lightweight business software.
- You want the product to keep running for the customers who rely on it.
- You prefer one direct conversation with the person who decides.
Look elsewhere when
- You want an auction to find the highest possible price.
- You need a buyer with a record of completed acquisitions. We have made offers, but none has completed yet.
- The business is a service, a marketplace or regulated.
§ 2.6
Founder questions.Short answers.
How long does a sale at this size take?
It depends on the path and on your records. Clean records shorten every process. Agree a timeline with each buyer before the detailed review.
Should I grow the business before I sell?
Only if you want to run it longer. Buyers look at retention and records more than a recent burst of growth.
Is my business too small?
Not if it pays for the work it needs. A business below $5k in MRR can still sell, often to an individual buyer.
End of guide 2