FE International alternative and Quiet Light alternative for AI SaaS sellers
Acquisitions is an FE International alternative for AI founders who want to sell without a broker mandate. FE International is reported to charge roughly 10 to 15% and to pass on businesses valued under about 100,000 USD. On Acquisitions you list an AI SaaS, agent, app or micro SaaS from 49 USD a month, show metrics verified at the source and pay a 1.5% to 3% success fee only on the escrow route, or none on Portfolio.
See what your AI business is worth before you call a broker
Brokers start every conversation with a valuation, and you can get a first number yourself. The AI business valuation tool turns recurring revenue and category into an indicative range, so you know whether you sit below a broker's minimum or well inside it. Use that range to compare a 10 to 15% commission with a flat plan.
The short version
Pick FE International or Quiet Light when the deal is large, your time is scarce and you want an adviser to find strategic or private equity buyers and negotiate for you. Pick Acquisitions when the business is AI-native, smaller than most brokers will take or simply worth more to you than the commission, and you can answer buyer questions yourself.
Most AI SaaS sales below 1,000,000 USD fall in the gap. A broker's fee there often runs to tens of thousands of dollars, while the buyer pool for AI products is already searching AI-specific listings. That's the case for a self-serve route.
FE International alternatives compared
Competitor figures below come from third-party reviews and are approximate. FE International and Quiet Light do not publish a fixed fee schedule, so ask each firm for its terms in writing before you sign an engagement letter.
| Acquisitions | FE International | Quiet Light | Empire Flippers | Acquire.com | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | AI businesses only | SaaS, ecommerce and content businesses | Ecommerce, SaaS and content businesses | Established online businesses | Startups and SaaS |
| Model | Self-serve marketplace | M&A advisory and brokerage | Brokerage | Curated broker marketplace | Startup marketplace with optional guidance |
| Minimum size | None, pre-profit AI products can list | Reportedly about 100,000 USD in value | Ask the firm | About 2,000 USD monthly net profit over 12 months | None stated for self-serve listings |
| Upfront cost | List 49, Featured 149, Portfolio 399 USD a month, annual billing half price | Reportedly none | Ask the firm | No listing fee | 25 to 100 USD a month by asking price |
| Success fee | 3% List, 1.5% Featured, 0 Portfolio, escrow route only | Reportedly about 10 to 15%, lower on larger deals | Commission, ask the firm | 15% below 700,000 USD, 8% to 5,000,000 USD, 2.5% above | 8%, 7% or 6% by asking price |
| Buyer cost | Scout 49, Acquirer 149, Fund 399 USD a month | Reportedly about 2.5%, capped near 1,000 USD | Ask the firm | Ask the platform | Premium 390 or Platinum 780 USD a year |
| Metrics | Read-only connections with source badges | Adviser-prepared financials | Adviser-prepared financials | Vetted by the platform | Seller-provided, some connections |
| Who runs the sale | The founder | Adviser under mandate | Adviser under mandate | Empire Flippers | Founder, with an acquisition expert |
| Best for | AI founders selling below broker minimums or keeping the fee | Larger SaaS exits that need a full process | Owner-operators wanting a broker | Profitable online businesses | Broad startup buyer reach |
FE International fees on a 400,000 USD sale
This example assumes a 400,000 USD sale and six months on the market with monthly billing. Broker rates are approximate and can be negotiated, so treat the first two rows as a range rather than a quote.
| Route | Cost calculation | Total cost, USD | Net proceeds, USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| FE International at 15% | 15% of 400,000 | 60,000 | 340,000 |
| FE International at 10% | 10% of 400,000 | 40,000 | 360,000 |
| Acquire.com | 6 × 50 listing + 7% closing fee | 28,300 | 371,700 |
| Acquisitions List, escrow route | 6 × 49 + 3% of 400,000 | 12,294 | 387,706 |
| Acquisitions Featured, escrow route | 6 × 149 + 1.5% of 400,000 | 6,894 | 393,106 |
The gap between the first and last rows is 33,000 to 53,000 USD. Part of that difference pays for real work: an information memorandum, buyer outreach, negotiation and diligence management. A good adviser can also raise the price or improve the terms enough to cover the fee. If you think that's likely for your business, the broker route can still come out ahead. Escrow provider fees are separate and excluded on every row. Our Flippa fees breakdown runs the same comparison at 120,000 USD.
Where FE International and Quiet Light are stronger
Deals above about 1,000,000 USD.
At that size, reach into private equity, strategic acquirers and family offices matters, and an adviser who already knows those buyers earns the commission. FE International reportedly does its best work from about 500,000 to 10,000,000 USD.
Founders without time.
A brokered process takes over buyer screening, calls, the data room and the back-and-forth over terms. If you're still running the product full time, that may be worth more than the fee.
Complex structures.
Earnouts, seller notes, equity rollover and working capital adjustments need someone who has closed many of them. Our SaaS business brokers guide covers what a broker should handle and what fee range is normal.
Non-AI or mixed assets.
An ecommerce brand with an AI feature may sell better through a generalist broker or the Empire Flippers alternative options.
Why AI founders choose Acquisitions over a broker
No size floor.
A 3,000 USD MRR AI tool, a pre-profit agent or an AI-built app can list today. Brokers rarely take those mandates because the commission doesn't cover their effort.
Numbers buyers can check.
Read-only connections to payment and analytics sources attach source badges to MRR, churn and traffic. See how metric verification works. Buyers spend less time asking whether the numbers are real and more time on model costs, API dependence and handover.
AI-specific buyers.
Everyone browsing is looking for AI assets, from solo operators on Scout to funds on the Fund plan. You don't compete for attention with dropshipping stores and content sites.
You keep the fee.
Plans and success fees are published on seller and buyer pricing. The Portfolio plan carries no success fee at all, which suits founders selling more than one product.
Self-serve also means self-run. You'll answer diligence questions, prepare the transfer checklist and negotiate. Founders who have bought or sold before usually find that manageable at this deal size.
Decide whether the commission buys you anything
Start with the valuation range, then estimate what a broker would charge at that price. If the fee is larger than a year of your own salary for a three to six month process, the self-serve route deserves a serious look. Prepare your revenue records, model usage costs and a written handover plan, then list your AI business.
If you already signed with a broker, check the engagement letter for exclusivity and tail clauses before listing anywhere else. Many brokers keep a right to their fee for buyers introduced during the mandate. For other marketplace options, compare the Flippa alternative and the Acquire.com alternative.
Find AI deals before they reach a broker process
Brokered deals arrive with polished memoranda and competitive bidding, which usually means a full price. On Acquisitions you can contact founders directly, review connected metrics and request confidential details under a seller-approved NDA. Scout, Acquirer and Fund cost 49, 149 and 399 USD a month with no buyer success fee.
Smaller AI assets rarely show up on broker lists at all. If your thesis is a 50,000 to 500,000 USD AI product you can run yourself, browse SaaS businesses for sale and keep a broker subscription for larger targets.
FAQ
The main alternatives are Quiet Light Brokerage and Empire Flippers on the broker side, and Acquisitions, Acquire.com and Flippa on the marketplace side. Brokers run the sale for a commission. Marketplaces let you list and negotiate yourself for lower fees. Acquisitions is the option built only for AI businesses, with metrics verified at the source.
FE International does not publish a fee schedule. Third-party reviews report a seller commission of roughly 10 to 15%, sliding lower on larger deals, with no upfront fee. An older reported schedule charged 15% on the first 700,000 USD, 8% up to 5,000,000 USD and 2.5% above. Get the current terms in writing before signing.
FE International reportedly does not take businesses valued under about 100,000 USD, and reviews describe its strongest range as about 500,000 to 10,000,000 USD. It also vets sellers strictly and declines many. Founders below that size usually sell through a marketplace such as Acquisitions, Acquire.com or Flippa.
FE International suits larger SaaS exits that need advisory work and access to strategic buyers. Empire Flippers suits profitable online businesses that fit its vetting and marketplace model, with a 15% fee below 700,000 USD. Neither is better for every seller. Compare deal size, the work you want done and the written fee terms.
There is no reliable public answer, because neither firm publishes a fixed fee schedule. Both charge success-based commissions that depend on deal size and complexity. Ask each for a written quote on the same expected price, then compare the services included, the exclusivity period and any tail clause, not just the headline percentage.
Use a broker if the deal is large, complex or you have no time to run it. Use a marketplace if the business sits below broker minimums or you can handle buyer questions and negotiation yourself. On a 400,000 USD sale the fee difference can reach 30,000 to 50,000 USD, so the decision matters.
Acquisitions charges a success fee only on the escrow route: 3% on List, 1.5% on Featured and none on Portfolio. Plans cost 49, 149 or 399 USD a month, half price on annual billing. Escrow provider fees are separate. Acquisitions does not represent either side and does not hold the purchase money.
Keep the commission and sell your AI business on your terms
Get an indicative value, compare it with the fee a broker would charge and list with metrics buyers can verify. Buyers can browse AI deals that never reach a broker's list.