Selling
How do I sell my app? A step-by-step guide to selling an iOS app (2026)
Short answer
How to sell an app, in short: gather 12 months of numbers, estimate its value, choose a marketplace, a broker or a direct buyer, pass due diligence under NDA, get paid through escrow, and move the app with Apple’s official App Store Connect transfer.
Timing depends on the route. A direct sale to a buyer like me typically closes about 14 days after the first message, everything included; on Acquire.com, the average time on market was 81 days.
Disclosure: I’m a direct buyer, one of the three routes below. Fees and timelines link to each platform’s own pages, checked September 2026.
Thinking of selling? Send me the store link and rough numbers; I usually reply within a few hours, with no fees for you. Send me your app
I buy iOS apps directly from founders, and I’ve sold apps of my own. This is the process I’d want every seller to understand before talking to any buyer, including me.
1. Should you sell your app at all?
Sell when the app is worth more to someone who will keep investing in it than it is to you. Common reasons founders sell:
- You’ve moved on to a new product or job, and the app gets less attention every month.
- Revenue is steady, but you don’t want to spend the next years on maintenance and support.
- You want to turn years of work into cash now instead of a slow trickle of monthly income.
- The app needs skills you don’t want to learn: paid acquisition, ASO, localization, pricing experiments.
The best time to sell is while revenue is stable or growing. A declining app still sells, but at a lower multiple, and buyers can see the trend in the first five minutes. If you’re still undecided, work through should I sell my app first.
2. What numbers do you need before selling an app?
You need 12 months of revenue, costs and downloads; 24 months is better. Pull these from App Store Connect (and RevenueCat, if you use it):
- Monthly revenue and proceeds for the last 12 months.
- Monthly costs: ad spend, servers, APIs, tools, contractors. Revenue minus costs is your profit, which is what the price is based on.
- Downloads per month, and roughly how many come from App Store search vs ads vs other sources.
- For subscription apps: active subscribers, trial conversion, renewal rates, monthly vs annual split, refunds.
- Top countries and the keywords you rank for.
Rough numbers are enough for a first conversation. You don’t need a data room to get an initial offer from a serious buyer.
3. How much can you sell your app for?
Small and mid-sized apps sell for a multiple of profit. Published ranges run from about 1–3x annual profit (RevenueCat) to 1.5–4x and up (Empire Flippers). Trend, track record, organic traffic, revenue model and how much of your time the app needs decide where yours lands. I value apps at around 6–36x monthly profit (average of the last 3 months), and up to 120x for apps with strong downloads but low profit.
For the full breakdown, read how much is my app worth, or get a quick range from the app valuation calculator.
4. Where should you sell your app: marketplace, broker or direct buyer?
You have three routes: a marketplace, a broker, or a direct buyer. Seller fees run about 6–15% (marketplaces roughly 6–10%, brokers up to 15%), or nothing if you sell directly.
| Route | Best for | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace (Flippa, Acquire.com, Microns) | Reaching many buyers, if you can wait | Public or semi-public listing; success fees of roughly 6–10% plus listing or monthly fees; many non-serious buyers |
| Broker (Empire Flippers, FE International) | Large, complex businesses that want a managed auction | Commissions up to 15%, minimum fees, weeks of vetting |
| Direct buyer | A fast, private deal with one counterparty and no fees | Only apps the buyer focuses on (for me: iOS first, 6+ months of steady revenue, $10K+) |
Fees from Flippa, Acquire.com, Microns, Empire Flippers and FE International, checked September 2026.
The detailed comparison is in where to sell my app. If you’ve already ruled out Flippa, see Flippa alternatives; for the buyers themselves, see companies that buy apps. If you’d rather skip listings and fees, you can sell your app directly to me.
5. What do buyers check in due diligence?
Buyers verify revenue, costs, traffic, product health and App Store history before they commit. Expect to share, usually under NDA:
- Screenshots or a screen-share of App Store Connect sales, proceeds and App Analytics.
- RevenueCat (or similar) dashboards for subscription metrics.
- Ad accounts, if you run paid acquisition.
- An overview of the code, third-party services, and anything that could break.
- Any App Review issues, rejections or policy warnings.
Be upfront about problems. A buyer finding a surprise late is the most common reason deals die. Here’s the full due diligence checklist.
6. How do you get paid safely? (agreement and escrow)
You get paid safely by signing a purchase agreement and running the money through escrow. Most app sales use a simple asset purchase agreement: what’s being sold (the app, code, domain, trademarks, accounts), the price, payment terms, and any handover support you’ll provide. See the app purchase agreement checklist.
With escrow, the buyer deposits the money, you transfer the app, and escrow releases the funds once the buyer confirms receipt, so neither side has to trust the other with the whole amount. Escrow.com’s fee calculator showed roughly 1.2–2.6% for domain and website transactions (checked September 2026), and who pays is negotiable. More in how payment works when selling an app.
7. How do you transfer the app in App Store Connect?
You use Apple’s official app transfer: your Account Holder starts it in App Store Connect with the buyer’s Apple Account and Team ID, and the buyer’s Account Holder accepts it within 60 days (Apple). After acceptance, Apple says processing can take up to two business days.
The app can stay on sale throughout, and it keeps its ratings and reviews (Apple). There are criteria to meet first: for example, no version can be in review, and TestFlight has to be turned off. See the full App Store transfer checklist.
8. What else do you hand over after the transfer?
Everything the App Store transfer doesn’t cover: code, services, domains and know-how. Typically:
- Source code repository and build instructions.
- Backend, APIs and third-party services (analytics, crash reporting, push, subscriptions; see selling a subscription app).
- Domain, website, support email and social accounts, if included.
- A short handover doc: how releases are built, what breaks, and who to contact for what.
Most buyers ask for a few weeks of light support by email after the transfer. Agree the scope in the contract.
9. How long does it take to sell an app?
With a direct buyer and organized numbers, about 14 days: that’s how long my deals typically take from the first message, including the offer, checks, escrow and the App Store transfer. Marketplace listings usually take longer: Acquire.com reports an average of 81 days on market. Broker processes add vetting and marketing time before your app is even listed.
Here’s how my 14 days usually go:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | You send the store link and rough numbers. I usually reply within a few hours. |
| Days 2–4 | A quick look at the numbers (screen-share or screenshots), then a written offer. NDA first if you want one. |
| Days 5–9 | Due diligence and a simple purchase agreement. |
| Days 10–14 | I fund escrow, you start the App Store transfer and hand over the code and assets, I accept, and escrow releases the payment to you. |
A typical deal with organized numbers. Anything that slows it down, like scattered data or several revenue sources, I’ll tell you about early.
10. Selling an Android app?
The process is the same (numbers, valuation, due diligence, escrow), but the transfer step differs. Android apps move through Google Play’s app transfer, which needs both accounts’ registration transaction IDs.
See sell my Android app for the Google Play steps. I mainly buy iOS apps, and I’m open to Android apps when the fit is right. I don’t buy games, SaaS, or web-only products.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lawyer to sell my app?
Not always. Many small app sales use a simple asset purchase agreement that lists what’s sold, the price, escrow terms and handover support. For larger deals, or if the buyer sends a long contract, a lawyer’s review is worth the cost. What to check in it: app purchase agreement. This isn’t legal advice; rules differ by country.
Do I need to form a company to sell my app?
No. Apple’s app transfer isn’t limited to companies. Individual developer accounts can transfer apps too, as long as both accounts meet Apple’s transfer criteria.
Do you buy apps from sellers outside the US?
Yes. Where you live doesn’t matter to me, as long as escrow and Apple’s app transfer are available for your account. What changes outside the US: selling your app as a non-US founder.
What exactly is included when I sell my app to you?
The app’s source code, its App Store listing (with ratings and reviews), and every asset the app needs to keep running: designs, domains, accounts and services tied to it. We list them in the purchase agreement.
Would you buy several of my apps together?
Yes, if they’re good apps. Send them all at once and I’ll look at each one, and at the bundle.
Will my users notice the sale?
Barely. The app keeps its listing, ratings and reviews, and users keep receiving updates. The visible change is the seller name on the App Store listing. More on keeping a sale quiet: how to sell your app confidentially.
Can I sell an app that isn’t making money?
Sometimes. Apps with real downloads, strong keyword rankings or an engaged user base can sell without profit, but they are valued case by case and fewer buyers want them. Most direct buyers, including me, look for about 6+ months live with steady revenue. If your app isn’t there yet, it’s worth coming back once it has a track record. See can I sell my app.
Do I have to pay tax when I sell my app?
Almost certainly, but how depends on your country and whether you sell as an individual or a company. Talk to a local accountant before you sign.