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BizBuySell vs Vetrix
BizBuySell charges advertising fees to list a business for sale. It says it is not a brokerage firm, so you do not pay it a commission when a sale closes. Vetrix pays you to license a de-identified copy of operational records, and you keep the company. An ad and a license are different jobs.
Up to $150K · $0 cost · 3 days
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| What they do | BizBuySell is a marketing platform where you list a business for sale. It charges advertising fees and says it is not a brokerage firm. You can also advertise business assets of a non-operating or closed business, or business real estate for sale or lease. |
| Who it is for | BizBuySell says the majority of its listings are established businesses that are open and operating, across industries. You can also advertise assets of a closed business, or business real estate. |
| Fee | For a 6-month term, Basic listings are $74.95 a month, Showcase listings are $99.95 a month, and Diamond listings are $199.95 a month. A 3-month term costs more per month, and a 12-month term is discounted. BizBuySell says it only charges advertising fees and is not a brokerage firm. |
| Cost to the company | You pay the advertising fee for the term you buy. At the end of a 3, 6, or 12-month term, the listing continues at the monthly rate unless you cancel. You do not pay BizBuySell a commission when the business sells. |
The names identify the services. We are not affiliated with them.
What BizBuySell does and how it works
BizBuySell is a marketing platform where you list a business for sale. It charges advertising fees and says it is not a brokerage firm. You can also advertise business assets of a non-operating or closed business, or business real estate for sale or lease.
BizBuySell asks for account setup, then general details about the business.
You select and purchase a plan, which includes a valuation report.
You add financial information and pictures, then the listing goes up.
Vetrix's path is six steps. Vetrix runs steps 1 to 3 and stays with you through the rest.
- Tell us what you have.
- We confirm fit.
- We check your systems.
- You sign an NDA.
- You receive an offer.
- You sign, and get paid.
Read how company data licensing works for the step detail. Nothing is uploaded in the first step.
BizBuySell finishes the job in its own description. A license is finished when you sign with the data partner and the copy is prepared. You can still be operating, winding down, or already closed, if you meet the staff and records rules.
Bring the question you actually have. If the question is the job BizBuySell describes, stay with that service and read the fee. If the question is whether the records can be licensed while you still own them, that service does not answer it by itself. You want cash for a de-identified copy of operational records, not another month of advertising.
Fees, cost, and where the money goes
Read BizBuySell's fee as they state it, then read what a license costs the company. The two numbers are not the same kind of money.
| Question | BizBuySell | Vetrix |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | For a 6-month term, Basic listings are $74.95 a month, Showcase listings are $99.95 a month, and Diamond listings are $199.95 a month. A 3-month term costs more per month, and a 12-month term is discounted. BizBuySell says it only charges advertising fees and is not a brokerage firm. | $0 to the company |
| Cost if nothing closes | You pay the advertising fee for the term you buy. At the end of a 3, 6, or 12-month term, the listing continues at the monthly rate unless you cancel. You do not pay BizBuySell a commission when the business sells. | $0 |
| Who is paid | BizBuySell is paid its fee. A purchase price, if a buyer pays one, is paid to you. | You, up to $150,000 (US pricing, 250+ staff at peak). |
| What you give up | A BizBuySell listing is advertising for a term of 3, 6, or 12 months. BizBuySell says it is not a brokerage firm. If you want a broker, it points you to its Broker Directory. You do not pay BizBuySell a commission when the business sells. | You give the data partner the right to use your records, with personal details removed, for AI research. The license is worldwide, permanent, and only for them. |
Use the fee BizBuySell states on its own site, in the fee table. Read it as the cost of that service. It is not a payout for a license, and it is not what you pay Vetrix. A listing ad, a broker's commission, a shutdown invoice, and a license payout are different kinds of money. Match the bill to the job before you treat one number as the winner.
What Vetrix pays is not a success fee. The data partner pays Vetrix's fee, not you. If no agreement is signed, nobody pays anything. The amount depends on staff at peak and on the US pricing band. It is not a percent of a sale price, because there is no sale of the company.
Timing
BizBuySell's clock is how long its own process can take. Vetrix's clock is a yes or no within 3 days, which is a fit decision, not a closing date.
Listing terms are 3, 6, or 12 months. BizBuySell says finding the right buyer typically takes several months, and that it is not uncommon for a business to take a year or longer. The term starts one week after you purchase the listing.
A fit decision in 3 days does not mean the records are licensed that week. After a yes, there is a read-only check, an NDA with the data partner, an offer, and a signature. Those later steps take as long as the check and your lawyer need. They are not a promise that a buyer will appear.
Do not put the two clocks on one calendar and call the shorter one faster. A sale can be the right outcome and still take months. A license can be the wrong product even when the first answer is quick. Decide which clock you need: a buyer, or a decision on the records.
What you keep
Under a license you keep ownership of your data and full use of it in your business. You sign an NDA and the licensing agreement directly with the data partner, not with Vetrix.
Read what the company keeps under a data license before you treat the two offers as the same promise.
Read what is shared and never shared. Personal details are removed before a copy leaves.
Where BizBuySell is a better fit
- You want an ad for an operating business, for assets of a closed business, or for business real estate, and you can pay the monthly advertising fee.
- You do not need BizBuySell to negotiate the sale. It says it is not a brokerage firm.
Use BizBuySell when the job those points describe is the job you have. Do not force a license into a contract that does a different job.
Where licensing records fits
- You want cash for a de-identified copy of operational records, not another month of advertising.
- The company is closing and a local listing ad is not the filing you need.
The license fits when those conditions are true and the company meets the staff and records rules. It is not a substitute buyer, and it does not file a dissolution. You can estimate the payout before you start the check.
If you are weighing a broker, a shutdown, or a license, compare exit options for a company. If no buyer is in sight, read exit options when a company cannot be sold. If the listing did not sell, read What to do when a listing did not sell. For other ways to sell or to license the records, read BizBuySell alternatives.
Using both
BizBuySell sells advertising for a listing and says it is not the broker. A license of the records is a separate contract from that ad.
You agree not to license the same records to anyone else. A later buyer of the company has to be told. You can pursue a sale and a license when the license does not hand the same records to someone else, and when the sale documents can live with that promise.
If the buyer will want those records exclusively, say so before you sign the license. If you only want the records licensed and you do not want a buyer, do not pay a listing fee while you wait for a sale you are not seeking.
Related
- Compare
Exit options compared: sell, broker, shut down, or license records.
- Selling a company
How to sell a failed startup, and the options when a company cannot be sold as a whole.
- DataVendor vs Vetrix
DataVendor lists code and datasets. Licensing operational records is a separate choice.
- Empire Flippers vs Vetrix
Empire Flippers brokers a sale of an online business. Licensing records is a separate choice.
- License terms
The four license terms: what you give, keep, agree, and sign.
- What's shared
Which records can be licensed, which details never leave, and what you approve.
- Estimate
US payout bands by staff at peak, and the estimator that uses them.
- BizBuySell alternatives
Options when a BizBuySell ad is not the same as a brokered sale.
Questions about BizBuySell vs Vetrix
What does BizBuySell charge for a business-for-sale listing?
BizBuySell's listing FAQ gives a 6-month term as Basic at $74.95 a month, Showcase at $99.95 a month, and Diamond at $199.95 a month. A 3-month term costs more per month. A 12-month term is discounted. The term starts one week after you purchase the listing. At the end, the listing continues at the monthly rate unless you cancel. These are advertising fees. They are not a commission on a sale price.
Does BizBuySell take a commission when the business sells?
No. BizBuySell says it is a marketing platform, it only charges advertising fees, and it is not a brokerage firm. If you want a broker, it points you to its Broker Directory. You pay for the ad. You do not pay BizBuySell a percent of the purchase price when a buyer closes. A broker you hire separately can still charge a commission. That broker's fee is not the BizBuySell advertising price.
Can a closed company advertise on BizBuySell?
BizBuySell says most listings are established businesses that are open and operating. It also says you can advertise business assets, such as equipment or licenses, of a non-operating or closed business, or business real estate for sale or lease. An ad for assets is not a dissolution filing and not a license of operational records. If the company is closing, decide whether you need the ad, a filing, or a license. They are different counterparties.
How long does BizBuySell say a listing should run?
The listing FAQ says terms are 3, 6, or 12 months, not one month. It says those durations give time to market the business, because finding the right buyer typically takes several months, and some businesses take a year or longer. That is a marketing clock. It is not a decision on whether the records can be licensed. If the ad produces no buyer, buying another term does not turn the ad into a broker or into a shutdown.
Sources
- BizBuySell. Business-For-Sale Listing FAQs.