Everything about buying & selling on Vertos
Straight answers on secure payments, fees, offers, payouts, and how Vertos compares to Flippa, Acquire, and Little Exits.
Last updated 2026-08-17
About Vertos
What the marketplace is, why it exists, and who runs it.
What is Vertos?
Vertos is a marketplace for buying and selling early-stage digital projects — AI apps, micro-SaaS, browser extensions, newsletters and communities, starter sites, mobile apps, developer tools, games, and datasets. Builders start more than they finish; buyers would rather skip the build and pick up something already made. Vertos connects the two, with source code stored securely so the handoff is safe.
Why does Vertos exist? What's the mission?
Vertos exists because builders start far more than they finish — most side projects don't fail, they just get abandoned in a repo. But that shelved code is real: it still runs, it has users, and it's the exact head start someone else is hunting for. Vertos gives those projects a second owner instead of a slow fade, and pays the original builder for the road they already paved. The belief is simple — nothing good should go to waste; it just changes hands.
Who is behind Vertos?
Vertos is built and run by Vertos LLC — a small, independent team, not a big corporation. We don't sell your data or run third-party ad trackers. The fastest way to reach a real person is the Support form under Messages → Support.
Is Vertos legit and safe to use?
A few things keep it honest: every sale runs on secure crypto payments, so no one can take both the code and the money; source code stays locked until payment clears; sellers build public reviews and can earn a verified badge; and you can report anything suspicious. Still, do your own due diligence on every listing before you buy.
Buying a project
How to find, evaluate, buy, and download a project.
How do I buy a project?
Browse or search for a project, open it, and dig into the metrics, screenshots, tech stack, and a free AI Analysis of the actual code. When you're ready, make an offer at the fixed price (or place a bid on an auction) and message the seller with any questions. Once the seller accepts, you pay in crypto; the moment it settles on-chain, the source code unlocks for you to download and the sale completes.
How do secure payments work?
Every sale runs on secure crypto payments. When an offer is accepted the buyer pays in; the moment the payment settles on-chain, the source code unlocks for the buyer and the 95% is sent to the seller automatically — there's no separate confirmation step. Neither side can walk off with both the code and the money.
What's included when I buy a project?
Each listing spells out exactly what transfers — typically the full source code (stored securely until you pay), and often the domain, accounts, brand assets, and any mailing list. Once you've paid, it's fully yours: you own the code and IP outright and can run, change, or resell it. Buyer and seller arrange transfer of the domain and accounts directly. Check a listing's “Included Assets” section for the specifics.
What happens right after I buy?
Right after you pay, the source code unlocks for you to download, and the sale completes automatically — there's no separate release step. From there, the seller coordinates transferring the domain, accounts, and any other assets directly with you.
Where do I download what I bought?
Everything you've bought — with its source-code download — lives on your Purchases page. Sign in and open Purchases to grab the code any time after the sale completes.
Can I try or inspect a project before I buy?
There's no live trial and no automatic money-back guarantee — a sale is final once payment clears — so the protection happens up front. You're not buying blind, though: every listing shows real metrics, screenshots, and the tech stack; you can run a free AI Analysis of the actual source code; and you can message the seller with questions (or ask for a demo or walkthrough) before you make an offer.
Can I buy or sell from outside the US?
Yes. Vertos is open worldwide to anyone with a crypto wallet, buyer or seller. Everything is digital — source code and digital assets transferred online — so nothing ships and your location doesn't limit what you can buy. All prices are in US dollars and every sale settles in USD, whatever currency you view the site in.
Are the revenue and traffic numbers on a listing verified?
They are reported by the seller, not independently audited by Vertos, so treat them as claims to check rather than facts. Ask the seller to screen-share their Stripe dashboard or analytics before you make an offer — serious sellers expect that and won't mind. What Vertos does verify is the code: every listing with source code gets a free AI Analysis, and sellers accumulate public reviews from completed sales. The purchase agreement template also includes a clause where the seller warrants their published figures are accurate, which gives you something concrete to point at if they turn out not to be.
What if a listing has a README instead of the source code?
Some sellers upload buyer instructions — a README or PDF explaining where the code lives and how the handover will work — rather than the codebase itself. Those listings are a documentation handoff rather than a code handoff, and they can't be run through AI Analysis because there's no code to analyse. They're legitimate, but do more diligence: ask for a live code walkthrough before you make an offer, and expect to sign an NDA first if the seller wants one.
How do I evaluate a project before buying?
Read the listing's honest account of where the project stands, check the metrics (users, revenue, traffic), review the tech stack and included assets, look at the seller's rating and reviews, and run the free AI Analysis, which checks the seller's claimed stack and assets against the actual uploaded code. Message the seller with questions before you make an offer — and remember you can always negotiate the price.
Selling a project
Listing, getting paid, and what makes a listing sell.
How do I list a project for sale?
Head to Seller Studio. You set up your storefront once, then a short wizard covers the story, metrics, source code (stored securely), screenshots, price, and keywords. Listing is free — you only pay when a sale completes.
What can I sell on Vertos?
Vertos is for early-stage digital projects across nine categories: AI apps, micro-SaaS, browser extensions, newsletters & communities, starter sites, mobile apps, developer tools, games, and datasets. Every project includes its full source code, plus an honest account of where it stands.
Can I sell just an idea, or do I need working code?
Vertos is for projects with actual source code — that's the core of what transfers to the buyer, so an idea or a pitch deck on its own isn't enough to list. But it doesn't need to be finished or profitable: half-built, pre-launch, and pre-revenue projects are welcome, as long as there's real, working code a buyer can pick up and run with.
Do I need a company or LLC to sell?
No — you don't need a company, an LLC, or a registered business to sell on Vertos. Individuals sell here all the time. To get paid you add a crypto wallet (USDC on Base), and you're responsible for reporting your own income. If you do have a business you can use it, but it's not required.
How do I get paid as a seller?
Sellers add a crypto wallet (Set up payouts from your seller dashboard). When a buyer completes a purchase and the funds release, your share — the sale price minus the 5% platform fee — is sent automatically in USDC to your wallet.
How do I decide what to charge for my project?
Use the free valuation calculator at /valuation-calculator — it estimates a range from your revenue, growth and category, and needs no account. As a rule, projects with real recurring revenue price off a multiple of that revenue, while pre-revenue projects price off what the same thing would cost a buyer to build from scratch. You can always start higher and take offers, or run an auction and let the market set the number.
How do the files get handed over?
Listing is free and exposes nothing — just your story, real metrics, and a few screenshots. Your files are added before the sale and stored securely: locked away, and released to the buyer only when their payment clears. You can provide the complete source code (the version buyers trust most, and the only one eligible for AI Analysis) or a README/PDF with handoff instructions — which suits projects too large to zip, or ones spread across accounts you'll transfer directly.
Are my files safe before the sale?
Yes. Anything you add is stored securely and is never shared with anyone until a sale is funded — buyers browsing your listing can't download it, and neither can anyone who simply messages you. The AI Analysis buyers read is generated without exposing your code. If a buyer wants a closer look before committing, send them the NDA template from My Listings, then walk them through it yourself.
How long does it take to sell a project?
It varies a lot, and anyone quoting you a fixed timeline is guessing. Price is the biggest factor — lower-priced projects move faster because the decision is easier. After that it's how complete the listing is: real metrics, clear screenshots, an honest account of where the project stands, and plenty of keywords so buyers and the AI assistant can actually find it. Boosting puts the listing in a top slot on Browse, and filling in your storefront lifts you up the Meet our Sellers directory.
Can I edit a listing after it's live?
Yes. Open My Listings and edit any listing at any time — price, description, metrics, screenshots, keywords, and what's included. Keeping it current matters: a listing with stale revenue figures reads as abandoned, and the purchase agreement you'd eventually sign warrants that your published figures are accurate, so it's worth updating them as they change.
Do I have to help the buyer after the sale?
Vertos doesn't require it, but it's normal and worth doing — a smooth handover is how you earn the review that makes your next listing easier to sell. The asset purchase agreement template includes a 30-day transition-assistance clause with a cap on total hours, so you can agree something specific and bounded in writing rather than leaving it open-ended.
How do I get the verified badge?
The verified badge is automatic: a seller earns it as soon as they have a review and a 4.0+ average rating, and keeps it for as long as they hold at least 4 stars. It's removed automatically if their average later drops below 4.
What makes a listing stand out?
A listing stands out when it's honest and complete: clear screenshots, a straight account of where the project stands, real metrics (users, revenue, traffic), the tech stack, and what's included. Sellers with reviews and the verified badge earn more trust, and boosting puts you in a top slot on Browse for a few days. Strong keywords help buyers — and the assistant — find you.
Does Vertos provide contracts or an NDA?
Yes, and they're free with any listing. Every listing generates two documents: a mutual NDA to sign before you share revenue figures or walk a buyer through the code, and an asset purchase agreement to transfer ownership when you close. Both are written from that listing's own details — the asset schedule comes from what you said is included, the price fills the payment and liability clauses, and any figures you published become an accuracy warranty. Open them from the Templates button on My Listings. They're templates, not legal advice — Vertos isn't a law firm and isn't a party to your agreement, so have a lawyer review before anyone signs.
How do I fill in and download the NDA or purchase agreement?
Open Templates from My Listings, pick which listing and which document, and it appears fully written. Anything the two of you have to supply — buyer name, date, governing law — is highlighted; click it and type. The same field appears in several clauses, so filling it once updates all of them, and your entries are saved on your device if you come back later. Hit Download PDF and choose "Save as PDF" in the print dialog. Fields you leave blank still print as visible blanks rather than disappearing, so an unfinished agreement can't look finished.
Fees & payments
What Vertos costs, how you pay, and taxes.
What fees does Vertos charge?
Listing is free. Vertos takes a flat 5% platform fee on completed sales — the lowest cut of any marketplace like it. Optional extras: boosting a listing starts around $8/day, and website ad slots run $11–$15/day depending on the page. Both are flat rates with no surge pricing.
Is Vertos free to use?
Browsing and listing are both free — you only ever pay the flat 5% when a sale actually closes. There's no subscription and no upfront listing cost. Optional paid extras (boosting your own listing, or buying a website ad slot) are the only other charges, and they're always opt-in.
What payment methods can I use?
Payments are made securely in crypto at checkout — USDC, USDT, BTC, ETH and more. Your payment settles on-chain and reaches the seller the moment it clears — the source code unlocks for you at the same moment.
How do payouts work in my country?
Payouts are in crypto, so they work the same everywhere — there's no country restriction. You add a crypto wallet (USDC on Base) from your seller dashboard, and your 95% is sent there automatically once a sale clears. The buyer's side is unchanged and the fee is still a flat 5%. Set it up before you list, so there's no delay when a sale closes.
What about taxes?
You're responsible for any taxes on your own transactions — Vertos doesn't calculate or withhold them. Your Purchases and Offers pages have the transaction records you'll need. Prices are in US dollars, and Vertos is open worldwide to anyone with a crypto wallet.
Offers & auctions
Making offers, negotiating, and how auctions work.
How do offers and counters work?
On a fixed-price listing you make an offer at whatever price you think is fair, and the seller can accept, decline, or counter. Offers are valid for 3 days, and a counter resets the clock. If your offer is accepted, you then have 3 days to pay before it's cancelled. Open a project and use “Make Offer” to start.
Can I negotiate the asking price?
Yes — on fixed-price listings you offer whatever price you think is fair, and the seller can accept, decline, or counter. Open a project and use “Make Offer.” On auctions you compete by bidding instead.
How do live auctions work?
Some sellers run a live auction instead of a fixed price: you place bids, and the highest bid wins when the seller settles the auction. Either way the sale finishes securely. You can filter Browse to just Buy Now or just Auction listings from the filters on the left.
How long does an offer stay open?
Three days. An offer sits in the seller's Offers page for 72 hours of inactivity and then expires automatically, so a buyer isn't left waiting indefinitely and a seller isn't holding a project for someone who has gone quiet. Replying, countering or messaging keeps it alive. If one does expire nothing is lost — the buyer can just make a fresh offer.
Can a seller extend an auction?
Yes — sellers can extend an auction from Manage Listings. Each auction listing shows its countdown with an “Extend” button to add 1, 3, 7, or 14 days so buyers get more time to bid. If an auction already lapsed but hasn't been settled, extending revives it from now.
Trust & safety
Secure payments, refunds, reviews, and the code-check tool.
How do refunds and disputes work?
Your payment runs securely in crypto through the platform, so always keep the deal on-platform — off-platform there's no protection or recourse. Here's the key thing: once your payment clears, the code unlocks and the sale completes automatically, and a completed sale is final — there's no automatic refund. So the protection that matters happens up front: review the listing, ask the seller questions, and run the AI Analysis before you buy. If something looks wrong, contact Support right away.
How do reviews and ratings work?
After a sale, the buyer can leave a star rating and review on the seller. Those build the seller's public reputation and feed the automatic verified badge (one review at a 4.0+ average).
How does the AI Analysis work?
Open any project and hit “AI Analysis.” It checks the seller's claimed tech stack and included assets against the actual uploaded source code and tells you, item by item, whether each was verified in the code — plus a breakdown of the codebase languages. It's a free head start on due diligence (sign in to view the full report). It's automated and best-effort, so still do your own review before buying.
How do I message a seller?
Open any project and use “Message Seller” to ask questions before buying, or “Visit storefront” to see everything they've listed. You can also message a seller directly from an offer.
Boosting & advertising
Promoting your own listing vs. advertising an outside product.
How does boosting a listing work?
Boosting features your listing in one of the top 3 slots on Browse with a “Boosted” badge. If more than 3 are boosted, the slots rotate so each gets front-page time — and when it's not in a slot, your listing stays in its normal spot. Boosts are a flat rate starting around $8/day, with no surge pricing.
Do I get free boosts?
Yes — every few listings you post, one is boosted for free, automatically. Your 3rd listing earns a free 24-hour boost, then your 5th, 7th, 9th, and so on. You don't do anything; the boost just appears on that listing.
How do I advertise an outside product on Vertos?
To promote an outside product or website, run a website ad in the Browse sidebar — pick a page and duration on the Sponsor page. Slots are a flat rate of $11–$15/day depending on the page (page 1 is seen by the most people, so it costs the most), for 3, 4, or 5 days, with no bidding. That's separate from boosting, which pushes one of your own listings up Browse.
Developer API
Read the marketplace, value a project, or list one from your own software.
Does Vertos have an API?
Yes. There's a public REST API at vertosmarket.com/api/v1. Reading is completely open — no key and no account needed — so any script, tool, or AI assistant can browse live inventory, look up a listing, or estimate what a project is worth. Creating listings needs a free API key from your account settings.
Can an AI agent create a listing for me?
Yes — that's what it was built for. If you're using Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI, or any agent with terminal access, you can point it at the API and ask it to list your project. It writes the copy, creates the listing, uploads your screenshots, attaches the codebase, and publishes. Every response tells the agent exactly what's still missing, so it corrects itself without you explaining the rules. A plain chat window without tool access can read the marketplace but can't upload files.
Is there an API for valuing a project?
Yes, and it needs no key. Call /api/v1/valuation with your asset type and monthly revenue and it returns a low/likely/high range in USD, the multiple it applied, and the specific things dragging your number down. It's the same model as the free calculator on the site, so both always agree. Pre-revenue projects are supported too — pass type=starter with a user count instead of revenue.
How do I get an API key?
Sign in, then go to Settings → API keys. You can hold up to 3 active keys and revoke any of them at any time. The key is shown once when you create it and stored only as a hash, so it can't be recovered — save it somewhere safe. Keys are approved by hand while the API is new.
Does the API have the same rules as listing by hand?
Exactly the same. At least 2 screenshots, all the required detail, a price between $20 and $100,000, accepted Terms, and a payout method before anything can publish. Your files — source code or handoff docs — are added before the sale and stored securely; any tech stack you claim is checked against them, so claim React that isn't in your repo and it's rejected. Automation doesn't lower the bar buyers rely on.
Affiliate program
Earn cash for every person who signs up through your link.
Does Vertos have an affiliate program?
Yes. Any signed-in member can join for free from the Affiliates page and gets a unique referral link. You earn cash when someone you referred publishes a listing or completes a purchase — a signup on its own doesn't pay. That keeps the program honest and means every commission represents someone who actually used the marketplace.
How much does the affiliate program pay?
It starts at $1 per qualified referral and rises with your rank: $1 at Base (your first 24), $2 at Ascent (25+), and $3 at Summit (100+). A referral qualifies when the person you referred lists a project or buys one. There's no cap on what you can earn, and you can request a payout once your balance passes $10.
How do the affiliate ranks work?
Your rank is based on lifetime qualified referrals and never expires — once you reach $2, you don't go back to $1. Each referral's rate is locked in the moment it qualifies, so ranking up raises what future ones pay you without ever changing what you've already earned.
Do referred buyers count, or only sellers?
Both. A referred person qualifies by publishing a listing or by completing a purchase, and both pay exactly the same. Vertos needs both sides of the marketplace, so you don't have to pick an audience. Each person you refer can qualify once, however many listings they go on to create.
How do I get my referral link, and where can I share it?
Join from the Affiliates page and you're taken to your affiliate dashboard, where your link sits at the top with a copy button alongside your clicks, referrals, earnings and payout history. It's a normal Vertos link with your code on it, so it works pointed at any page — the homepage, a specific listing, or a blog post. Share it in a newsletter, a community, a video description, or a social post.
Are there any rules on affiliate referrals?
A few. Each person can only be credited to one partner (first touch wins), self-referrals don't count, and suspended partners don't earn. A commission is only paid once the referred person lists or buys, and listings created purely to trigger a commission don't qualify. Signups through both email and “Sign in with Google” are credited. Full terms are on the Legal page under Affiliate Program Terms.
How Vertos compares
Vertos next to Flippa, Acquire.com, and Little Exits.
How is Vertos different from other marketplaces?
The fee is the lowest of any marketplace like it — a flat 5% when you sell, and nothing to list — next to Flippa's listing fee plus up to 10%, Acquire's 8% closing fee plus a monthly listing fee and $390–$780/yr buyer paywalls, or Little Exits, where buyers pay $249/yr just to reach you. Every sale runs on secure crypto payments, buyer access is open and free, and Vertos is built specifically for early-stage, half-finished, and AI projects — not just polished, profitable businesses.
Why is Vertos better than Flippa?
Flippa charges a listing fee up front — from $29 up to $699, non-refundable whether you sell or not — then up to 10% when you sell, and your project competes with 30,000+ listings, including sites with padded traffic. On a $10,000 sale that's about $1,000 plus the listing fee you already paid. Vertos is free to list and a flat 5% only when your deal closes, with secure crypto payments built in, verified sellers, and both auctions and Buy Now.
How does Vertos compare to Acquire.com?
Vertos is built for early-stage projects; Acquire.com isn't anymore. Acquire has moved upmarket toward $200k+ SaaS — no monthly revenue means no priority — and on top of an 8% closing fee (under $250k) plus a $25/month listing fee, buyers there pay $390–$780 a year just to message you. Vertos has no MRR requirement, buyer access is open and free, it's a flat 5% only when you close, and every deal runs on secure crypto payments with both auctions and Buy Now.
Vertos vs Little Exits — what's the difference?
Little Exits has real community energy — but its buyers pay to reach you. Full access, including messaging and making an offer, sits behind a $249/year membership (or a $9.99 one-time peek), which quietly shrinks the pool of people who'll actually contact you about your project. Its seller-side fee isn't posted publicly. Vertos keeps buyer access free and open, is free to list, takes a flat 5% only when you close, and runs every deal on secure crypto payments.
Account & support
Signing up, managing your data, and reaching a human.
How do I sign up?
Hit “Sign up” to create a free account. A quick welcome flow collects your name and username, and if you plan to sell you can set up your storefront then or later. Browsing is open to everyone.
How do I manage my listings?
You can edit, boost, set the status of, and track all your projects from your My Listings page — including changing the price or story any time, even after a listing is live.
How do I delete my account or data?
You can request account deletion through the Support form (Messages → Support). We remove your personal data, aside from records we're required to keep for legal, tax, and fraud-prevention reasons. Vertos doesn't sell your data or use third-party ad trackers.
Where can I read the legal terms and privacy policy?
Vertos's Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and the rest of its policies live on the Legal page, linked in the footer. If a specific concern isn't covered there, the Support form (Messages → Support) reaches the team directly.
Can I see prices in my own currency?
Yes — pick your currency from the selector in the footer and every price on the site converts for display. It's a display setting only: listings are priced in US dollars and every sale settles in USD (paid in crypto), so the converted figure is a guide rather than the exact amount you'll pay in your chosen coin.
I don't have anything to sell yet — where do I get ideas?
Start with the Startup Ideas page at /ideas. It's a researched list of digital products worth building, and each one sets out the problem it solves, who pays for it, a realistic monthly price, the honest risks, a suggested stack, and links to the evidence that the demand is real. It's also worth browsing the marketplace itself — buying something half-built is often faster than starting from an empty editor, and what's listed shows you what buyers actually pay for.
How do I get featured on Meet our Sellers?
You appear automatically as soon as you publish a listing — there's nothing to apply for. Where you rank is what you control: the directory orders sellers by how complete their storefront is. Writing a bio is the single biggest lift, then a profile picture, then naming your storefront. Buyers browsing for someone to trust see the complete profiles first.
How do I contact support?
The fastest way to reach the Vertos team — for questions, disputes, or to report a listing or user that looks wrong — is the Support form under Messages → Support.