In-App purchases & app subscriptions vs Selling the site, app or domain (2026): Which Monetization Method Pays Better?
Both are products & services. Here is how In-App purchases & app subscriptions and Selling the site, app or domain compare on what they pay, the traffic they need, effort and the properties they suit, and when to pick each.
In-App Purchases & App Subscriptions
Sell upgrades, consumables and subscriptions inside an iOS or Android app through the store's billing, at a 15-30% store cut.
8.0 /10
Earns: $20-150 per 1,000 monthly users; 2-5% of users pay
Pros
- The store handles payment, tax, refunds and renewals in 170 countries
- Subscriptions renew automatically; a good app keeps 40-60% of subscribers past year one
- Pairs with ads: sell the ad-free tier to the users who hate ads
Cons
- Apple and Google take 30% (15% under $1M a year and for renewals after year one)
- Store review, policy changes and refund abuse are outside your control
- Most users never pay; the free experience must be good on its own
Selling the Site, App or Domain
The exit: content sites sell for 30-45x monthly profit, SaaS for 3-8x annual revenue, through brokers and marketplaces.
7.1 /10
Earns: 30-45x monthly net profit for content sites; 3-8x ARR for SaaS
Pros
- Converts years of future income into cash now, tax-efficiently in many countries
- Brokers (Empire Flippers, FE International, Quiet Light) handle valuation, buyers, escrow and transfer
- A buyer will pay for what you built even if you no longer want to run it
Cons
- You lose the asset and its future; sellers often regret selling at the bottom of a cycle
- Brokers take 5-15%; marketplaces attract low offers and time-wasters
- Diligence exposes everything: traffic sources, link sales, undisclosed risks
In-App purchases & app subscriptions vs Selling the site, app or domain at a glance
| In-App purchases & app subscriptions | Selling the site, app or domain | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor score | 8.0 / 10 | 7.1 / 10 |
| Typical earnings | $20-150 per 1,000 monthly users; 2-5% of users pay | 30-45x monthly net profit for content sites; 3-8x ARR for SaaS |
| Per 1,000 visitors (US, general) | $20-150 | n/a |
| Traffic needed | 1k/mo | 5k/mo |
| Cost to start | $100-500 (developer accounts, tools) | $0 |
| First payout | 1-3 months | 2-6 months |
| Difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Effort | Semi-passive | Semi-passive |
| Family | Products & services | Products & services |
| Blog / content site | No | Yes |
| Newsletter / email list | No | Yes |
| YouTube / video channel | No | No |
| Podcast | No | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| SaaS / web app | No | Yes |
| Community / forum | No | No |
| Social account | No | No |
| Online store | No | Yes |
| Directory / listing site | No | Yes |
| Free tool / utility | No | Yes |
| Ad & affiliate networks in this directory | 9 | 0 |
| Platforms & tools in this directory | 8 | 6 |
| Marketplaces & brokers in this directory | 4 | 9 |
| Reader upvotes | 0 | 0 |
| Best for | in-app purchase, app subscription, revenuecat | website flipping, exit, multiple |
Our pick
In-App purchases & app subscriptions edges it with a score of 8.0 versus 7.1. In-App purchases & app subscriptions is the better fit if you value: the store handles payment, tax, refunds and renewals in 170 countries, subscriptions renew automatically; a good app keeps 40-60% of subscribers past year one. Choose Selling the site, app or domain instead if you need: converts years of future income into cash now, tax-efficiently in many countries, brokers (empire flippers, fe international, quiet light) handle valuation, buyers, escrow and transfer. Most properties run both: see the planner.
Other products & services to consider
Full ranking →
Digital Products Medium
Sell ebooks, templates, presets, printables, swipe files and toolkits: near-zero marginal cost and 90%+ margins.
SaaS & Micro-SaaS Subscriptions Hard
Charge a monthly or annual fee for software: the highest-margin, highest-multiple revenue on the web, and the most work.
Online Courses & Cohorts Hard
Package expertise as a self-paced course or a live cohort and sell it at $50-2,000 through a course platform.
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