How buyers value source code
Buyers ask how long it would take them to build the same thing, and what that time is worth. A product that took a small team a year still saves a buyer months, even with AI tools. A product that could be recreated in a weekend saves almost nothing.
From there the price is adjusted for risk. Code that runs, is documented and is clearly owned is worth close to its replacement cost. Code nobody can explain is discounted heavily.
What a startup codebase sells for
Code only sales of small startup products commonly reach a few thousand dollars. Larger, working products with a clear purpose reach the low tens of thousands. Codebases that come with active users, revenue or a valuable domain sell for considerably more, because the buyer is paying for those as well.
For an estimate based on your own numbers, use the startup value calculator.
What raises the price of a codebase
- It runs today and can be demonstrated
- A new developer can set it up from the documentation
- It solves a specific problem a buyer already has
- Every contributor signed an intellectual property assignment
- It comes with users, a domain or integrations
Is my codebase too small to be worth selling
Rarely. Even a small, working product saves a buyer time, and listing it costs nothing. Small codebases sell best when they do one thing well and are easy to understand.
If it truly has no buyer, consider open sourcing it. That will not pay, but it can help your reputation and the next thing you build.
Common questions
How much is my startup's codebase worth?
Roughly what it would cost a buyer to rebuild it today, less a discount for risk. For small startup products that is commonly a few thousand to the low tens of thousands of dollars, more with users or revenue.
What is the average payout for selling a startup codebase?
There is no reliable public average, because most sales are private. Code only sales are usually in the thousands. The payout rises sharply when users, revenue or a valuable domain are included.
Can I get cash for unused source code?
Yes, if it works and solves a problem someone has. List it with a clear description of what it does and how to run it.