---
title: "Due-diligence tools for buying a small online business, compared"
url: https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/due-diligence-tools-compared
updated: 2026-10-16
publisher: FirstPass Memo (hello@firstpassmemo.com)
---

Comparison

# Due-diligence tools for buying a small online business, compared

Short answer: the tools split into three jobs. Listing screens (free to under $100) read what the seller published; verification reports ($119–$1,499) read the seller's accounts or code; workbooks ($42) organise diligence you do yourself. Screen first, then verify the one listing you intend to buy.

Updated 16 October 2026 · Prices from each provider's own public pages on 16 October 2026 · By Joan Murphy (https://firstpassmemo.com/about/joan-murphy/) (pen name) · How we check (https://firstpassmemo.com/methodology/) · Corrections (https://firstpassmemo.com/editorial-policy/)

## Check a listing now, free

FirstPass Memo offers a free red-flag checker for business-for-sale listings and a $79 first-pass memo on a specific listing you send, paid after delivery. Paste any listing below for payback, the asking multiple and its red flags. Nothing you paste leaves your browser. Open the full checker (https://firstpassmemo.com/checker/) to unlock every flag with its seller question.

| Provider | Published prices |
| --- | --- |
| FirstPass Memo (https://firstpassmemo.com/checker/) | Checker free; memo $79, free to request, paid after delivery |
| Dealytix (https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/firstpass-vs-dealytix) | Content & SEO site report From $119; SaaS report From $149 |
| AcquiCheck (https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/firstpass-vs-acquicheck) | Quick Score Free, no account; Standard report $299; Premium report $499; Post-acquisition monitoring $199 a month per SaaS |
| Ascertify (https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/firstpass-vs-ascertify) | Free preview Free; Full audit $49 (first 50 scans), then $99 |
| Zicula DD Toolkit (https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/firstpass-vs-zicula) | DD Toolkit $42 one-time, 14-day refund; Free sample Free |
| BuildScore (https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/firstpass-vs-buildscore) | Financial Audit $499; Full Audit $1,499; Portfolio Membership $299 a month |

## Earlier comparisons

- FirstPass vs DealScreen (https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/firstpass-vs-dealscreen)

- FirstPass vs DoDilligence (https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/firstpass-vs-dodilligence)

- FirstPass vs human quick reviews (https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/firstpass-vs-human-quick-reviews)

- FlipAudit alternative (https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/flipaudit-alternative)

## FAQ

### What is the cheapest way to screen a listing?

A free listing check, such as the FirstPass checker, followed by the seller questions it gives you. Pay for verification only on a listing that survives.

### Do any of these tools verify revenue?

The reports that work from seller-connected accounts (for example BuildScore's audits, AcquiCheck's reports and Dealytix when seller files are provided) say they do. Listing screens, including FirstPass, do not.

FirstPass Memo is independent and not affiliated with any provider listed. Prices change; check each source.

## Looking at a specific listing? Get a full memo — $79, pay after delivery.

Paste the link; your memo arrives within 24 hours (Mon–Fri). $79, pay after delivery: we send the memo first, then a payment link. Human quick reviews cost $199–$390.

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FirstPass Memo is informational screening, not investment, legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and not an audit. Seller figures are not independently verified. HTML version: https://firstpassmemo.com/guides/due-diligence-tools-compared