Comparison

FirstPass Memo vs BuildScore: which fits your deal?

Short answer: BuildScore sells analyst-prepared due-diligence audits for micro-SaaS acquisitions: a $499 Financial Audit, a $1,499 Full Audit with codebase review, a $3,597 three-deal bundle and a $299-a-month membership, delivered 48 hours after data access is confirmed. FirstPass is a free 33-rule listing checker plus a $79 first-pass memo paid after delivery, built to screen listings before you contact the seller.

Updated 16 October 2026 · Prices and features taken from BuildScore's own public pages on 16 October 2026 · By Joan Murphy (pen name) · How we check · Corrections

Free: the 33 red flags buyers miss, emailed to you, each with the question to send the seller, plus the 72-hour vetting plan and deal tracker.

One email with your links (they also open on the next page). No newsletter.

What does BuildScore offer, and at what price?

BuildScore sells analyst-prepared due-diligence audits for micro-SaaS acquisitions: a $499 Financial Audit, a $1,499 Full Audit with codebase review, a $3,597 three-deal bundle and a $299-a-month membership, delivered 48 hours after data access is confirmed. BuildScore's page says it is operated by Three Dials, Inc., and that refunds are available within 7 days if it cannot deliver a report.1

How do they compare?

FirstPass and BuildScore, as listed on 16 October 2026
OptionPriceWorks fromWhat you get
FirstPass red-flag checkerFree, no sign-upListing text you paste33 published rules in your browser: payback, multiple vs comparables, flags with seller questions
FirstPass Memo$79, free to request, paid after deliveryThe public listing plus your criteriaEvery flag ranked, payback sensitivity, ranked seller questions; within 24 hours (Mon–Fri)
BuildScore: Financial Audit$4991Stripe and bank data accessRevenue verification, churn benchmarking, unit economics
BuildScore: Full Audit$1,4991Data, code and analytics access9-signal report incl. codebase review, customer interview scoring, risk register
BuildScore: Portfolio Membership$299 a month1As aboveUnlimited red-flag screenings, 2 Financial Audits a month, 20% off Full Audits

Which should you use?

BuildScore verifies against the seller's accounts, which FirstPass does not. Use FirstPass to decide which micro-SaaS listing deserves a $499–$1,499 audit; use BuildScore (or similar) on the one you intend to buy.

Whatever you use, nothing that reads only the listing verifies it. Before money moves, check revenue at the source (read-only Stripe, analytics, platform dashboards).

FAQ

Is FirstPass a free alternative to BuildScore?

For the first screen, yes: the checker is free with no account. It does not replace a report built from the seller's own data; it helps you decide which listing deserves one.

Is FirstPass affiliated with BuildScore?

No. We are independent and earn nothing if you buy from BuildScore. Spotted an error on this page? Email hello@firstpassmemo.com and we will correct it.

FirstPass Memo is independent and not affiliated with BuildScore. We wrote this page about a competitor, so check the sources yourself; prices and features may change. General information, not advice.

Sources

  1. BuildScore, home page and pricing, https://www.buildscore.co/, read 16 October 2026.

More comparisons: all due-diligence tools compared.