The model, compared

Verified-First, or Take-Their-Word

Most marketplaces take the seller's word. Kairos checks it against the store's own data. Here is what that difference means at every step of a deal.

Where do the revenue numbers come from?

Kairosverified-first: Read from the store's own orders over read-only APIs
Self-reported modelmost marketplaces: The seller types them in, often backed by screenshots

Is there a written verification memo?

Kairosverified-first: Yes - checks listed, human-signed, shown to buyers
Self-reported modelmost marketplaces: Not part of the model

What does a trust badge mean?

Kairosverified-first: Gold appears only when data was proven; amber means unverified
Self-reported modelmost marketplaces: Varies - badges often reflect seller activity, not proof

Is escrow the default?

Kairosverified-first: Every deal settles through licensed third-party escrow
Self-reported modelmost marketplaces: Usually optional - the parties arrange payment themselves

Are the numbers protected after unlock?

Kairosverified-first: NDA-gated, and every document is fingerprinted to its buyer
Self-reported modelmost marketplaces: Not part of the model

Does verification expire?

Kairosverified-first: Live data re-checked weekly; drift drops the tier automatically
Self-reported modelmost marketplaces: Not part of the model

Is there a price floor for verification?

Kairosverified-first: No - a EUR 2,000-a-month store gets the same checks as a EUR 200,000 one
Self-reported modelmost marketplaces: Common - listings under a price bar are often self-reported only

What does it cost a buyer to see the numbers?

Kairosverified-first: One NDA and a refundable deposit - waived once funds are verified
Self-reported modelmost marketplaces: Non-refundable subscriptions or unlock fees are common

When do you pay?

Kairosverified-first: Listing and the data check are free - a success fee only at close
Self-reported modelmost marketplaces: Listing or subscription fees are common, sale or not

Kairos against the self-reported model, at every step of a deal
The question	Kairosverified-first	Self-reported modelmost marketplaces
Where do the revenue numbers come from?	Read from the store's own orders over read-only APIs	The seller types them in, often backed by screenshots
Is there a written verification memo?	Yes - checks listed, human-signed, shown to buyers	Not part of the model
What does a trust badge mean?	Gold appears only when data was proven; amber means unverified	Varies - badges often reflect seller activity, not proof
Is escrow the default?	Every deal settles through licensed third-party escrow	Usually optional - the parties arrange payment themselves
Are the numbers protected after unlock?	NDA-gated, and every document is fingerprinted to its buyer	Not part of the model
Does verification expire?	Live data re-checked weekly; drift drops the tier automatically	Not part of the model
Is there a price floor for verification?	No - a EUR 2,000-a-month store gets the same checks as a EUR 200,000 one	Common - listings under a price bar are often self-reported only
What does it cost a buyer to see the numbers?	One NDA and a refundable deposit - waived once funds are verified	Non-refundable subscriptions or unlock fees are common
When do you pay?	Listing and the data check are free - a success fee only at close	Listing or subscription fees are common, sale or not

This compares business models, not any specific company. Individual marketplaces vary - check what the one in front of you actually verifies.

Named comparisons

Want the specifics? Each side-by-side page names names, with every fact sourced to the company's own pages or a public record, cited in place.

Kairos vs Flippa

Flippa is one of the largest open marketplaces for digital businesses. Kairos verifies every listing from order data first. The honest comparison.

Kairos vs Empire Flippers

Empire Flippers curates by rejecting 91 percent of submissions. Kairos verifies from order data before listing. Fees, vetting, and escrow, side by side.

Kairos vs Acquire.com

Acquire.com is a self-serve startup marketplace where diligence is the buyer's job. Kairos verifies Shopify stores from order data before listing.

Kairos vs Website Closers

Website Closers is a traditional M&A brokerage for seven-figure digital companies. Kairos is a verified marketplace for Shopify stores. Which fits your deal.

Kairos vs Motion Invest

Motion Invest curates smaller content sites with sliding success fees. Kairos verifies Shopify stores from order data. Different assets, different proof.

Kairos vs SMERGERS

SMERGERS is a global marketplace for small and mid-size businesses of every kind. Kairos sells verified Shopify stores only. Fees and proof, side by side.

The Shopify Exchange Alternative

Shopify Exchange shut down on November 1, 2022 and was never replaced. What it got right, why it closed, and where Shopify stores change hands now.

The People Checking Your Store

Eight years, 200+ ecom brands, EUR 200M+ in tracked sales - and we read the source data every morning. When we say a number is real, it is because we read the source it came from - not the listing form.

ZenoX ad-management figures, not Kairos deal volume - Kairos hasn't closed a deal yet.

The short version

Trust Is Nice. Proof Closes

One model asks the buyer to trust the seller. The other one checks.

For buyers mid-deal

Buying a Store Somewhere Else?

Kairos Due Diligence works on any deal - Flippa, a broker, a private sale. A person reads the store's raw numbers and writes you a report. If the deal is bad, the report says walk away. From EUR 1.5k, no account needed.

Order due diligence Or send us the listing on WhatsApp

See the Difference Yourself

The proof-first model opens soon. Get on the list, then compare us against a real listing - not a table.

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What we verify, exactly