Project-based agencies: start with BizBuySell's free SDE calculator and comparable listings — that's the market that prices you. Retainer-heavy agencies with real recurring revenue: EvalyMe's revenue-multiple model fits better, plus the playbooks for the two things that actually move agency value (retainer share and owner-dependence). For a document, Equitest; for a diagnosis, ExitAdviser's sellability assessment; for high stakes, an appraiser.
- Project agencies
- BizBuySell — free SDE calculator plus live comparable listings.
- Retainer / productized agencies
- EvalyMe — recurring-revenue model, $0 calculator, $14.99/mo Pro with playbooks.
- Sellability diagnosis
- ExitAdviser — the owner-dependence questions buyers will ask.
- Formal document
- Equitest (~$99/mo tier) for format; certified appraiser for stakes.
The picks at a glance
| Tool | Agency shape it fits | Price | The honest catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| BizBuySell | Project-based, owner-operated agencies | Free | SDE framing ignores retainer premiums |
| EvalyMe | Retainer-heavy, productized, recurring-revenue agencies | $0 calculator · Pro $14.99/mo | Scores owner dependence only indirectly; not SDE-calibrated |
| ExitAdviser | Any agency testing sale-readiness | Quote-based | Assessment, not valuation math |
| Equitest | Agencies needing a report | Free trial; plans listed ~$99/mo | Estimate dressed formally |
| Certified appraiser | Partner buyouts, disputes, sales above ~$2M | Roughly $2,500–$5,000+ | Cost — but the only defensible number here |
How agencies are actually priced
Buyers price agencies on earnings multiples and then discount aggressively for fragility: client concentration (your top client is 40% of revenue), owner dependence (you are the strategy, the sales call, and the escalation path), and revenue quality (one-off projects vs retained monthly revenue). Two agencies with identical profit can trade at 2× and 5× for these reasons.
That's the honest caveat for every tool on this page: the spreads live in factors that require judgment. Software gives you the frame; the work — retainers, tenure, a second rainmaker — gives you the multiple.
1.BizBuySell's calculator (for project agencies)
- Best for
- Traditional project-based agencies
- Price
- Free
- Why it's first for them
- Real SDE multiples plus live comparable listings
Agencies are a core main-street category, and BizBuySell's marketplace is where plenty of them actually list and sell. The calculator gives the band; twenty minutes of comparable listings gives the texture; both are free.
The catch: SDE framing prices your agency like a shop. If retainers are most of your revenue, it will understate what recurring revenue is worth to a buyer.
2.EvalyMe ours
- Best for
- Retainer-heavy and productized agencies
- Price
- Calculator free · Pro $14.99/mo
- Distinctive bit
- Churn and revenue-quality scoring; 30/60/90-day playbooks
Model your retainers as recurring revenue (that's what they are), enter churn and growth honestly, and the revenue-multiple engine fits — retainer agencies with low churn genuinely trade on revenue math. The operating score surfaces the factors buyers discount, and the playbooks sequence the fixes.
The catch: our eight inputs don't capture client concentration or owner dependence directly — the two discounts that matter most in agency deals. We score around them; a buyer diligence will price them precisely.
3.ExitAdviser's sellability assessment
- Best for
- Agencies within 1–3 years of a sale
- Price
- Quote-based platform
- Distinctive bit
- Asks the owner-dependence and concentration questions directly
This is the tool that confronts what calculators gloss over: whether the agency survives you. The assessment format makes you answer, in writing, the questions a buyer's first diligence call will ask. Uncomfortable and useful.
The catch: it's a diagnosis aid with a sale-support platform attached, not a valuation engine; quote-based pricing; modest review footprint.
4.Equitest
- Best for
- Agencies that need a formal-looking document
- Price
- Free trial; plans listed around $99/mo
- Distinctive bit
- ~35-page reports with methods disclosed
For partner discussions, bank conversations, or licensing matters where a document lands better than a calculator screenshot, Equitest produces one from a proper questionnaire.
The catch: formal presentation, same estimate reality. Don't mistake pages for defensibility.
5.A certified appraiser (or an M&A advisor)
- Best for
- Buyouts, disputes, sales above roughly $2M
- Price
- Roughly $2,500–$5,000+ (valuation); M&A advisors commission-based
- Distinctive bit
- Prices the soft factors with judgment
Above a certain size, agency sales stop being calculator territory: earn-out structures, team transitions, and client-consolidation risk need an advisor who has closed agency deals. Appraisers cover the formal disputes.
The catch: cost, and finding one who knows agencies specifically — generic business brokers misprice service businesses routinely.
My pick, by situation
- Project agency, want a number: BizBuySell, then comparable listings.
- Retainer agency, improving toward a sale: EvalyMe — the churn/playbook loop is the fit.
- Within a year of selling: ExitAdviser's assessment + an M&A advisor who knows agencies.
- Partner buyout or dispute: appraiser. Non-negotiable, honestly.
What I'd do today
- Split your revenue: retainers vs projects. That ratio picks your tool.
- Run the matching calculator — BizBuySell for project-heavy, EvalyMe for retainer-heavy.
- Answer honestly: what breaks if you take a month off? That's your biggest discount.
- Convert the top answer into a 90-day project (hire, process, or contract) and re-run the number after.
Questions
What multiple do agencies sell for? +
Traditional agencies sell on SDE/EBITDA multiples, with the range driven by recurring retainers, client tenure, and — above all — whether the business survives the owner stepping back. Marketplaces like BizBuySell show live asking-price comps; treat those as the ceiling and sold data (where visible) as the anchor.
How does owner dependence affect agency value? +
It's usually the single biggest discount. An agency where the founder is the rainmaker, the delivery QA, and the key client relationships is worth materially less than the same P&L with a delivery lead and a sales process. This is what sellability tools (ExitAdviser's assessment) and diligence both probe.
Does recurring revenue change the math? +
Yes, and significantly. Retainer-based agencies with predictable churn trade closer to software multiples than project agencies. The more your revenue looks like subscriptions, the more revenue-multiple tools (ours) apply and the less SDE framing captures the premium.
Which tool for a formal report — bank, partner buyout, divorce? +
None of the software on this page; those situations need a certified appraiser (roughly $2,500–$5,000+) whose work holds up under scrutiny. Equitest's formal-style report is a middle option for lower-stakes documentation, but it's still an estimate.
Competitor details from public sources, checked October 2026. EvalyMe outputs are estimates, not appraisals or investment advice.