Search Fund Tools: The Tech Stack by Stage, With Real Prices
Joshua Thacker, founder of Searcher OS Last updated
Short answer: a self-funded searcher can run the whole search for about $100 a month. That's Searcher OS for sourcing, pipeline, CIM review and SBA math ($79), Excel ($9.99) and DocuSign ($11) when it's time to sign. A funded searcher chasing $5M to $30M+ companies adds a private company database like Grata or SourceScrub, Axial for intermediated deals, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator plus a cold email tool for outreach. Those databases don't publish prices, and they're usually the biggest line.
I built Searcher OS, so weigh that. I've tried to be plain about where it fits and where it doesn't. It isn't a data room, and it isn't a private company database like Grata. Below is the stack by stage, with one or two picks each.
First, which kind of searcher are you?
Self-funded. You're buying 1 business with an SBA 7(a) loan and your own equity, and every subscription comes out of your pocket. Most self-funded SBA buyers search between $800K and $8M in asking price. Your bottleneck is hours, so fewer tools that talk to each other beat a big stack.
Funded. Investors back your search and you're targeting $5M to $30M+ companies. You have a budget for data, and a lot of your deal flow comes from companies that aren't for sale yet. Grata, SourceScrub and Axial earn their price here. If you're still choosing a path, read self-funded search vs search fund.
The stack by stage
| Stage | Self-funded pick | Funded search pick | Where Searcher OS fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-market sourcing | Searcher OS (Free, or $79/mo). Kumo (Free, Pro $89/mo) or BizBuySell (free to search) as a second feed. | Searcher OS or Kumo for brokered deals, plus Axial for intermediated lower middle market deals (pricing not published). | Core. Major marketplaces and 350+ regional broker sites, matched to your buy box. |
| Off-market sourcing | LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core ($119.99/mo) if you build lists yourself. | Grata or SourceScrub (both quote-only, pricing not published). | Off-Market Outreach builds an owner list for your buy box. It is not a searchable company database. |
| Owner outreach | Off-Market Outreach SDR ($400/mo), or Instantly Growth ($47/mo) if you run the mechanics. | Instantly Growth ($47/mo, Hypergrowth $107/mo at higher volume), or Off-Market Outreach Done-for-You ($2,500/mo). | Add-on. Sends from your own domain; you or we run it. |
| CRM and pipeline | Searcher OS pipeline (included in paid plans). Airtable Free if you prefer to build your own. | HubSpot (Free for 2 users, Starter listed at $20/seat/mo) for investor and owner relationships. | Core for deals. Kanban by stage, broker emails matched to the right deal. Not built for investor relations. |
| CIM review and valuation | Searcher OS AI CIM analysis (25/mo on The Searcher) plus Excel ($9.99/mo, or Google Sheets). | Searcher OS CIM analysis (unlimited on The Deal Team) plus your own Excel model. | Core. Extracts financials and risk flags from the PDF, plus price benchmarking. |
| Financing and SBA math | Free SBA loan and DSCR calculators, then an SBA 7(a) lender early. | Your Excel model with your investors and senior lender. SBA is less common at this size. | Free calculators, no account, plus an SBA lender directory. |
| Diligence data room | A shared Google Drive folder is often enough below $5M. Papermark if you want tracking. | Papermark Data Rooms (€99/mo billed annually) or a larger VDR your counsel prefers. | Not a data room. Diligence tasks and checklists live on the deal. |
| Legal and LOI | An M&A attorney, plus DocuSign Personal ($11/mo billed annually) for signatures. | Deal counsel, plus DocuSign Standard ($30/user/mo billed annually). | Sends your LOI to the broker from the deal. In-app LOI drafting is still in development. |
Prices as of November 2026, checked on each vendor's own pricing page. Papermark lists its prices in euros. If something is out of date, email support@searcheros.ai and I'll fix it.
Notes on each stage
On-market sourcing. Searcher OS pulls from the major marketplaces and 350+ regional broker sites, with listings from $500K to $30M in asking price, and matches them to your buy box. The regional sites matter because a lot of small brokers never syndicate to the big aggregators. Kumo is a fair second feed (Free, Pro $89/mo, Ultimate $149/mo), and BizBuySell is free to search.
Off-market sourcing. If you need to screen thousands of private companies by revenue, headcount or growth, buy Grata or SourceScrub. Searcher OS doesn't do that. Both are quote-only, so ask for a price before the demo eats your afternoon.
Outreach. Off-Market Outreach finds owners in your buy box, researches each company and emails them from your own domain. Outreach SDR is $400/mo and you run it; Done-for-You is $2,500/mo and we run it. If you'd rather wire it up yourself, Instantly Growth is $47/mo, and you bring the list, the domains and the copy.
CRM. The Searcher OS pipeline tracks deals by stage (Interested through Closed) and files broker emails on the right deal. For investor updates and a long list of intermediary relationships, a funded search may still want HubSpot alongside it.
CIM review and financing. Upload a CIM and Searcher OS pulls the financials and flags the risks (see how CIM analysis works). Run the debt on the free SBA loan calculator and DSCR calculator, no account needed, then find a lender in the SBA lender directory. You'll still want your own Excel model before an LOI.
Diligence and legal. Papermark (€99/mo billed annually) is a clean data room; on smaller brokered deals a shared folder often does the job. Pay an M&A attorney for the purchase agreement. Searcher OS tracks the diligence checklist and sends your LOI to the broker, but in-app LOI drafting is still in development. Until then, start from the LOI guide.
The lean self-funded stack
For a $500K to $8M SBA deal. About $500/mo with Off-Market Outreach SDR ($400/mo) added.
| Tool | Job | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Searcher OS, The Searcher | Sourcing, pipeline, CIM review, SBA math | $79/mo | searcheros.ai |
| Microsoft 365 Personal (Excel) | Your own model | $9.99/mo | microsoft.com |
| DocuSign Personal | NDAs and LOI signatures | $11/mo billed annually | ecom.docusign.com |
| Google Drive, BizBuySell, free calculators | File sharing, second feed, deal math | $0 | bizbuysell.com |
| Total | About $100/mo | ||
The funded search stack
For a $5M to $30M+ search. Get the database quotes first; they decide the budget.
| Tool | Job | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grata or SourceScrub | Private company database | Pricing not published | grata.com |
| Axial | Intermediated deal flow | Pricing not published | axial.net |
| Searcher OS, The Deal Team | Brokered deals, pipeline, unlimited CIM analysis | $149/mo | searcheros.ai |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core | Owner research | $119.99/mo | business.linkedin.com |
| Instantly Growth | Cold email sending | $47/mo | instantly.ai |
| HubSpot Starter | Relationship CRM | $20/seat/mo list | hubspot.com |
| DocuSign Standard | Signatures | $30/user/mo billed annually | ecom.docusign.com |
| Microsoft 365 Personal (Excel) | Modeling | $9.99/mo | microsoft.com |
| Papermark Data Rooms | Diligence data room | €99/mo billed annually | papermark.com |
| Total | About $376/mo in published USD prices, plus €99/mo for Papermark, plus quotes for Grata or SourceScrub and Axial | ||
Where Searcher OS is the wrong pick
You need a searchable database of private companies that aren't for sale. Buy Grata or SourceScrub.
You need a data room with permissions and audit logs for a seller. Use Papermark or the VDR your counsel prefers.
Your deal flow is mostly intermediated lower middle market processes. Axial is built for that, and Searcher OS isn't.
New to the whole thing? The free Search 101 course walks through a search end to end. For a tool-by-tool comparison of deal platforms, see the best business acquisition software, and for plan details, the pricing page.
Common questions
What are the best tools for search fund entrepreneurs?
It depends on deal size. A self-funded searcher buying a $500K to $8M business with an SBA loan can run the whole search on Searcher OS ($79/mo) plus Excel and DocuSign, about $100 a month. A funded searcher targeting $5M to $30M+ companies usually adds a private company database like Grata or SourceScrub, Axial for intermediated deal flow, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and a cold email tool such as Instantly.
What is the best software for self-funded searchers?
For a cost-sensitive self-funded search, one tool that covers sourcing, pipeline, CIM review and SBA math beats five tools you have to keep in sync. Searcher OS does that for $79/mo, with a Free plan to start. Kumo (Free, Pro $89/mo) is a reasonable second listings feed, and BizBuySell is free to search.
How much does a search fund tech stack cost?
A lean self-funded stack runs about $100 a month (Searcher OS $79, Excel $9.99, DocuSign Personal $11 billed annually), or about $500 with Off-Market Outreach SDR added. A funded search stack runs about $376 a month in published USD prices plus €99 for a Papermark data room, before Grata, SourceScrub and Axial, which do not publish pricing and are usually the largest line items.
Do self-funded searchers need Grata or SourceScrub?
Usually not. Those databases are aimed at private equity firms, advisors, family offices and independent sponsors (those are the buyers Grata names on its own plans), and both are quote-only. A self-funded searcher buying one business in the $500K to $8M range typically gets more from brokered deal flow plus targeted owner outreach.
Is Searcher OS a data room or a private company database?
No to both. Searcher OS aggregates listed businesses from major marketplaces and 350+ regional broker sites and runs the buyer workflow: pipeline, AI CIM analysis, SBA and DSCR math, and diligence tasks. For a data room, use Papermark or a shared folder. For screening private companies that are not for sale, use Grata or SourceScrub.
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