PitchBook covers the whole private market and charges for each user, and a buyer in the lower middle market rarely needs all of it. You can split the work across other tools: Grata or Inven to find private companies, GF Data or BizComps for what similar companies sold for, Private Equity Info for data on PE buyers, and Axial or broker websites for companies for sale now. Pay only for the one or two you use most.
What does PitchBook cost?
PitchBook does not publish prices. Its parent company, Morningstar, says it sets prices contract by contract and asks for increases at renewal. PitchBook's revenue grew 8.6% in 2025 to $671.8 million, according to Morningstar's results.
Customers who shared their quotes with Failory reported paying $12,000 to $13,500 a year for one seat and $18,000 to $24,000 for three. Those figures are from 2024 and are not list prices, so expect a higher number when you renew.
Which tools can do each part of PitchBook's work?
| What you need | Tool | What it covers, by its own website | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find private companies | Grata | 22M+ companies, including founder-owned ones | Not published |
| Find private companies | Inven | 65M+ companies in 160+ markets | Not published |
| Prices of past deals | GF Data | Private deals of $10M to $500M, from 330 firms | Not published |
| Prices of small-business sales | BizComps | Small business sales in the U.S. and Canada | $819 for the 2026 online edition |
| Data on PE buyers | Private Equity Info | 5,000 PE firms and 33,300 add-ons | Free trial; ask for the price |
| Companies for sale now | Axial | Teasers from M&A advisors, $500K to $25M EBITDA | No subscription; success fee |
| Companies for sale now | PrivSource | Deals posted by advisors, and deals sent to us privately, that match what you want to buy | Free to start; $299 a month |
We checked Grata, Inven, GF Data, BizComps' ordering page, Private Equity Info, and Axial's pricing page on November 12, 2026.
Grata or Inven to find private companies
Use one of these if you build lists of companies that a platform could buy. Both find private companies by what they do, which is how you build a list in a niche that has no industry code of its own.
Grata focuses on founder-owned and lower-middle-market companies, and Inven covers more countries. Our list of Grata alternatives compares them with the other options.
Where to find what similar companies sold for
Choose the source by the size of your deal. GF Data collects deals of $10 million to $500 million from 330 firms that send it their numbers, so it suits the purchase of a platform company.
Below about $10 million in value, use data on small-business sales. BizComps sells its 2026 online edition for $819 and adds 1,200 to 1,400 sales a year. DealStats, from Business Valuation Resources and once called Pratt's Stats, sells subscriptions and day passes.
Private Equity Info for data on PE buyers
Pay for this if you sell to PE firms or compete with them to buy companies. Private Equity Info says it tracks 5,000 PE firms, 17,500 PE funds, and 33,300 add-ons bought by companies that PE firms own.
The add-on records show which PE-owned companies in your niche are buying. It offers a free trial, so test it on one niche first.
How do lower-middle-market companies get sold?
PitchBook shows companies and the deals they closed, but not which companies are for sale now. In the lower middle market, many small advisors sell companies, and you need to reach them early, before a letter of intent is signed.
In PrivSource data from August to November 2026, many advisors posted only one listing in three months, and the median listing stated $922,000 of cash flow. A buyer who checks only a few advisors sees a small part of what is for sale.
Axial charges no subscription, but it takes a success fee on the Lehman scale when you buy a company you first found there. Our guide to Axial alternatives for buyers works out what that fee costs, and where to find private businesses for sale covers broker websites.
Which tools should you keep?
If you build lists of companies to buy every week, use Grata or Inven, not PitchBook. If you value deals of $10 million or more, use GF Data, and for deals under $10 million use BizComps or DealStats. If you need to know which PE-owned companies buy in your niche, use Private Equity Info. If you need funds, the investors in them, and deal history across the whole market, keep one PitchBook seat. If you want to see deals while they are still for sale, add a source of them.
Where PrivSource fits
PrivSource charges buyers $299 a month and never charges a success fee. Our AI agent searches broker, M&A advisor, and banker websites for deals that match what you want to buy, and advisors also send us deals that are not posted anywhere. You see companies that are for sale now, not a fixed list of companies that might sell someday. Telling us what you want to buy is free. See how PrivSource compares with PitchBook.
