I Examined the 8 Finest Public sale Software program That Made Bidding Simpler

Having labored in numerous nonprofits for over 4 years, I’ve seen firsthand the complexities of establishing fundraisers, from managing donations to dealing with last-minute bidder requests. I perceive the behind-the-scenes effort it takes to tug off a profitable public sale and why having the fitting instruments could make all of the distinction.

Organizing an public sale is difficult sufficient. What makes it even more durable is managing every part manually or with outdated methods. With out the finest public sale software program, you threat errors, inefficiencies, and annoyed donors who might hesitate to take part once more.

The excellent news? With the fitting instruments, you may streamline every part from merchandise listings to fee processing, making the expertise seamless for each organizers and bidders. And these instruments aren’t only for nonprofits—companies, faculties, and people working charity occasions and even industrial auctions can profit.

My prime 8 finest public sale software program suggestions for 2025

Public sale software program helps me handle and streamline the whole public sale course of, from itemizing gadgets and monitoring bids to processing funds and retaining bidders engaged.

I’ve used these instruments to simplify fundraising occasions, however they’re not only for nonprofits—companies use them for asset liquidation, faculties for charity drives, and people for property gross sales. Regardless of the trade, the fitting public sale software program makes organizing and working auctions simpler and extra environment friendly.

With so many choices, I understand how overwhelming it may be to search out the fitting one. That’s why I’ve compiled a listing of the 8 finest public sale software program instruments for 2025 that will help you select the proper match in your wants.

What I search for in one of the best public sale software program

When testing one of the best public sale software program, I concentrate on the next key options to make sure it meets the wants of auctioneers, consumers, and sellers:

• Consumer-friendly interface: I consider how intuitive the software program is for each auctioneers and bidders. The platform ought to have a clear, organized structure that permits customers to shortly navigate and take part in auctions with out feeling overwhelmed. For auctioneers, ease of use in managing heaps, bids, and participant info is important. For bidders, the method of putting bids ought to be simple, with clear directions on the right way to take part in auctions, view gadgets, and observe bid statuses.
• Actual-time bidding performance: One of the best public sale software program ought to assist real-time bidding, permitting contributors to position bids immediately and see updates on their present standing within the public sale. I check if the system updates bid quantities reside, making certain there isn’t any lag or delay, particularly throughout fast-paced or timed auctions. Moreover, the instrument ought to notify customers instantly after they’ve been outbid or after they’ve received an merchandise.
• Customizable public sale codecs: I test whether or not the software program gives flexibility in configuring numerous public sale sorts, corresponding to reside auctions, silent auctions, reverse auctions, and sealed bids. The flexibility to set particular parameters for every public sale sort, corresponding to bid increments, reserve costs, and public sale period, is essential for adapting to completely different public sale situations. The extra customizable the software program, the higher it may cater to various public sale occasions and codecs.
• Cost integration and safety: Seamless fee processing is critical for public sale platforms. I make sure the software program integrates with a number of fee gateways, corresponding to bank cards, PayPal, and financial institution transfers whereas offering safe transactions. Encryption and PCI compliance are essential to guard delicate monetary info. I additionally assess whether or not the system can routinely set off bill technology, fee reminders, and affirmation after the public sale ends.
• Lot administration instruments: Efficient lot administration is vital to working a profitable public sale. I search for options that enable auctioneers to simply listing gadgets, add descriptions, set reserve costs, and categorize heaps. The system ought to assist batch processing for big auctions, enabling auctioneers to deal with a number of gadgets directly. Moreover, instruments for including photos, movies, and detailed descriptions assist appeal to extra bids and supply higher visibility of the heaps.
• Cellular accessibility: With rising demand for mobile-friendly platforms, I consider how nicely the public sale software program performs on cell units. One of the best public sale platforms ought to supply absolutely responsive web sites or devoted cell apps for bidders and sellers to entry public sale listings, place bids, and observe public sale progress on the go. Cellular accessibility enhances person engagement and permits auctions to achieve a wider viewers.
• Bidding historical past and notifications: I assess whether or not the software program permits bidders to trace their bidding historical past and obtain notifications of bid standing adjustments. For auctioneers, it’s essential to have detailed logs of all bids positioned in the course of the public sale and notifications of key occasions, corresponding to when a reserve worth is met or a bid surpasses a threshold. Automated notifications by way of e-mail, SMS, or in-app alerts ought to be customizable and despatched in actual time.
• Analytics and reporting instruments: A top-tier public sale software program ought to present strong analytics and reporting options to assist auctioneers consider public sale efficiency. I search for instruments that generate stories on bidding exercise, income generated, prime bidders, and merchandise efficiency. Auctioneers ought to be capable of export knowledge for post-auction evaluation, which helps with planning future auctions and refining methods. Insights into purchaser habits, successful bid developments, and lot demand can supply worthwhile suggestions.
• Compliance and authorized options: Public sale platforms should adhere to authorized and regulatory necessities, particularly in areas with strict legal guidelines governing auctions and gross sales. I make sure the software program complies with related native and worldwide legal guidelines, corresponding to client safety, tax rules, and on-line playing legal guidelines (for sure forms of auctions). I additionally search for options like digital signatures for authorized agreements, public sale phrases and circumstances, and automated receipt technology for successful bidders.

The listing beneath accommodates real person evaluations from our greatest public sale software program class web page. To qualify for inclusion within the class, a product should:

• Create public sale listings, bid sheets, on-line auctions, or public sale catalogs
• Present options to handle stock and pricing
• Produce stories on purchases, donations, income, and remaining stock
• Handle funds natively or by way of built-in software program

This knowledge has been pulled from G2 in 2025. Some evaluations have been edited for readability.

Regardless of having no prior expertise with OneCause, I navigated the system effortlessly. The interface was well-designed and allowed me to arrange an occasion web page with ease. Customizing it with particular branding and monitoring registrations was a seamless course of. Whether or not I accessed the platform from a desktop or cell machine, the method of buying tickets and making donations was extremely easy.

One of many standout options of OneCause is its versatility in fundraising choices. I appreciated the power to promote tickets and incorporate sponsorships, auctions, and different donation alternatives into the occasion. This flexibility ensures that campaigners can maximize fundraising efforts in ways in which finest go well with their viewers.

One other characteristic that I discovered significantly valuable was OneCause’s built-in communication instruments. The flexibility to ship reminders, updates, and thank-you messages by way of each e-mail and textual content can hold supporters engaged earlier than, throughout, and after an occasion. This streamlined strategy to communication helps preserve a robust reference to donors and attendees.

Moreover, the reporting and analytics instruments inside OneCause offered worthwhile insights. Whereas testing, I noticed that producing detailed stories and monitoring key metrics was tremendous straightforward. This makes it straightforward for public sale groups to evaluate efficiency and pinpoint areas for enchancment. Accessing this degree of knowledge is essential for refining methods and optimizing fundraising efforts.

Batching choices have been considerably restricted in sure areas, which meant that I needed to make some tedious adjustments manually, one after the other. This might decelerate sure facets of occasion administration.

I additionally wished for extra design customization choices for the occasion web site. Whereas the obtainable templates have been practical, having extra artistic management over the structure and aesthetics would have made the expertise even higher.

One other problem I encountered concerned bugs with the Save and Subsequent characteristic. When reviewing packages, I observed that the system would ceaselessly unpackage related gadgets, requiring me to manually reconfigure them. 

I noticed that the platform had some restrictions concerning textual content and e-mail communications. There have been limitations on what might be despatched, in addition to character constraints that made it tough to craft messages precisely as meant. It will be nice to have extra flexibility on this space, particularly with the power to create customized mailing lists for extra focused communication.

What I dislike about OneCause:

• The restricted batching choices led to some tedious handbook changes. This gradual course of may hinder effectivity, particularly throughout bigger occasions with many updates.
• I discovered the design customization choices for the occasion web site to be too restrictive. Having extra artistic management over layouts and aesthetics would have enhanced the general expertise.

What G2 customers dislike about OneCause:

“It will be nice to have extra batching choices in sure areas, as some adjustments needed to be made one after the other, which felt a bit tedious. Moreover, extra design choices for the occasion web site can be a welcome enchancment.”

– OneCause Overview, Wendy R.

After I was testing Givebutter, I used to be instantly impressed by the truth that I may create dummy occasions to check all obtainable options. It turned out to be a superb option to discover Givebutter’s full potential.

One other characteristic I admired was the fast volunteer coaching. Givebutter organized all of the assets in a central place, which makes it extremely straightforward for volunteers to rise up to hurry and begin contributing inside hours. 

I additionally appreciated the silent public sale setup, which allowed me to effortlessly modify elements like begin/finish occasions, pricing, and incremental bid will increase. The platform’s flexibility ensures that groups can tailor the public sale to their wants and optimize fundraising efforts.

I noticed that whereas Givebutter suits nicely with the use case of smaller organizations, it could not be excellent for bigger organizations that require a extra in depth API connection or a richer set of integrations. For those who’re in search of a extremely customizable and scalable system, this might not be the best choice.

Constructing segments and lists felt considerably clunky to me, and determining the fitting filters and logic wasn’t all the time intuitive. Excluding sure standards proved to be tougher than anticipated. A extra user-friendly segmentation instrument would tremendously improve this characteristic.

Presently, exporting stories feels cumbersome, and customization choices for the homepage and occasion order are fairly restricted. Due to this, some groups want to keep away from directing customers to the Givebutter homepage.

What I dislike about Givebutter:

• Whereas Givebutter works nicely for smaller organizations, it could not meet the wants of bigger ones. The platform lacks a extra in depth API connection and richer integrations, limiting scalability for greater operations.
• I discovered the method of constructing segments and lists to be clunky and unintuitive. The challenges with filtering and excluding standards make this characteristic much less environment friendly than it might be.

What G2 customers dislike about Givebutter:

“It will be excellent to register bidders on their behalf so they’re within the system earlier than the occasion. A few of our company are usually not tech-savvy, so doing extra for them would make the method smoother. Since they’re used to paper-based bidding, there was a little bit of a studying curve, and we’re unsure if we bought extra bids in comparison with the paper system. Moreover, with the ability to add gadgets in bulk as a substitute of one after the other can be a useful characteristic.”

– Givebutter Overview, Brent H.

A characteristic that stood out to me nearly instantly was Handbid’s glorious on-line coaching and assist documentation. These offered clear directions and made onboarding easy for me as a newbie. 

I had entry to the web site and the cell app. This added comfort allowed me to check the instrument on the go. I used to be simply capable of arrange and interact with auctions. This ensures a seamless expertise for public sale groups, attendees, and distant supporters alike.

I additionally observed that Handbid permits contributors to begin bidding early, which signifies that even those who can’t bodily attend an occasion can nonetheless contribute and really feel engaged within the fundraising course of.

The system may be very user-friendly, and each time I wanted help, buyer assist was available.

That mentioned, there are a few areas the place enhancements may improve the person expertise.

One limitation is that Handbid doesn’t sync with accounting methods. From my private expertise, I do know that organizations typically deploy separate platforms for CRM and accounting. Not with the ability to join methods creates a number of work like manually transferring knowledge, which might make it actually robust for small groups that handle large occasions. 

One other problem I encountered was with importing horizontal photos. The method was cumbersome—we needed to first export photos to PowerPoint, crop them, take a screenshot, after which add them into Handbid. This additional step was time-consuming, and an improved picture add perform would make the expertise a lot smoother.

What I dislike about Handbid:

• One main disadvantage is Handbid’s lack of integration with accounting methods. With out syncing capabilities, it turns into difficult to switch knowledge manually, which might be particularly burdensome for small groups dealing with giant occasions.
• I discovered importing horizontal photos to be a cumbersome course of. The necessity to export, crop, and screenshot photos earlier than importing added pointless time to the occasion setup.

What G2 customers dislike about Handbid:

“I want the platform did not have such strict dimensions for importing graphics for the gadgets. It will be a lot simpler if there was extra flexibility.”

– Handbid Overview, Verified Consumer in Main/Secondary Training

I discovered GiveSmart to be a extremely versatile platform for managing numerous facets of fundraising occasions. With it, I may seamlessly arrange auctions, raffles, contests, sign-ups, fee processing, and day-of-event coordination—all inside a single platform. This all-in-one resolution is a boon for occasion managers. 

One of many standout options was the power to share our GiveSmart hyperlink with attendees reasonably than manually dealing with funds and tickets. This explicit characteristic can considerably cut back logistical challenges and enhance the general attendee expertise, permitting for a smoother and extra partaking occasion.

I additionally appreciated the dashboard options, which made monitoring occasion progress extra intuitive. From monitoring ticket gross sales to overseeing donation totals, the dashboard offered real-time insights into each facet of the occasion.

One other facet that stood out to me was the volunteer administration. The platform makes it straightforward to recruit, observe, and talk with volunteers. They may additionally join particular duties and log their hours straight throughout the platform. 

That mentioned, establishing GiveSmart initially took a while. The in depth vary of options felt a bit intimidating the primary few occasions I created campaigns. Whereas the platform gives many instruments, determining the easiest way to make use of them took some trial and error.

One other space the place I noticed room for enchancment was occasion webpage customization. Whereas GiveSmart permits customers to create a devoted webpage for his or her occasion, I discovered the customization choices to be fairly restricted. The characteristic serves its function, however I want it provided extra flexibility to tailor the design and structure to raised match branding and occasion themes

What I dislike about GiveSmart:

• Organising GiveSmart initially took extra time than anticipated. The in depth characteristic set might be overwhelming, requiring some trial and error to determine one of the best strategy for marketing campaign creation.
• The customization choices for occasion net pages have been considerably restricted. Though the characteristic is practical, I felt that extra flexibility in design and structure would higher replicate occasion branding and themes.

What G2 customers dislike about GiveSmart:

“Varieties can solely be embedded, and there isn’t sufficient integration with platforms like WordPress, which limits its flexibility.”

– GiveSmart Overview, Rose G.

I just lately examined Occasion.Offers, and I used to be impressed with its clear design and ease of use. The platform makes it extremely easy for individuals to have interaction, providing a number of strong options whereas sustaining zero latency in digital settings. 

Certainly one of te largest highlights was the distinctive assist from the Occasion.Offers group. From the second I started inputting gadgets into the occasion website their group was all the time obtainable to help. This degree of responsiveness ensured clean testing and, in a real-world state of affairs, would help occasion setup and execution.

Organising tickets was fast and intuitive. Friends, too, discover it extraordinarily user-friendly when making ticket purchases. The check-in and checkout professionalcess is seamless. Since visitor’s info is already saved of their accounts, they’ll simply full their funds with a single click on. This effectivity eliminates the standard end-of-event chaos typically related to accumulating funds.

That mentioned, I discovered the reporting capabilities missing in comparison with different software program. Whereas there are workarounds, corresponding to exporting knowledge, the platform may gain advantage from enhanced built-in reporting instruments to supply deeper insights and analytics.

The real-time show characteristic was extremely efficient for showcasing occasion updates, however I wanted for extra customization choices to raised align it with an occasion’s branding—corresponding to the power to alter the background colour or make photos extra outstanding. 

What I dislike about Occasion.Offers:

• I discovered the reporting capabilities missing in comparison with different platforms. Whereas workarounds like knowledge exports exist, the dearth of built-in, detailed reporting instruments makes it more durable to achieve deeper insights.
• The actual-time show characteristic was efficient however lacked customization choices. I wanted for extra flexibility to tailor the characteristic to raised match the occasion’s branding, corresponding to background colour adjustments or picture prominence.

What G2 customers dislike about Occasion.Offers:

“The platform isn’t very user-friendly for extra advanced Gala-type occasions. We needed to provide you with workarounds so as to add menu choices and different particulars. The stories are additionally not user-friendly; when exporting, further ticket choices are exhausting to search out, and you may’t run them by date. Moreover, there’s no choice to “package deal” public sale gadgets collectively, making it extra time-consuming when organizing public sale gadgets later.”

– Occasion.Offers Overview, Daybreak D.

Throughout my testing, Givergy has confirmed to be a stable instrument for occasion administration. From the get-go, the onboarding expertise was clean and detailed. The setup was intuitive, making certain I may shortly familiarize myself with the platform and check it.

The neighborhood boards have been significantly useful. They provided solutions to most of my questions and steering on the right way to arrange numerous occasion options. These boards have been an excellent useful resource for troubleshooting and discovering tricks to take advantage of the instrument.

One of many standout options for me was how straightforward Givergy made the registration course of. Most volunteers discover it easy to navigate, which makes managing the occasion for public sale groups that rather more environment friendly. 

Nevertheless, there have been a number of facets the place Givergy didn’t fairly meet expectations. One limitation I encountered was the integration with different platforms, which at occasions felt considerably restrictive. Whereas it labored nicely in lots of areas, the power to seamlessly join with different instruments wasn’t as strong as I had hoped, which may trigger some frustrations in case you’re seeking to sync knowledge throughout a number of methods.

One other draw back I observed was the dearth of a working tally for reside public sale bids. This can be a essential characteristic for any occasion that features a reside public sale, because it helps hold contributors engaged and knowledgeable. With out this functionality, it turned a bit tough to trace bids in real-time, which might be a big disadvantage for bigger fundraising occasions or auctions.

Lastly, the ticketing system generally is a bit difficult, particularly for bigger occasions like galas. It really works nicely for smaller, extra intimate gatherings, however for giant occasions with many company, it could require some additional effort to make sure clean ticket administration. 

What I dislike about Givergy:

• I discovered Givergy’s integration with different platforms to be considerably restrictive. Whereas it labored nicely in lots of circumstances, the dearth of seamless connectivity with different instruments made syncing knowledge throughout methods a bit irritating.
• The absence of a working tally for reside public sale bids was a big disadvantage. This characteristic is important for retaining contributors engaged, and its absence made monitoring bids in actual time-challenging for me.

What G2 customers dislike about Givergy:

“Givergy ticketing might be difficult for big gala-style occasions, however their group is superb at offering assets and directions on the right way to use the system successfully.”

– Givergy Overview, Sarah E.

I examined RallyUp, and I need to say that my expertise was largely optimistic. One of many standout options for me was the seamless means of gathering all the mandatory info to create a web-based occasion. The platform made it straightforward to compile every part into a transparent and concise setup, eliminating most of the typical friction I’ve encountered with related instruments.

I additionally actually appreciated the flexibleness of utilizing my personal title for the occasion, which can assist to instill belief and readability with donors. It is a superb option to validate the trigger and what public sale groups are elevating funds for.

I observed that RallyUp actually excels at offering a number of fee choices, permitting groups to simply accept a wide range of fee sorts. The personalised ID for every transaction and the straightforward fee integration are additionally standout options that make the entire fee course of clean and environment friendly.

One other main benefit of RallyUp is its customizability. The platform gives a spread of choices to tailor the occasion to particular wants, but it surely would not overwhelm with pointless complexity. I used to be capable of choose from numerous fundraiser sorts with out feeling slowed down by too many selections or sophisticated settings. 

Nevertheless, not every part was excellent. I did discover that some bidders have been initially confused concerning the checkout course of. They didn’t all the time understand that that they had to take a look at for his or her bids to take impact, which precipitated a little bit of confusion. 

One other minor problem I bumped into was the template limitations of the location. Though the design was simple, it took me a short time to get comfy with the structure. The customization choices for the template may have been extra versatile, however as soon as I bought the cling of it, the method turned smoother

What I dislike about RallyUp:

• Some bidders have been confused concerning the checkout course of, not realizing that they had to take a look at for his or her bids to take impact. This created pointless confusion, which I consider might be prevented with clearer directions.
• The platform’s template limitations have been a minor problem. Whereas the design was easy, the dearth of flexibility in customization choices made it difficult to totally tailor the structure to my preferences initially.

What G2 customers dislike about RallyUp:

“It’s tough to search out details about payout dates and when they are going to happen. Since we’re utilizing the free model, this is likely to be higher in a paid model, however a tracker exhibiting when the test is distributed, or clear dates obtainable by means of the company profile can be actually useful.”

– RallyUp Overview, Sarah Ok.

BiddingOwl.com is a stable platform for managing and selling auctions. Its key options made the expertise each environment friendly and pleasing.

The public sale promotion instruments are extremely easy to make use of, making it straightforward to share occasions and enhance visibility. I significantly appreciated the import and export performance for gadgets. It saved me a number of time when including public sale gadgets or making adjustments, as I may shortly add or modify a bulk listing of things.

One characteristic I completely cherished was the power to crop, edit, and add textual content to photographs straight throughout the platform. This allowed me to simply improve the photographs of public sale gadgets without having any third-party software program. It’s an excellent time-saver and actually helped me enhance the presentation of the gadgets.

One other spotlight for me was the public sale administration instruments, which offered a powerful array of choices to streamline the public sale course of. From merchandise and donor administration to public sale catalog creation, every part was designed to simplify the method. The automated bidding and fee processing options have been extremely useful, making it straightforward for each bidders and organizers to handle their bids and funds.

BiddingOwl.com can be extremely mobile-compatible, which meant I may handle the public sale from my smartphone or pill with none points. This flexibility allowed me to remain linked and on prime of every part, even after I was away from my pc. 

Nevertheless, I did encounter a number of drawbacks throughout my expertise. Navigating the platform generally is a little bit of a studying curve, particularly for these like me who’re new to public sale administration. It took me a bit of time to get comfy with all of the options and determine one of the best methods to optimize them.

Moreover, there have been integration limitations. Whereas BiddingOwl.com helps some integrations, I discovered that it may gain advantage from increasing compatibility with extra exterior instruments, such as CRM methods or e-mail advertising and marketing platforms.

Lastly, I observed that the platform primarily helps English, which might be a problem for customers who need to goal worldwide audiences or want to work in different languages. The dearth of multilingual assist may restrict its accessibility for some customers.

What I dislike about BiddingOwl.com:

• There was a little bit of a studying curve for me, particularly since I used to be new to public sale administration. It took a while to get comfy with the platform’s options and determine one of the best methods to make use of them.
• I additionally observed some integration limitations. Whereas BiddingOwl.com helps a number of integrations, I feel it may gain advantage from increasing compatibility with extra exterior instruments, like CRM methods or e-mail advertising and marketing platforms.

What G2 customers dislike about BiddingOwl.com:

“I want there was a option to filter out bidders who didn’t win any gadgets in the course of the end-of-auction processing. It will be a lot simpler if I didn’t must manually choose their invoices to exclude from printing.”

– BiddingOwl.com Overview, Susan M.

Among the finest free silent public sale software program choices embrace SchoolAuction.internet, Givebutter, and Auctria. These are excellent for small—to mid-sized fundraisers and nonprofits. Discover different free public sale software program.

Q. Are public sale websites protected?

Most respected public sale websites use safe fee strategies and knowledge encryption to guard customers’ private info and transactions. Nevertheless, security can fluctuate relying on the platform. All the time test evaluations, guarantee safe fee gateways are in place, and be cautious of scams by verifying sellers and gadgets earlier than bidding.

Q. Which is one of the best reside public sale software program?

One of the best reside public sale software program contains platforms like OneCause, which supply real-time bidding capabilities, video streaming, safe fee processing, and a clean bidding expertise.

Q. Which is one of the best silent public sale software program?

Let’s increase the stakes!

In my work with non-profits, I’ve all the time strived to ship one of the best outcomes, making certain every part is executed exactly and thoroughly. From organizing occasions to managing donations, I’m dedicated to perfection in each facet.

After testing a number of public sale software program instruments, it turned clear to me that these platforms are indispensable for working an environment friendly and profitable public sale. I noticed that with out them, reaching the excessive requirements I set for myself and the organizations I work with can be a problem.

However it doesn’t matter what trade you’re in, whether or not it’s non-profit, company, or another sector, work must be excellent to realize optimum outcomes. That is the place the fitting public sale software program is available in. It makes all of the distinction in optimizing workflows, rising bidder engagement, and finally making certain clean execution.

I hope this listing of public sale software program choices has helped you slim down the alternatives and discover the proper match in your wants.

Use the finest challenge administration instruments to make sure that each facet of your public sale runs easily.