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 drag off a profitable public sale and why having the best instruments could make all of the distinction.

Organizing an public sale is difficult sufficient. What makes it even harder is managing every little thing manually or with outdated programs. With out the finest public sale software program, you danger errors, inefficiencies, and pissed off donors who might hesitate to take part once more.

The excellent news? With the best instruments, you may streamline every little thing from merchandise listings to cost 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 business auctions can profit.

My prime 8 finest public sale software program suggestions for 2025

Public sale software program helps me handle and streamline your entire public sale course of, from itemizing objects and monitoring bids to processing funds and maintaining 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. Irrespective of the trade, the best 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 best one. That’s why I’ve compiled an inventory of the 8 finest public sale software program instruments for 2025 that will help you select the right match on 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 deal with 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 format that permits customers to rapidly navigate and take part in auctions with out feeling overwhelmed. For auctioneers, ease of use in managing tons, bids, and participant data is important. For bidders, the method of putting bids needs to be easy, with clear directions on how you can take part in auctions, view objects, and monitor bid statuses.
• Actual-time bidding performance: The perfect public sale software program ought to help real-time bidding, permitting individuals to put bids immediately and see updates on their present standing within the public sale. I take a look at if the system updates bid quantities stay, guaranteeing there is no 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 examine whether or not the software program presents flexibility in configuring numerous public sale varieties, equivalent to stay auctions, silent auctions, reverse auctions, and sealed bids. The power to set particular parameters for every public sale sort, equivalent to bid increments, reserve costs, and public sale length, is essential for adapting to totally different public sale situations. The extra customizable the software program, the higher it may cater to numerous public sale occasions and codecs.
• Cost integration and safety: Seamless cost processing is important for public sale platforms. I make sure the software program integrates with a number of cost gateways, equivalent to bank cards, PayPal, and financial institution transfers whereas offering safe transactions. Encryption and PCI compliance are crucial to guard delicate monetary data. I additionally assess whether or not the system can routinely set off bill era, cost 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 checklist objects, add descriptions, set reserve costs, and categorize tons. The system ought to help batch processing for big auctions, enabling auctioneers to deal with a number of objects without delay. Moreover, instruments for including photos, movies, and detailed descriptions assist appeal to extra bids and supply higher visibility of the tons.
• Cell accessibility: With rising demand for mobile-friendly platforms, I consider how nicely the public sale software program performs on cellular units. The perfect public sale platforms ought to provide totally responsive web sites or devoted cellular apps for bidders and sellers to entry public sale listings, place bids, and monitor public sale progress on the go. Cell accessibility enhances person engagement and permits auctions to succeed in 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, equivalent 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 needs to be customizable and despatched in actual time.
• Analytics and reporting instruments: A top-tier public sale software program ought to present sturdy 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 have the ability to export information for post-auction evaluation, which helps with planning future auctions and refining methods. Insights into purchaser conduct, profitable bid traits, and lot demand can provide invaluable 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, equivalent to shopper safety, tax laws, and on-line playing legal guidelines (for sure kinds of auctions). I additionally search for options like digital signatures for authorized agreements, public sale phrases and situations, and automated receipt era for profitable bidders.

The checklist beneath accommodates real person critiques 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 information has been pulled from G2 in 2025. Some critiques 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 cellular system, 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 swimsuit their viewers.

One other characteristic that I discovered significantly valuable was OneCause’s built-in communication instruments. The power 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 method to communication helps preserve a powerful reference to donors and attendees.

Moreover, the reporting and analytics instruments inside OneCause offered invaluable 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. Getting access to this degree of information 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, separately. This might decelerate sure elements of occasion administration.

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

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

I noticed that the platform had some restrictions relating to textual content and e-mail communications. There have been limitations on what could possibly be despatched, in addition to character constraints that made it troublesome 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 might 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 separately, which felt a bit tedious. Moreover, extra design choices for the occasion web site could be a welcome enchancment.”

– OneCause Evaluate, Wendy R.

Once I was testing Givebutter, I used to be instantly impressed by the truth that I might create dummy occasions to check all accessible options. It turned out to be a superb approach 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 stand up to hurry and begin contributing inside hours. 

I additionally appreciated the silent public sale setup, which allowed me to effortlessly regulate 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 matches nicely with the use case of smaller organizations, it might not be best for bigger organizations that require a extra intensive API connection or a richer set of integrations. In the event you’re on the lookout for a extremely customizable and scalable system, this is probably not the most suitable choice.

Constructing segments and lists felt considerably clunky to me, and determining the best 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.

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

What I dislike about Givebutter:

• Whereas Givebutter works nicely for smaller organizations, it might not meet the wants of bigger ones. The platform lacks a extra intensive 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 could possibly be.

What G2 customers dislike about Givebutter:

“It will be best to register bidders on their behalf so they’re within the system earlier than the occasion. A few of our friends will not be 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 undecided if we obtained extra bids in comparison with the paper system. Moreover, with the ability to add objects in bulk as an alternative of separately could be a useful characteristic.”

– Givebutter Evaluate, Brent H.

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

I had entry to the web site and the cellular 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 individuals to begin bidding early, which implies 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 at any time when I wanted help, buyer help was available.

That stated, there are a few areas the place enhancements might improve the person expertise.

One limitation is that Handbid doesn’t sync with accounting programs. From my private expertise, I do know that organizations usually deploy separate platforms for CRM and accounting. Not with the ability to join programs creates a whole lot of work like manually transferring information, which may 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 operate would make the expertise a lot smoother.

What I dislike about Handbid:

• One main disadvantage is Handbid’s lack of integration with accounting programs. With out syncing capabilities, it turns into difficult to switch information manually, which might be particularly burdensome for small groups dealing with massive 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 objects. It will be a lot simpler if there was extra flexibility.”

– Handbid Evaluate, Verified Consumer in Major/Secondary Training

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

One of many standout options was the power to share our GiveSmart hyperlink with attendees slightly than manually dealing with funds and tickets. This specific characteristic can considerably scale back logistical challenges and enhance the general attendee expertise, permitting for a smoother and extra participating 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, monitor, and talk with volunteers. They might additionally join particular duties and log their hours instantly throughout the platform. 

That stated, establishing GiveSmart initially took a while. The intensive vary of options felt a bit intimidating the primary few occasions I created campaigns. Whereas the platform presents many instruments, determining one of the simplest ways 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 supplied extra flexibility to tailor the design and format to higher match branding and occasion themes

What I dislike about GiveSmart:

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

What G2 customers dislike about GiveSmart:

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

– GiveSmart Evaluate, Rose G.

I 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 folks to interact, providing a number of sturdy options whereas sustaining zero latency in digital settings. 

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

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

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

The real-time show characteristic was extremely efficient for showcasing occasion updates, however I needed for extra customization choices to higher align it with an occasion’s branding—equivalent to the power to vary the background shade 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 information exports exist, the shortage 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 needed for extra flexibility to tailor the characteristic to higher match the occasion’s branding, equivalent to background shade adjustments or picture prominence.

What G2 customers dislike about Occasion.Offers:

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

– Occasion.Offers Evaluate, Daybreak D.

Throughout my testing, Givergy has confirmed to be a strong instrument for occasion administration. From the get-go, the onboarding expertise was clean and detailed. The setup was intuitive, guaranteeing I might rapidly familiarize myself with the platform and take a look at it.

The group boards have been significantly useful. They supplied solutions to most of my questions and steerage on how you can arrange numerous occasion options. These boards have been an amazing 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. 

Nonetheless, there have been just a few elements 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 sturdy as I had hoped, which might trigger some frustrations if you happen to’re trying to sync information throughout a number of programs.

One other draw back I observed was the shortage of a working tally for stay public sale bids. It is a essential characteristic for any occasion that features a stay public sale, because it helps hold individuals engaged and knowledgeable. With out this functionality, it turned a bit troublesome to trace bids in real-time, which could possibly be a major disadvantage for bigger fundraising occasions or auctions.

Lastly, the ticketing system could be a bit tough, particularly for bigger occasions like galas. It really works nicely for smaller, extra intimate gatherings, however for large occasions with many friends, it might 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 shortage of seamless connectivity with different instruments made syncing information throughout programs a bit irritating.
• The absence of a working tally for stay public sale bids was a major disadvantage. This characteristic is important for maintaining individuals 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 crew is superb at offering assets and directions on how you can use the system successfully.”

– Givergy Evaluate, Sarah E.

I examined RallyUp, and I have to say that my expertise was largely constructive. One of many standout options for me was the seamless means of gathering all the required data to create a web based occasion. The platform made it straightforward to compile every little thing into a transparent and concise setup, eliminating lots of the typical friction I’ve encountered with comparable instruments.

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

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

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

Nonetheless, not every little thing was good. I did discover that some bidders have been initially confused in regards to the checkout course of. They didn’t all the time notice that that they had to take a look at for his or her bids to take impact, which triggered a little bit of confusion. 

One other minor challenge I bumped into was the template limitations of the location. Though the design was easy, it took me a short while to get comfy with the format. The customization choices for the template might have been extra versatile, however as soon as I obtained the cling of it, the method turned smoother

What I dislike about RallyUp:

• Some bidders have been confused in regards to 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 imagine could possibly be prevented with clearer directions.
• The platform’s template limitations have been a minor challenge. Whereas the design was easy, the shortage of flexibility in customization choices made it difficult to totally tailor the format to my preferences initially.

What G2 customers dislike about RallyUp:

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

– RallyUp Evaluate, Sarah Ok.

BiddingOwl.com is a strong 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 improve visibility. I significantly appreciated the import and export performance for objects. It saved me a whole lot of time when including public sale objects or making adjustments, as I might rapidly add or regulate a bulk checklist of things.

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

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

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

Nonetheless, I did encounter just a few drawbacks throughout my expertise. Navigating the platform could be a little bit of a studying curve, particularly for these like me who’re new to public sale administration. It took me a little bit 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 programs or e-mail advertising and marketing platforms.

Lastly, I observed that the platform primarily helps English, which could possibly be a problem for customers who need to goal worldwide audiences or choose to work in different languages. The shortage of multilingual help might 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 just a few integrations, I believe it may gain advantage from increasing compatibility with extra exterior instruments, like CRM programs or e-mail advertising and marketing platforms.

What G2 customers dislike about BiddingOwl.com:

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

– BiddingOwl.com Evaluate, Susan M.

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

Q. Are public sale websites secure?

Most respected public sale websites use safe cost strategies and information encryption to guard customers’ private data and transactions. Nonetheless, security can range relying on the platform. At all times examine critiques, guarantee safe cost gateways are in place, and be cautious of scams by verifying sellers and objects earlier than bidding.

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

The perfect stay public sale software program consists of platforms like OneCause, which provide real-time bidding capabilities, video streaming, safe cost 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, guaranteeing every little thing is executed exactly and punctiliously. 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 spotted that with out them, reaching the excessive requirements I set for myself and the organizations I work with could be a problem.

However it doesn’t matter what trade you’re in, whether or not it’s non-profit, company, or some other sector, work must be good to attain optimum outcomes. That is the place the best public sale software program is available in. It makes all of the distinction in optimizing workflows, rising bidder engagement, and in the end guaranteeing clean execution.

I hope this checklist of public sale software program choices has helped you slim down the alternatives and discover the right match on your wants.

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