The market for auction web software is diverse. There are many free, open-source solutions, as well as paid ones. As you may already know, you will need your own hosting and domain to set these up on. Some of the companies offer hosting and domain services, set up, and even customizing/theming your own auction website. Some are targeted towards penny auctions, charity auctions, or even organizing auctions that will not occur on the internet.
Before deciding on which Auction Software to use, you will need to understand what exactly you are looking for. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I going to be the only one auctioning things on my website?
- If your auction site is not intended for other people to sign up and auction their things, then look for the "solo auctioner" software reviews below
- Are my auctions going to be held on the internet?
- If you are looking for software to help you schedule & organize auctions, print auction sheets etc., see the "off-internet" auction softwares below.
- What kind of auctions am I going to hold?
- Internet Auctions: Like ebay. Once an item is posted, it has a determined amount of time before the clock ends on bidding. The last bid wins.
- Charity Auctions: Like regular Internet Auctions, except targeted towards charitable fundraising donations. Example items donated upon might be a vacation, a dinner, or a special service donated from businesses wanting to make charitable donations.
- Penny Auctions: These are the latest trend. Like quibids.com - members will buy "bids" from your website and "use" them on your auction items. Bids are usually less than $1 each to purchase. Once your bid is spent, the auction item price is incremented at a level determined by the business, and the time also goes up on the auction. If you get the last bid, and the time runs out, you are able to purchase the item at a heavily discounted rate. These are highly profitable auctions, targeted towards higher-priced products such as TVs, gaming consoles, computers, cameras, even cars, accessories, marked-up designer clothes.
- Do you need a "Buy It Now" option?
- As insignificant as it seems, it can be quite a necessity. Check out the auction software below with the "buy it now" feature checked.
Below you will find a chart of our reviews, ordered by highest to lowest. Please click to read an indepth review of each one.
| Auction Software | Rating | Type | Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| phpPennyAuction | 10/10 | Penny Auctions | Open Source, Free Lifetime Support, Hosting & Theming services available, Comes with 2 themes, Buy It Now, Solo Auctioner | Packages starting at $749 |
| ReadySetAuction | 7/10 | Charity / Nonprofit Auctions | Hosted on their site, Free support, Limited Customability, Buy It Now, Off-Internet support, Solo Auctioner | Packages starting at $399 |
