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Silent Auction Software for Nonprofits and Schools
You're running this on top of a real job. Preview it on a phone in 2 minutes. No app, no sales call, nothing public until you say so.
CharityAuctions (formerly Charity Auctions Today). Best for volunteer PTA, school, and small nonprofit chairs running about $1,000-$75,000 on top of a real job. Silent auction software with no-app mobile bidding. Fees 5% / $499+3% / 0%. No tip prompt. 4.9/5. Median 10 minutes to first item. Create Your Free Account.
Test it together before you decide. Nothing public until you say so.
Side by side
CharityAuctions.com vs Competitors
Auctria is the closest in-lane compare. GiveSmart is the enterprise sales-call path. 32auctions, Givebutter, and BiddingOwl start at $0 and still leave night-of work on you. OneCause and GiveSmart often fit paid-staff nights over $100,000.
| Compare | CharityAuctions | OneCause | Auctria | 32auctions | Givebutter | BiddingOwl | GiveSmart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $0 | Subscription / quote | Free tier, then annual license | $0 | $0 | $0 | Custom / typically annual |
| App required | No | No | Optional bidder app | No | No | No | Confirm with vendor |
| Free item cap | None | Paid plans | Income cap on the free plan | 20 items on the free plan | None | None | Paid plans |
| Hybrid (same catalog, in-room + online) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Built for online silent auctions | Yes | Yes (online + paper) | Yes |
| Event-night support | Free | Usually part of a paid plan | Paid Launch add-on is common | Included on the platform | 24/7 | Phone / 24-7 included | Usually part of a paid plan |
CharityAuctions vs GiveSmart CharityAuctions vs OneCause CharityAuctions vs Givebutter All comparisons
Three plans
Fees
$0 to start. You pick a plan. Numbers, then the full pricing page.
| Plan | Fee | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing Out of Pocket | 5% | $0 to start. You pay 5% of funds raised. |
| Prepaid and Save | $499+3% | From $499 prepaid, then 3%. |
| Custom Discounts | 0% | No platform percentage. |
See it on a phone with your team.
Test it together before you decide. Nothing public until you say so.
A direct answer
What Is Silent Auction Software?
Silent auction software replaces paper bid sheets. You add items. Guests bid on their phones. Winners pay from the same link. No app. No clipboards. No manual tally at close.
Best for: volunteer PTA, school, and small nonprofit chairs running about $1,000-$75,000 on top of a real job. Not a hospital foundation. Not a paid gala shop. Schools run silent auctions on the same product. There is no separate school site.
A silent auction displays items and takes bids without an auctioneer. Guests browse, bid, and get outbid alerts in the browser.
CharityAuctions (formerly Charity Auctions Today) is silent auction software for that job. The same account can also run live or hybrid. This page is for silent. For live, hybrid, and the broader software decision, see charity auction software.
Teams using mobile bidding raise an average of 43% more per event and see participation up to 52% higher than paper sheets.
The silent night
How Silent Auction Software Works
You set up a catalog. Guests bid from a link. The silent auction closes. Winners pay. You export the data.
Build your item catalog.
You upload silent auction items with photos, descriptions, starting bids, and increments. Bulk import from a spreadsheet if you have a lot of donations.
Share the auction link.
When the catalog is ready, you share a link by email, text, or social. Guests open it, make a simple profile, and browse. No app.
Guests bid from their phones.
They place bids in the browser. When they are outbid, they get a notification and can re-bid in one tap. Paper sheets do not do that. People actually come back.
The auction closes on its own.
You set a close time. The software names winners, locks bids, and sends checkout notices.
Winners pay from the same link.
Credit card, Apple Pay, or other supported methods. No checkout line. No invoice chase.
Export donor data.
After close you export donors, bids, payments, and item reports for receipts and next year.
Organizations using mobile bidding raise an average of 43% more per event than those using paper bid sheets. Outbid alerts drive the re-bids.
For a full comparison, see auction software vs. paper bidding.
What you actually need
Key Features for a Silent Auction
You need no-app bidding, outbid alerts, and checkout on the phone. That is the silent auction job.
Mobile Bidding (No App Required)
Guests bid from any smartphone in the browser. No app download. Platforms that require an app lose older donors and parents who will not stop at the App Store. CharityAuctions includes no-app mobile bidding.
More bidders. Higher final prices.
Real-Time Outbid Alerts
When a guest is outbid, they get a text or email with a one-tap re-bid link. That is most of the extra money versus paper bid sheets.
More re-bids. Higher final prices per item.
Paddle Raise / Fund-a-Need
If your silent night includes a fund-a-need, the same phone can take those gifts. No paper paddles. See our complete paddle raise fundraiser guide.
More donors give. Higher fund-a-need totals.
Instant Checkout
Winners pay from their phone when the silent auction closes. You are not chasing invoices on Monday.
Funds collected faster. No checkout chaos.
Text-to-Donate
Optional flat gifts by text next to the silent auction. Text-to-donate for nonprofits can sit in the same event flow.
More giving channels. Higher total event revenue.
Ticketing & Event Management
Sell admission and collect guest data in the same account you use for the silent catalog. One login for the chair.
One platform. Less admin work.
Published Fees
Ask about card fees versus platform fees. CharityAuctions publishes 5% / $499+3% / 0%. No tip prompt at checkout.
No surprise fees. More money for your cause.
Donor Data Exports
After the silent auction, you need a clean CSV of every donor, bid, and payment for receipts and thank-yous.
Clean data. Better donor relationships.
Same sitting
How to Set Up Your Silent Auction in 30 Minutes
You can launch a silent auction on CharityAuctions.com in under 30 minutes. Median time to first item is 10 minutes.
2 minutes
Create Your Free Account
Go to CharityAuctions.com and create a free account. No credit card. Your silent auction dashboard is ready.
3 minutes
Name Your Silent Auction and Set Dates
Give the silent auction a name and set open and close times. Your public page URL is generated automatically.
15-20 minutes
Add Your Items
Add items one by one or import in bulk. For each item, add a photo, description, fair market value, starting bid, and increment. Items with photos get more bids. Median time to first item is 10 minutes.
3 minutes
Configure Checkout
Connect your payment processor or use CharityAuctions.com integrated checkout. Set whether winners pay at close or receive an invoice.
2 minutes
Share Your Auction Link
Copy the URL and share it by email, text, and social. Your silent auction is live when you say so.
For a complete walkthrough, see our launch your auction in 30 minutes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best silent auction software for nonprofits?
How much does silent auction software cost?
What is silent auction software?
Silent auction software replaces paper bid sheets. You add items. Guests bid on their phones. Winners pay from the same link. No app. No clipboards. No manual tally at close. Schools and volunteer chairs run this on top of a real job.
How does mobile bidding work?
Can silent auction software work for hybrid events?
What features should I look for in silent auction software?
How long does it take to set up a silent auction?
Do bidders need an app?
No. Guests open a link on their phone and bid in the browser. No App Store step.
Is a credit card required to start?
No. Create Your Free Account, preview the silent auction on a phone with your team, and check out before anything is public. You can delete the demo in one click.
Explore our guides
Deep dives on silent auctions, mobile bidding, and setup. Each guide links back to this page.
Also: pricing · charity auction software · features · hybrid auctions
It is only a preview
See it on a phone with your team
before anything is public.
Test it together before you decide. Nothing public until you say so.