CharityAuctions vs GalaBid

CharityAuctions and GalaBid both support charity auctions and mobile bidding. The main difference is how fees are handled at checkout. CharityAuctions uses transparent pricing with no optional tips. GalaBid's free plan uses suggested tips at checkout.

According to CharityAuctions.com platform data, auctions with mobile bidding raise an average of 43% more per event than paper-based formats. The pricing model you choose affects how much your donors pay and how much your organization keeps.

The main differences between CharityAuctions and GalaBid are checkout fee model, pricing tiers, and item sourcing options.

What GalaBid Is Built For

GalaBid positions itself as a "Silent Auction Platform, Fundraising for Charity." Since 2011, they have supported thousands of fundraisers worldwide. They emphasize that funds go directly to you. Payments flow through Stripe to your bank account; GalaBid never holds your funds. They serve US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.

GalaBid main features:

• Silent auctions, live auctions, sealed bids
• Raffles, donations, event ticketing and check-in
• Mobile bidding (bid, donate, enter raffles via phone)
• Pre-event bidding (up to 40% of sales before the live event)
• Sale or Return auction item catalogue (add items at no cost, risk-free)
• 100+ features on free plan
• Local support teams
• Stripe integration; pass processing fees to participants or absorb them

Pricing: Free (suggested tips at checkout; GalaBid shares 10% of tips with your cause), Pro (4.9% fee), Flat Fee ($1,250 per campaign).

What CharityAuctions Is Built For

CharityAuctions is built for charity auctions. According to CharityAuctions.com platform data, more than 50,000 organizations have used the platform since 2007. We support online, live, and hybrid auctions with mobile bidding, ticketing, raffles, and checkout in one place.

CharityAuctions main features:

• Mobile bidding (no app required)
• Silent, live, and hybrid auctions
• Ticketing and registration
• Raffles and fixed-price items
• Checkout and payment processing (see charity auction platform pricing)
• Donor management and reporting
• Free support: text, call, live walk-throughs

We use transparent pricing. You know what the platform will cost before you go live. We do not ask bidders to add optional tips at checkout.

Pricing and Cost Structure

	CharityAuctions	GalaBid
Free plan	No upfront cost. Pay after you raise.	$0. Suggested tips at checkout; 10% of tips shared with your cause.
Paid plan	Performance-based when you go live.	Pro: 4.9% fee. Flat Fee: $1,250/campaign.
Donor experience	Transparent. No optional tips at checkout.	Free: participants prompted to tip GalaBid; tip is optional.
Funds flow	Direct. Platform and processing are distinct.	Direct. Payments via Stripe to your bank; GalaBid does not hold funds.
Free to try	Yes. No credit card required.	Yes. Free sign-up.
Support	Free. Text, call, live walk-throughs.	Live chat, local support teams.

GalaBid Free relies on suggested tips to sustain the platform; participants can change or remove the tip. GalaBid shares 10% of tips with your cause. Contact GalaBid directly for current pricing.

CharityAuctions uses transparent pricing. We do not ask bidders to add optional tips at checkout. You know exactly what the platform will cost. See our charity auction platform pricing page for a full breakdown of how fees work.

Mobile Bidding

CharityAuctions: In-browser mobile bidding. Guests open your auction link on their phone. No app download. Real-time bidding, outbid alerts, and checkout are built in.

According to CharityAuctions.com platform data, events using mobile bidding raise an average of 43% more per event than paper-based formats. Mobile bidding also increases donor participation by 52%.

GalaBid: Mobile bidding for bids, donations, and raffle entries. Participants use their phone during the event. SMS notifications available. No app download required.

CharityAuctions mobile bidding works on any device with no app download required.

Support

CharityAuctions: Support is always available at no extra cost. Text, call, or schedule a live walk-through. Our team helps you set up and run your auction. We are built for auctions, and we are here to help.

GalaBid: Live chat support and local support teams. Experienced support for setup, during the event, and post-event.

Auctions and Event Features

CharityAuctions is the most robust auction platform and the easiest to use. We support silent and live auctions, mobile bidding, ticketing and check-in, raffles, donations, pre-event bidding, and real-time reporting. See our guide to what is a paddle raise for live event fundraising options.

GalaBid offers a Sale or Return auction item catalogue. Add items at no cost and unsold items return to their catalogue. GalaBid reports $50M+ raised for nonprofits in the past 12 months. They support multi-currency and international campaigns in the US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.

Donor Tipping and Fee Transparency

Some charity auction platforms use donor tipping at checkout. A donor tipping prompt adds a suggested percentage on top of a donor's payment at the final step. According to CharityAuctions.com platform data, these prompts can add 20% to 30% to a donor's intended payment.

GalaBid's free plan uses suggested tips at checkout. Participants can change or remove the tip. GalaBid shares 10% of tips with your cause. Their Pro plan (4.9%) and Flat Fee plan ($1,250 per campaign) do not rely on tips.

CharityAuctions does not use donor tipping on any plan. Instead, your organization chooses one of two options:

• Absorb the processing fee. Your donors pay nothing extra.
• Pass the fee to donors with full disclosure. Donors see the exact fee before they confirm payment.

Either way, donors see one clear total before they pay. There are no surprise charges added at checkout.

See our charity auction platform pricing page for a full breakdown of how fees work.

When to Choose CharityAuctions

Consider CharityAuctions if you want:

• Transparent pricing with no optional tips at checkout
• No upfront cost and free to build and test
• Free support: text, call, live walk-throughs
• The most robust auction platform and the easiest to use
• In-browser mobile bidding (no app)

Talk to our team.

When GalaBid May Be a Fit

GalaBid is built for charity auctions and supports silent auctions, raffles, donations, and event ticketing. Their free plan uses suggested tips at checkout. GalaBid shares 10% of those tips with your cause. Their Pro plan (4.9%) and Flat Fee plan ($1,250 per campaign) do not rely on tips. GalaBid also offers a Sale or Return auction item catalogue. Add items at no cost and unsold items return to their catalogue. They support fundraisers in the US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Contact GalaBid directly for current pricing and features.

See our full comparison of charity auction platforms to evaluate all options.

Summary

CharityAuctions and GalaBid both support charity auctions and mobile bidding. CharityAuctions offers transparent pricing with no optional tips at checkout and free support via text, call, and live walk-throughs. According to CharityAuctions.com platform data, more than 50,000 organizations have used the platform since 2007.

GalaBid's free plan uses suggested tips at checkout. GalaBid shares 10% of tips with your cause. Their Pro plan (4.9%) and Flat Fee plan ($1,250 per campaign) do not rely on tips. GalaBid offers a Sale or Return item catalogue and supports international campaigns.

To learn more about running a successful auction, see our guide to silent auction software or compare auction software vs paper bidding.