BiddingOwl and Auctria both support online, mobile, paper, live, and hybrid nonprofit auctions, but their pricing and payment models differ. BiddingOwl has no standard annual subscription and charges 5% on winning online/mobile bids. Auctria uses free and paid annual plans plus a smaller fee on integrated credit-card transactions. The better choice depends on how your fundraiser actually raises and collects money.Last verified: September 4, 2026
Disclosure: BiddingOwl publishes this comparison. Auctria information in this article was reviewed against current official Auctria pricing, product, payment, support, and help documentation. We include areas where Auctria may be the better fit and recommend verifying current provider information before making a purchasing decision.
| Feature | BiddingOwl | Auctria |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Auction-centered nonprofit fundraising | Auction and fundraising-event management |
| Standard core pricing | No standard monthly or annual subscription; 5% performance fee on winning online/mobile bids | Explorer $0/year; Emerald $375/year; Diamond $750/year |
| Annual income limits | Pricing is not structured around annual tracked-income tiers | Explorer up to $10,000; Emerald up to $50,000; Diamond unlimited |
| Integrated credit-card platform fee | Payment processing is separate from BiddingOwl's auction-performance fee | 1% Explorer; 0.5% Emerald; 0.25% Diamond, plus processor fees |
| Online/mobile bidding | Yes | Yes |
| Browser bidding without an app | Yes | Yes |
| Optional bidder app | No dedicated bidder app required | Yes, optional iOS/Android bidder app |
| Organizer mobile app | Browser/admin tools | Optional Auctria Admin App |
| Paper bid sheets | Yes | Yes |
| Live auctions | Yes | Yes |
| Online pre-bidding | Yes | Yes |
| Hybrid workflows | Yes | Yes |
| Tickets | Yes | Yes |
| Donations | Yes | Yes |
| Fund-a-Need / paddle raise | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated processors | Stripe or PayPal | Stripe or Authorize.Net |
| Card required before bidding | Optional with Stripe vaulting | Optional setting for online bidding |
| Saved-card winner charging | Administrator-controlled with Stripe vaulting | Organizer checkout and batch checkout supported |
| Cash/check recording | Yes | Yes |
| Direct phone support | Yes | Event-night phone support is included with certain paid Launch services |
| Core support | Phone, email, knowledge resources, personal training | Chat/email support; priority chat/email on paid plans |
Neither platform is universally better. The biggest differences are the way each company charges for the software, the payment processors available, mobile-app options, card-registration workflows, and the type of support included.
BiddingOwl does not charge a standard monthly subscription or setup fee for core auction use.
A 5% performance fee applies when an item receives a winning online or mobile bid.
For example:
| Winning online/mobile bid | BiddingOwl performance fee |
|---|---|
| $100 | $5 |
| $500 | $25 |
| $1,000 | $50 |
| $10,000 total winning online bids | $500 |
The important distinction is what the 5% applies to.
BiddingOwl's performance fee does not apply to:
For an auction that uses online pre-bidding before an in-person close, the BiddingOwl fee is based on the online pre-bid amount rather than the final in-person winning bid.
Stripe or PayPal processing costs remain separate when electronic payments are accepted.
See BiddingOwl pricing and our guide to silent auction fees for more detail.
This pricing structure can be particularly important for organizations whose fundraiser includes a mixture of online auction revenue and other revenue such as tickets, donations, paper bidding, live-auction items, or Fund-a-Need contributions.
Auctria uses annual licensing tiers based on the total income recorded through events during the 12-month license period.
As of September 4, 2026, Auctria publishes three primary plans.
Auctria states that the income used to determine the plan includes income recorded from bidders, including winning bids, purchases, and donations.
The Explorer plan is therefore genuinely free for organizations staying within its limits, but it is not an unlimited free tier. Auctria states that if Explorer income exceeds $10,000, the system stops accepting bids, donations, and purchases until the organization reduces the recorded income or upgrades.
Auctria's percentage credit-card fee is also separate from the payment processor's own fee.
See Auctria's official explanation of Auctria costs and licensing for additional details.
There is no single answer because the two companies charge based on different things.
Auctria's annual plan is determined by total tracked fundraising income, while BiddingOwl's 5% performance fee is tied specifically to winning online/mobile auction bids.
That difference can completely change the result.
Assume all $8,000 is paid electronically and ignore the payment processor's fee because both platforms have separate processor costs.
BiddingOwl
$8,000 × 5% = $400
Auctria Explorer
Annual license: $0
$8,000 × 1% Auctria integrated credit-card fee = $80
In this particular scenario, Auctria's published platform/integration cost would be lower.
BiddingOwl
$20,000 × 5% = $1,000
Auctria
A $20,000 fundraiser exceeds Explorer's $10,000 income limit, so the applicable published plan would be Emerald.
Emerald annual license: $375
$20,000 × 0.5% integrated credit-card fee = $100
Illustrative Auctria total before processor fees: $475
Again, if essentially all fundraising income consists of online winning bids, Auctria's published fee structure can be less expensive.
Now assume the organization raises:
BiddingOwl
Only the $5,000 in winning online/mobile bids is subject to the 5% performance fee.
$5,000 × 5% = $250
Auctria
The $20,000 in total tracked income places the organization in Emerald.
Annual license: $375
If all $20,000 is collected through Auctria's integrated credit-card system:
$20,000 × 0.5% = $100
Illustrative Auctria total before processor fees: $475
In this type of mixed fundraiser, BiddingOwl may cost less because tickets, donations, traditional paper bidding, live-auction tools, Fund-a-Need, and paddle raises are outside its 5% online-bid performance fee.
If some Auctria payments are instead collected by cash or check, its integrated credit-card fee would apply to a smaller amount.
The lesson is simple:
Do not compare 5% with 0.5% and assume you know which platform costs more.
First determine exactly what revenue each percentage applies to.
If pricing model is one of your main concerns, also see What Does “Free” Silent Auction Software Really Mean?.
Yes.
This is one area where both platforms are substantially more flexible than software designed only for online auctions.
BiddingOwl supports:
Auctria also supports:
Auctria's current documentation specifically distinguishes between online pre-bidding and online bidding only.
For a paper or live item, supporters can bid online before the event and then final bidding can continue in person. Auctria also states that online pre-bidding and fully online bidding can be used in the same event, but not as two competing final bidding methods for the same item.
See Auctria's documentation on online pre-bidding.
That is sensible hybrid-auction practice.
BiddingOwl similarly recommends establishing one clear source of truth for each item rather than trying to maintain two unsynchronized bid ledgers for the same item.
For more on that workflow, see How to Run a Hybrid Silent Auction.
No, not with either platform.
BiddingOwl uses browser-based mobile bidding and does not require supporters to install a dedicated bidder app.
Learn more about silent auction mobile bidding without an app.
Auctria also allows bidders to participate through its mobile-friendly event website.
The difference is that Auctria additionally offers an optional mobile bidder app for iOS and Android.
Auctria also offers a separate Admin App for organizers. Its current documentation describes features such as check-in, checkout, recording bids, ticket and raffle sales, and mobile Tap to Pay.
See Auctria's mobile apps for current details.
That can be a genuine Auctria advantage for organizations that specifically want native event-day apps.
BiddingOwl may be the better fit for organizations that prefer to keep the bidder experience entirely browser-based and avoid asking supporters to install anything.
Both platforms give organizations control over whether an online bidder must have a card registered before bidding, but the workflows differ.
Organizations using Stripe can optionally enable card vaulting.
Even when vaulting is enabled, supporters can:
without entering a credit card.
When the supporter takes an applicable transactional action—such as placing a bid, purchasing tickets, or making a donation—the payment-method requirement appears.
Stripe securely handles the saved payment credentials.
For auction winners, the administrator controls when an applicable saved Stripe card is charged. BiddingOwl does not automatically charge every winner merely because the auction closes.
Organizations that leave vaulting disabled can continue using regular checkout.
For a full discussion of the advantages and tradeoffs, see Should You Require a Credit Card Before Bidding?.
Auctria also lets organizers decide whether a registered credit card is required before online bidding.
Its settings allow organizers to:
Auctria's documentation says the “Require a registered credit card to bid” setting can be enabled for online bidding.
Participants who do not have a registered card are then prompted to add one before placing an online bid.
See Auctria's documentation on registered credit cards.
Auctria therefore offers fairly granular card-registration controls.
Both platforms support several ways to collect payment after an auction.
Organizations can use:
When Stripe vaulting is enabled, the administrator can later charge an applicable saved card.
The system does not automatically charge every winner just because bidding closes.
For a broader look at winner collection, invoices, offline payments, and unpaid winners, see Silent Auction Checkout Best Practices.
Auctria integrates with:
Auctria supports participant self-checkout as well as organizer-controlled checkout.
Its documentation also describes Batch Checkout, allowing administrators to process balances for multiple participants with registered payment methods.
Auctria additionally states that Stripe integration enables Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Cash and check payments can also be recorded.
See Auctria's payment collection features and credit-card processing information for current details.
For teams that specifically want batch card processing, Authorize.Net support, wallet payments, or an organizer mobile app with Tap to Pay, Auctria has meaningful strengths.
For teams already using PayPal, BiddingOwl has the advantage because PayPal is one of its integrated processor options while Auctria's published integrated processors are Stripe and Authorize.Net.
For more on BiddingOwl's processor options, see Credit Card Processing for Nonprofits.
Both platforms go beyond auction bidding.
BiddingOwl includes:
Auctria includes:
See Auctria's feature overview for its current feature set.
Auctria may appeal to organizations that want more event-management configuration in one system, particularly around sponsorships, seating, texting, sales-tax tracking, consignment tracking, or its mobile organizer app.
BiddingOwl remains more centered on auction operations and related fundraising tools.
If you're comparing auction software with broader fundraising/event-management platforms, see Auction Software for Nonprofits: How to Choose the Right Platform.
Support is another meaningful difference.
BiddingOwl publishes:
This support model can be particularly valuable for volunteer-run organizations that want the ability to speak with someone directly when an auction problem occurs.
See BiddingOwl Customer Service for current support information.
Auctria includes chat/email support with Explorer and priority chat/email support with Emerald and Diamond.
It also offers paid support services.
Auctria Launch Foundation currently starts at an additional $499 per event and includes assisted event setup, scheduled Zoom calls, website and ticket/sponsorship setup, and event-night phone support.
Auctria Launch Advantage starts at an additional $749 per event and provides additional guest-management and consultation services.
Auctria also sells individual Assist video-consultation sessions.
Organizations comparing the two platforms should therefore distinguish between support included with the software and paid assisted-event services.
Auctria may be the stronger choice when your organization:
Those are genuine product strengths and should be part of the decision.
BiddingOwl may be the stronger choice when your organization:
For a broader comparison of BiddingOwl and other platforms, see BiddingOwl Alternatives.
BiddingOwl's 5% performance fee can become more expensive than Auctria's published pricing when an organization generates a large amount of winning online/mobile auction revenue.
Payment-processing charges are separate.
BiddingOwl does not offer Auctria's optional native bidder and organizer apps.
Auctria also supports Authorize.Net, while BiddingOwl's current integrated electronic-payment options are Stripe and PayPal.
Organizations seeking extensive event-management functions beyond auctions and related fundraising may also prefer Auctria's broader configuration options.
Auctria's annual plans have income, bidder, and team-member limits.
Explorer is limited to $10,000 in total annual tracked income, 250 bidders per event, and three team members.
Emerald is limited to $50,000 in annual tracked income, 750 bidders per event, and ten team members.
Diamond removes the income limit but is currently $750 per year and lists a 1,000-bidder-per-event limit.
Auctria also charges an additional integration percentage on credit-card transactions: 1% on Explorer, 0.5% on Emerald, and 0.25% on Diamond, on top of the processor's own costs.
Organizations should also consider whether the feature depth they need is included in their selected plan and whether services such as event-night phone support require a paid Launch add-on.
| Your highest priority | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| No annual core-auction subscription | BiddingOwl | Pricing is tied to winning online/mobile auction bids instead |
| Very small fundraiser under Auctria's free-plan limits | Auctria Explorer | $0 annual license with published plan limits |
| Large amount of online auction revenue | Compare carefully; often Auctria | Its annual plan plus small integrated-card percentage may cost less than 5% of online winning bids |
| Significant paper/live/ticket/donation revenue | BiddingOwl | Those categories are outside BiddingOwl's 5% online-bid performance fee |
| Browser bidding with no app requirement | Either | Both support mobile-friendly browser bidding |
| Optional native bidder app | Auctria | Auctria offers iOS/Android bidder apps |
| Dedicated organizer mobile app | Auctria | Auctria provides an event-day Admin App |
| PayPal integration | BiddingOwl | Stripe and PayPal are BiddingOwl's published integrated options |
| Authorize.Net integration | Auctria | Stripe and Authorize.Net are Auctria's published integrated options |
| Optional card before bidding | Either | Both provide an optional saved-card workflow |
| Batch charging of saved cards | Auctria | Auctria documents organizer and batch checkout |
| Administrator-controlled Stripe vaulting | BiddingOwl | Organization chooses whether to enable vaulting and when applicable saved cards are charged |
| Direct phone support included | BiddingOwl | Published phone/email support and critical-event coverage |
| Paid assisted event setup | Auctria | Launch services provide hands-on setup and event-night phone support |
| Paper, live, pre-bid, online and hybrid flexibility | Either | Both document strong mixed-format auction workflows |
A small nonprofit should not choose based solely on which platform advertises the lower percentage.
Auctria Explorer can be particularly attractive for an organization that will remain below $10,000 in total annual tracked fundraising income and is comfortable with its bidder and team-member limits.
BiddingOwl can be particularly attractive for a nonprofit whose fundraiser mixes online bidding with paper or live bidding, tickets, donations, Fund-a-Need, or paddle raises because those revenue categories are not subject to BiddingOwl's 5% online-bid performance fee.
The best approach is to model your actual event.
Estimate:
Then compare the complete cost and workflow.
If you're still comparing multiple vendors, Best Silent Auction Platforms provides a broader platform-selection overview.
Neither is universally better. Auctria may be attractive when a nonprofit wants fixed annual pricing, optional bidder/admin apps, Authorize.Net, batch checkout, or broader event-management tools. BiddingOwl may be preferable when an organization wants no annual core-auction subscription, PayPal, direct phone support, or a fee that applies only to winning online/mobile bids rather than other fundraising revenue.
Auctria offers an Explorer plan at $0 per year. It is currently limited to $10,000 in total annual tracked income, 250 bidders per event, and three team members. Auctria also charges a 1% integration fee when credit-card payments are processed through its integrated system, in addition to the payment processor's fee. See Auctria's current pricing for plan details.
BiddingOwl does not charge a standard monthly or setup fee for core auction use. A 5% performance fee applies to winning online/mobile bids. Traditional paper and live-auction tools, donations, tickets, Fund-a-Need, and paddle raises are not subject to that performance fee. See BiddingOwl pricing for current details.
It depends on the fundraiser. Auctria can cost less when most revenue comes from online auction bids. BiddingOwl can cost less when a large share of revenue comes from paper/live bidding, tickets, donations, Fund-a-Need, or paddle raises. Model the exact revenue mix rather than comparing headline percentages.
No. Auctria supports bidding through its mobile-friendly event website. It also offers an optional bidder app for iOS and Android.
No. BiddingOwl bidders participate through a browser and do not need to install a dedicated bidding app. See Silent Auction Mobile Bidding for more information.
Yes. Auctria provides an optional setting that requires participants to have a registered credit card before placing online bids. See Auctria's registered credit-card documentation.
Yes, when the organization uses Stripe and enables optional card vaulting. Supporters can still browse without a card. The payment-method requirement appears when they place a bid, purchase tickets, or make a donation. Learn more in Should You Require a Credit Card Before Bidding?.
Both BiddingOwl and Auctria support paper bidding and printable bid sheets.
Both do. Each platform can support online bidding before an in-person paper or live close. Organizations should use one clear final bidding method for each item rather than running unsynchronized online and paper bidding simultaneously. See How to Run a Hybrid Silent Auction.
BiddingOwl currently integrates with Stripe and PayPal. Auctria currently integrates with Stripe and Authorize.Net.
Yes. Both platforms document workflows for recording offline payments such as cash and checks.
BiddingOwl publishes direct phone and email support during regular office hours plus 24/7 critical emergency support. Auctria's standard plans list chat/email support, while certain paid Auctria Launch services include event-night phone support.
BiddingOwl and Auctria are both capable nonprofit auction platforms, and Auctria deserves serious consideration.
Auctria's fixed annual plans, free Explorer tier, optional bidder and admin apps, Stripe/Authorize.Net integrations, batch checkout, and broader event-management tools can make it a strong choice—especially when most fundraising revenue comes from online auction activity.
BiddingOwl takes a different approach.
There is no standard annual core-auction subscription. Its 5% performance fee is tied specifically to winning online/mobile bids rather than tickets, donations, Fund-a-Need, paddle raises, or traditional paper/live auction tools. It also offers Stripe or PayPal, optional Stripe card vaulting, browser-based bidding without a required app, mixed payment workflows, and direct auction support.
The best platform is therefore not the one with the lowest number in a pricing headline.
It is the one whose pricing model, bidding workflow, payment options, support, and event tools match the fundraiser you actually plan to run.
Before choosing either platform, build a realistic test event and run your hardest workflow from start to finish: registration, browsing, online bidding, a paper or live winner, card registration if applicable, winner checkout, a cash or check payment, a refund, reporting, and a support question.
That test will tell you more than a feature checklist alone.