Silent Auction Pro vs SchoolAuction.net

Givebutter

Auctria

WinningBidder.com

Givebutter is a cloud-based, all-in-one fundraising platform for student organizations, sports teams, companies, and nonprofits which offers a range of tools for collecting donations online, running social peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, selling tickets to fundraising events, and more

Auctria: a budget friendly web solution to run your entire event from tickets to receipts; traditional auctions or online fundraisers.

WinningBidder.com provides low cost online auction software for nonprofits. Our software is simple to use, allowing organizers to launch an auction in minutes.

Online event management software for charitable fundraising, with all the tools you need from start to finish. Great for an auction event, gala, dinner, giving campaign, golf tournament and so much more!

Silent Auction

Payment Processing

Event Management

Billing & Invoicing

Live Auction

Inventory Management

Proxy Bidding

Most users consider Silent Auction Pro to offer strong value for money, highlighting its affordability, flexible pricing tiers, and beneficial capped fees. However, some users report that percentage-based fees and upfront costs can challenge smaller non-profits.

Value for money

By industry, Silent Auction Pro reviewers are most commonly professionals in non-profit organization management (38%). The most frequent use case cited is auction management (92% of reviewers).

Silent Auction Pro

Web-based

iPad

Android

iPhone

OneCause

SchoolAuction.net

BiddingOwl.com

GiveSmart

Handbid

ClickBid

Mobile Pro

Bidsheet Pro

Mobile Plus

Bidsheet Plus

Director of Finance and Operations

The Staff does an excellent job coaching you throughout the entire event process; from setting up the event, creating tickets, posting auction items and ultimately closing out the event.

Event Coordinator

Silent Auction Pro allows us to manage all phases of our event: creating contacts, ticket purchases, seating, live and silent auctions, raffles, donations, and all after event tasks and reporting.

Marketing Support

However when I entered a number that was already used, I was presented with an error messaage stating it was a used number. If I was more dilligent, I would have kept a list of numbers as I used them, but for us lazy folks it would be nice if the sytem displayed the last used number.

Executive Director

I sometimes still struggle with finding contacts (searching "MY" contacts vs. "all" contacts) but I understand why the system is created that way.

Auction Chair

I wish I could run a report the way we need it for item distribution after the auction.

Sales Support

Over the years, I've continuously learned and become more familiar with its extensive features, such as donation reports, contact history, and mobile online bidding.

President

Need a few more customization options for quick buttons or easy finds.

The Bidsheet Pro option has revolutionized our planning process, offering a seamless experience from donation entry to checkout.

I did not get help from my event team so had to do things much on my own. If not for the Silent Auction platform, I would be in rehab now.

Technology Coordinator

Misty and customer service were with me throughout the Auction even over the weekend and in the evenings.

The service is excellent...staff are available, knowledgable and reassuring when event planning can get stressful.

Founder

By bundling already made items, the numbers changed and it was confusing.  

This is my 3rd year using Silent Auction Pro for my kids school Auction.

Instead of going into a large report and sorting it in Excel.

Silent Auction Chair

We have used Silent Auction Pro (SAP) for three years for our small-ish nonprofit.

secretary

With the first year under our belt, we found it much easier to use and navigate the program for this year's event.

I had a couple of needy moments and when I reached out to support, I received answers very quickly.

Parent

So much easier for our school fundraisers then what we have used in the past.

This is our second year using Silent Auction Pro for our fundraiser.

We had NO software glitches during our event!

The pricing reflects the complexity of your requirements and is generally very fair.

National Chair Scholarship Committee

The Silent Auction Pro staff are very helpful and responsive to your needs.

The auction lay out is visually appealing for bidders, and the ticketing allows us to capture the important data we need on donors, bidders and event attendees.  

The personal support from a couple of SAP teammates has been invaluable.  

Easy to operate, simple and carefree, the program is flexible to accommodate your wishes.

Silent Auction Pro has its challenges, requiring research and self-starting to fully utilize its functions.

Advancement Coordinator

Silent Auction Pro is very easy to use and has a wonderful auction catalog set up that allows for multiple quality images and formats.  

Auction Chairperson, Realtor

Adm/Bkpg/Fundraiser Chair 2022

This helped us keep the supporters we picked up when we were fully online and allow folks to view the auction items in person.  

Overall awesome experience from the program to the support.  

Media Communications Specialist

Things like "Edit Group," "Edit Event," "Auction Admin," and "Auction Day," can seem very similar and it's hard to tell what exactly falls under what.

Chairperson

They are easy to contact and quick to respond

Silent Auction Pro is an incredibly user-friendly software with a website that's easy to navigate.

The menu items can be confusing at times. When looking for something in particular, it can be hard to know which menu item to look under.

We started using SilentAuction Pro during covid for our annual art auction fundraiser.  

Board Member

Customer support was able to help us during our Saturday night event with any issues or tough situations that came up.

Blues & BBQ/Auction Coordinator

The ability to enter donations/auction items, credit the student bringing in the auction item, and then have an online catalog to share, bidsheets, and an easy checkout process at the click of a button has improved the process for us 10-fold.   

Parent volunteer

It keeps all the info in 1 spot and  can easy be passed from user to user as years roll by and positions change.

President/Foundaer

So many options to make your event that much more successful.   Once you learn the ins and outs, you will lvoe it.   Plus, the customer service was fantastic.  

The ability to have multiple photos and video.

Administrative Assistant

The close of the auction went smoothly and processing payments that were not processed by the donor was also easy to do.

Volunteer

I wish there was more flexibility in the format of the bid sheets.

Board Member/Grant Writer

This is key when you are a small non-profit which is managed and facilitated by volunteers.

Treasurer

Auction Management

Customer Support

Navigation

Data Management

Fundraising Events

Donation Tracking

Ease of Use

Email Support

Reporting

Small Business

Mid-size Business

Large Enterprises

Freelancers

Most users consider Silent Auction Pro to offer strong value for money, frequently highlighting its affordability compared to other auction software. They indicate that the platform provides all necessary tools at a price significantly lower than competitors, with many reviewers noting that the modular pricing structure and flexible tiers make it easy to find a plan that fits their needs and budget. Most reviewers indicate that the software’s wide range of features, combined with its reasonable cost, make it especially appealing for organizations seeking a cost-effective solution. They appreciate that the pricing reflects the complexity of their requirements and that capped fees and low fixed costs are beneficial. Users say the ability to use the software multiple times within a year without extra charges adds further value. Some reviewers find that the product is well worth the investment, especially when considering the included customer support and overall functionality. However, some users report that the percentage-based fee model and upfront costs can be challenging for smaller non-profits or those with limited budgets. A few reviewers feel that the price, while lower than some competitors, is still somewhat high or that giving up a percentage of proceeds is a drawback.

SchoolAuction.net is a web-based service designed to manage volunteer-driven auctions and other fundraising events for schools, churches, and nonprofits.

Alerts/Notifications

Buy Now Option

Absentee Bidding

Watch List

Most reviewers indicate that SchoolAuction.net delivers strong value for money, praising its reasonable flat fee, lack of transaction fees, and affordable pricing. Some users feel the price is steep for smaller organizations, but still worthwhile.

By industry, SchoolAuction.net reviewers are most commonly professionals in education management (38%). The most frequent use case cited by reviewers is auction (100%).

Proprietary

Acorn

 Essentials

Plus

Professional

Owner

I have been utilizing SchoolAuction.net for over a decade, for a variety of events presented by a number of nonprofit organizations.

Director

Liked that started bid was already placed on bid sheet and pictures with donors were on there made it nice with lots of items on the table.

I am just tryin to enter the option to buy a beverage and there are 20 boxes to fill out.  

I didn’t realize that if we actually had a gift card to be picked up that they should be under pick up item not gift card because we didn’t need a gift card created.

The user interface is also incredibly intuitive, very easy to follow without unnecessary complexity or confusing terminology.

There was a lot missed when baskets where getting loaded in so double checking at the end to correct those took a lot of time.

The customer service is great - responses to my questions arrive in a short time!  

Technology Specialist

It is easy to bring a crew of volunteers up-to-speed to make the event go smoothly, especially when checkout time comes along.

It would have been nice to have another zoom meeting with someone a couple of weeks before the auction to go over the day of features to make sure we had them.

I'm signed up for their next two as a refresher.

I just attended their Zoom introductory session and it was very helpful ~ an hour well spent.

It was nice that multiple people could be running multiple computers at once

Auction Co-Chair

Easy to use, great help guides, great polished website/user experience for bidders, great reporting functionality

Parent Volunteer

The fact that we can have multiple users concurrently connected to the system, making changes with different access.

Excellent experience both in digital only and live events.

I found it so easy to self-learn the software with the quality of their help guides.

We use this software for all of our fundraising events throughout the year.

Additionally, the fact that we can have multiple users doing dead entry on the night of our event is wonderful.

Not being able to upload multiple item images at once into either the individual catalog listings, or into an in-software image library that is easily accessed from catalog. But that is a MINOR thing!

Initially, we struggled with the way to customize the software.

It also helps us reach a bigger audience by making information available to online users who cannot attend an in-person event.

DIRETOR

my evolution in English, my improvement in pronunciation.

As a volunteer that has an FT job, it was my responsibility to select, implement and use a product for our school auction.  

Teacher

This made our online auction do-able and simple.

Technology consultant

Sofware is geared to set up for a live auction event with bid sheets, etc. Have to manually change each item and ended up missing one.

Silent Auction Team Lead

The other thing that was a challenge was  when I'd enter info and pictures, if I wanted to see how itlooked on the "bidders" page, I'd have to log out and get back into School Auction and go to the Auction tab to see the item.  

Development Director

The ability for folks to bid directly from their device while watching the live-stream makes it easy for guests to bid from anywhere they have wi-fi.

Director of Advancement

Our race software does that. Once you register, it asks if you want to set up a fundraising page and then asks if you want to share that to social media.

Fundraising Chair

Not very customisable for different types of organisations.

PTA Volunteer

Fund Development Chairperson

The software is a bit clunky and not overly intuitive or fast.

Really is created to run school auctions.

The flowchart in the dashboard is somewhat useless; clicking on the steps only referenced help videos that I don't have time for; would be better to jump to the referenced setup menu.

Research Assistant

I think it is a bit expensive, yearly it is starting from  $1000 up to $3000.

School Receptionist and Registrar

Great software if you're in the business to have an online auction.

We might convert one of our other fundraisers into this system.

Uploading auction items and photos is super easy.  

There is a lot to learn & understand when you first set things up, and to really utilize all the features.

Development Coordinator

Catalog searches could be improved if somehow the search included not just the title of the item but the donor as well.

Most attendees would prefer to go to the registration to check out so that they could add a donation easily to their order, but that is not the case.

Admin Asst.

Also, guests should be able to say whether they want to put a max bid in OR choose to do increments; not either or option.  

We leave lots of money on the table because the checkout table is too slow and online does not ask for donations.

Fundraising & Volunteer Engagement Specialist

We like that the video stream, bidding, and chat exist on the same screen.

I wish you could use either logos or text for the sponsor block on the silent auction page.

One example is that they contacted our administrator before the auction started because we had too many items listed as "priceless".  

President/Owner

To have a tool like this during a quarantine period is remarkable and, in my opinion, likely saved some organizations from being forced out of business.

Fundraising Event

Data Entry

Web Access

Customization

Check-In and Check-Out

Pricing

Most reviewers indicate that SchoolAuction.net offers strong value for money, highlighting its reasonable flat fee, lack of transaction fees, and affordability compared to competitors. They appreciate the uncomplicated pricing structure, the ability to use their own payment gateway, and the inclusion of robust features suitable for multiple events and non-profits. Some users feel the price can be steep for smaller organizations, but they find the investment worthwhile due to the software’s ease of use and time-saving benefits. A few reviewers mention that the upfront cost feels high, but most still consider it a good value overall.

Silent Auction Pro vs SchoolAuction.net Comparison (2026)

Silent Auction Pro

SchoolAuction.net

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives