Free silent auction software
Free silent auction software, set up for you
Stop renting a platform that takes a cut of every lot. I build your charity a commission-free silent auction website in your own branding, loaded with your lots and ready to go, so 100% of every bid goes to your cause.
In short
- Kevin builds you a silent auction platform in your charity’s own branding, loaded with every lot and ready to go before the doors open.
- It runs the whole night: silent, live and sealed-bid auctions, a tiered pledge with Gift Aid, ticketing, check-in and a live gala screen for the room.
- 0% commission and direct Stripe payments, so every pound goes straight to your cause.
- Full mobile bidding with start, reserve and buy-now prices, proxy bidding and automatic winner charging.
- You set your own reserves, so inflated third-party mark-ups never siphon off your donors’ budgets.
- Ask for any functionality you need and I will build it in.
- It is included when you hire me and stays live for three months after your event.
Why is most silent auction software not really free?
Most silent auction software is not free at all. The typical silent auction company rents you their platform for a single night, keeps control of your donor data, and takes a percentage of everything you raise. They also set reserve prices on their own consignment lots far above true value, so your charity only sees the money raised above those reserves, often a small slice of each lot.
I do it the other way round. Instead of renting you software for one night, I build your charity a professional silent auction website on WordPress and WooCommerce, designed in your branding and populated with every lot before the doors open. No commission, no forced lots and no inflated reserves. The platform is yours for the event and stays live for three months afterwards, and the donor data and every pound raised belong to your charity.
Side by side
A rented platform vs a site built for you
| What matters | Traditional silent auction company | The Charity Auctioneer method |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | Commission on every item | 0% commission, you keep 100% |
| Platform | Rented for one night | Built for your charity, in your branding |
| Lots | Geared to their consignment items | Sourced in-house, you keep the margin |
| Reserves | High reserves, low profit for you | You set the price for maximum profit |
| After the event | The site is deleted the moment the night ends | Stays live for three months after the night |
| Payments | Routed through them as middleman | Direct Stripe, funds go straight to you |
What the software does
Everything your fundraising night needs, built in
It started as a silent auction run from your guests’ phones, and it now runs the whole night: silent, live and sealed-bid auctions, a tiered pledge with Gift Aid, ticketing and check-in, and a live gala screen for the room. No apps to download, no per-lot fees, and nothing deleted when the night ends. Try it for yourself on the live demo site, here is what it does out of the box.
See it in action
Silent, live and sealed-bid auctions
Run all three formats from your guests’ phones, with outbid alerts, anti-snipe protection that pushes the close back when a late bid lands, and an auction clock the room can follow.
Tiered pledge with Gift Aid
Run the live pledge in tiers, from a headline gift down to a level anyone can reach, with HMRC Gift Aid worked out automatically and regular or matched giving built in.
Ticketing and check-in
Sell tickets in tiers with a live counter, issue an individual e-ticket to every guest, and check them in on the door with a QR scan and an interactive table plan.
Live gala screen
Put a projector-ready screen in front of the room showing the lots, animated bid alerts, the running total and how far the pledge has climbed, so the whole night is visible.
Direct Stripe payments
Funds go straight to your own Stripe account with no middleman and no commission. Cards on file are charged when the auction closes, and Apple Pay and Google Pay are built in.
Run the whole event
Message guests by email, SMS or WhatsApp, run a raffle, hand out team tasks, open peer-to-peer fundraising pages and export every donor to your CRM afterwards.
Works without venue wifi
An on-site event server can run the whole room from its own network, so bidding, pledging and checkout keep working even when the venue internet does not.
Built around your event
Designed in your branding and loaded with every lot, ticket and anything else you are selling, ready before the doors open. Ask for any functionality you need and I will add it.
How do inflated reserves quietly cost you thousands?
Inflated reserves cost you thousands because they spend your donors’ budgets before your real fundraising even begins. Picture a guest, call him Dave, who arrives ready to give £2,000. He spots a villa in the silent auction brochure with a £2,000 reserve, when its true cost is closer to £995. He bids, feels good, and is now emotionally spent.
When the live auction and pledge come round, Dave is out. He has already given his £2,000. And if he wins that villa, the silent auction company keeps most of the difference while your charity is left with a few pounds. Multiply that across a room and the cost is enormous.
Owning your platform removes the middleman entirely. You source lots in-house, set honest reserves, and keep every pound above cost. I also work the room on the night, driving last-minute bids and keeping guests engaged for the live auction and pledge drive too.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is the silent auction software really free?
There is no commission and no per-lot fee, so your charity keeps 100% of every bid. I build the platform for you as part of working together, and it stays live for three months after your event, so there is no ongoing licence cost to a software company.
How long do I have the platform for?
The platform is included when you hire Kevin, and it stays live for three months after your event, so you have time to settle payments, thank your donors and follow up properly.
Is the platform branded and set up for my charity?
Yes, that is the whole point. It is designed in your branding, populated with all your auction lots, tickets and anything else you are selling, and configured before your event so there is nothing technical for you to do. Tell me what functionality you want adding and I will build it in.
How do guests pay for winning lots?
Payments run through your own Stripe account, so funds go straight to your charity with no middleman. Winners receive a direct checkout link, and cards can be charged automatically when the auction closes to reduce unpaid bids.
Do guests need to download an app to bid?
No. The whole silent auction runs in a normal web browser on your guests’ phones. They register, add a card and bid from wherever they are sitting.
Do I have to use your auction lots?
No. Unlike a consignment model, you source lots in-house and keep the full margin. I help you choose items and set honest reserves, so more of every bid reaches your cause.
Can I run a live auction and pledge on the same night?
Yes, and most events do. The silent auction warms the room up, while the live auction and pledge drive are usually where the biggest totals are made. I run all three so they work together.
Let’s talk
See the software in action
Ask for a free, no-obligation demo and see how easy it is to run your own commission-free silent auction.