Bid Beacon vs Generosity Works
Bid Beacon
bidbeacon.comGenerosity Works
generosityworks.co.ukSide by side
| Figure | Bid Beacon | Generosity Works |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | £82.92/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Fundraising Event Software | 7.7 (#16) | 8.9 (#4) |
| Integrations | Bid Beacon integrates with CommuniBee and Raffle Rocket. | Virtual auctions accept YouTube, Vimeo or Zoom links and derive the embeddable URL automatically. |
| Maker | Bid Beacon is owned and managed by Launch57, a Canadian mobile software development company. | Generosity Works was founded by Kevin Durham, who built the platform himself after working in television and charity fundraising. |
| Payments | Full auctions use Express Banking through Stripe Connect, with automatic winner charging when items close. | Customers enter their own Stripe keys so payments settle directly into the charity's account, with Generosity Works not holding funds or adding transaction fees. |
| Support | Email customer support and live Bid Beacon 101 group sessions are available. | The maker offers a discovery call and lists [email protected] and 07596 851647 as contact details. |
Plans
Generosity Works
- Platform with Kevin as auctioneer or hostFree
- Platform with Kevin DurhamFree
- Platform on its own£995 a year
- Software-only annual licence£995 a year
In their own words
Bid Beacon
Bid Beacon has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Generosity Works
Generosity Works provides charity fundraising event software for auctions, pledges, ticketing, Gift Aid, and table planning. Auctions can be silent, live, or sealed-bid, with outbid alerts, anti-snipe, tablet mode, and bidding without an account. Event tools include tiered live pledges, automatic HMRC Gift Aid splitting, ticket tiers, tables of ten, VIP packages, named guests, and per-guest QR codes. An on-site event server can run an evening without venue Wi-Fi, while QR check-in does not depend on a third-party API. Charities connect their own Stripe keys so payments settle into their accounts; Generosity Works says it does not hold funds or add transaction fees. Guest communication supports email, SMS, and WhatsApp, and supporter records can be exported for CRM import. Virtual auctions can use YouTube, Vimeo, or Zoom links, but the product does not encode, mix, or broadcast video. It is designed for events serving roughly 50 to 1,000 people. A free option includes the platform with Kevin as auctioneer or host; the standalone licence is £995 a year.