BiddingOwl vs NextLot

BiddingOwl provides online auction and fundraising tools for nonprofits, schools, charities, and other organizations. Organizers can run online, mobile, silent, live, or offline auctions and offer donations, admission and raffle tickets, Fund-a-Need, and paddle raises without separate paid add-ons. Bidders can follow items on a watchlist, set a maximum proxy bid, and receive SMS or email updates about outbids, wins, and events. Organizers can import items from CSV, export item data, manage or duplicate events, and retain their data; one login can manage multiple organizations and simultaneous auctions. Payments can be processed through Stripe or PayPal, or tracked as cash or check by manually marking invoices paid. Traditional silent and live auction services cost nothing; winning online or mobile bids incur a $5, paid once performance fee. Payment processor fees may apply. BiddingOwl is available on Android, iOS, and web. It offers weekday phone and email support and 24/7 critical emergency phone support.

NextLot provides online auction software for auctioneers running branded timed and live webcast auctions on their own websites. Webcasts support HD video and audio streaming, bidding from any device, and the auctioneer’s logo and colors. Timed auctions include list and grid lot views, watchlists, Fast Bidding mode, bid extensions, linked lots, staggered closing groups, multiple quantity bidding, and SMS outbid notifications. The cataloging app supports mobile photos, talk-to-text descriptions, and photos taken offline for later upload. With NextLot Pay, bidders can pay invoices by credit or debit card or ACH; payment methods on file can also be charged automatically. The company describes NextLot Pay as PCI compliant. Marketing services include email campaigns, advertising on auction listing sites, Google AdWords campaigns, targeted Facebook ads, and phone reminders to bidders. NextLot says auctioneers own their bidder data and can view registered bidders and underbidders. It offers account management, 24/7 bidder support, and dedicated auction-day assistance, including nights and weekends. Pricing is on request.