PaddleUp vs ReadySetAuction

PaddleUp provides event and fundraising software for schools and nonprofits, covering jog-a-thons, galas, auctions, and online sales. Campaign dashboards bring fundraising goals, settings, and related activities together. The platform supports live, silent, and online auctions, with mobile bidding; staff can use its iOS app to set up and monitor events in person. Ticketing covers registration and attendee check-in, and seating links tables and guests to the ticket roster. Bid sheet tools include printable sheets with QR anchors, photo uploads, and AI-assisted read-back against registered bidders. Stripe processes card and ACH payments, and the staff app can pair with Stripe Terminal Bluetooth readers for on-site sales. Organizations can use API keys and webhooks, with staff MCP tools for custom workflows and AI-assisted operations. The maker says sensitive attendee and bidder contact fields are encrypted with AES-256-GCM and per-organization keys managed through AWS KMS in production; service traffic uses TLS. Stripe handles card numbers and records payouts and refunds. There is no monthly platform subscription; Stripe processing fees apply, and AI tokens are pay-as-you-go.

ReadySetAuction is cloud-based auction management software for nonprofits running silent, live, mobile, and online fundraising auctions. It manages donors, donations, guests, seating, meal choices, auction packages, check-in, checkout, and receipts. Organizers can produce print-ready catalogs, bid sheets, and display sheets, then export them to Microsoft Word for layout changes. Bidders use a web browser on a phone, tablet, or computer for mobile or online bidding without downloading an app. Plan features differ: ESSENTIALS costs $1,099 per year and does not list mobile or online bidding; Select costs $1,499 per year and adds a hosted auction site, online ticket and sponsorship sales, and self-checkout; COMPLETE costs $1,999 per year and includes online and mobile bidding. A free 15-day limited trial is available. The pricing page lists 90 days of electronic bidding around an event, while the FAQ describes eCatalog access from 45 days before through 45 days after. The product integrates with DonorPerfect and provides an import report. Card processing requires a compatible merchant account.