# BiddingOwl.com Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is BiddingOwl.com the right Auction solution for you? Explore 132 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/130932/BiddingOwl-com/reviews --- BiddingOwl.com 4.8 (132) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/130932/BiddingOwl-com/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated June 3rd, 2026 # Reviews of BiddingOwl.com Ease of use 4.7 Customer Service 4.9 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews LN LA N Volunteer, Chair of Silent Auction CommitteeNon-Profit Organization Management, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “This year we added tickets/donation options for funding spays and neuters and those dollars went straight to the rescue with no platform fees! And their customer service is top notch - fast, friendly, and right the first time! “ June 17, 2026 LN LA N Volunteer, Chair of Silent Auction CommitteeNon-Profit Organization Management, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “We had some bidders who had difficulty checking out.“ June 17, 2026 LH Lynne H Art DirectorGraphic Design, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Photos upload quickly and allow the viewer to see larger views of an item.“ May 17, 2026 CK Cherie K SecretaryNon-Profit Organization Management, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Initial problems during setup, some functionality from the old version was missing from the new version (not sure if it's been updated).“ March 11, 2024 DF Donna F CoordinatorCivic & Social Organization, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It helps with tracking of our items throughout our auction acquisition process and facilitates easy reconciliation of payments .“ May 31, 2024 GW Georgette W Volunteer Committee MemberCivic & Social Organization, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The initial with the new site setup was a bit time consuming and confusing. “ March 20, 2024 LN LA N Volunteer, Chair of Silent Auction CommitteeNon-Profit Organization Management, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Easy to use, great customer service, and a great value. “ June 17, 2026 DF Donna F CoordinatorCivic & Social Organization, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “There were a few changes made in the new biddingowl that we were not originally happy with. “ May 31, 2024 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 132 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Courtney R. Volunteer Orca PTSA Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Orca K8 PTSA Auction Review" May 31, 2024 5.0 We had a lot of help transitioning from the older Bidding Owl site, making our current auction excellent, and every exchange with customer service was quick, professional, and positive. Pros The customer service and the website was so easy to set up and use for our school auction. Cons We had a great experience. I would say maybe the only thing that would have been helpful is if you had automatically charges bidders and asked for credit cards up front. That would make fulfillment easier. Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com We had used it before in our 2022 auction and likes it. Switched from [Greater Giving](https://www.capterra.com/p/127257/Event-Software/) Ease of use for setup and navigating the website. The cost was much better and great customer service Review Source LN LA N. Volunteer, Chair of Silent Auction Committee Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The Owl and the Pussycat! Great Success with our Bidding Owl-Hosted Auction! " June 17, 2026 5.0 Fantastic! So glad we selected them in 2025. Easy to use, great customer service, and a great value. They continue to improve the overall online and mobile experience. Pros This was our second year to use the Bidding Owl platform to raise money for our local cat rescue, and we continue to really like it. It's easy to use and manage your auction, there are no fees up front, and you only pay for the online auction totals (NOT ticket sales or general donations) so that really helps your fundraising. This year we added tickets/donation options for funding spays and neuters and those dollars went straight to the rescue with no platform fees! And their customer service is top notch - fast, friendly, and right the first time! I'm already starting to think about our auction next year and we will continue to use Bidding Owl. Cons We had some bidders who had difficulty checking out. We were prepared with a workaround (just in case) and it didn't have any dramatic effects on our auction check out. It would be ideal if Bidding Owl could set up the bidder accounts with a credit card on file so that a 3rd party platform isn't necessary (unless you don't want to give them your CC). Maybe a future upgrade! Alternatives considered [Eventgroove](https://www.capterra.com/p/203508/Eventgroove/)[Silent Auction Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/92365/Silent-Auction-Pro/)[Givebutter](https://www.capterra.com/p/172048/Givebutter/) Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com Personal prior experience, strong recommendation from another local nonprofit, local (Michigan) business, woman-owned/run Review Source AL Aryn L. Executive Director Environmental Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Bidding Owl for our Organization" June 30, 2020 5.0 Overall it was a great resource for our stopgap online auction. It was quick and easy to set-up, and you can't beat the fees, especially for a small nonprofit and small auction. We would consider using the software again, however if we were putting on a larger and more complicated online auction, we might consider a more sophisticated and intuitive system. Pros I like how it is a simple platform that allows you to get an auction up and running very quickly. I found most of the set-up intuitive, although there were a few things that required some trial and error. Cons A lot of individuals looking to bid on items had trouble figuring out how to do so. We had to create our own instructions and instructional videos to add to our home page to guide users through the process. I wish there were instructional videos front and center on each auction welcome page, so we didn't have to create that and guide people how to use the site. Also, the information on how to bid using increments was difficult for people. I wish the minimum increment information was more easily identifiable with instructions on how to bid on each item listing, or that the system automatically suggested the next applicable bid amount based on the increments in the bid field. Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com We choose bidding owl because of the low cost for the software. It allowed us to test out doing Online Auctions without a huge investment. Review Source LH Lynne H. Art Director Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Online Auctions with BiddingOwl: Simply the Best" May 17, 2026 5.0 This is my 6th time using BiddingOwl and I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate the ease-of-use to setup and manage an online auction, and the responsive support team behind BiddingOwl. My online auctions run smoothly start to finish! Pros Previous bidders from past auctions can be brought over to new auction. Photos upload quickly and allow the viewer to see larger views of an item. BiddingOwl support is a phone call or email away and you can expect efficient, courteous responses to any question, big or small. Live auctions are automatically featured on their Featured Auctions page. Cons A bit more online help would be useful to tell auction managers what to do if...for example, a winning bidder is located out of the country and additional shipping charges need to be added to their invoice. Switched from [SchoolAuction.net](https://www.capterra.com/p/106652/SchoolAuction-net/) Lower cost, better support with BiddingOwl. Review Source RV Renee V. Board of Directors Vice President Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best AUCTION site" November 5, 2024 5.0 Excellent, on computer challenged and I felt supported using this program for our online auction Pros It’s very easy to navigate. And plenty of phone support when needed. Cons Can’t think of anything. I’m computer challenged and I felt very supported. Switched from [Givebutter](https://www.capterra.com/p/172048/Givebutter/) BiddingOwl seemed easier to use and support was excellent Review Source JG Jennifer G. President Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Bidding Owl Helped Make Our Auction A Huge Success" September 20, 2024 5.0 It's been wonderful. I couldn't imagine running a successful auction of our size (over 100 items) without it. And it's been great that the team has been so responsive to our questions either via email or phone. Pros The website is very intuitive. It was easy to load auction items, use AI when necessary to write engaging descriptions, easy to edit and add photos, etc. etc. All my auction needs were met and the display is very attractive. Cons Some of our bidders weren't sure that their bids went through. I think there should be a confirmation of initial registration and bids, rather than only when a person has been outbid. Alternatives considered [BetterWorld](https://www.capterra.com/p/237618/BetterWorld/) Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com We liked that Bidding Owl gave the option for guests to purchase event tickets through the same link. It made it very easy to keep track of rsvps and collect money up front. Review Source DF Donna F. Coordinator Civic & Social Organization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "2024 Kayak for the Warriors Auction" May 31, 2024 4.0 Overall our experience with biddingowl is positive. We have been able to increase our auction revenue without locking into an annual fee, as we only hold one event per year. The support has been timely and efficient. The payment processor was easy enough to just have members of our team jump in and help accept payments at our event. It helps with tracking of our items throughout our auction acquisition process and facilitates easy reconciliation of payments . Pros We were first drawn to biddingowl because there are no annual fees. We are a charity organization looking to maximize the monies being donated to our cause. The fee structure of 5% of the high bids is in-line with other competitive auction processing. Cons There were a few changes made in the new biddingowl that we were not originally happy with. We contacted their support and appreciated the quick response. Some things they were able to help us with right away, other are being slotted as future release enhancements. We appreciate that they listened and took our opinions into account Alternatives considered [BetterWorld](https://www.capterra.com/p/237618/BetterWorld/)[Givebutter](https://www.capterra.com/p/172048/Givebutter/) Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com BiddingOwl offered more pictures per item, link to donor webpages and we are more familiar with their product. Support was also an issue. Review Source KG Kieran G. Operations Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Easy to use" May 17, 2024 4.0 Overall it has been very intuitive and efficient to use. Pros BiddingOwl was easy to set up and add item. Looking forward to running the auction and its performance. Cons Nothing so far. BiddingOwl has met all of my needs. Alternatives considered [Givebutter](https://www.capterra.com/p/172048/Givebutter/)[RallyUp](https://www.capterra.com/p/182398/RallyUp/) Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com Ease of Use. Simplified and not overly complicated. Review Source JR Jamie R. President Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Absolutely fantastic for fundraising and the best customer service!" August 21, 2020 5.0 Their price point for non-profits can not be beat! Personal one-on-one service and a great piece of software. Pros Bidding Owl has revolutionized the way that our non-profit organization is able to fundraise! Previously we were only able to reach people at in-person events and with the ease of use, registration process, and ease of sharing to the world, we have raised 20 times as much money. It's really astounding. The best part has truly been the customer service! Very helpful to walk through all the set-up steps to ensure we had everything correct before launching. Plus they've also been really quick to help me and my bidders when we needed help. Will absolutely use again and planning on using it for another non-profit that I volunteer with. A+++++ Cons Would be great if the short url code worked on social media, much easier to market and have others share. Not a huge deal, though. Alternatives considered [32auctions](https://www.capterra.com/p/173097/32auctions/) Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com Customization of site, price point/commission, and options for functionality. Review Source LB Laura B. Director Fund-Raising Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Victoria Gardens" March 10, 2026 5.0 Ease of use for both manager and bidders for a very low tech community was amazing. Additionally using QR codes on an item by item basis really helped. Pros We are a group of long retired women and my old IT roll got me the job of running our silent auction. Implementing and using Bidding Owl was unbelievably easy and the software managed our auction process flawlessly. I would recommend this option for any organization or company without a second thought. Cons Really dislike PayPal as an option, went with Stripe and worked out fine. PayPal has had data leaks too many times to count. Review Source BE BARBARA E. VOLUNTEER Public Relations and Communications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Bidding Owl-A Review" November 4, 2023 5.0 Overall our experience has been very good from the set-up to the final invoicing! Pros We like the 'look' of the auction pages! It is an improvement to be able to add 5 photos to each item. Also, the bids are easy to make and bidders can be reminded if they lose a bid. Support is very prompt and helpful! Cons Some of the instructions are a bit hard to understand-ie at the top of Item Management. Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com The auction manager before me chose it and we liked it so we continued. Review Source HJ Heather J. Foundation Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Three on-line auctions supported; we have had great experiences" May 5, 2023 5.0 Bidding Owl has allowed our Foundation to extend our Fundraising across the Province that we serve, which is a great boost for us. Pros The best part of my personal experience has been the friendly, efficient, and helpful staff who have responded to any of my questions. Cons There are a couple of aesthetic things I would like to see changed (eg. removal of categories not used in our on-line auction), and I would like to be able to load more than one picture at a time. However, these are insignificant against the overall ease and efficiency of the program. Review Source LP LORNA P. President Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "So glad we found Bidding Owl!" October 19, 2020 5.0 Although our organization supports work that involves over 250,000 kids in Africa, we have no paid employees (not an option to select at the beginning of this survey). So we wanted something that would be easy for multiple people to use. The reason we went with BO was because they actually had a phone number and somebody to talk to. They have EXCELLENT customer service, always getting back quickly, even providing an emergency after-hours number. Pros We tried an online auction for the first time, due to COVID closing down the school where we usually had our physical auction. This product was very user-friendly and intuitive. The tutorials were helpful as well. The item presentations looked very professional, with pictures and as much space as you needed for descriptions. I could even cut and paste pictures and descriptions from websites for items that could be found online. People said they found it easy to sign up. We ran the auction for a week and people enjoyed being able to bid from home. There are also options for "text me if I'm outbid" and putting in a maximum bid that you will automatically go up to. People found it fun to get those alerts! We had people participate who normally wouldn't have attended an auction in person. Cons The biggest issue was the inability to add a donation at checkout. BO says they are planning to add this feature in an upgrade next month. The other issue was multiple "you won an item" notifications at the end, and it wasn't very intuitive to see how to get to the payment page. I believe this is also going to be streamlined in the upcoming BO software update. Almost all of our people paid right away so we didn't have to chase down anybody for payment. We set up two options for pickup at a specified location - a weeknight and a Saturday. Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com We looked at many online auction websites but BO was this was the only one with a phone number to ask questions. We were sort of afraid to try an online auction but BO put us at ease & showed us how simple it was. Review Source MK Michael K. CEO Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Does exactly what it says and exactly what we need" February 8, 2023 5.0 Amazing!!! Pros How easy it was to learn and setup and then pass off to others for management of the events is priceless. Cons No real cons that I have found as they are very helpful. Review Source WT Wendy T. Silent Auction Chair Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Would Reccomend" May 7, 2024 5.0 I have used it 3-4 years now and like it Pros How easy it was for people to see the items and use Cons They changed the website and there was a learning curve, but not terrible Review Source LK Leah K. Auction chair Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Auction with Ease" March 6, 2023 5.0 Being able to raise money by using bidding owl helps the school so much with enrichment programs. Pros The ability to create edit and use for a elementary auction is welcomed. We have had many successes due to biddy now being easy to use for everyone. Cons Payment. I wish there was a way to keep credit cards on file to ease check out. Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com What you get for the money seemed a better fit. Review Source GW Georgette W. Volunteer Committee Member Civic & Social Organization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Bidding Owl works for us" March 20, 2024 5.0 The initial with the new site setup was a bit time consuming and confusing. After that set up the ease of adding items was good. I like the new photo adding system. Pros Customer Support is great. Ease of listing items is good. Photo adding has improved with the new revisions of the site. Cons I did like the old Leaderboard functions. It gave greater detail and breakdown. Also the new version does not have an "Expiration date" field. That was a good reminder to list expiration dates. Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com Seemed to be good value. Stayed with it for 4 years. Review Source BH Brittany H. Cyber Auction Chair Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "BiddingOwl is user friendly and fantastic!" September 20, 2023 5.0 We use biddingowl every year for our cyber auction and we love it! Pros Item management! It’s so easy to add items and edit them. Cons The cost. We didn’t love having to take money out of our fundraiser to pay for it but it’s okay! Review Source JN Joel N. Data Analyst Information Technology and Services Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "BiddingOwl Review" June 11, 2019 5.0 Lets you plan online auction with less hassle. Adding items for auctioning is simple and you can add them prior to the day of auctioning. It also reaches a wider audience in the most convenient way. Online auction is way simpler thanks to BidOwl and smart devices. Pros One of the best thing about online world is being able to reach many people, and working with this software just shows how sometimes you can limit yourself when you stick to traditional systems of handling business. The software lets you track the entire auction process in real time. You can tell how you're performing and track progress to identify trends. Reports on auction activities can also be saved for future references in case you want to know which direction is best for your next online auction. No one is good at everything and you have to learn and try new things. Great customer support makes it possible to wrap your head around the tool and be able to take off just in good time. It's also cost-effective, which lets you focus more on revenue maximization. Since you can reach a wider audience, good planning and execution can get you tremendous results It's very user-friendly. Adding items for auction on the tool is much simpler with templates. Also, you can add items prior to the big day so your bidders can get to know what's available. Cons There should be an option that lets you print bidding sheets. Drag and drop feature isn't available. Would be a good thing to have. Review Source Response from BiddingOwl.com November 14, 2019 Thank you so much for your feedback! We wanted to make sure that you knew that there is an option to automatically print your bid sheets in a run through the Print section of your Auction Administrators page. If you ever need any assistance please feel free to give us a call! TR Tracy R. Board Presidentg Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Great Customer Support" October 17, 2020 5.0 Customer service was THE BEST!!! No matter how many times I called with nit-picky questions, they were friendly and patient. They always had an answer when I screwed something up. I love that they can test the site to make sure everything works properly before going "live." Pros User friendly, and the fact that you had a live-body to talk to if you had questions. User defaults made the process fast. Cons Accommodating a Raffle (admission tickets) was a little tricky, but doable. Fund-A-Need was hard to find for bidders. I think we could've raised more money on Fund-A-Need had those items been more prominently displayed or found. I wrote instructions, but I have a new mantra: "Nobody reads, and nobody listens!" I'm going to put it on a T-shirt. Would like a "Bidding Owl" button to put on our website vs. the link. Just a little more fun. Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com Access to a telephone number and price. Review Source LD Laura D. Office Administrator Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Bidding Owl Great for Small Nonprofits!" October 19, 2022 4.0 Great way to make the auction process easy for the bidder and the host! Pros We have used Bidding Owl for 3 years as an ancillary fundraiser to our Banquet, and found it especially helpful, both used as a stand-alone online auction, and also used in conjunction (once things opened up after COVID) with an in-person, but bidding online auction. It worked just great to get things done, but also lets people start bidding in advance of the event. Cons Only allows use of PayPal as a payment source for users. Review Source IA Isabel A. Program Director Museums and Institutions Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great for Online Auctions" October 24, 2023 4.0 Overall a great experience, we've used it multiple times and plan to again in the future! Pros BiddingOwl worked very well for our non-profit's annual auctions. It's easy to learn how to use and it was intuitive for our bidders too. It offers flexibility and customization, and the support system was fairly helpful. It's much less expensive than the other vendors we looked at and we are overall happy with how our events went. Cons I've had a few unhelpful replies from customer support. It can be tedious to edit all of your items, for example if you want to renumber them. A few bidders had trouble figuring out how to checkout. Uploading images sometimes produced errors. Review Source VX Valentine X. VP Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Out Not-For-Profit Business experience of Bidding Owl" August 26, 2019 5.0 It was great. We initially thought the SMS alerts were not working but in fact they were and worked fantastic! Having a different pricing structure for NFP (Not For Profit) organisations would definitely get more customers their way. Pros We liked how easy it was to enter the the Bidding Item, the Donor and the bidding specifics, such as Market Value, Start and Bidding increments. We also like the ease of updating these details. The Multiple edit options to change from Silent to Online auction was really great as it saved as individually going thorough each item and manually changing it! Cons Not many, except we are based in Australia, and even thought the Bidding End Date and time was shown, the countdown clock was showing what I'm guessing was Michigan Time zone. Although this could have been our fault for not configuring it properly. I'm sure there is an easy fix for it, otherwise we couldn't find any faults with it. Reason for choosing BiddingOwl.com Being web based and the end user not having to install yet another App onto their phone, the cost for running it and most important for us, we required SMS alerts as opposed to email or via an App alerts. Review Source CL Cynthia L. volunteer Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Perfect for first time online auction for school fundraiser" May 8, 2019 5.0 Since i am typing this review before the auction ends, my overall experience is good. This is the first time our school moves from traditional paper silent auction to online bidding. We'll see how much this is better than the traditional way. Pros With the simple and easy-to-enter templates, i got a bunch of items online in no time. Customer support replied to email within a day. With the software, we can now let parents to see what items are on auction before the day of event. Cons it would be nice if they support more than 1 count of an item in an auction. i don't want to have 12 identical items on a page because we have received 12 of them. it would be better if we can limit the site to invitation only. Review Source KQ Kathi Q. Treasurer Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fantastic site and great customer service!" September 9, 2018 5.0 We have used this for our yearly on line auction for 4 years with great results. It is our biggest fund raiser of the year. It is a way to raise money that is successful for our rescue and people have a lot of fun using Bidding Owl. They have told us they look forward to this auction every year. Pros It is easy to use and the customer service is top notch! This is the 4th year we have used Bidding Owl and have been more than pleased each time. Cons In all honesty I can't say that there is anything that we have not been pleased with while using this service. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.