Bidding Owl VS Handbid

BiddingOwl and Handbid help you run mobile bidding auctions, but they charge fees that reduce what you raise for your cause. Zeffy gives you auction tools plus donation forms, event ticketing, and donor management — all with zero fees so every dollar stays with your mission.

Zeffy is trusted by 100,000+ nonprofits

Bidding Owl VS Handbid

Bidding Owl VS Handbid: What nonprofits should know before choosing.

Auctions Platforms Features

Easy Upload of Auction Items

Mobile & Online Bidding (Silent + Live)

Automatic Payment/Checkout for Winners

Real‑Time Outbid Notifications & Bid Tracking

Custom Branding & Auction Page Sharing

Reporting & Exportable Winner/Payment Data

In‑Person Event Support (QR codes, on‑site bidding, checkout)

Pricing

5%.

card fees on winning bids

$1,396+ plus 3.5%.

on winning bids

Processing fees

2.9% + $0.30.

per transaction; Stripe or PayPal processing fees apply

3.5% + $0.30.

per transaction, with higher fees for American Express cards

Platform fees

5%.

performance fee on winning online/mobile auction bids only; traditional silent/live auctions have no platform fee

$0.

No platform or performance fees

Monthly fees

$0.

no monthly or subscription fees

$0.

No monthly fees; annual flat-rate plans available

Value for money

4.9.

4.7.

Features

4.8/5.

Auction-focused platform. Solid bidding management, but requires separate tools for donations, raffles, and donor tracking.

4.7/5.

Mobile-first auction bidding. Real-time notifications work well, but limited beyond auctions. Needs add-ons for raffles and memberships.

Donations

BiddingOwl does not offer standalone donation collection - donations are only processed through auction purchases and event transactions.

Handbid includes donation collection during events but charges processing fees on all transactions.

Ticketing

BiddingOwl offers basic event ticketing as part of their auction event management but not as a standalone ticketing solution.

Handbid provides event ticketing with registration management, though it focuses primarily on auction events.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

BiddingOwl does not offer peer-to-peer fundraising tools or campaign creation capabilities for supporters.

Handbid doesn't support peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns - it's designed for centralized auction events.

Auctions

BiddingOwl offers online auction hosting with bidding management, item cataloging, and payment processing for fundraising events.

Handbid offers mobile bidding with real-time notifications and automated outbid alerts for live and silent auctions.

Raffles

BiddingOwl does not provide dedicated raffle management features - focus is primarily on auction-style bidding events.

Handbid doesn't offer raffle functionality - you'd need additional tools to run raffles alongside your auctions.

Online store

BiddingOwl does not provide general online store functionality - only auction item sales and event-related merchandise.

Handbid doesn't include online store functionality - it's built specifically for auction events only.

Memberships

BiddingOwl doesn't offer membership management features. You'd need separate software to track member data and renewals.

Handbid focuses on auction events rather than ongoing membership management. Limited membership tracking capabilities.

Donor Management/CRM

Basic bidder tracking only. Limited donor profiles and no comprehensive relationship management for ongoing stewardship.

Captures bidder contact information during auctions. Basic donor data collection but limited CRM functionality for relationship building.

Emails & Newsletter

No built-in email marketing tools. You'll need third-party software to communicate with bidders after your auction ends.

Basic email notifications for auction updates and bidding alerts. Limited newsletter and ongoing communication tools.

Payment Processing

Charges 3% + $0.30 per transaction. Processing fees eat into your fundraising dollars with every bid and donation.

Payment methods

Credit cards only for auction bids

Credit cards and mobile wallets for auctions

Credit Card Payments

Supported - Accepts credit card payments for auction bids and donations through their platform

Yes - Accepts major credit cards with processing fees passed to bidders

Apple Pay & Google Pay

Not specified - Digital wallet support not clearly mentioned on their auction platform

Yes - Supports mobile wallet payments for convenient bidding

ACH / Bank Transfers

Not supported - BiddingOwl focuses on auction fundraising, not direct payment processing

Not supported - Handbid focuses on credit card processing for auction payments

Tap to Pay App

Not supported - BiddingOwl is web-based auction software without mobile payment apps

Not supported - No dedicated tap-to-pay functionality for in-person events

Customer Support

4.8/5.

4.7/5.

Unlimited Support

BiddingOwl limits support to business hours only

No - Handbid's support has limitations based on plan level

Phone Support / Office Hours

BiddingOwl offers phone support during standard business hours

Limited - Handbid offers phone support during business hours for higher-tier plans

Webinars

BiddingOwl provides occasional training webinars for auction setup

Yes - Handbid offers training webinars and educational sessions

Help Center

BiddingOwl has a basic help center with setup guides

Yes - Handbid has a help center with documentation and guides

BiddingOwl offers email support during business hours

Yes - Handbid provides email support for users

Nonprofit-Focused Support Team

Email and phone support during business hours with basic help resources

Support access varies by plan with phone help limited to higher tiers

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over BiddingOwl and Handbid?

Why choose Zeffy over BiddingOwl and Handbid if you're a nonprofit

💯

Keep 100% of your auction proceeds

BiddingOwl takes 5% plus card fees and Handbid charges $1,396+ plus 3.5% on winning bids. Zeffy charges zero fees, so your gala auction actually raises money for your mission.

🔧

Run auctions without the tech headaches

BiddingOwl and Handbid only handle auctions, forcing you to juggle multiple platforms for donations and ticketing. Zeffy handles everything in one place.

🤝

Get real support when you need it

BiddingOwl limits support to business hours and Handbid restricts help by plan level. Zeffy offers unlimited support whenever you need it, no restrictions.

Frequently asked questions

Why should I choose Zeffy over BiddingOwl or Handbid for my nonprofit auction?

Unlike BiddingOwl (5% + card fees) and Handbid ($1,396+ plus 3.5% fees), Zeffy charges zero platform fees. Your donors can leave voluntary contributions, but 100% of auction proceeds go directly to your cause.

Can Zeffy handle more than just auctions like other platforms?

Yes. While BiddingOwl and Handbid focus only on auctions, Zeffy offers donations, ticketing, memberships, peer-to-peer campaigns, and online stores all in one platform. Run your entire fundraising operation without juggling multiple tools.

What happens to my donor relationships after my auction ends?

Zeffy includes built-in donor management and email marketing tools to nurture relationships year-round. BiddingOwl and Handbid offer limited donor tracking, requiring you to purchase separate CRM software for ongoing stewardship.

How much will I actually save by switching from BiddingOwl or Handbid to Zeffy?

With BiddingOwl's 5% + card fees and Handbid's $1,396+ plus 3.5% fees, a $10,000 auction costs you $500-$1,746 in platform fees. Zeffy charges zero fees, so that money stays with your mission instead.

Does Zeffy offer the same auction features as specialized platforms like BiddingOwl and Handbid?

Yes. Zeffy provides mobile bidding, real-time notifications, and payment processing just like specialized auction platforms. Plus you get donor management, email marketing, and other fundraising tools they don't offer.

Looking for a better option?

Zeffy was built for nonprofits like yours

focus on what matters

Built for small teams with big missions.

Zeffy is the fundraising platform that cuts out the fees, clears up your tech mess, and puts your cause first — so your team, even if you're a small team wearing many hats or a one-person show, can focus on what really matters.

Start your nonprofit

ZERO-FEE

Keep 100% of every dollar.

No platform fees. No processing fees. No catch. We know it sounds too good to be true, but it's not. Every penny goes straight to your mission, while competitors take 2-3% off every donation.

Start your nonprofit

ALL-IN-ONE PLatform

Ditch the tech mess.

Stop bouncing between MailChimp, Eventbrite, and all those spreadsheets. Now you can handle donations, ticket sales, memberships, raffles, and all your donor info in one spot.

Start your nonprofit

plug-and-play

Get going, fast.

Built for teams like yours — whether you're volunteer-led or have limited staff. Set up donation forms, sell tickets, and launch campaigns without needing a tech wizard. It's super easy, and you'll be up and running in minutes.

Start your nonprofit

mobile-first

Fundraise from every device, anywhere.

From QR codes on flyers to Tap-to-Pay on a phone, Zeffy makes it easy to accept donations on the go. Mobile-optimized and offline-ready, so no donor slips through the cracks.

Start your nonprofit

No turnover

Never lose a donor to volunteer transition.

Centralize supporter relationships, automate thank-you messages, and preserve institutional knowledge when board members rotate out.

Start your nonprofit

100% free forever.

100,000+ nonprofits trust Zeffy — and keep their fees at $0.

For 7+ years, Zeffy has supported nonprofits with free, user-friendly fundraising tools.

As a startup nonprofit with only two members, and no funding (yet) we’d need something with low (or no) fees. Zeffy was a dream come true.

Masey, Loose Ends.

Read the full story

“We were incurring a ton of fees for our past fundraising platform and Zeffy has helped us receive so much more of our donations.”

Zeffy has been invaluable in helping me track our donors, sales, events, and revenue in one spot. The coolest thing about Zeffy is it really is free!

Everything about Zeffy suits us starting with (of course, NO fees) but also the ease of use and customer experience as well as their client support!!

Zeffy is very easy to use and ensures that every dollar quickly gets into our account.. A huge help to our work!

Zeffy is very simple, allows for a lot of customization and seamlessly integrates into our website. The fact that all of this is free is still wild to me.

We couldn't believe there was a free payment platform for our Girl Scout group. Zeffy took ZERO fees from us, which is huge when you run on very small amounts of money.

We were ready to sell tickets in less than 30 minutes. The reporting capabilities were better than some other paid-for sites.

Since using Zeffy, our conversion rate of donations has skyrocketed. It's an easy platform to use. Plus customer support has always been responsive and helpful!