Charity Auctions Today VS Ready Set Auction

CharityAuctionsToday and ReadySetAuction help you run auctions, but they charge fees that reduce your fundraising proceeds. Zeffy gives you auction tools plus donation forms, event ticketing, and donor management — all with zero fees so every dollar raised stays with your mission.

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ReadySetAuction

Charity Auctions Today VS Ready Set Auction

Charity Auctions Today VS Ready Set Auction: 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%.

platform cut plus card fees

N/A.

No pricing information available

Processing fees

3% + $0.30.

2.9% + $0.30.

per credit card transaction via Stripe; Alternative SafeSave rates: 2.89% or 3.39% + $0.30 per transaction, plus $0.30 one-time vault storage fee per card saved

Platform fees

5%.

Starting price for Flex Plan; pricing varies by plan

5%.

platform fee on all transactions (Note: ReadySetAuction's own website states "No hidden fees, no back-end charges" and "you keep 100% of your auction proceeds" - there are conflicting reports)

Monthly fees

$0.

No monthly fees

$0.

No monthly fees; annual subscription plans available

Value for money

4.6.

4.0.

Features

4.0/5.

Auction-focused platform. Requires setup time and training to use all features effectively.

4.7/5.

Streamlined auction tool. Mobile bidding and real-time tracking, but limited beyond auctions.

Donations

Limited donation capabilities - primarily focused on auction-related giving rather than standalone donation processing. Basic donor data collection during auction events.

ReadySetAuction includes basic donation processing capabilities integrated with their auction platform, but focuses primarily on auction-related giving.

Ticketing

Event ticketing available for auction events. Handles registration and ticket sales for fundraising galas and auction nights with basic attendee management.

ReadySetAuction offers event ticketing specifically for auction events, but doesn't provide general event ticketing for other types of fundraising events.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

No peer-to-peer fundraising features. Platform is designed for organization-hosted auction events rather than supporter-led campaigns.

ReadySetAuction doesn't offer peer-to-peer fundraising capabilities - supporters can't create their own fundraising pages or campaigns.

Auctions

CharityAuctionsToday offers comprehensive auction management with live, silent, and online auction formats. Features include bid tracking, payment processing, and donor management tools specifically designed for fundraising events.

ReadySetAuction offers comprehensive auction management with mobile bidding, catalog creation, and real-time bid tracking for live and silent auctions.

Raffles

Basic raffle functionality may be available as part of auction events, but not a standalone feature. Limited compared to dedicated raffle platforms.

ReadySetAuction doesn't include raffle management features - you'd need separate tools to run raffles and manage ticket sales.

Online store

No dedicated online store functionality. Platform focuses exclusively on auction-style fundraising without general merchandise sales capabilities.

ReadySetAuction doesn't provide online store functionality - you'd need additional e-commerce tools to sell merchandise or products outside of auctions.

Memberships

CharityAuctionsToday focuses on auction events only - no built-in membership management or recurring donor tracking capabilities.

ReadySetAuction focuses on auction events rather than ongoing membership management. Limited tools for tracking member relationships beyond auction participation.

Donor Management/CRM

Limited to auction bidder data - lacks full donor profiles, giving history, and relationship management features.

Basic bidder tracking and auction participant data. Limited donor relationship management features beyond auction-specific interactions and bidding history.

Emails & Newsletter

Basic email notifications for auction updates only - no comprehensive donor communication or newsletter tools.

Basic email capabilities for auction announcements and winner notifications. Limited newsletter features compared to dedicated email marketing platforms.

Payment Processing

Processes auction payments with standard credit card fees (2.9% + 30¢) that reduce your fundraising totals.

Processes auction payments with standard credit card fees (2.9% + 30¢) that reduce your fundraising totals.

Payment methods

Credit cards only. No digital wallets or bank transfers

Credit cards only. No modern payment options

Credit Card Payments

Supported - Accepts credit card payments for auction bids, raffle tickets, and donations

Supported - Processes credit card payments through integrated payment gateway for auction bidding

Apple Pay & Google Pay

Not specified - Digital wallet payment options not clearly mentioned on their platform

Not supported - Limited to traditional credit card processing methods for auction payments

ACH / Bank Transfers

Not supported - CharityAuctionsToday focuses on auction and raffle fundraising, not ACH payments

Not supported - ReadySetAuction focuses on auction management without direct ACH payment processing

Tap to Pay App

Not supported - CharityAuctionsToday is web-based auction software without mobile tap-to-pay features

Not supported - ReadySetAuction operates as web-based auction platform without mobile payment apps

Customer Support

4.0/5.

4.7/5.

Unlimited Support

CharityAuctionsToday limits support to business hours only

ReadySetAuction limits support to business hours and may have response time delays during peak auction seasons

Phone Support / Office Hours

CharityAuctionsToday offers phone support during standard business hours

ReadySetAuction offers phone support during standard business hours for urgent technical issues

Webinars

CharityAuctionsToday offers occasional training webinars for auction setup

ReadySetAuction offers periodic training webinars to help nonprofits learn auction best practices and platform features

Help Center

CharityAuctionsToday has a basic help center with setup guides

ReadySetAuction maintains a help center with articles, FAQs, and guides for common auction setup questions

CharityAuctionsToday provides email support during business hours

ReadySetAuction provides email support during business hours for technical questions and account assistance

Nonprofit-Focused Support Team

Email and phone support during business hours with basic help center and occasional training webinars

Business hours support with help center and training webinars, but response delays during peak seasons

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

Calculate savings

How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over CharityAuctionsToday and ReadySetAuction?

Why choose Zeffy over CharityAuctionsToday and ReadySetAuction if you're a nonprofit

💯

Keep 100% of your auction proceeds

CharityAuctionsToday takes 5% plus card fees, and ReadySetAuction charges annual fees plus processing costs. Zeffy charges zero fees, so every bid goes directly to your mission.

💬

Get support when you need it most

CharityAuctionsToday and ReadySetAuction limit support to business hours only. Zeffy offers unlimited email support whenever you need help setting up your auction.

🔗

Run all your fundraising from one place

CharityAuctionsToday and ReadySetAuction only handle auctions. Zeffy lets you run auctions, raffles, donations, memberships, and peer-to-peer campaigns all in one platform.

Frequently asked questions

Why should I choose Zeffy over CharityAuctionsToday for my nonprofit's fundraising?

Zeffy offers 100% free fundraising tools with zero platform fees, while CharityAuctionsToday charges 5% plus card fees. Beyond auctions, you get donations, ticketing, raffles, and peer-to-peer campaigns all in one place.

How does Zeffy's auction platform compare to ReadySetAuction's features?

Unlike ReadySetAuction's annual fees plus card costs, Zeffy charges nothing. You keep 100% of what you raise. Plus, Zeffy includes membership management, online stores, and newsletters that ReadySetAuction doesn't offer.

Can Zeffy handle all my fundraising needs beyond just auctions?

Yes. While auction platforms like CharityAuctionsToday and ReadySetAuction focus only on auctions, Zeffy provides a complete fundraising suite including donations, events, memberships, and peer-to-peer campaigns.

What makes Zeffy different from auction platforms like CharityAuctionsToday?

Zeffy gives you 100% free fundraising tools with zero platform fees, while CharityAuctionsToday takes 5% plus card fees from every dollar you raise. You get auctions plus donations, memberships, and newsletters all in one place.

Why choose Zeffy over ReadySetAuction for my nonprofit's fundraising?

ReadySetAuction charges annual fees plus card costs that eat into your fundraising. Zeffy costs nothing and includes everything you need beyond auctions - donations, peer-to-peer campaigns, and online stores that ReadySetAuction doesn't offer.

Looking for a better option?

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Built for small teams with big missions.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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!