Charity Auctions Today VS Silent Auction Pro

CharityAuctionsToday and Silent Auction Pro help you run 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

Charity Auctions Today VS Silent Auction Pro

Charity Auctions Today VS Silent Auction Pro: 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

2%.

Annual fee + card fees

Processing fees

3% + $0.30.

2.9%.

Credit card processing via Worldpay with no per-transaction fees; 3% surcharge for paying invoice by credit card

Platform fees

5%.

Flex Plan platform fee; pricing varies by plan

2.0%.

of all auction proceeds (items, tickets, donations, fund-a-need), capped at $3,500 per event

Monthly fees

$0.

No monthly fees

$0.

No monthly fees; annual subscription plans range from $449/year to $899/year depending on plan

Value for money

4.6.

N/A.

Features

4.0/5.

Solid auction platform, but transaction fees eat into fundraising revenue

N/A.

Auction-focused tool with steep processing fees and limited beyond-event features

Donations

Limited donation capabilities - primarily focused on auction payments rather than general fundraising

Limited donation capabilities - primarily processes payments through auction sales rather than standalone donation forms or campaigns.

Ticketing

No event ticketing capabilities - auction platform only

Basic event registration for auction attendees but no comprehensive ticketing system for multiple event types or venues.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

No peer-to-peer fundraising tools available

No peer-to-peer fundraising tools - concentrates on centralized auction events rather than supporter-driven campaigns.

Auctions

Offers online auction hosting with bidding features, but charges processing fees on every transaction

Silent Auction Pro offers comprehensive auction management with mobile bidding, item tracking, and checkout processing for live and silent auctions.

Raffles

Basic raffle features available, but with transaction fees that reduce your fundraising revenue

No dedicated raffle features - specializes in auction formats rather than raffle or lottery-style fundraising activities.

Online store

No dedicated online store functionality - auction-focused platform only

No online store functionality - designed specifically for auction events rather than ongoing merchandise or product sales.

Memberships

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

Silent Auction Pro focuses on auction events only - no built-in membership management or recurring donor tracking capabilities

Donor Management/CRM

Tracks bidder information during auctions but lacks full donor relationship management. Limited contact history and engagement tracking beyond auction activity.

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

Emails & Newsletter

Basic email notifications for auction updates and bidding alerts. No dedicated newsletter tools or donor communication features outside of auction events.

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

Payment Processing

Processes auction payments with credit card fees passed to your donors. Additional transaction costs reduce your fundraising revenue from winning bids.

Payment methods

Credit cards only, no modern payment options

Credit Card Payments

Supported - Accepts credit card payments for auction bids and donations through integrated payment processing

Supported - Accepts credit card payments through integrated payment processors for auction items

Apple Pay & Google Pay

Not specified - Payment method options not clearly detailed on their platform

Not supported - Limited to traditional credit card processing methods

ACH / Bank Transfers

Not supported - CharityAuctionsToday focuses on auction management, not direct payment processing

Not supported - Silent Auction Pro focuses on auction management, not direct payment processing

Tap to Pay App

Not supported - CharityAuctionsToday is web-based auction software without mobile payment app functionality

Not supported - No mobile tap-to-pay functionality available

Customer Support

4.0/5.

N/A.

Unlimited Support

CharityAuctionsToday limits support to business hours only

Silent Auction Pro limits support to business hours and paid plans

Phone Support / Office Hours

CharityAuctionsToday offers phone support during standard business hours

Silent Auction Pro offers phone support during standard business hours

Webinars

CharityAuctionsToday provides occasional training webinars for auction setup

Silent Auction Pro provides training webinars for auction setup and management

Help Center

CharityAuctionsToday has a basic help center with auction guides and FAQs

Silent Auction Pro has a knowledge base with auction guides and FAQs

CharityAuctionsToday offers email support during business hours

Silent Auction Pro offers email support during business hours

Nonprofit-Focused Support Team

Email and phone support during business hours with auction-focused training webinars

Support access depends on plan with business-hours phone and email help

Zeffy is 100% free, always.

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How is Zeffy free?

Why Zeffy over CharityAuctionsToday and Silent Auction Pro?

Why choose Zeffy over CharityAuctionsToday and Silent Auction Pro if you're a nonprofit

💰

CharityAuctionsToday and Silent Auction Pro take 5-7% of every bid

Zeffy charges zero fees on auction sales, so 100% of winning bids go directly to your cause instead of platform costs

🧰

Auction platforms limit you to one fundraising method

Zeffy offers auctions plus raffles, donations, ticketing, and peer-to-peer campaigns all in one platform for year-round fundraising

🛟

Business-hour support leaves you stuck during events

Zeffy provides unlimited support whenever you need help, not just during standard business hours when your event might be running

Frequently asked questions

Why should I choose Zeffy over CharityAuctionsToday or Silent Auction Pro for my nonprofit's fundraising?

Zeffy offers 100% free fundraising tools with no platform fees, transaction costs, or annual charges. Unlike CharityAuctionsToday's 5% platform cut or Silent Auction Pro's annual fees plus 2% charges, every dollar raised goes directly to your cause.

Can Zeffy handle more than just auctions for our nonprofit events?

Yes! While auction platforms only focus on bidding events, Zeffy provides a complete fundraising suite including donations, raffles, ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, and online stores. Run all your fundraising activities from one platform without paying multiple fees.

How does Zeffy's support compare to other auction platforms?

Zeffy provides unlimited support via email and phone calls during business hours at no extra cost. Unlike competitors who limit support to business hours only or charge for premium assistance, our team helps you succeed without hidden fees.

How much money will I actually keep with Zeffy compared to auction platforms?

With Zeffy, you keep 100% of what you raise. CharityAuctionsToday takes 5% plus card fees, while Silent Auction Pro charges annual fees plus 2% and card fees. On a $10,000 auction, you'd lose $500+ to fees with competitors but keep every dollar with Zeffy.

What happens when I need to do more than just auctions for my nonprofit?

Auction platforms lock you into one fundraising method. Zeffy gives you auctions, donations, raffles, ticketing, and peer-to-peer campaigns all in one place. Run your gala, online giving, and membership drives without juggling multiple platforms or paying separate fees.

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!