The Best 7 Free and Open Source Auction Software

Updated on :October 19, 2023
By :Jemimah Rodriguez

Auctions have been gaining popularity with buyers, especially from the time of the advent of the internet. Online auctions enable sellers to connect with buyers instantly. Such a facility creates a platform that allows potential vendors and buyers across the globe to connect and bargain attractive offers. Yes, online auctions are proving to produce the most satisfying results. Thanks to the auction software

Before the internet age, the auctions were conducted by gathering people at a physically feasible location for the bidders and auctioneers. Now, when people have started buying everything online, auctions are also getting highly popular. Businesses now launch virtual auction events allowing bidders from all over the world to bid online and purchase the products and services at the price of their choice. Online auctions have helped many businesses accelerate their sales exponentially as buyers perceive it as winning the product rather than purchasing it.

As per the recent report, the market size of the eCommerce & online auction industry in terms of revenue generated is $467.3bn in 2020. Moreover, it has grown by 7.4% per year on average between 2015 and 2020. The reason behind this growth is the increasing popularity of online auctions.

Online auctions have eliminated all the limitations of live auctions. Buyers now don’t need to spend their time and money to remain present at the location where the auction is being conducted. Similarly, sellers are not required to spend time and money to arrange space and seating arrangements for the bidders. Moreover, the audience that sellers can target in case of live auctions is quite limited compared to online auctions. Thus, live auctions have now transformed into online auctions with the help of technology. 

Following the online auction business model can help businesses in achieving their sales goals. But, this type of business comes with its own set of challenges as given below -

Challenges of Managing Auction Business

The best auction software can help you overcome all the challenges mentioned above to a great extent by automating the tasks relating to conducting online auction events, inviting and engaging bidders, managing sales & inventory, and generating reports.  

Let us now quickly look at basic information about auction software and how it can drive your auction business towards achieving predetermined goals. After that, we will go through the list with detailed information about the best free and open source auction software, as that would help you in selecting one as per your business needs. 

What Is Auction Software?

Auction software also known as bidding software is a tool that allows businesses to manage their entire offline or online auction business, starting from planning auction events to closing the deals and collecting the bid amount from the customer. It makes the whole auction process incredibly effortless and flawless. It can also help you centralize and manage your auction business on different marketplaces from a single interface. 

Precisely, auction software can automate and streamline the tasks like creating & promoting auction websites, setting up auction events on different platforms, promoting auctions, collecting payments, managing inventory, and generating reports for smart decision making. Below mentioned are some of the types of organizations that use bidding software to expedite and streamline their auction process.

Auction Software Users

What Does an Auction Software Do?

Auction Software Functionality

Auction software is an excellent tool that can connect the auctioneers with the bidders and handle every aspect of conducting multiple live auctions simultaneously. 

Below-mentioned are the types of auctions that a bidding software can support -

Types of Auctions

To know how an auction software can help in making an online auction event successful, let’s have a look at one of its use cases.

Example of an Online Auction Event

Bidding for the rights to host a sports event is quite popular for so many years. Countries have known to be bidding for sporting events like FIFA World Cup and Olympics. Besides the bidding price, the winner of the auction event is determined based on the competitiveness of the countries’ National Governing Body of Sports, and their respective Government taxation policy. There can be other factors also that the auctioneer can consider while selecting the winner of the auction, depending on various other political and economical criteria. The online auction software can streamline the entire process starting from capturing the bids to announcing the winners including collecting the payments and signing the contracts online. It provides extreme convenience to the auctioneers and bidders to participate without being physically present at a decided geographical location.

Below-mentioned are some of the benefits an auction software can provide -

Benefits of Using Auction Software

The benefits mentioned above justify that deploying a bidding software is necessary to run an auction business seamlessly and flawlessly. But, to make the most out of an auction software tool, you need to ensure that the one you select includes the most important features as given below -

Must-Have Features To Look For In An Auction Software

Supports Different Auction Types

Whether you are planning to launch an online auction or offline auction event, you need to consider the software supporting different types of auctions, as mentioned above. The auction tool that can manage various auction types would be useful to you if there are any changes in your auction strategies in the future.

Auction Event Management

Managing auction events like the number of participants, items for sale, RSVPs, etc., is quite critical. And in case of offline auctions, you need to take care of the seating arrangements, catering, etc., for the participants. The auction software should include features that can help you in systematically organizing the entire auction event.

Building and Promoting Auction Website

The auction software you choose should provide you with templates that can help you create a customized auction website based on your brand identity. Ensure that it enables you to create responsive web pages that can be best viewed on multiple platforms and devices. Moreover, making people aware of your auction business is important to encourage participation. Your auction software should include or integrate SEO and digital marketing tools to promote your auction events online.

User Management

The auction software should allow the participants to self-register for the auction event. It should provide them with a personalized information page informing them about their past bids success ratio, reminders & notifications, and other useful details to make decisions relating to bidding price, service contracts, etc.

Bid Capturing

When it comes to an online auction, if the participants bid on the product or service they intend to purchase, they need to have the latest information about the last bid. Your auction software should be capable of capturing the bid and updating it online on a real-time basis. Wrong bidding information to the participants can create confusion and conflicts. A dissatisfied participant can create havoc and leave a wrong impression for your business. So, implementing an auction system with automated bid capturing features becomes highly essential.

Multiple Language/Currency Support

If your auction business encourages global participation, you need to ensure that your auction event site supports multiple languages and can collect payments in multiple currencies. This would ease your job of attracting and dealing with the bidders located all over the world.

Content Management & Site Control

Merely creating and launching an auction website is not enough. You need to update it with the right information regularly. The auction software you select should allow you to update the information of the items open for bidding and other information through an easy to use content management system.  

Payment Processing

The auction software should allow you to collect the online payments from the winning bidder through multiple modes like credit/debit cards, net banking, payment wallets, etc. Providing different online payment mode options is essential as it leads to customer satisfaction and will encourage the buyers to return to your auction events repeatedly.

Invoicing and Checkout

As soon as the winning bidder pays the bidding amount, an invoice should get generated and emailed automatically to the bidder's registered email address. Also, the bidder should view the order confirmation page and checkout securely. This would make the bidder feel secure about the purchase and perceive your business trustworthy, ultimately benefiting you in terms of enhanced online reputation and reliability.

Analytical Insights & Reporting

How would you measure the sales performance of your auction business and plan future marketing strategies? The analytical insights and reporting features of your auction software can help you do that. Make sure your auction software generates reports based on real-time data to have access to accurate information, helping you make informed decisions.

Though the features may vary depending on the type of auction business you are running, these significant ones that you need to ensure your auction software includes. Furthermore, to help you select the best auction software, we have curated the best 7 free and open source auction software with in-depth details as given below -

The 7 Best Free and Open Source Auction Software

#1 BidHub

BidHub is a free and open source auction software initially designed for HubSpot's charity auction but can be used for business auctions. It is easily customizable as per your brand identity. It includes easy to browse and search the items with their bidding information. You get notifications on receiving bids on any item. Moreover, you can have access to the winning bidder's contact details after the auction is over.

BidHub
(bidhub.org)

Key Features

  • Ability to send alerts and notifications
  • Can manage multiple bids simultaneously
  • Allows conducting live auctions, reverse auctions, and silent auctions
  • Enables you to auto relist the auctions
  • Allows providing reverse bidding option
  • Allows consistently monitoring the auction details using a watch list
If you have already used BidHub, please feel free to share your reviews here.

#2 WeBid

WeBid is a free and open source auction software that allows you to set up your auction site and sell your items straight away. It is built using PHP language and supports Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X on the server-side. Moreover, it is compatible with browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and IE 7+. Currently, it is being used by users all over the world and has been downloaded 1,00,000 times.

WeBid
(webidsupport.com)

Key Features

  • Allows creating auctions with image galleries
  • Enables customization using the admin panel
  • Can integrate with multiple payment gateways
  • Users can register as buyer or seller
  • Allows displaying auction QA
  • Facilitates collecting the feedback from the bidders
If you have already used WeBid, please feel free to share your reviews here.

#3 Molotok

Molotok is a free and open source auction software that allows you to create your own online auction store appealing in design and includes a user-friendly interface. Using this software, you can stay competitive in your industry by launching a robust auction store that can engage innumerable bidders and help you in growing your business. Providing access to the international community; required technical support is at your fingertips.

Molotok(molotoksoftware.com)

Key Features

  • Allows managing currently running auctions
  • Automatically launches a new auction after the expiration of the current one
  • Allows creating a copy of the existing auction
  • Sends out email notifications to the bidders for all the auction events
  • Provides access to the sales history
  • Allows adding participants after required verification and security
  • Enablers sellers to create and send invoices to the successful bidders
  • Allows mass changes in prices of the products
If you have already used Molotok, please feel free to share your reviews here.

#4 Webawy

Webawy is a free and open source auction software that includes 17 built-in themes allowing you to create a customized auction website. This software includes open source code that is compatible with all the operating systems. Moreover, it consists of a content management system that allows you to make changes to your auction website instantly. It supports multiple languages and currencies, eliminating all geographical barriers helping you to target maximum bidders globally. 

Webawy(mewsoft.com)

Key Features

  • Allows creating and launching auction websites
  • Can create multiple categories for the products available for auction
  • Allows sending email notifications to the bidders
  • Allows creating polls and feedback forms for collecting the information from the bidders
  • Includes forum for prompt technical support
  • Allows launching classified ads for the products
  • Can integrate with multiple payment gateway systems
  • Allows collecting payments from the winning bidders
  • Generates reports for making informed decisions for the future
If you have already used Webawy, please feel free to share your reviews here.

#5 PropennyAuction

PropennyAuction is a free and open source auction software that allows you to manage any auction. It is flexible and customizable enough to work for a variety of industries. It also provides you the technical support to ensure that you are successful in launching an auction website that is specifically designed as per your business needs. Using top-notch technology like Node.Js and Socket.io, you can be sure that your multiple auction events get updated on a real-time basis.

PropennyAuction
(propennyauction.com)

Key Features

  • Includes customizable templates allowing you to create web-based and mobile-friendly auction website
  • Can integrate with more than 8 payment gateways
  • Supports multiple languages and currencies
  • Includes easy to use content management system
  • Allows generating sales reports
  • Can integrate with social media platforms
  • Includes capability of managing information about the bidders
  • Includes order and inventory management features
  • Facilitates refunds for the failed transactions
  • Includes referral user management
If you have already used PropennyAuction, please feel free to share your reviews here.

#6 uBidAuction

uBidAuction is an open source software that can integrate with your website and help you launch auction events of any type and monitor bids on a real-time basis. It is developed using PHP, JS, JQuery, Bootstrap, HTML5, and MVC Framework engine with an OOP coding pattern. It allows you to create mobile-friendly auction event pages that users can access from any device or platform, helping you to attract the maximum number of participants.

uBidAuction
(bid-auction-script.com)

Key Features

  • Allows adding/editing/managing auctioned products' categories and subcategories
  • Includes complete auction and bidding management features
  • Allows managing orders and collecting payments
  • Includes user-friendly content management system
  • Maintains and records participants' information
  • Supports multiple languages
  • Includes successfully tested high-end security features
  • Can provide real-time statistics about currently running auctions and orders confirmed
  • Can generate reports helping in measuring the performance of each auction
If you have already used uBidAuction, please feel free to share your reviews here.

#7 Fogsoft Tender

Fogsoft Tender provides an open source auction software solution that has helped several businesses and Government organizations launch auction events for selling their unique goods. It allows participants to acquire all the information about the auctioned products and start bidding fairly and instantly. This system consists of several modules that have made it easy for the auctioneers to manage the bidding process, collect payments, send invoices, and generate reports.

Fogsoft Tender
(fogsoft.com)

Key Features

  • Ability to conduct online auctions, reverse auctions, and silent auctions
  • Can provide a "buy now" option to the bidders
  • Ability to automatically relist the next auction when the previous one expires
  • Enables displaying every auction's watch list
  • Compatible with different browsers like Chrome, FireFox, Safari, IE, etc
  • Can support different operating systems like windows, MacOS, and Linux

If you have already used Fogsoft Tender, please feel free to share your reviews here.

For better clarity on the features provided by these free and open source auction software, let's have go through at the comparison chart below -

The Best 7 Free and Open Source Auction Software Comparison Chart

Free Open Source Auction Software Comparison Chart

Besides the above mentioned open source auction software solutions, we would also recommend you to go through the details of one of the most popular auction solutions known as AuctionSoftware. AuctionSoftware is not a free auction software but includes some advanced features that can take your auction business to the next level.

AuctionSoftware

AuctionSoftware is one of the best and the most popular auction tools available to help you launch your auction events instantly. It allows you to conduct different types of auctions like forwarding auctions, reverse auctions, penny auctions, and silent auctions. This software can be deployed on cloud and dedicated servers and can integrate 50+ payment gateways. Its rich features and customization options have made it a perfect choice among businesses wanting to set up a successful auction business.

AuctionSoftware(auctionsoftware.com)

Key Features

  • Includes customizable templates to set up an auction website
  • Allows bulk uploading of the product information
  • Supports billing & invoicing
  • Includes user-friendly dashboard
  • Can detect geolocation of the live bid
  • Built-in SEO features
  • Allows sending Emails and Newsletters
  • Enables setting up a coupon system
  • Supports responsive design and creating applications
If you have already used AuctionSoftware, please feel free to share your reviews here.

Conclusion

Auction software has become a necessity whether you are planning to conduct traditional auctions or online auctions. It automates several tasks relating to the auction process, starting from inviting participants to collecting payments from the winning bidders. Precisely, integrating an auction software to your auction-based business model would enable you to carry out quick and flawless processes and engage bidders effectively. In case, you are still not able to decide which auction software would be compatible with your business, you go through our Buyer’s Guide to Auction Software and make the right choice.

For more options, you can also go through some of the best freemium and paid options like SimpleAuctionSite, bidJS, Rainworx, Solid II, and a complete list of auction software with authentic users' reviews.

Are you looking for software applications for other business sectors as well? Just browse through all software categories and look for emerging technologies you are interested in.

We would request you to leave your valuable feedback if you have used any of the auction software mentioned in this article, which would help other buyers make the right decision.

Jemimah Rodriguez
Jemimah Rodriguez

Jemimah Rodriguez is a content marketing specialist having 8+ years of experience in content writing, SEO, and social media optimization. At present, she is working with GoodFirms – a reliable platform helping businesses in selecting right Software Companies & Products. For further information, you can get in touch with her on [email protected]