Auctria

Overview

Auctria is an event fundraising platform for organizations running auctions and other event-based campaigns. It suits teams that want bidding, ticket sales, payments, and reporting in one system; the trade-off is that smaller plans impose firm income, bidder, and staffing caps.

Although built with nonprofit fundraising in mind, Auctria does not require an organization to have nonprofit status. Its company says it has operated since 2011 and helped organizations raise over $1.75 billion.

For broader comparisons, see Charity Auction Software, Fundraising Event Software, and Auction Software.

Key features

Fundraising formats and event sites

Auctria handles live, silent, and online auctions, plus raffles, ticket sales, sponsorships, paddle raises, and mobile bidding. That range is useful for organizations combining several revenue streams at one event rather than assembling separate tools. Each event can have a dedicated website built from a template or customized core template, with branding, images, and video.

Payments and mobile apps

Stripe and Authorize.Net integrations cover card payments, while staff can also record cash and checks. The optional Admin app supports guest check-in, card and tap-to-pay checkout, and recording sales and bids; the Bidder app supports mobile bidding and alerts. Auctria says card details remain with the payment processor and that it keeps a secure token rather than the full card number.

Reporting and connections

More than 100 customizable report templates and filters give event teams options for reviewing results, and event data can be exported for CRM use. Spreadsheet import and export help with bulk transfers. Automations uses Zapier to trigger notifications in tools such as Slack, Gmail, and Google Calendar.

Security and support

Auctria says it supports PCI DSS v4.0 responsibilities and enforces TLS, multifactor authentication, password complexity, account lockout, and session timeouts. Support comes with every plan: Explorer includes chat and email, while Emerald and Diamond add priority chat and email support.

Pricing

Auctria is freemium, with paid subscriptions starting at $375 per year. The free Explorer plan is unusually capable for a small event program: it allows unlimited events, but caps annual income at $10,000, bidders at 250 per event, and team members at three. Its 1% credit card fee also makes it less attractive as event volume grows.

Emerald costs $375 per year and raises the ceilings to $50,000 in annual income, 750 bidders per event, and 10 team members. Its credit card fee falls to 0.5%. This is the sensible step up for growing organizations that need more headroom and lower fees, though the income cap remains important.

Diamond costs $750 per year and removes the annual income-tracking cap, while supporting 1,000 bidders per event and 99 team members. Its 0.25% credit card fee is the lowest of the three subscriptions. Larger events may justify the price, but the bidder limit still applies.

Two optional one-time support calls are available: Assist 20 is $49.95 per call for one scheduled 20-minute Zoom call, and Assist 45 is $99.95 per call for one scheduled 45-minute call. Launch Foundation costs +$499 per event for assisted setup, and Launch Advantage costs +$749 per event for guest management up to 250 guests; both require an active Emerald or Diamond subscription. Launch Premier offers customized ticket management for more than 250 guests, with custom pricing, and also requires an active Emerald or Diamond subscription.

Paid plans include an initial block of texts, with additional texts available to purchase. Texting is available only in the United States and Canada. Review the applicable income, bidder, team, and card-fee limits against your event needs before choosing a tier.

Platforms

Auctria is available on the web, Android, and iOS. Its optional Admin and Bidder apps serve different roles: staff operations and participant bidding, respectively.

Who it's for

Auctria is a strong fit for organizations that run auctions alongside ticketing or other event fundraising, and want branded event sites, multiple payment-recording options, and extensive reporting. Explorer can suit a small team with modest income and bidder counts; Emerald and Diamond fit organizations needing progressively more capacity. It is a weaker fit when an event exceeds Diamond's 1,000-bidder limit, when a team needs more than 99 members, or when texting outside the United States and Canada is essential.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad event fundraising coverage: auctions, raffles, tickets, sponsorships, and paddle raises can share one event workflow.
• Useful organizer and bidder apps: check-in, checkout, sales recording, bidding, and alerts are covered across the optional apps.
• Reporting depth: over 100 customizable report templates and CRM data export support post-event analysis and follow-up.
• Free entry point: Explorer supports unlimited events without a subscription charge, which can work for small programs within its caps.

Cons

• Capacity limits matter: Explorer caps income at $10,000 and team size at three; Emerald still caps income at $50,000, and Diamond caps bidders at 1,000 per event.
• Fees vary by tier: Explorer's 1% credit card fee is four times Diamond's 0.25%, making the free tier less compelling for higher payment volume.
• Texting has geographic and cost constraints: it is limited to the United States and Canada, and additional texts cost extra.
• Some event services add substantial one-time charges: launch assistance and guest management are separate purchases and require an Emerald or Diamond subscription.

Alternatives

Choose BiddingOwl if its free service for traditional silent/live auction and related services is a better match. 32auctions is worth considering for a small online-only auction: its free plan allows up to 20 items, one image per item, and unlimited bidders. BetterWorld offers a free plan with a 0% platform fee, while its Flex plan applies a 2.2–5% platform fee; standard payment processing fees apply to both.

Event.Gives is another free option, with event success coaching, registration, check-in, mobile bidding, ticketing, and donations. GalaBid has a free plan with optional participant tips, with 10% of tips shared with the cause. iBid is free, with 3.5% payment processing fees plus $1, which bidders can cover, and a $100 referral credit.

Snowball Fundraising may suit a single-campaign start through its free Essential plan, while its New Nonprofit Special is $399 per year and includes the full platform with SMS and a 2.5% plus $0.30 transaction fee. RallyUp offers a free plan with no platform fee and optional donor tipping at checkout; its Flex plan has platform fees ranging from 2.9% to 6.9%.

Verdict

Choose Auctria if your organization needs a flexible auction-centered event platform with ticketing, multiple payment methods, mobile bidding, and substantial reporting in the same workflow. Its free tier provides a practical starting point, and the paid tiers scale capacity while reducing the card fee. Look elsewhere if your events outgrow Diamond's bidder limit, require texting beyond the United States or Canada, or do not need Auctria's broad event toolkit.