Create Your Own Auction Website Free (2025 Guide)
If you’ve been Googling around trying to figure out how to create your own auction website free, you’re not alone.
Thousands of nonprofits, PTAs, sports clubs, event coordinators, and seriously stressed volunteers look for the exact same thing every month. Because honestly… who wants to spend more money to raise money?
The good news? You're not dreaming. It is possible to set up an auction website without paying a subscription fee, transaction surcharge, platform fee, “success fee,” “processing uplift,” or whatever creative label platforms invent these days. Some even flip the model on its head and give you money back. Yes, really.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know in a relaxed, friendly, “you’ve-got-this” kind of way. We’ll cover the tech, the setup, the legal bits, and — most importantly — how to do all of it for free.
Let’s get your auction live.
Budgets are tight. Teams are small. Fundraisers need to squeeze every dollar.
But the real reason?
Most people are tired of platforms that promise to be free… until you’re halfway through setup and a mysterious fee appears like a surprise final boss in a video game.
And to be fair, the idea of launching your own auction website without hiring a developer sounds complicated — like trying to assemble IKEA furniture with no instructions and three screws missing. But it’s actually much more plug-and-play now.
Online auction tools have evolved so much that you can build, customise, and launch an auction website from scratch in under an hour. No coding. No design needed. No hidden fees trying to jump-scare you on the way out.
So… Can You Actually Create an Auction Website for Free?
Yes. But (and here’s the important part) truly free platforms are rare.
Most will either:
- take a percentage of every bid/donation,
- charge a monthly subscription,
- charge an admin fee,
- inflate the processing fee,
- add “optional” add-ons that are actually required for anything useful,
- or quietly cap your features until you pay.
But there is one fundraising model that genuinely works:
Platforms that run free for organisers and are funded by voluntary participant tips.
This model is what allows someone like you to start an auction website with:
- no upfront cost
- no monthly fee
- no commitment
- no sneaky “premium feature upgrades”
- and full access to every tool from day one
Even better? The best version of this model gives 10% of all participant tips back to the fundraiser — meaning you literally make money simply by using the platform.
But before we get into that, let’s break down how the process works.
How to Create Your Own Auction Website for Free
You don’t need coding, servers, plugins, or a development team. You’ll follow a handful of simple steps:
1. Sign up now
Takes about 30 seconds. Name, email, boom — you’re in.
2. Build your campaign
You’ll start by adding the basics: your event name, logo and colours. The builder handles all the layout work. You just drop in your content.
3. Add your auction items
This is the fun part. Upload pictures, write descriptions, set starting bids, define increments, and choose whether each item is:
- silent auction items (if you need help sourcing items, GalaBid can help providing no-risk auction items)
- buy-it-now
- or donation-based
If you don’t have many items yet, you can start with a few and add more later — auctions are very forgiving that way.
4. Connect your payment processor
This means Stripe. It’s fast, secure, and globally trusted. And importantly: you can opt to pass on the payment fees to participants.
5. Publish and share
Your auction gets its own website link. Share it everywhere:
- Facebook groups
- QR codes at events
- posters
- WhatsApp chats
That’s literally it. Your auction website is now fully live.
Let’s Pause for a Few Fun Comparisons
- Creating an auction website today is easier than assembling a flat-pack bookshelf… and the bookshelf never asks you for a voluntary tip at checkout.
- Running a digital auction is like hosting a party where everyone bids competitively, but you don’t need to clean your house afterwards.
- Using GalaBid compared to old-school paper bid sheets is like swapping a flip phone for a smartphone — technically the old thing works, but why make life harder?
(Okay one more…)
4. Setting up your own auction website used to require hiring a developer who charged “per hour.” Now the whole thing costs less than a sandwich — because it’s free.
What Features Do You Actually Need?
When choosing a free auction platform, look for the essentials:
✔ A hosted auction website
You shouldn’t need your own domain or hosting.
✔ Mobile-friendly
Most people bid on their phones. If the site doesn’t work beautifully on mobile, skip it.
✔ Unlimited items
Free should mean free — not “5 items included, upgrade for more.”
✔ Real-time bidding
Instant notifications, auto outbid alerts, and live leaderboards keep the energy high.
✔ Transparent payment processing
No markup. No “admin fee.” Just Stripe.
✔ Ability to add raffles and donations
More ways to raise money = better results.
✔ Great support
Because even free platforms should help you when you need it.
GalaBid includes all of these.
Why GalaBid Has The Best Auction Website
Here’s what makes GalaBid stand out:
1. 100% free model
No platform fees. No subscriptions. No item caps.
The entire platform is funded by voluntary participant tips.
2. 10% of all tips go back to your fundraiser
This is the big one. Other platforms stop at “we’re free.”
GalaBid goes further by giving a share of tips back to you as extra revenue.
3. Professional website builder
You get a clean, modern auction site that looks like you paid an agency to build it.
4. Perfect for any type of fundraiser
- online only
- virtual events
- hybrid events
- galas
- charity dinners
- school fundraisers
- sports clubs
5. Easy for beginners
Even if you’ve never run an auction before, you’ll feel like a pro in minutes.
6. Built-in items available
If you want a few ready-made experiences to add padding, GalaBid offers sale-or-return items — meaning they only cost money if someone buys them.
7. Works everywhere
No geographic restrictions. If you can accept Stripe payments, you can run an auction.
Ready to build your auction website?
You can have your website live in the next 10 minutes.
Your supporters will love it.
And your fundraiser will thank you.
Sign up now - it's free.
More articles about Silent Auction
About GalaBid
Ideal for donations. Perfect for Raffles. Awesome for Live and Silent Auctions! GalaBid’s online fundraising platform is designed for fundraisers of all types and sizes. For over 10 years we’ve been helping non-profits, charities, community clubs, churches, schools, and individuals to raise more and make a difference.
