Best Silent Auction Software UK (2026)

Silent auctions are a staple of UK charity balls, school fundraisers and gala dinners, and the right software makes the difference between a fiddly paper bid sheet evening and a night where bids keep climbing until the final countdown. It also determines how much of the total you keep: UK platforms charge anywhere from nothing to 5% plus VAT or fixed packages running to thousands of pounds.

This guide compares the best silent auction software available to UK charities and fundraisers in 2026, with fees in pounds, payout arrangements and the features that matter at a live event.

Quick comparison

What UK fundraisers should look for

Fees, and whether VAT applies. A 5% fee plus VAT takes £600 off a £10,000 auction. Percentage fees, per-item charges, fixed packages and tip-funded free models all exist in the UK market, so model your expected total before choosing.

Where the money goes. Some platforms collect winning bids into their own client account and pay you after the event. Others route every payment directly to your organisation as it happens. Direct payment means faster access to funds and no reliance on a third party's payout schedule.

Mobile bidding and event features. For a gala night you want phone-based bidding with no app download, live leaderboards on the big screen, outbid notifications by text, pre-event bidding to build momentum, and quick guest registration via QR code. Up to 40% of totals can come in before the event starts when pre-event bidding is switched on.

Support on the night. Check what support is included at the moment you need it most: live chat during the event, help videos, and whether phone or on-site support costs extra.

One campaign or many tools. If your event also includes a raffle, ticket sales and a pledge moment, a platform that runs everything in a single campaign saves your guests registering twice and saves you reconciling three systems.

1. GalaBid

GalaBid's silent auction software is free to use on the standard plan, with over 100 features included. Winning bidders are invited to add an optional tip at checkout, which funds the platform. Fundraisers who prefer no tipping can choose a fee-based plan instead.

Payments flow directly to your organisation through Stripe. GalaBid never holds, delays or touches your funds. Guests bid from their phones with no app download, leaderboards and totalisers run on screen, and outbid alerts by text keep the bidding competitive. Pre-event bidding regularly brings in a large share of the total before doors open.

GalaBid has supported fundraisers since 2011 and runs campaigns across the UK, Ireland, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America. Silent auctions can be combined with live auctions, raffles, event ticketing, donations and paddle raises in a single campaign, which is why it suits gala dinners and charity balls particularly well. Live chat support is included free on every plan.

Fees: Free on the standard plan (optional supporter tips). Fee-based plans available. Best for: Gala dinners, charity balls and combined campaigns with auctions, raffles and ticketing.

2. Givergy

Givergy is a UK-founded fundraising technology and services company operating since 2009. Its mobile bidding platform is well established on the UK gala circuit, and it offers managed services that most software-only providers do not: on-site event staffing, fundraising hosts, consignment auction items and event check-in.

In March 2026 Givergy merged with US text-messaging platform Tatango to form momoGood, a new company majority-owned by American private equity firm Edison Partners, with Givergy founder-CEO Julian Sykes stepping down. momoGood has said it will keep supporting Givergy customers while it builds a combined platform, so UK organisations booking events into 2027 may want to ask how the transition affects the product and UK team.

Givergy's "keep it FREE!" option makes the platform free to the charity, funded by voluntary contributions donors are invited to add at checkout. Customised paid packages are available for organisations that want staffing and managed delivery, and these are quoted individually.

Fees: Free tip-funded option; customised paid packages for managed events. Best for: Large UK galas that want on-site staff and a managed service.

3. Jumblebee

Jumblebee is a UK silent auction specialist with 12 years of history, over 15,000 auctions run and more than £50 million raised. It is a familiar and trusted name among school PTAs, charity ball committees and London Marathon fundraisers.

The fee is 5% plus VAT of total winning bids. If Jumblebee collects payment for you, card fees of 2.4% plus 20p per transaction apply, with winners given the option to donate the fee back. Funds are held in an FCA-regulated client account and transferred once all payments have been collected, so allow time after the event before the money lands.

Fees: 5% plus VAT of winning bids, plus card fees where Jumblebee collects payment. Best for: School and community auctions run by volunteers who know the platform.

4. Zeffy

Zeffy is a Canadian fundraising platform that launched in the UK in October 2025. It charges no platform or transaction fees, funding itself through voluntary contributions requested from donors at checkout, and bundles auctions with donation forms, ticketing, memberships and a CRM.

For registered UK charities running simple online auctions, the zero-fee model is attractive. Zeffy is new to the UK market, however, and its background is North American online giving rather than UK gala events, so organisations running large in-person auction nights should test the live event experience carefully first.

Fees: No platform fees; donors are asked for a voluntary contribution at checkout. Best for: Small UK charities running online-only auctions.

5. Emma

Emma (emma-live.com) is a UK event management and fundraising platform built around charity galas, awards dinners and golf days. Alongside silent auctions it covers ticketing, table planning, guest management and check-in, with a dedicated event manager assigned to each client and optional on-site tech support. It also offers a catalogue of auction items supplied at cost on a sale-or-return basis.

Emma is priced as an annual subscription covering unlimited events during the term, rather than a percentage of funds raised. Payments run through your organisation's own Stripe account, so supporters pay you directly and only Stripe's card fees apply. For charities running several events a year the subscription can work out well; for a single annual auction, compare the subscription cost against free alternatives before committing.

Fees: Annual subscription (quoted per organisation); no percentage fee, payments via your own Stripe account. Best for: UK charities running multiple events a year that want event management and fundraising in one system.

Do UK silent auctions need a gambling licence?

No. A silent auction is a sale to the highest bidder, not a game of chance, so it falls outside the Gambling Act 2005. No licence or local authority registration is needed, which makes auctions one of the simplest high-value fundraisers to run legally in the UK.

Two points still worth knowing. Gift Aid does not normally apply to winning bids, because the payment buys goods or an experience rather than being a gift. And if you run a raffle alongside your auction, the raffle is regulated: see our guide to UK raffle rules for what applies. https://www.galabid.com/raffle/uk-raffle-rules-do-you-need-a-licence

Which silent auction software is best for UK charities?

Givergy is a strong choice when you want a fully staffed, managed gala. Jumblebee is a safe pair of hands for school and community auctions. Zeffy suits small charities running online-only auctions. For UK fundraisers who want event-grade features, funds paid directly to their own account, no platform fee and the ability to run auction, raffle, ticketing and donations in one campaign, GalaBid is the strongest all-round option.

Start your free silent auction with GalaBid

FAQs

How much does silent auction software cost in the UK?From free to 5% plus VAT of totals raised, or fixed packages for managed services. GalaBid's standard plan is free, funded by optional tips from winning bidders.

Do we need a licence to run a silent auction?No. Silent auctions are not gambling under UK law. Only raffles, prize draws and lotteries require registration or licensing.

Can bidders pay by card on the night?Yes. On GalaBid, winning bidders receive an automatic payment link at auction close and pay by card on their phone, with funds going directly to your organisation.

Can we claim Gift Aid on auction bids?Generally no. HMRC treats a winning bid as payment for the item or experience, not a donation. Separate donations made alongside the auction can qualify in the usual way.

Can we run a silent auction and raffle together?Yes. On GalaBid both run inside one campaign with a single guest registration, alongside event ticketing and donations.

‍