Handbid Reviews & Product Details

Handbid is a premium silent auction software and mobile bidding platform with concierge-level service — auction and event technology for organizations that can't afford to have their most important moments go wrong. One online auction platform serves three worlds: nonprofit fundraising and charity auctions (from black-tie gala fundraisers to grassroots campaigns), enterprise and luxury brands (fully white-label auction software), and commercial auction operators (liquidation, surplus, consignment, and specialty auctions at scale). Handbid powers mobile bidding, event ticketing and registration, guest check-in, text-to-give, and payment processing across in-person, online, and hybrid events — including live auctions, silent auctions, and sealed-bid auctions. White-label branding puts your URLs, emails, and interface front and center. Invite-only access controls gate who registers and bids. Real-time bidding data, fundraising reporting, and payouts keep decisions moving during the event, not after it. What sets Handbid apart from other auction software is delivery: concierge onboarding means our team configures your auction items, access rules, and payment flows — you host, we handle the software. APIs and integrations with Stripe, CRMs, and check-in tools fit your existing workflow, with compliance and security built in. Trusted by nonprofits, schools, universities, professional sports foundations, healthcare organizations, and enterprise auction houses, Handbid has powered thousands of fundraising events and auctions — from intimate board dinners to 3,000-guest galas.

Seller

Handbid

Discussions

Handbid Community

Languages Supported

Arabic, German, Greek, English, French, Dutch, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese (Traditional)

Solution Type

Best-of-Breed

Overview by

Jeff Porter

Value at a Glance

Averages based on real user reviews.

Time to Implement

1 month

Return on Investment

4 months

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Top-Rated Alternatives

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User Insights

Average based on 218 real user reviews.

Implementation Time

1 month

Perceived Cost

$$$$$

Handbid Integrations

(5)

Integration information sourced from real user reviews.

G2 reviews are authentic and verified.

Here's how.

Heather J.

Teacher/Auction Co-chair

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

2/2/2021

"Handbid is easy to use and customer service is great!"

5/5

What do you like best about Handbid?

The customer service is top notch, and the Handbid auction program is user friendly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Handbid?

Some of the fields could be described better. I feel like Handbid has so much to offer, and I have only used it on a minimal basis, instead of taking advantage of the opportunities it has to help our auction. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Handbid:

Handbid is a great price for excellent service. The staff makes you feel like you are a part of the Handbid family. Our bidders for our auction enjoy using Handbid as our online auction supplier. I have used Handbid for 6 years and would recommend Handbid to anyone. Great company with great people. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Handbid solving and how is that benefiting you?

We are a small Catholic school in central Illinois, and I feel Handbid allows us to reach further than our own community. Grandparents and friends from different states have been invited to bid on items for our auction from people in our school community. The benefits I have realized from using Handbid for the last 6 years is that it is: customer friendly, user friendly, reasonably priced, great customer service, and perfect to serve our needs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Melissa Glissmeyer of Handbid

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Thanks Heather! We will share your compliments with our Client Services team. Thanks for being a longstanding Handbid client.

Genna R.

Development Assistant

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

10/28/2022

"Nothing to write home about"

3.5/5

What do you like best about Handbid?

Handbid was very userfriendly. We loved the push notification that it used. We also had customer service phone support which was very nice! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Handbid?

It was a little too expensive for us. We are a small non-profit and don't have almost $800 for one event. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Kristen Wheeler of Handbid

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Thanks for taking the time to leave us this review, Genna. We wish you all the success for your future events and hope for the chance to continue to earn your business!

Delainey T.

Athletic Advancement Operations

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5/19/2022

"Smooth but Slightly Complicated"

3.5/5

What do you like best about Handbid?

I love the live chat feature! It was so nice to be able to interact with real people that know the software in and out. They were always happy to help with any questions I had, no matter how dumb I thought the questions may be! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Handbid?

The app seems outdated and hard to navigate. Our donors did not like to switch from our last service, and we had quite a bit of issues keeping bidders logged into their bidding account Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Handbid:

Interact with the customer service when you have trouble and join the live auction talks! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Handbid solving and how is that benefiting you?

We are able to involve people from all over the country to help raise funds. Especially with the pandemic, it's great to be able to connect to those that cannot join in person. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Pamela W.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

3/17/2022

"Easy set up, great bidder experience!"

5/5

What do you like best about Handbid?

It was my first time planning an auction, and Handbid made it so easy to set up all of the items and the presentation looked great. So many bidders gave me great feedback about how easy it was and how professional it all felt. We made more than double the amount of $ I was expecting, and I know if the app was hard, then that would not have been possible. We've already scheduled our next auction and we'll be using it again. I also loved how it manages ticket sales all in one place! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Handbid?

I can't think of anything negative. It had a learning curve like anything new, but their Help content is excellent and I figured it all out easy enough! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Melissa Glissmeyer of Handbid

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Thanks for the great review! Congratulations on such a successful event and silent auction, especially for your first time. We will pass this along to our support team that you had a great experience with them as well. We look forward to powering your next event with our recent software upgrades!

Verified User in Non-Profit Organization Management

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5/26/2022

"Exceptional Customer Care, Great Price & a Good Product with lots of Potential (Event 50 Days Out)"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Handbid?

Customer Care has been the highlight so far! We also love that they do not charge a % of fundraising revenue. No nickel/diming, just a low flat rate +CC Fees. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Handbid?

Confusing and lackluster sponsorship app/webpage support. Everything feels like a workaround, and main page sponsor logos are limited to a ridiculous 180x150 pixel ratio. We are still having success selling sponsorships, but it has been the largest headache, and a section we do believe needs more work. GOOD NEWS their customer care team has been wonderful at accepting input and looking into possible future updates. They have also been trying to help us BUT - it has been the most disappointing aspect so far. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Handbid:

Visit their weekly auction talk on YouTube or Facebook. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Handbid solving and how is that benefiting you?

Easy QR Code or Text to Register has been wonderful! I was just at a luncheon yesterday, and being able to tell someone getting information is as easy as texting "Raising-Hope" to 99192 - amazing! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Chelsea M.

Special Events Manager

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

12/13/2021

"Great price point, easy to use"

3.5/5

What do you like best about Handbid?

The price point for the software is terrific. I've also received fantastic customer support from account managers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Handbid?

This relatively simple platform is best used for silent auctions and selling event tickets. The virtual event functionality is fairly limited, but we received tremendous support from our account manager and made it work. Our on-site support has varied greatly depending on who they send. We now request our favorite staffer for all of our events, and they go very well. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Handbid:

Make sure you have a clear understanding of all of your ticketing and event needs. There are many things Handbid doesn't explicitly provide but can provide workarounds for if needed, but that needs to be communicated well before your event/auction. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Handbid solving and how is that benefiting you?

We use Handbid for our day-of event needs; checking attendees in, tracking donations, raffle tickets, the paddle raise, and attendee check-out. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Melissa Glissmeyer of Handbid

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Hi Chelsea, thanks for your review. We are thrilled that you received great support both before and at your event. Our team is always eager to help our charity partners prepare for an amazing event. As you suggest, it is always good to work through your event plans (especially ticketing and check-in) with our team beforehand to make sure things will run smoothly. There are so many variations to how events are run and it is nice that platforms like Handbid can be molded (in most cases) to fit your process.

Lara D.

Project Manager

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5/17/2022

"Fantastic support and platform for our school auction"

5/5

What do you like best about Handbid?

The staff. They were always quick to assist. Auction Talk is such a helpful feature too! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Handbid?

Nothing in particular to mention. I don't think anything is missing from this product for our purposes. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Nick D.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

1/14/2020

"Come for the software, stay for the customer service"

5/5

What do you like best about Handbid?

As a small school with limited IT resources, we were hesitant to use an e-bidding app for our yearly Gala. Very hesitant. The team at Handbid gave us everything we needed to get started and get confident about this big step we were taking. In the end we had a successful Gala and auction, and we couldn't be happier that we "stayed the course" with Handbid. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Handbid?

delay in payment once auction is complete Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Melissa Glissmeyer of Handbid

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Glad to hear our service team helped you have a successful auction! Our mobile bidding capabilities let everyone easily participate in the room or remotely in order to have the best experience with your event. While we do use Stripe for our payment processor, we recommend checking with your Account Manager to evaluate your account to expedite payments. Thank you for your feedback and we look forward to powering your next auction.

Janna W.

Events & Communication Coordinator

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

11/8/2021

"Pleased with our Silent Auction"

5/5

What do you like best about Handbid?

Project 1.27 has been using Handbid for several years at the annual gala, but this was my first year coordinating the event. Our Silent Auction looked great on Handbid! The app looks professional and makes things easy to navigate. Photos were eye catching, link was easy to share, and item QR codes (which we used on every table poster) really helped our bidders easily find items. Bidding went smoothly, and we sold every single item in our auction! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Handbid?

Be aware that as a new Handbid organizer, the software learning curve will take some time, so give yourself plenty of it. There are a lot of moving parts. You'll want to plan extra time to watch the tutorials and videos. Book a coaching call. And definitely use the chat feature for questions. Don't try to figure it all out on your own, especially if you're under event deadlines (which we all are). Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Handbid solving and how is that benefiting you?

Having software that lets us track progress, easily list (or delete items), and keep great track of our bidders and revenue were just a few of problems Handbid helped us with. I had to follow up with a couple of off-site bidders after the event, and they were easy to contact thanks to the contact info they provided in Handbid. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Melissa Glissmeyer of Handbid

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Thanks for the great review, Janna! Glad to hear your auction was a success with you and your bidders. Great point about booking a coaching call-our Coaches are very helpful and knowledgeable in events and Handbid. Thanks for being a great client and we look forward to powering future events with you and your team!

Amanda B.

Marketing and Development Consultant

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

10/27/2021

Business partner of the seller or seller's competitor, not included in G2 scores.

"Good value for price"

4/5

What do you like best about Handbid?

The price was the best for the amount of customization we could do. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Handbid?

1) It wasn't as user-friendly from the backend as I expected it to be. I also paid for the package where we could customize the site more but still didn't have as much customization as I expected or wanted.

2) I could not 'preview' my landing page while designing it. For example, the head images required Handbid staff to change them b/c I couldn't change them on my own so there wasn't a way to view how it looked and then make revisions on my own for certain areas. The header image was particularly frustrating. It would have been easier if I could have changed those header images on my own and been able to preview it while creating it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.