Are you looking for the perfect auction plugin for your WordPress site?
eBay and other similar sites have used the power of bidding to create global companies. But even if they are large websites with lots of moving gears, auction plugins allow you to get started in the auction business.
They allow you to convert your website into an auction site without the high costs and experience that a company like eBay requires.
In this article, we will discuss the best auction plugins for WordPress. We’ll break down the key features, pros, cons, and pricing to ensure you get the right tool for your business.
Benefits of an Auction WordPress Plugin
Bidding is one of the most exciting buying experiences. It creates a feeling of anticipation and excitement that leads to higher site engagement and increased sales.
But the psychological impact of bidding goes beyond excitement; its true power is competition. Humans are very competitive by nature and the urge to win often overwhelms all logic.
When you combine the competitive nature of people and the exclusivity that auction websites offer, you can sell more items, And at a higher price. This is especially true for memorabilia, rare items, or things with sentimental value. This also makes bidding sites ideal for selling used or used items.
But from a buyer’s perspective, they could get great deals that they couldn’t get on other sites. This is because bids often start at a lower price than the actual value of the item. Bidders will try to increase the price without making it too expensive for them. Therefore, there is a real chance that the item will be sold below the actual price.
Here are more reasons why you should consider auction plugins.
- Unique Finds: Bidding sites offer a wider selection of products, including used or rare items that you may not find on sites like Amazon.
- Scarcity and Urgency: Bidding creates a sense of scarcity as there can only be one winner. This can prompt buyers to act quickly and bid higher.
- Higher selling price: The starting bid price acts as an anchor point and influences how high buyers are willing to go.
- Hate loser: People generally don’t like losing as much as they like winning. This can lead to buyers getting caught up in the competition and overbidding.
- Feeling of ownership after the commandment: Once someone has placed a bid, they may feel a sense of ownership of the item, making them more likely to continue bidding.
- Engagement and Interaction: Bidding increases engagement and interaction between buyers and sellers. When registered users engage in bidding wars, they become emotionally invested in the outcome, increasing the likelihood of a successful sale.
- Gamification: The playful nature of auctions can encourage repeat visits to the platform and increase user loyalty.
- Market research: Auctions provide valuable market feedback on prices and demand. By observing bidding patterns and final sales prices, you can gain insights into consumer preferences and market trends.
- Marketing opportunity: Auction listings attract attention and create a buzz, especially for high-profile or unusual items. You can use this marketing opportunity to promote your brand and reach a wider audience.
- Inventory clearance: Bidding allows you to efficiently clear excess inventory or slow-moving items.
How we tested and evaluated auction plugins
Now that you understand the benefits of bidding and auction plugins, let’s look at how we tested these tools.
- Real projects: We have integrated various WordPress auction plugins into our projects including eCommerce bidding websites and online marketplaces. We have used the plugins to manage auctions of various products, from electronics to collectibles.
- Popular options: We’ve examined some of the most popular auction plugins on the market. We then tested them thoroughly to see if they lived up to their reputation.
- Features and User Requirements: We tested the plugins’ ability to handle different auction formats. We also focused on usability, features, customization and user experience.
How to start an auction site
Before you can download and install the best WordPress auction plugins, you need a WordPress website.
There are two types of WordPress websites: WordPress.com, a hosted platform, and WordPress.orga self-hosted platform. For your needs you need the latter. However, if you still have questions, feel free to read our article on all the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
To run a proper auction website, you need a domain name, web hosting and an SSL certificate.
A domain name is the address of your bidding website on the web, e.g. E.g. Google.com or IsItWP.com. also known as your URL. Web hosting stores your files online. If your domain name is the address of your house, web hosting is essentially your home.
And an SSL certificate makes your domain name secure and allows you to accept online payments safely.
When you install a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate on your website, your website’s URL will be prefixed with HTTPS instead of HTTP. Additionally, a small green padlock icon appears before HTTPS, letting your visitors know they are on a secure connection. This gives them the confidence they need to bid on your auctions and make payments.
Do you think the cost of a domain name, web hosting and an SSL certificate will be a pretty penny? Think again! We’ve negotiated a deal with Bluehost that offers IsItWP readers a FREE domain name, FREE SSL certificate, and a HUGE discount on web hosting!
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Once you have everything you need, feel free to read our step-by-step guide on how to create an auction site on WordPress.
We have also created a list of the best WordPress plugins that you should definitely add to your website.
Now if you don’t have time to go through the entire list of auction plugins below, here is a table with the prices and key features so you can see them at a glance.
You can also click on the name of the plugin you want to view to jump to that section.
Understood? Then it’s time to take a look at the 9 best auction plugins for WordPress!
1. YITH WooCommerce Auctions
YITH WooCommerce Auctions is the best WordPress auction plugin as it ensures quick and easy WooCommerce integration. This allows you to use all WooCommerce features such as secure payment and fast checkout processing.
Additionally, this auction plugin gives you full control over the auction process via a user-friendly dashboard. With just a few clicks you can set minimum bids, bid increases, reserve prices and more.
For eager buyers who do not want to participate in the auction process, you can add the Buy Now option. Additionally, you can schedule auctions, extend them if necessary, and manage everything with ease.
But YITH WooCommerce Auctions goes beyond the basics.
It has a variety of auction formats to ensure you create a bidding website that is best suited for your registered users.
First, it offers classic auctions that you can find on sites like eBay. Here, bids are openly announced and displayed so that everyone can see the current highest offer. The winner will be the person who submits the highest bid at the end of the auction.
This plugin also features Dutch auctions where the lowest bidder wins, sealed bids and even reverse auctions.
One thing we found interesting about YITH WooCommerce Auctions is the way the features are designed to create scarcity and excitement.
For example, the automatic countdown timer feature creates a sense of urgency and helps your users place more bids, faster. You can also hide the identity of the highest bidder until the end to create more excitement and ensure your users stay on your site longer.
Now YITH WooCommerce Auctions is great for both you and the bidders.
You can manage fees and user participation, giving you greater control over your auction website and who can be involved in each bidding war. This auction plugin for WooCommerce even offers advanced management tools for rescheduling auctions, hiding specific auctions, and suggesting similar items.
This ensures that you streamline your workflow while allowing your users to easily find the best and newest items when visiting your online auction site.
Additionally, this bidding plugin also allows you to create a marketplace where other sellers can list their auction items.
Not only does this create a new revenue stream through fees, but it also expands your audience and website catalog. Other sellers on your site can independently market their products through SEO and PPC campaigns, reducing your marketing budget.
On the other hand, bidders benefit from features such as manual and automatic bidding, which improve the user experience and make it easier for them to participate in bidding. They can also create watchlists and set up alerts to engage on topics they care about.
To ensure the security of your online auction site, this auction plugin for WooCommerce allows you to quickly and effectively block users who violate your terms and conditions. This ensures that only actual bidders and sellers use your website, reducing the risk of litigation and unhappy customers.
Advantages:
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Fast WooCommerce integration
- Full control over the auction process
- Supports multiple auction types
- Seller and bidder management features
- User-friendly notification system for sellers and bidders
- Multiple engagement features
- Can create multi-vendor auction markets
Disadvantages:
- No free version
- There may be too many features for a simple auction site
Get started with YITH WooCommerce Auctions here.
Prices: From €149.99/year.
2. Ultimate WordPress Auction
Ultimate WordPress Auction is one of the best auction plugins because it has amazing automation features.
It allows bidders to set a maximum bid and the plugin bids on their behalf up to that limit. Bidders can also set different bid amounts for different stages of the auction, ensuring they stay in the running without having to constantly monitor the auction.
Additionally, the plugin’s unique AJAX technology allows users to view and place bids instantly without having to refresh the page. This creates a more dynamic and engaging bidding experience for everyone who uses this WooCommerce auction plugin.
But it’s not just the bidders who are happy about the automation.
As a site owner running your own auction, you can automatically relist auctions that don’t have a winner. You can even set specific conditions for reclassification, such as if the reserve price has not been met. This ensures that you can streamline your auction process and make it easier to manage.
The Ultimate WordPress Auction plugin supports bulk importing using a CSV file, similar to what you would do with regular WooCommerce products. This saves time by adding multiple auction products at once!
Now, when your users register on your bidding website, they also provide payment details. When they make a successful bid, the plugin automatically deducts the money and sends it to your Stripe account.
In addition, you can make a small profit on your sales through a buyer’s premium. This is a percentage of the final prize that will be charged to the winner. This can be a great way to generate additional income from your auctions.
You can also customize your auction page in various ways.
Ultimate WordPress Auction allows you to present auctions on your website wherever and however you want using shortcodes and widgets. This allows you to display live auctions, upcoming auctions, and recently viewed auctions anywhere on your website, improving your user experience and sales.
If you want to reach a wider audience, the Ultimate WordPress Auction plugin is translation-ready and compatible with popular translation plugins like WPML. This allows you to translate your auctions into any language, making them accessible to a global audience.
Additionally, you can increase the number of products on your website by creating a marketplace through integration with WCFM Marketplace (WooCommerce based multi-vendor plugin), a free plugin. This allows your users to create vendor accounts and sell their products on your website while you earn a commission.
Advantages:
- Free plugin available
- Seamless WooCommerce integration
- Bidders do not need a Stripe account
- Automatic auction features for website owners and bidders
- Advanced bidding features
- Bidding in real time
- Bulk import function
- Multiple widgets and shortcodes
- Multilingual support
- Multi-vendor capabilities
Disadvantages:
To access all features you need the Pro version
Get started here with the Ultimate WordPress Auction plugin.
Prices: Starting at $79/year.
Free version of the plugin also available.
3. Toilet provider
WC Vendors is the best multi-vendor auction plugin that allows you to easily create a website like eBay. The easy-to-use setup wizard walks you through configuring your marketplace and helps you set up advanced features like global commission rates and approving new vendors.
Additionally, you can customize these fees for specific partners. This allows you to incentivize top performers and address individual business needs.
To further encourage your suppliers, WC Vendor allows you to create memberships at different levels. This allows you to set different product upload limits and commission rates. Therefore, your providers need to upgrade to get more benefits.
If you do not wish to set up memberships, both you and the providers can set up unlimited digital products and physical products in the shop. But the best part is that as a store owner, you can control what types of products vendors are allowed to create to provide a consistent experience for your customers.
The quick setup process also allows vendors to easily register and manage their branches directly from their customized dashboards, which feature powerful reporting. They can add auction products, set prices, and even customize their storefront with a store description and seller information to add their branding.
However, since you can have many vendors on your website, this auction plugin allows each of them to set up their own payment system.
WC Vendors Stripe Connect simplifies payouts by allowing vendors to connect their Stripe accounts. This allows you to accept customer payments and automatically distribute payments and commissions, saving you time and ensuring smooth financial transactions.
Additionally, it is also integrated with TaxJar to enable automatic tax calculations and ensure your business is compliant with the law.
Advantages:
- Vendor dashboard and reports
- Free version of the plugin available
- Sell physical goods and digital downloads
- Unlimited products
- Powerful commission control
- Automated sales tax
- Subscription and booking integrations
- Provider stripe connection
- Provider membership features
Disadvantages:
- Limited features in the free version
- Pro versions can be expensive for beginners
Start here with WC Vendors.
Prices: Starting at $99.50/year.
Free version of the plugin available.
4. WP Auctions
WP Auctions is one of the best auction plugins as it offers multiple payment methods such as PayPal, bank transfers and manual payments via email. This flexibility allows you to respond to a wide range of bidders and streamline the payment process for both you and your buyers.
Additionally, setting up auctions with WP Auctions is quick and easy. With just a few clicks, you can create, manage and edit any number of auctions directly from your WordPress dashboard.
You can take advantage of auction features like reserve prices and minimum bid increases to ensure you increase your profit margin and don’t go lower than your original asking price. Additionally, WP Auctions allows you to add the “Buy Now” option for anyone who wants to purchase the product immediately without having to go through the bidding process.
The intuitive interface makes it easy to navigate and customize your auctions to suit your needs.
To make it easier to personalize your bidding page, you can create standard auctions, reverse auctions, or quick bid contests. With four bidding engines to choose from, you can easily create auctions that match and retain your audience’s preferences.
Now, unlike many other auction software, WP Auctions does not require WooCommerce, which often limits the appearance and functionality of your auction site. Instead, it is compatible with most visual page builders and WordPress multisite setups. This ensures you can create stunning auctions that fit seamlessly into your existing website design.
WP Auctions places great emphasis on security and offers multiple levels of protection. First, you can restrict the registration of bidding users to have better control over who and how your site is used. You can also blacklist suspicious email addresses, ensuring a safe auction environment for buyers and sellers.
Advantages:
- Free version available
- Does not require WooCommerce
- No listing fees
- Flexible payment options
- Multiple bidding options
- Integrates with page builders
- User-friendly dashboard
- Multiple security features
Disadvantages:
- You need the Pro version to access all features
- A learning curve may be required
Get started with WP Auctions here.
Prices: Starting at $39/year.
Free version of the plugin available.
5. Easy WooCommerce Auctions
Are you looking for an auction plugin for WordPress that is easy to set up and fully customizable? WooCommerce Simple Auctions allows you to add a unique, easy-to-use auction house to your website, no matter what type of products you have for sale.
The company prides itself on the fact that this auction software can be added, customized and ready to use in about half an hour. It has a number of features that make it a real competitor to eBay. Once installed, this WooCommerce auction plugin allows you to go to templates and create a custom design that fits well with your website.
You can also set price increases per bid, start and end times, and even buy now buttons. Customers who come to your WooCommerce auction can register by entering their payment information and they’re done. If you win the auction, your payment will be processed and you will ship the product. It’s that simple.
Advantages:
- Straightforward setup process
- Different auction types
- Automatic bidding with Stripe
- Anti-sniping feature to prevent short-term bid spikes
- Multi-vendor support
Disadvantages:
- Limited automatic bidding
- Few payment gateways
Get started with WooCommerce Simple Auctions today!
Prices: Regular license starting at $49.
6. Automatic WordPress plugin
We’ve looked at some plugins you can use to create auctions from scratch. You may be wondering if there is a way to place auctions you have already created on eBay on your website. The answer is YES! All you need is the automatic WordPress plugin.
This WooCommerce auction plugin can be installed in seconds. It allows you to import a whole host of things from other sites like YouTube, social media, your blog and (most importantly) eBay. After you install the plugin on your website, log in with your eBay account information.
You can then link your active eBay auctions to your favorite page on your website. Once you’ve linked your website, you’re ready to go! This plugin is updated in real time. When you add a new auction to your eBay profile, it will automatically appear on your website.
Advantages:
- Integration with WooCommerce
- Automatic content generation
- Content spinning
- Versatile content sources
- Automatic affiliate link integration
- Multilingual support
- Advanced filtering and sorting
Disadvantages:
- Be careful about copyright infringement
- Danger of duplicate content
Get started with the automatic WordPress plugin today!
Prices: Regular license starting at $39.
7. Auction boost
Want to add more than just your eBay items to your website? Then Auction Nudge is the perfect plugin for you.
With this easy-to-use plugin you can quickly add your entire eBay profile to your personal website. This plugin may be useful for you if you already have a reputable eBay account with a good feedback score.
When a visitor visits your website, they can see the products you currently sell, your eBay account, and your seller ratings. This is a great resource if you want to appear reputable while transitioning your online auction house to a separate plugin, but want people to know that you are not a new seller.
Advantages:
- No registration or hidden fees
- Showcase your good reputation on eBay
- Lots of customization options
- Responsive design
- Multilingual support
Disadvantages:
- Limited features
- Trust eBay
Get started with Auction Nudge today!
Prices: 100% free.
8. WordPress WooCommerce Marketplace Auction Plugin
The WordPress WooCommerce Marketplace Auction Plugin is a feature-rich tool that can be used on virtually any website that wants to set up a virtual auction market. Administrators can add people to the list of people adding products to the marketplace.
You may also want to see our list of the best eCommerce platforms for multivendor marketplaces.
This plugin allows you to create 4 different types of auctions including: standard, incremental, automatic and reserve. For each type of auction, the user can customize and optimize the upload to their needs.
On the buyer side, there are a ton of great WooCommerce auction features to help keep buyers on your site informed. You can set it up to automatically place a bid when someone outbids you. You can also request automatic emails when someone outbids you or an auction you are tracking has ended.
Advantages:
- Multiple auction types
- Automatic bidding
- Email notifications
- Complete admin control
- Allows bulk deletion of bids
Disadvantages:
- Limited product compatibility
- Dependency on another plugin (WordPress WooCommerce Multi Vendor Marketplace)
Get started with the WordPress WooCommerce Marketplace Auction Plugin today!
Prices: Regular license starting at $69.
9. WordPress Auction Plugin
The WordPress auction plugin is designed for people who want to list items or services for sale. It is one of the first choices for those who want to offer their customers a unique range of options when shopping.
You can create an individual economy by allowing people to “shop” their money and exchange it for “credits” that they can use to bid at auctions. If you don’t want to use credit, don’t worry. They also allow you to use PayPal and traditional credit cards to make instant purchases.
The developer boasts that this tool has been tested on various WordPress platforms with many different auction themes. You can design your auction page to fit seamlessly into the rest of your website. You can also install WordPress Auctions and run it in minutes. The additional settings allow you to customize your auctions to offer your customers a unique experience.
Advantages:
- Real-time bidding
- Automatic auction completion
- Customizable auction templates
- Multiple payment gateways
- Allows you to collect listing fees
- Escrow support
- Thematic dashboards
Disadvantages:
- You must purchase the Sitemile packages to access the auction plugin
- Sitemile plans can be expensive for beginners
Get started with the WordPress auction plugin today!
Prices: Starting at $349 with annual Sitemile access. Or one-time lifetime access valued at $899.
Great! We hope you enjoyed reading this list of the best auction plugins. If you have any further questions, check out our FAQs below.
FAQs: Best Auction Plugins for WordPress to Build the Next eBay
What is the best free auction plugin for WordPress?
Ultimate WordPress Auction is the best free auction plugin for WordPress. It offers seamless WooCommerce integration and advanced automation features. Features like AJAX technology for real-time bidding and automatic auction relisting ensure a dynamic and engaging bidding experience. Additionally, it supports bulk import, allowing you to add multiple auction products at once using a CSV file.
What is the best multi-vendor plugin for WordPress?
YITH WooCommerce Auctions is the best multi-vendor plugin for WordPress. It stands out for its easy WooCommerce integration and allows complete control over the auction process. This WooCommerce auction plugin offers features like setting minimum bids, reserve prices, and different auction formats. These features provide versatility for creating engaging bidding experiences. Additionally, its user-friendly dashboard and management tools make it the first choice for building a multi-vendor auction site.
What commission does eBay take?
eBay seller fees vary depending on the selling format (auction or fixed price), the item category, and the level of your seller account. Generally, eBay charges listing fees and final value fees, which are a percentage of the final sale price. Listing fees can range from about $0.30 to $5 depending on the category, while final value fees typically range from 8 to 15% of the sales price.
What is an Auction?
An auction is a sales method in which potential buyers compete for an item by placing bids. The bidder who submits the highest bid by the end of the auction will win the item. Auctions are a popular way to sell a variety of goods, from collectibles and antiques to cars and real estate.
What are some silent auction ideas?
Some good silent auction ideas include themed gift baskets, experiences like cooking classes, sports memorabilia, fitness and wellness, and DIY kits. Remember, you can create silent online auctions on your website using WordPress plugins like WP Auctions and WooCommerce Simple Auctions. These auctions work similarly to traditional silent auctions, but bids are placed online instead of on paper.
Congratulations! You can now make the best choice when choosing a WordPress auction plugin. If you need more help, check out this post on how to create an auction site with WordPress (step by step).
Additionally, here are other articles you may want to read.
In the first article, you will learn how to create a micro job site like Fiverr. The next post lists 6 of the best eCommerce platforms for multi-vendor marketplaces. While the final tutorial will walk you through creating an online marketplace in WordPress.