Every auction script promises "everything you need". The differences only appear when your marketplace starts to grow: when two bids arrive at the same second, when a seller wants to upload 200 items, or when you need to charge VAT.
Use this checklist to compare auction software before you buy.
The Bidding Engine
- Automatic (proxy) bidding – bidders set a maximum and the system bids for them. This is standard on every major marketplace; auction software without it feels outdated.
- Exact bids – some bidders want to place every bid themselves. The best software lets them choose.
- Anti-sniping – a late bid should extend the auction, so the best offer wins, not the fastest click.
- Reserve prices, Buy Now and fixed prices – sellers need all three formats.
- Make an Offer – negotiation sells items that would otherwise stay online.
Money
- Built-in fees – seller commission, buyer's premium, listing fees and featured upgrades, invoiced automatically.
- Online payments – at least Stripe and PayPal, plus bank transfer for high-value items.
- VAT – essential if you sell to businesses or in Europe.
Growth
- AI tools – an AI listing assistant that writes titles and descriptions and suggests prices gets more items listed. AI search helps buyers find them.
- Category fields and filters – Make, Year, Brand, Size: specialist buyers need specialist filters.
- SEO – SEO-friendly URLs, page titles and descriptions, a blog and fast pages.
Control and Ownership
- Moderation and source code – an approval queue, reports and a banned-words filter keep your marketplace clean; unencrypted source code means you can customize everything and never depend on a vendor.
Questions to Ask Before You Buy
- Is there a live demo of the front end and the admin panel?
- Is the source code encrypted? Is there a license server?
- Are there monthly fees or a share of your sales?
- Is installation included?
- Can the vendor customize it for your niche?
How PHP Bid Compares
PHP Bid was built to tick every box on this list: automatic and exact bidding, anti-sniping, Buy Now, Make an Offer, reserve prices, Stripe, PayPal and bank transfer, commissions and buyer's premium with VAT, an AI listing assistant, AI search, category fields, moderation tools, a CMS and blog, 8 designs and 100 % unencrypted source code – for a one-time price with free installation.