PayBee vs Handbid: Which Auction Platform Is Right for Your Nonprofit? (2026)

Finding a platform that really speaks to your nonprofit can feel like a challenge, and we know how exhausting it can be to find the right place to host your next auction fundraiser. Handbid and PayBee are two all-in-one nonprofit auction platforms, which means they offer everything from CRM and analytics to online bidding and event livestreaming. 

They are both absolutely fantastic platforms to use, with PayBee being the ideal match for nonprofits that want to be free from subscriptions with transparent pay-as-you-go pricing and excellent auction tools, while Handbid offers incredible support for large-scale galas, native bidding apps, and concierge features. 

We know that just made it harder for you to choose, but we’re going to help you find the best auction software for galas and events in this guide. You can expect an honest, transparent look at each platform to determine which one is going to suit your organisation. 

A Quick PayBee vs Handbid Comparison 

As of September 2026, all information in this table is accurate and has been verified through both PayBee and Handbid. The same goes for all information pertaining to Handbid and PayBee throughout this article.

Reviews and ratings from Capterra can be found here:

• PayBee
• Handbid 

Reviews and ratings from G2 can be found here: 

• PayBee 
• HandBid 

What is PayBee?

PayBee is an all-in-one auction platform that was designed to help nonprofits of all sizes and with any budget host fundraising auctions and events. It offers an excellent selection of tools that range from hybrid events and livestreaming to live reporting and analytics. Everything is centred around transparency and ensuring that your nonprofit has the support it needs. 

What is Handbid?

Handbid is an all-in-one auction platform that puts a lot of its focus on large galas that have a lot of guests and tend to raise quite a bit of money during their events. They have fantastic app support that allows your guests to bid effortlessly, and they also offer white-label branding so that you can ensure your event stands out. They even have concierge onboarding. 

Comparing the Features Offered by PayBee and Handbid

You’ve had your introduction to each platform, but what about the features that they offer? There are aspects that these platforms share, and there are also features that set them apart and might help you make your decision. Here’s a more detailed comparison between the two platforms as we break down what each of them offers. 

Handbid Features: 

• Native mobile bidding app. This makes it a lot easier for guests to place their bids, know when they have been outbid, and keep track of the event.
• Theme Manager (white-label). With this, you can make every event page your own, down to the app and domain, instead of using standard layouts and landing pages
• Handbid TV livestreaming. You can stream your event to YouTube, or you can use Handbid TV, which has been built into the app. 
• Text-to-give. This is a really easy way for people to send money to a nonprofit through a text from their phone instead of bidding on items. 
• Tap-to-Pay. With this handy tech, you can turn your smartphone or device into a payment terminal that allows guests to tap their cards against it to pay. 
• Sealed-bid/timed auctions. These are designed to be seamless and easy to use so that all bids remain confidential and timed auctions run properly through the app. 
• Concierge onboarding. This is a specialised service where a team from Handbid are assigned to your nonprofit to handle everything from data migration and training to auction configuration so that you can focus on your event.
• iPad kiosk mode and max bids. This ensures a seamless auction with proxy bidding and accessible options for those who do not have a smartphone or don’t want to download the app, allowing everyone to take part. 

PayBee Features: 

• Live & silent auction software. Being able to host live events is still important for many nonprofits, and this allows you to host live auctions and silent auctions easily.
• Virtual & hybrid galas. Online events allow for more reach, and hybrid galas combine live and virtual events seamlessly so that everyone can be involved without issue.
• Text-to-give. This is a really easy way for people to send money to a nonprofit through a text from their phone instead of bidding on items.
• Tap-to-pay. With this handy tech, you can turn your smartphone or device into a payment terminal that allows guests to tap their cards against it to pay.
• Mobile checkout. This option allows guests to pay for their auction items and make donations throughout the event at their leisure, making it more relaxed for everyone.
• Event ticketing. With an advanced event ticketing page, you can do everything from customise the tickets and set promo codes to managing guests and communications.
• Donation pages. This is designed for recurring donations, one-time gifts, peer-to-peer fundraising, and pledges to make raising money more accessible. 
• Real-time reporting. The backend analytics mean you have the ability to track donor activity, your financial records, campaign performance, and so much more, so that you can learn from past events and apply them to future ones. 

Essential Shared Features: 

• Stripe payment processing. This makes everything easier and more secure for nonprofits and guests, especially as Stripe is considered one of the most reputable payment platforms. 
• 501(c)(3), tax receipts. Both platforms offer tax receipts, which is important because then your donors are able to claim their donations as tax-deductible income.
• Fund-a-Need. This is a fundraising event that is usually live, and it has the aim of raising money for a specific cause without the donors receiving anything in return. It is also called a paddle raise or special appeal, and it can help many important causes. 
• Mobile bidding. This makes life so much easier for everyone. It means you know exactly how many bids have been placed, and your guests can keep track of the event. 

From this, you can see that PayBee and Handbid have many similarities. They both offer auction software and essential features such as tax receipts and text-to-give donations. But they are also different in the sense that PayBee offers live events, for example, and Handbid has white-label customisation as well as concierge onboarding. 

One other major difference to note is that PayBee offers detailed CRM and analytics at the end of your event, whereas Handbid only provides basic data collection for bidders during the auction. However, their live event support has also been praised as some of the best in the industry, and auction apps are handy. The two platforms balance their differences quite nicely. 

Pricing Comparison Between PayBee and Handbid

As of September 2026, the information in this table is accurate, as is the information within the article as a whole. Everything has been verified on the PayBee and Handbid websites. As you can see, they use completely different pricing methods, and the tiered pricing that Handbid used to offer has been removed from the website and replaced by a request-only service. 

While it is only possible to get an accurate price through the Handbid team, you can speak with the chatbot on their pricing page to learn that the starting price for galas and auctions is $2,999. This is also how I learned that they scrapped their platform fee (which was previously reported to be 5%) and that their processing fees are slightly higher than those offered by PayBee. 

Setting Up and Ease of Use

PayBee is fairly easy to set up and start using, and it only takes a few minutes to complete the process. All you need to do is register with your email address and EIN, as well as provide your organisation’s address and the bank account details associated with the nonprofit. After everything has been verified, you get to build your page. 

This includes filling out your profile and choosing your handle so that you can let your donors know where you are and how to find you for the event. You will also be asked to choose a membership plan, which starts with the $0 tier. It’s a fairly seamless process, and there are always members of the support team available to help when needed. 

Handbid is unique in that they have their concierge onboarding service instead of the self-service setup that PayBee offers. The aim behind this is that everything is done for you by the platform instead of you needing to rely on team members or volunteers to set things up for you. It’s a white-glove service, and it’s designed to make things much less stressful. 

Despite being done for you, some reviewers on Capterra have noted that there is quite a learning curve associated with getting to grips with the backend management and concierge aspect of things. However, once you get to grips with it, it remains one of the strongest features that Handbid offers to its customers, and it does make life a bit easier. 

How Does the Customer Support Measure Up?

Both PayBee and Handbid offer live support to their customers, and this extends to events so that you have someone there on the night if things go wrong. However, there are slight differences in the way that their support works, and Handbid has been consistently praised for its exceptional event-night concierge support services. 

PayBee has an email address and phone number available on their website for general inquiries and customer support. There is also a contact form that can be filled out for those who need it. Event night support works through a remote representative who has been designated to assist you with anything you need for the duration of your event to prevent technical issues. 

They are available to assist you via:

• Phone call 
• Live chat 
• Text

Everything is handled quickly, and since that representative will only be working with your event, you can expect fast replies and solutions. Everything from issues with the auction to volunteer problems and coordination before the event starts can be handled effortlessly. It’s something that PayBee is very proud of. 

With Handbid, you get live access to a representative throughout the event so that you don’t have to wait in line with a chatbot. You can also use the app to get support quickly in an emergency using their dedicated help service. This is also how they monitor alerts during the event. However, their support is also tiered according to your package. 

Standard package: This includes basic coverage for phone support during the event for any technical questions or troubleshooting you might need, as well as urgent issues

High-tier package: This gives you a dedicated concierge who will even be on-site for the duration of the event if you need them. They are assigned solely to your event and are available throughout its duration for anything that you need help with 

They are quite different levels of customer support, but you will always have someone to help with your event regardless of the package you choose. Their general customer support for enquiries and such is done via email on their website, and they also have a contact form you can fill out if you have questions and want them to get back to you. 

What is Each Platform Best For? 

Okay, so now that we have a lot of the core information levelled out, which platform is best for what? It’s an important question, especially as every nonprofit has different needs, and we like to break it down this way: 

You should choose PayBee if you want:

• Complete transparency 
• Low-commitment events 
• Solid virtual and hybrid events 
• Connectivity to platforms like Twitch and YouTube for auction livestreams

You should choose Handbid if you want: 

• Assistance with big galas and events 
• Native apps 
• White-label branding 
• Concierge onboarding 

Essentially, it comes down to the fact that Handbid is the leader for big galas with large numbers of guests that are expected to raise a lot of money. It makes the price easier to justify, and you do get the onboarding and highly-praised customer support. They also have the native apps that make the process a little easier for your guests. 

But PayBee has been designed to be affordable, accessible, and offer everything you need to get started with your events as a nonprofit. It has much broader streaming options for online and hybrid events, and the process of getting set up and started is easy (even if you have to do it yourself). It’s a solid choice that’s suited to nonprofits of any size. 

Switching from Handbid to PayBee

The great news is that the migration process from Handbid to PayBee is exceptionally easy. You’re in for a smooth journey, and the fact that there is no subscription lock-in means that you can leave Handbid at any time without losing the rights to your data. This is really important because some platforms do hold a claim to your donor information. 

All of your items and guests can be exported and imported in the form of an Excel or CSV file, and PayBee supports bulk CSV imports to make things even easier for your organisation. Everything from your offline sales and historical ticketing to your contact records is preserved so that you can build an accurate guest list on PayBee once you’re settled in. 

From there, it is a simple case of linking your accounts and ensuring everything is in order and properly implemented before you start planning your first live auction. You will also need to ensure that any outstanding balances with Handbid are paid off before you can close your account, which is why we recommend moving after the last event you host has been settled up. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PayBee or Handbid Cheaper? 

PayBee and Handbid have different payment models, which means one might be cheaper than the other depending on the type of event you are hosting. PayBee uses a pay-as-you-go model that takes a 2% processing fee without any annual charges, compared to Handbid, which uses a subscription package that starts at $2,999 per year. 

Does Handbid Have a Native App, and Does PayBee?

Handbid has a native app that is available for download on iOS and Android. It can be used by your guests for bidding and notifications when they have been outbid. PayBee doesn’t have an app; it uses a browser-based bidding system that requires no downloads in order for guests to participate in the auction. 

What Does Handbid Cost? 

(Custom quote/subscription; cite processing fees; note it's not public — verify.)

The cost of Handbid is not made public, as they tend to base the overall price on your event, the number of guests, and any add-ons that you might need. However, you can start a conversation with the chatbot on their website, which will let you know that packages start at $2,999 per year. This price does not go lower, regardless of the size of your event. 

Is Handbid Worth It? 

Handbid is absolutely worth it if you have plenty of big galas and can benefit from their exceptional concierge onboarding. They are designed for large events and have the support to back it up because that’s where their greatest strength is. But for transparency and low-commitment auctions, PayBee is where you want to be. 

What's the Best Handbid Alternative for Nonprofits? 

PayBee is a great alternative for Handbid because it’s another all-in-one platform that offers support for nonprofits of all sizes and can help you host a memorable auction fundraiser. However, there are also platforms such as OneCause, GiveSmart, and Givebutter that offer affordable auction options and are able to provide plenty of excellent support options. 

Can I Switch From Handbid to PayBee Mid-Year? 

Yes, you can switch from Handbid to PayBee mid-year. There is no subscription lock-in, and you are also able to import your guests and items easily. However, it is important to make the switch after a major event instead of leading up to one. This is so that you cause minimal disruptions to your organisation and to help you keep track of things properly. 

Host an Auction Your Nonprofit Will Remember

Both platforms are excellent choices for your nonprofit. PayBee offers fantastic livestreaming options for guests, browser-based bidding, and an affordable pricing plan that will help any nonprofit get their foot in the door. Handbid has dedicated apps, concierge onboarding, and white-label branding control that make every page feel like your own. 

Each platform has the power to make your auction a memorable event, and it comes down to which one is going to serve your nonprofit best. Why not start with PayBee and see if we live up to your expectations? You can book a free demo with us to see how things work, and we know that you won’t be disappointed with what we have to offer.