8 Best GiveSmart Alternatives for Nonprofit Auctions, Galas & Events

Hosting a silent auction, or planning a gala where the paddles go up after dessert? Shop for nonprofit event fundraising software and GiveSmart turns up fast — along with the reason teams start hunting for GiveSmart alternatives: a sales call before you see a price, an annual contract, and setup measured in weeks.

Auction and gala software is judged on one night: the catalog gets built without a project plan, guests bid from their own phones without downloading anything, and nobody stands in a checkout line when the lights come up. This guide covers eight alternatives — RallyUp first, then seven others.

The short answer: start with RallyUp

RallyUp is genuinely, seriously easy to use. Running one thing — a silent auction, a gala with a Fund-a-Need moment, a ticketed dinner? You can launch it the same afternoon. About 40% of new campaigns start from an Instant Fundraiser Template, including a Gala template with auction, ticketing, and a store already assembled; a typical build runs 15–20 minutes. Ease is the most-cited strength in RallyUp reviews. Would rather not build at all? Create My Campaign hands off setup to RallyUp’s team at no cost.

And it does dramatically more with an auction than a bidding app can. RallyUp runs all three formats in one Campaign: Online, Silent with app-free mobile bidding and a QR code on every item, and auctioneer-led Live auctions with paddle numbers and Live Display. App-free bidding raises participation by up to 60%. Then there is Auction Gifts, unique to RallyUp: non-winning bidders pledge a gift charged only if they win nothing, which raises 20–35% more from people who would otherwise give nothing.

The gala night itself is where the gap gets wide. Feel the energy surge as paddles fly — then watch nobody queue to pay for it. Event Balances work like a bar tab: every bid, gift, purchase, and Paddle Raise rolls into one balance per guest, settled in a single charge, and Automated Checkout makes the close line-free. Across RallyUp events, 90% of payments process in under a minute, 75% of guests check out on their phones, and organizations see 50% fewer post-event follow-ups. Add Fund-a-Need, Paddle Raise+, and QR Code Check-In at the door.

Three things separate RallyUp from the platforms below. Easier: a launchable template, or a free expert build. Faster: Power Preview — RallyUp’s interactive draft mode — runs test bids and real test card transactions through checkout before a guest sees the page. Cheaper: no contracts or setup fees, a Free plan with a $0 platform fee, and on Flex, auction fees capped at $100 per item however high the winning bid goes.

What GiveSmart is, and where it runs out of road

GiveSmart — deep event and donor-management machinery, sold as an annual subscription with no public price

Best for: Mid-to-large nonprofits and schools that want event tools and a donor CRM from one vendor.

GiveSmart is a real platform with a real track record. Founded in 2011 and now part of Momentive Software after Community Brands rebranded its nonprofit and events business, it covers three areas thoroughly:

• Mobile bidding and silent auctions with max bid, buy-now, and outbid alerts
• Live auction tools with a leaderboard display for the room
• Ticketing, seating, contactless check-in, and guest communications
• Text-to-give, peer-to-peer fundraising, and campaign pages
• A built-in donor CRM with giving history and cross-event reporting

Where it runs out of road is everything before the software does anything for you. GiveSmart does not publish pricing, so comparing true cost means a demo first; third-party sources estimate annual plans starting around $3,000. Reviewers call the cost structure expensive and inflexible, and some report needing paid training. Review sites also carry concerns about slower support responsiveness, and customizing auctions and branded communications takes extra admin time. Since the product now sits under Momentive Software, confirm in writing whether features or service terms have changed on your plan.

Versus RallyUp: published pricing, no contract, a Free plan with a $0 platform fee, and a free expert build instead of paid training — plus Event Balances and Automated Checkout, so the night ends in one charge per guest. On G2’s comparison, reviewers found RallyUp easier to use, set up, and administer.

7 other GiveSmart alternatives for auctions, galas, and events

Every platform here does something genuinely well. The useful question is not whether it is good — it is where it stops. Pricing below is carried from each vendor’s published information at the time of writing.

1. OneCause — deep gala machinery for big annual events, priced and paced like an enterprise rollout

Best for: Large organizations running high-volume galas and auctions with a dedicated events team.

OneCause has the longest track record in nonprofit galas here, with depth RallyUp does not match feature for feature: assigned seating, couples check-in, sponsorship management, and optional on-site staff. It rates 4.7/5 on G2.

That depth sets the entry price. There is no free plan: pay-as-you-go starts at $200 up front plus a 5% fee under $50,000 raised a year, the Professional Auction and Event package is listed at $2,995/year, Text2Give starts at $495/year, and processing starts at 2%. Full setup can take weeks, and reviewers flag a steep learning curve.

Versus RallyUp: the same silent auction, live auction, and Fund-a-Need run on published per-Component pricing with no annual package to sign, launch in 15–20 minutes from a template, and close with Automated Checkout rather than a staffed table.

2. Handbid — a polished app-first bidding experience for premium events, licensed per event

Best for: High-end events that want white-label branding and invite-only access.

Handbid is built around the auction and it shows. Guests bid in the Handbid mobile app, digital paddle raises run from the platform, and the catalog and event website look genuinely premium. It rates 4.7/5 on G2.

The narrowing is scope and cost. Pricing starts at $1,396 for nonprofits across single- and multi-event packages, with 3.5% + $0.30 processing; coaching and on-site staff are add-ons, and a large catalog takes real prep.

Versus RallyUp: bidding is app-free on any device, which lifts participation by up to 60%, the AI Fundraising Content Generator drafts item descriptions inside the builder, and Auction Gifts turns losing bidders into donors.

3. Auctria — budget-friendly auction admin for annual events, capped by income tier

Best for: Small nonprofits running one dependable auction a year on a tight budget.

Auctria is unglamorous and genuinely useful. Procurement tracking, printable bid sheets, and catalogs hold up for traditional in-person events, and last year’s setup carries forward — a real time-saver. It rates 4.8/5 on G2.

The ceiling arrives quickly. Explorer is free up to $10,000 of annual income with a 1% fee, 250 bidders, and no texting; Emerald is $375/year up to $50,000; Diamond is $750/year for unlimited income at 0.25% and 1,000 bidders. Processing runs only through Stripe or Authorize.Net, and it is not built for full gala management.

Versus RallyUp: there is no income ceiling or bidder cap on the Free plan, Stripe and PayPal are both supported, and the same Campaign can grow into Fund-a-Need, Paddle Raise+, raffles, or a storefront.

4. Greater Giving — heavy event logistics for the same gala every year, quoted case by case

Best for: Established nonprofits running one large annual fundraising gala on logistics their team already knows.

Greater Giving covers the full event lifecycle, from registration through post-event reporting, and absorbs large item lists and complex live auction formats. Text-to-donate, bid displays, sponsorship tracking, and table management are all there, with on-site staff for large events.

The trade-offs are the interface and the runway. Pricing is custom only, quoted by event size; the UX lags newer competitors, and significant prep is required before an event goes live. It rates 4.2/5 on G2, the lowest score here.

Versus RallyUp: pricing is published rather than quoted, the same gala assembles from an Instant Fundraiser Template in an afternoon, and Power Preview lets volunteers rehearse check-in and bidding on the real campaign first.

5. BetterWorld — a free, friendly starting point for basic online auctions, thin at the high end

Best for: Grassroots groups and first-time fundraisers who need a free platform for a simple online auction.

BetterWorld earns its 4.9/5 G2 rating by being accessible. Online silent auctions with buy-now, live auction tools, ticketing, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, and donation forms are included, and a simple campaign goes live fast with no software budget.

The limits show up as the event gets bigger: auction tools are basic for large catalogs, and fast-growing organizations find the platform confining. Pricing runs from a free plan supported by donor tipping, to Flex at 2.2%–5%, to Partner at 1.25% plus $129/mo ($1,550/yr), to Enterprise at 1% plus $495/mo ($5,950/yr), plus processing.

Versus RallyUp: the free tier reaches further — Donation Pages are free with no donor tipping required — and the ballroom tools are there when the auction grows up: auctioneer-led Live auctions, Fund-a-Need, Paddle Raise+, and Event Balances with Automated Checkout.

6. Accelevents — strong virtual and hybrid event production, priced for corporate event teams

Best for: Virtual or hybrid fundraisers that want a branded event site with auction tools attached.

Accelevents is a capable event platform, rated 4.7/5 on G2. The drag-and-drop website builder handles custom branding well, silent and live auctions support real-time mobile bidding, and support runs 24/7.

It is not a nonprofit-first product, so features are shaped around corporate events, and branding customization requires higher tiers. Pricing reflects that audience: Professional starts at $7,500 per event, Business at $13,500 for unlimited events, with Enterprise and White Label custom quoted.

Versus RallyUp: RallyUp is built for nonprofits and includes native interactive livestreaming at a 0% fee — item spotlights, pay-to-play trivia, an on-page donate button — so a hybrid gala does not start at a five-figure license.

7. Silent Auction Pro — dependable traditional silent auctions with night-of help, one event format at a time

Best for: Volunteer-run committees running a traditional in-person silent auction.

Silent Auction Pro is one of the most reliable silent auction tools for charity events, with a 4.9/5 G2 rating and strong night-of support. Ticketing, seating, and check-in are covered, Raise the Paddle asks are available, and volunteers get up to speed quickly.

The narrowing is breadth and the annual license. Plans run Bidsheet Plus at $449/year, Bidsheet Pro at $649, Mobile Plus at $749 for mobile bidding, and Mobile Pro at $899; a 2.0% proceeds fee is invoiced after each event. The interface feels older, and it is not the tool for fundraising beyond auctions.

Versus RallyUp: nothing is invoiced up front — the Free plan has a $0 platform fee and Flex charges only on the Components you use, with auction fees capped at $100 per item — and the same platform runs raffles, A-Thons, storefronts, and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) when the committee wants more than a silent auction.

What changes when you’re ready to grow

About nine out of ten RallyUp campaigns run a single campaign type. But events reward organizations that combine formats, and that is where the platform choice compounds.

RallyUp calls this Full Stack Fundraising: 12+ stackable Components inside one Campaign, behind one URL and one checkout. A gala guest buys a ticket, bids on an auction item, answers the Fund-a-Need ask, and buys raffle entries in one balance instead of four transactions. Organizations that combine campaign types raise 38% more than those running a single format. You can also add a Component to a live Campaign — a Storefront for unsold items — with no rebuild.

• Power Preview. RallyUp’s interactive draft mode lets you test drive the event end to end: real test card transactions through checkout, test bids and receipts, and a rehearsal with volunteers. In-product it is Draft Mode.
• The AI Fundraising Content Generator. It drafts item descriptions, campaign copy, and donor emails inside the builder — useful when 80 items need descriptions by Friday. It is a co-pilot; you are editor-in-chief.
• Done-for-You. Done-for-You experts build the campaign at no cost — more than 1,000 built so far — and Power Preview is your sign-off.
• Support that answers. No bots, only humans — human fundraising experts by chat or email, free on every plan, with phone and Zoom available.
• Pricing you can predict. The Free plan has a $0 platform fee, and Donation Pages are free with no donor tipping required. Flex charges only on the Components you use — 2.9% for ticketing and storefront, 4.9% for auctions, Fund-a-Need, and Paddle Raise+ — and auction fees are capped at $100 per item, whether the winning bid is $500 or $55,000. No contracts, no subscription, no setup fee.

Across 55,000+ organizations, RallyUp has helped raise more than $1 billion, at a 4.8/5 average rating.

What to look for in auction and event fundraising software

• App-free mobile bidding: guests should bid from any device without downloading anything, which raises participation by up to 60%.
• Silent auction mechanics: a silent auction platform needs bid increments, outbid alerts, proxy bidding, and unlimited items.
• A live-ask engine, not just bidding: look for auctioneer-led Live auctions, Fund-a-Need at set giving levels, and a real-time Live Display.
• Check-in and the close: QR check-in retires the clipboard; a per-guest balance with automated checkout retires the line.
• Fee transparency: know what applies and who covers it — platform fee, processing, subscription, and whether auction fees are capped.
• A rehearsal mode: run test transactions and train volunteers before publishing, rather than finding problems through your first real donor.
• Prize-based formats: Raffles and sweepstakes eligibility vary by state. Confirm local rules before launching prize-based fundraisers.
• Reporting you can act on: the best gala fundraising software shows what worked and who gave, without manual exports.

Final verdict: the best GiveSmart alternative

GiveSmart works for organizations with the budget for an annual subscription and the staff time for onboarding. If that is not your team — if you are chasing auction items, briefing volunteers, and answering the caterer in one afternoon — the contract and the learning curve are the problem.

RallyUp is the strongest option here for most nonprofits: easy enough to launch in 15–20 minutes, deep enough to run the ballroom, and free to fundraise on with no contract. Start from an Instant Fundraiser Template, or let Create My Campaign build it. Rehearse in Power Preview. Then let Event Balances and Automated Checkout hand your guests their night back.

Pricing and features current as of August 2026.

FAQs on GiveSmart alternatives