Online auction software is the system that manages the bidding, listings, bidder accounts, timing, and payments needed to run an online auction. PHP Pro Bid is online auction software that runs all three formats (timed auctions, live auction events, and a full marketplace) on one platform you own outright. Install on your server or let us host it. Zero transaction fees, backed by nearly two decades of proven reliability.
A timed auction is an online auction where each item has a fixed closing time, and bidders can place bids any time until it ends. PHP Pro Bid runs timed auctions with proxy bidding and anti-sniping. See timed auctions →
A live auction event is a scheduled sale with a named catalog of lots that close in sequence, minutes apart. PHP Pro Bid runs auction events with staggered closing and one invoice per buyer. See auction events →
An auction marketplace lets multiple sellers list items, at auction or fixed price, on one branded site with a shared checkout. PHP Pro Bid includes marketplace and shopping-cart selling alongside auctions. See the marketplace →
On a marketplace you're renting someone else's audience, and paying for it on every sale. With your own auction platform, the buyers are yours to keep. Run timed auctions, estate sales, charity fundraisers, or a full marketplace, all from one installation, one admin panel, one buyer list.
The platform handles proxy bidding, staggered lot closings, invoicing, and payment collection automatically. You set the listing fees and the commission structure. No transaction fees to us on any plan — we charge for the software, not a cut of what you sell.
Which format fits depends on how you sell: timed auctions for online-only catalogs, live events for scheduled multi-lot sales, and a marketplace for fixed-price listings. All three run on the same installation, the same admin panel, the same buyer accounts, so start with one and add others as you grow.
Set a start time, set an end time. Bidders place proxy bids from anywhere in the world and compete until the clock hits zero — automatically, with no auctioneer required. The auction runs 24/7 whether you're at your desk or not.
Group hundreds of lots into a single event — estate sales, liquidations, charity galas, vehicle auctions. Lots close in staggered sequence, minutes apart. One buyer invoice covers every lot they win. Built for the way real auctions work.
Run fixed-price sales and a multi-seller marketplace alongside your auctions — all on the same platform. Buyers use one account for everything. Third-party sellers list on your site. You collect fees. No separate system required.
Most auction software forces you to choose a single format or run separate systems side by side. PHP Pro Bid ships all three in one installation — one codebase, one database, one server. That's a single buyer list shared across timed auctions, events, and your store.
For you, that means one admin panel to manage listings, invoices, fees, and users — regardless of format. For your buyers, it means one registration, one login, one account balance. No re-entering payment details when they move from an auction to your store.
Technically, it also means one deployment to maintain. One set of backups. One SSL certificate. One hosting bill. Whether you're running 50 lots or 50,000, the platform scales without additional infrastructure for each format.
License once and own the software outright — source code included*, runs on your server. Or subscribe to Cloud and we handle the hosting while you run the platform. Or go fully managed on a private VPS. All three include every auction format, the full feature set, and zero transaction fees to us on every sale.
Not sure which? Buy the License to own it outright and run it on your own server. Choose Cloud to launch in minutes with nothing to manage. Pick Managed VPS for private server resources, source access, and priority support on infrastructure we run for you. Use the auction software cost calculator to compare all three against another platform's subscription and transaction fees over one, three, or five years.
Own it forever. Source code included.
Live in minutes. £756/year or £79/month.
Managed VPS. Your domain. Source code.
*Full PHP source is included; a small number of licensing/security files are encoded with ionCube.