GiveGrove
vs ClickBid
GiveGrove and ClickBid both run mobile silent and live auctions with text outbid alerts and no app download. As a ClickBid alternative, GiveGrove is free to start, has no contracts or annual license, and lets you set up your event yourself in a few minutes. ClickBid, running events since 2002, sells an annual license starting at $895 a year plus a 3.5% card fee, with an account manager for every customer.
Last updated October 2026 · Published by GiveGrove
GiveGrove vs ClickBid: the short version
Choose GiveGrove if you want to start free with no contract or annual license, set up your auction yourself, and have people on call during the event.
Choose ClickBid if you run several events a year, want the same account manager each year, direct CRM integrations, table seating and video streaming, and have budget for an annual license.
The biggest difference: cost and commitment. GiveGrove is free to start and caps its Classic fee at $4,000 per event. ClickBid charges $895 or $1,495 a year, plus 3.5% on every card transaction. Online ticket sales and table seating need the $1,495 Full Suite.
GiveGrove vs ClickBid at a glance
GiveGrove vs ClickBid pricing
Example: $25,000 raised across 250 card payments averaging $100.
On this $25,000 event, GiveGrove can cost your organization nothing, because donors usually cover processing (about $3.20 on a $100 payment). ClickBid would cost about $1,770 on Essentials, or $2,370 on Full Suite, which you need for online ticket sales. ClickBid's license covers unlimited events for a year, so its cost per event drops if you run several.
GiveGrove 🍋 reports that donors cover fees 85 to 90% of the time when given the option.
GiveGrove vs OneCause features
Auctions
GiveGrove runs silent auctions with real-time mobile bidding, starting bids and increments, auto-bidding, anti-sniping, outbid texts, automatic charging of winners, Buy It Now, and multi-quantity items such as a wine pull. Auctions can close at a set time or with your live event. Live auctions include paddle assignment (online and offline paddle numbers), paddle raises, and manual bid entry for guests without smartphones, in the room or streamed on Zoom, Facebook Live or YouTube.
OneCause runs silent auctions with mobile bidding, Max Bid and Buy Now, item-level start and end times, real-time outbid and item-won notifications, and a "last chance" auction for unsold items. AI tools write item descriptions and recommend items to guests. Live auctions take mobile bids, paddle raises, floor bids and proxy bids for virtual guests, with live slides and scoreboards.
Tickets, raffles, check-in and payments
GiveGrove includes ticketing with real-time guest check-in and checkout, and the same ticketing module can run raffles. Guests can pay for live auction items on the spot. GiveGrove also accepts Apple Pay and Google Pay.
OneCause includes ticketing with groups and sponsorship packages, drag-and-drop table seating, raffles, QR code check-in, walk-up ticket sales, and OneCause Tap for capturing cards at check-in. Staff can record paddle raise gifts with a Spotter tool and enter bids for guests with Bid Assist.
Donations and other campaigns
Both offer donation pages, fund-a-need appeals and peer-to-peer fundraising.
GiveGrove adds team fundraising and team voting. You can also add offline dollars to a team fundraiser or voting campaign.
OneCause adds Text2Give, matching gifts, recurring giving, online sponsorship sales, donate-to-vote and table contests.
Donor data and messaging
GiveGrove has no CRM by design. You get each supporter's name, email, phone, purchases and fee coverage to export into your own CRM, and you can text supporters who opted in. GiveGrove never uses or sells donor data.
OneCause includes donor management and reporting dashboards, and is part of Bonterra's nonprofit software suite.
Support
GiveGrove's team is on call during your event, and you can text or call a real person for help while it's live. There's also a help button on every page and a post-event summary showing net raised and your actual cost.
OneCause offers phone, chat, email and an AI guide, plus pre-event consulting. Onsite event staff are available; reviewers report this adds to the cost.
Where GiveGrove is stronger
- Free to start, with no contract or annual license.
- Self-serve setup in a few minutes, with no demo required.
- A choice of model: tip-funded GiveBack, or Classic with no tip prompt and a fee capped at $4,000 per event.
- Tip sharing: up to 10% of each donor tip goes back to your organization.
- People on call during your event, by text or phone.
Where ClickBid is stronger
- An account manager who stays with you year after year, plus day-of-event phone support.
- Unlimited events on one annual license, which lowers the cost per event for busy organizations.
- Direct CRM integrations with Salesforce, Blackbaud, Bloomerang and others.
- Table seating, event displays and EventStream video streaming (Full Suite).
GiveGrove or ClickBid: which should you choose?
School or PTO auction run by volunteers:
GiveGrove, for free self-serve setup and no annual license.
One auction or gala a year with a paddle raise:
GiveGrove, so you aren't paying a yearly license for one night.
Several events a year, with a CRM to keep in sync:
ClickBid, if one license across all your events fits the budget.
You want the same account manager every year:
ClickBid.
How to switch from ClickBid to GiveGrove
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Create your GiveGrove event. You need your organization's name and event basics, and setup takes a few minutes.
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Choose GiveBack Guarantee or Classic, then set how processing fees are handled.
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Add your items and share your event page. Want a walkthrough first? Talk to a real person.
✦ GiveGrove has no contract, so you can run your next auction on GiveGrove while your ClickBid license runs out.
“GiveGrove helped us to create an event that had not been done before. Everything went very smooth and things were explained very well to us whenever we had questions. The whole team at GiveGrove is polite, professional and very helpful.”
GiveGrove vs ClickBid FAQ
Is GiveGrove cheaper than ClickBid?
For most single events, yes. GiveGrove is free to start: the GiveBack Guarantee charges no platform fee, and Classic charges 4% capped at $4,000 per event. ClickBid's annual license costs $895 (Essentials) or $1,495 (Full Suite), plus 3.5% on credit card transactions. ClickBid's license covers unlimited events, so organizations that run many events a year should compare total cost.
How much does ClickBid cost?
ClickBid's pricing page lists Essentials at $895 a year and Full Suite at $1,495 a year in the US, each with a 3.5% fee on credit card transactions. A Dedicated Customer Advisor is an optional add-on at $100 an hour.
Does ClickBid require a contract?
ClickBid is sold as an annual license. GiveGrove has no contracts or subscriptions.
Do both send outbid texts?
Yes. Both GiveGrove and ClickBid text bidders when they're outbid, and neither requires bidders to download an app.
Does ClickBid ask donors for tips?
No. ClickBid says it doesn't request donor tips. GiveGrove's GiveBack Guarantee includes an optional tip, and Classic has no tip prompt.
Which is better if we run many events a year?
ClickBid, if you'd use one annual license across several events and want the same account manager each time. GiveGrove charges per event, with no platform fee on GiveBack and a $4,000 cap on Classic.
Can I set up GiveGrove without a demo?
Yes. You can create your organization and event yourself in a few minutes. If you'd like a walkthrough first, you can talk to a real person.
Does GiveGrove integrate with my CRM like ClickBid?
GiveGrove has no CRM by design and exports supporter contact data to the CRM or email tool you already use. ClickBid offers direct integrations with CRMs including Salesforce, Bloomerang and Neon CRM.
Try GiveGrove free
No contracts, no upfront costs, no subscriptions.
How we compared
GiveGrove publishes this page. We checked GiveGrove's pricing and product pages and OneCause's public plans and product pages on October 12, 2026, and link every source below. We have tried to be fair, including where OneCause is the better fit. Prices and features change. If anything here is out of date, email info@givegrove.com and we will correct it.
Sources