Where Do Gavel Buddy Customers Go Next?
Table of Contents
What happened to Gavel Buddy?
On April 11 Gavel Buddy’s public site went dark. If you visit today you’ll see only a splash page that reads:
“Gavel Buddy is currently experiencing a temporary outage and undergoing necessary maintenance… we do not have a timeline yet for when the site will be live. In the meantime we have an alternative solution through Auction Flex.”
Industry chatter suggests the shutdown is permanent; several auctioneers report that HiBid/Auction Flex (which now owns the IP) is no longer offering or supporting Gavel Buddy and is steering users to the Auction Flex/HiBid ecosystem instead.
The sudden closure has left many small‑ and mid‑size auction firms scrambling for:
- Cataloging software (bulk lot entry, photos, descriptions)
- Clerking/cashiering tools (live sale recording, invoicing, settlement)
- Online bidding (timed or webcast) and payment processing
Below you’ll find a concise comparison of viable replacements, plus tips on plugging AuctionWriter into your new workflow.
Adapting Your Workflow: Choosing the Right Mix of Auction Tools
A. Stick with the HiBid ecosystem
If you loved Gavel Buddy’s tight link to HiBid, moving to Auction Flex + HiBid is the path of least resistance. You’ll keep portal exposure and gain richer desktop tools—but you’ll pay the 2 % online fee.
B. Go fully independent
Platforms like Maxanet, StableBid, BidWrangler, NextLot give you a branded bidder site or app and a flat monthly cost. They’re ideal if you already have an email list and marketing game plan—or if you don’t want to share buyer data with a marketplace.
C. Pair Wavebid with a marketplace
Love Portal Reach but want better back‑office tools? Run cataloging & clerking in Wavebid and push the catalog to Proxibid (or LiveAuctioneers, BidSpotter). You’ll pay marketplace commissions, but Wavebid keeps invoices, consignor splits and marketing in one hub.
D. Hybrid for equipment auctions
Equipment sellers often use AuctionTime for high‑value items (no commission, giant buyer pool) and a flat‑fee platform like Maxanet for lower‑value or monthly consignment sales.
Leading Software Alternatives to Gavel Buddy
| Platform | Core Type | Price Highlights* | Bidding Formats | Key Strengths | Notable Gaps / Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auction Flex + HiBid | All‑in‑one w/ built‑in portal | Desktop licence from $85/mo (1 workstation); HiBid online fees $0.25/bid (capped) + 2 % GMV | Timed, webcast, in‑person | Deep clerking features; HiBid marketplace delivers built‑in bidder traffic | 2 % online sales fee; locked to HiBid ecosystem |
| Maxanet | White‑label all‑in‑one | $225/mo + $500 setup — no commissions or per‑lot fees | Timed | WordPress site + native iOS/Android app included; MaxanetPay CC processing | You market entirely on your own; no portal exposure |
| BidWrangler | White‑label all‑in‑one | Flat monthly fee (quote) – company states “no percentage of every sale” | Timed & webcast | Custom‑branded mobile app, push alerts, Stripe/Authorize.net | Pricing not public; must self‑promote auctions |
| NextLot | White‑label all‑in‑one | Quote / subscription; prides itself on no public portal | Timed & webcast | Keeps bidders on your site; mobile‑friendly; cataloging app | You lose marketplace discovery; cost higher for small firms |
| Wavebid | Cataloging + clerking tool (add your own bidding site) | $99 per user/mo | N/A (exports to portals) | One‑click export to Proxibid, LiveAuctioneers, BidSpotter; imports results back | Need separate bidding portal or marketplace |
| Proxibid | Marketplace (bidding portal) | Event fee $650–$1,000 + 2 % online commission (equipment/estates) | Timed & webcast | Millions of bidders; ATG Pay handles CC settlement | Highest variable cost; branding lives on Proxibid |
| AuctionTime | Marketplace (equipment focus) | Flat listing fee model (no seller commission) | Weekly timed | Huge ag/heavy equipment audience; Sandhills media boost | Payments handled offline; no clerking tools |
*All prices in USD, published April–May 2025; always confirm current rates.
AI Cataloging as a Modern Solution: Where AuctionWriter Helps
While the platforms above handle bidding mechanics, AuctionWriter saves auctioneers countless amounts of time before the upload: generating clear, keyword‑rich lot titles, descriptions and estimates from your photos.
How it helps displaced Gavel Buddy users:
- Rapid catalog rebuilds – Upload batches of photos and let AI draft consistent descriptions in seconds—no need to re‑type lost Gavel Buddy data.
- Multiple export formats – Output CSV spreadsheets tailored for Auction Flex, Maxanet, HiBid, Bidwrangler or any system that accepts spreadsheet imports. House your catalogs in a single service as you explore alternative listing softwares.
- Narrative vs. bullet templates – Choose short bullets for equipment portals, or long‑form narratives for antique marketplaces.
- Team tracking & permissions – If you move to a white‑label platform, AuctionWriter’s upcoming “team accounts” feature (v2.0 roadmap) lets you see who catalogued each lot—handy when multiple staff share one login on smaller platforms.
- SEO + social ready – Auto‑generate meta descriptions and Facebook captions to drive traffic to your new bidding site, offsetting the loss of Gavel Buddy’s limited built‑in marketing.
Action Checklist (for Former Gavel Buddy Auctioneers):
| Task | ✔ |
|---|---|
| 1. Export any surviving data from Gavel Buddy backups or old CSVs. | |
| 2. Short‑list a bidding platform (see table). Compare true cost at your annual sales volume. | |
| 3. Trial AuctionWriter to regenerate or enhance catalog text and images. | |
| 4. Map integrations – e.g., Wavebid → Proxibid, AuctionWriter CSV → Maxanet. | |
| 5. Update bidder comms: new registration links, payment terms, and app download instructions. | |
| 6. Schedule sandbox auction before your next real sale to stress‑test clerking, invoicing and payouts. |
Final thoughts
Gavel Buddy’s disappearance was abrupt, but it doesn’t have to derail your 2025 auction calendar. Whether you pivot to the familiar HiBid ecosystem, choose a flat‑fee white‑label platform, or mix Wavebid with a marketplace, there’s never been a better time to modernize your workflow.
Pairing any of these platforms with AuctionWriter’s AI‑powered cataloging will let you list faster, write clearer descriptions, and preserve your margin—no matter which bidding engine you adopt.