Auction Today and PriceMate – Make An Offer both fall within the Pricing category on Shopify, but they offer distinct approaches to boosting sales. Auction Today focuses on creating a dynamic, competitive bidding environment akin to live auctions, aiming to drive up the price of unique or desirable products. Its core strength lies in automating the entire auction process, including bidding, notifications, and invoice generation. This makes it well-suited for merchants with unique or limited-quantity items who want to create a sense of urgency and excitement to maximize revenue. PriceMate, on the other hand, centers on negotiation and customer interaction, enabling customers to propose their desired prices. This app targets merchants who value customer engagement and are willing to negotiate to close deals. PriceMate prioritizes a flexible pricing strategy where the merchant can control the negotiation process with auto-accept or counter-offer features. The app positions itself as a way to capture potential sales that might otherwise be lost due to price sensitivity. While Auction Today emphasizes driving the price *up*, PriceMate aims to meet customers at their price point through negotiation. This difference is reflected in their features: Auction Today offers functionalities like proxy bidding and multi-currency support for global auctions, while PriceMate provides customizable offer emails and focuses on streamlining the make-an-offer process.
214 reviews
11 reviews
For every product, merchants can establish an auction to boost sales right away.
"Make an Offer" and "Pay What You Want" make it easy to add products. Obtain Proposals.
| Rating | 4.9/5 | 4.7/5 |
Rating Auction Today4.9/5 PriceMate – Make An Offer4.7/5 | ||
| Reviews | 214 | 11 |
Reviews Auction Today214 PriceMate – Make An Offer11 | ||
| Pricing Strategy | Auctions (Bidding) | Make An Offer (Negotiation) |
Pricing Strategy Auction TodayAuctions (Bidding) PriceMate – Make An OfferMake An Offer (Negotiation) | ||
| Target Merchant | Unique/Limited Inventory, Desire for Urgency | Price-Sensitive Customers, Value Negotiation |
Target Merchant Auction TodayUnique/Limited Inventory, Desire for Urgency PriceMate – Make An OfferPrice-Sensitive Customers, Value Negotiation | ||
| Key Automation | Bidding Process, Notifications, Invoicing | Automatic Offer Acceptance/Counter Offers |
Key Automation Auction TodayBidding Process, Notifications, Invoicing PriceMate – Make An OfferAutomatic Offer Acceptance/Counter Offers | ||
| Multi-Currency Support | Yes | Yes |
Multi-Currency Support Auction TodayYes PriceMate – Make An OfferYes | ||
| Customer Interaction | Limited to Bidding Process | Direct Negotiation via Offers |
Customer Interaction Auction TodayLimited to Bidding Process PriceMate – Make An OfferDirect Negotiation via Offers | ||
| Primary Goal | Maximize Revenue through Competition | Increase Sales by Meeting Customer Price |
Primary Goal Auction TodayMaximize Revenue through Competition PriceMate – Make An OfferIncrease Sales by Meeting Customer Price | ||
Auction Today is the superior choice for merchants wanting to create a buzz around unique products, drive prices up through competition, and largely automate the sales process. Its extensive features, including proxy bidding and multi-currency support, make it a powerful tool for generating significant revenue on specific items. However, the set-up and management could be complex for merchants not familiar with auction dynamics.
PriceMate – Make An Offer is better suited for merchants who are flexible on price and want to engage customers directly in negotiations. The 24/7 post-installation support is a significant advantage, particularly for merchants who are new to this type of sales strategy. If maximizing volume by catering to price-sensitive customers is the primary goal, PriceMate offers a more customer-centric approach.
While both claim user-friendliness, PriceMate's focus on a simpler 'make an offer' system, combined with its advertised 24/7 post-installation support, suggests it's likely easier for beginners to grasp and implement quickly compared to the more complex auction mechanics of Auction Today.
Auction Today is the clear winner for high-value, limited-edition products. Its auction format creates urgency and competition, driving the price up to its maximum potential. PriceMate's negotiation approach might leave money on the table in these scenarios.
Both apps offer customization, but Auction Today mentions 'fully customizable widgets' and appears to offer wider customization options in terms of auction parameters, such as reserve prices and buyout options, which PriceMate does not.
Both apps explicitly support multi-currency, making them viable options for international sales. However, Auction Today's mention of multi-language support suggests it may be better suited for directly targeting non-English speaking customers.
PriceMate – Make An Offer is much more centered on customer engagement. It prioritizes creating a direct interaction between the buyer and seller through the 'make an offer' system. This allows for a more personalized sales process.
Run audits for SEO, CRO, PageSpeed, and AI visibility. Get a clear report and actionable fixes.
Try Fix My Store