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Nonprofits · head to head

Handbid vs Keela

Handbid logo

Handbid

Nonprofits

Mobile-first auction and event fundraising platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Keela logo

Keela

Nonprofits

Nonprofit CRM and fundraising platform with Canadian tax receipting built in

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Handbid the pricing page publishes no plan, no rate, no minimum and no per-event fee; it states there are no preset tiers and directs every visitor to a pricing consultation; Keela pricing scales with contact count, so a charity that keeps twenty years of lapsed donors pays every month for records it never contacts, and the only fix is deleting history it may need for reporting.
  • They diverge on capability: Handbid covers Mobile bidding, Keela covers Donor records and segmentation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Handbid and Keela actually diverge.

Attributes where Handbid and Keela differ
AttributeHandbidKeela
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer month by contact count
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofits).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Handbid

  • Mobile bidding
  • Silent auctions
  • Live auctions
  • Fund-a-need
  • Ticketing
  • Salesforce
  • Stripe
  • PayPal

Only in Keela

  • Donor records and segmentation
  • CRA and IRS receipting
  • Donation forms and pages
  • Email and automation
  • Grant and pledge tracking
  • Reporting dashboards

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Handbid

  • Mobile bidding for charity and fundraising auctionsnot Keela
  • Event ticketing, registration and check-in with tap to paynot Keela
  • White-labelled online auctions for schools, nonprofits and corporate eventsnot Keela

Keela

  • A Canadian registered charity that must issue CRA compliant receipts without building templates itselfnot Handbid
  • A development team of two to five people replacing spreadsheets and a mailing toolnot Handbid
  • An organisation already running Aplos fund accounting that wants gifts to post through automaticallynot Handbid
  • A bilingual charity sending French and English donor communications from one contact listnot Handbid

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Handbid

  • The pricing page publishes no plan, no rate, no minimum and no per-event fee; it states there are no preset tiers and directs every visitor to a pricing consultation
  • There is no self-serve signup path; the only routes offered are Start Chatting, a consultation or a demo booking
  • Because packages are assembled per event, the cost of white-label auctions, text-to-give and support levels is not published

Keela

  • Pricing scales with contact count, so a charity that keeps twenty years of lapsed donors pays every month for records it never contacts, and the only fix is deleting history it may need for reporting.
  • The email marketing tools are adequate for donor appeals but weaker than a dedicated platform, so organisations with heavy newsletter programmes end up paying for a second tool and syncing lists.
  • Custom reporting is limited to the fields and filters Keela exposes, so questions the product did not anticipate require exporting to a spreadsheet.
  • The integration list is short next to Salesforce or Blackbaud, so a charity running an unusual event, membership or advocacy tool will be moving data by CSV.
  • Since the 2023 Aplos acquisition the roadmap serves a combined accounting and fundraising suite, so investment favours the accounting join rather than standalone CRM depth.

Pricing, plan by plan

Handbid

On request
  • Starter$199/month
    • Basic auction features
    • Up to 50 items
  • Professional$499/month
    • Unlimited items
    • Live streaming
    • Fund-a-need
  • Enterprise$999/month
    • Multi-event license
    • White labeling
    • Priority support

Keela

On request
  • Keela$undefined/month
    • Published tiers priced by number of contacts held, not by user seat
    • Higher tiers unlock automation, custom fields and additional reporting
    • Card processing is charged separately by the payment processor

Which should you pick?

Choose Handbid if

  • You need mobile bidding.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want silent auctions.
Handbid review

Choose Keela if

  • You need donor records and segmentation.
  • You also want cra and irs receipting.
Keela review

Questions people ask

Is Handbid or Keela better?
Neither clearly leads. Handbid starts at On request and Keela at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Handbid or Keela?
Handbid starts at On request and Keela at On request.
Does Handbid or Keela run on more platforms?
Handbid runs on Web, IOS, Android. Keela runs on Web.
What is Handbid best used for?
Handbid is most often used for mobile bidding for charity and fundraising auctions, event ticketing, registration and check-in with tap to pay, white-labelled online auctions for schools, nonprofits and corporate events. Of those, mobile bidding for charity and fundraising auctions and event ticketing, registration and check-in with tap to pay are not what Keela is typically brought in for.
What can Handbid do that Keela cannot?
Handbid covers Mobile bidding, Silent auctions, Live auctions, Fund-a-need. Keela covers Donor records and segmentation, CRA and IRS receipting, Donation forms and pages, Email and automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Handbid: How much does Handbid cost?

Handbid does not use standard pricing tiers. Instead, the company provides custom quotes based on your event needs, event volume, and support requirements. Handbid emphasizes no commission on funds raised.

Source
Keela: Does Keela issue CRA compliant tax receipts?

Yes, receipt numbering, required wording and batch issuance are built in, which is the main reason Canadian charities choose it over US products.

Handbid: Does Handbid take a commission on auction proceeds?

No. Handbid does not charge a percentage of funds raised. Platform fees are separate from payment processing.

Source
Keela: Who owns Keela?

Aplos Software, a US fund accounting vendor, acquired it in 2023. Keela is still sold as its own product but shares a roadmap with Aplos.

Handbid: What payment processing fees does Handbid charge?

Handbid's payment processing fees are: Visa/Mastercard/Discover 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction, American Express 3.95% + $0.30 per transaction, and ACH 1.5% flat with no per-transaction fee.

Source
Keela: Is pricing per user?

No, it is by contact count. Adding staff does not raise the bill, growing the mailing list does.

Handbid: What is included in Handbid licenses?

All Handbid licenses include unlimited items, guests, and bidders; all auction formats (silent, live, paddle raise); ticketing and check-in; money handling and reporting; platform updates; and live phone support during events.

Source
Keela: Can it replace a fund accounting system?

No. It records income and pledges but does not do fund accounting, so you still need Aplos, QuickBooks or an equivalent.

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