# Sotheby's vs Madison Auction

The clearest difference is ads: Madison Auction at none against Sotheby's's shown. Sotheby's's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Sotheby's ships an update every 2 weeks, Madison Auction every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sotheby's | Madison Auction |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.4 (96 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sothebys/id1061156465/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **96** | — |
| Positive reviews | 24.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 54 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Sotheby's](https://appshunter.io/developer/393122746) | [Madison Auction Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1442700324) |

## What reviewers say

### Sotheby's

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sothebys/id1061156465)

Access extraordinary art, precious objects, wine, and jewelry from auctions worldwide. Track bids, register for auctions, and explore past and upcoming sales with expert insights.

**Highlights:** Bid in live and online auctions, Track bids and registrations, Browse open, upcoming, and past auctions, Search past and present lots, Manage profile and view purchases, Access favorite auctions and lots

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Beautiful photography and content
- 👍 Easy to navigate (for some)
- ✅ Great for browsing and viewing auctions
- 🤩 Interactive and engaging
- 🖼️ Elegant design

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Core functionality missing
- 📉 Poor user experience
- 🚫 App is useless for many
- 😵 Confusing new format
- 📱 Not compatible with older phones

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot sort auction lots
- Cannot follow, view, or bid
- App crashes on launch
- ID verification camera not focusing
- Photo upload issues

**Requested features**

- Allow sorting of auction lots
- Improve search functionality
- Enable calendar integration
- Make app landscape compatible
- Simplify personalization options


### Madison Auction

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/madison-auction/id1566321030)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sotheby's free?

Sotheby's is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Madison Auction free?

Madison Auction is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Sotheby's or Madison Auction have ads?

Sotheby's shows ads; Madison Auction does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sotheby's or Madison Auction?

Sotheby's ships an update every 2 weeks, and Madison Auction every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sotheby's was updated on October 24, 2026 and Madison Auction on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*