Lightning Auctions vs Kolbe & Fanning
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lightning Auctions
Participate in live and absentee bidding for a wide range of items, including antiques, collectibles, and vehicles. Preview upcoming auctions, track your bids, and receive notifications directly from your mobile device.
- Preview auctions
- Live and absentee bidding
- Push notifications
- Track bidding activity
- Watch live sales
- Auction calendar
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Lightning Auctions has been the leading auction house in Northern Nevada for 30 plus years. Selling everything from antiques and collectibles, entire estates, business liquidations and used vehicles. With Lightning Auctions' app you can preview, watch and bid in our auctions all from your mobile phone. Participate in our sales while on the go or at your leisure from your mobile device and gain access to the following features: - Quick registration - Follow upcoming lots and receive push notifications to ensure you never miss a chance to bid - Leave absentee bids - Bid live using our simple “swipe to bid” interface - Track your bidding activity - Watch live sales - View calendar of past and future sales
Kolbe & Fanning
This app allows users to preview, watch, and bid in auctions for rare numismatic literature. Features include quick registration, push notifications for upcoming lots, absentee bidding, and live bidding with a swipe interface. Track your bidding activity and view past and future sales.
- Preview auctions
- Watch live sales
- Bid live via swipe
- Leave absentee bids
- Track bidding activity
- Push notifications for lots
- Auction calendar
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Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers are a licensed auction firm specializing in rare and out-of-print literature on coins, medals and related fields. In business since 1967, we are the largest currently operating firm in this area. With Kolbe & Fanning’s app, you can preview, watch, and bid in our auctions all from your mobile phone. Participate in our sales while on the go or at your leisure from your mobile device and gain access to the following features: - Quick registration - Follow upcoming lots and receive push notifications to ensure you never miss a chance to bid - Leave absentee bids - Bid live using our simple “swipe to bid” interface - Track your bidding activity - Watch live sales - View calendar of past and future sales
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Kolbe & Fanning at 5.0 against Lightning Auctions's 3.7. Lightning Auctions's advantage is update cadence (every 7 months vs every 22 months) and ratings volume (34 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Kolbe & Fanning holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightning Auctions has 34 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Lightning Auctions ships an update every 7 months, Kolbe & Fanning every 22 months. The most recent releases landed on August 28, 2026 and June 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lightning Auctions | Kolbe & Fanning |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (34 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 34 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months — better | Every 22 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 137 MB | 135 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Lightning Auctions Inc. | Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers LLC |
Customer experience
Lightning Auctions
Kolbe & Fanning
In-app purchases
Lightning Auctions
No in-app purchases
Kolbe & Fanning
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Lightning Auctions free?
Is Kolbe & Fanning free?
Which has better reviews, Lightning Auctions or Kolbe & Fanning?
Do Lightning Auctions or Kolbe & Fanning have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lightning Auctions or Kolbe & Fanning?
Other comparisons
