Lightning Auctions vs DirectBids
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
DirectBids
This app provides a mobile platform for participating in online auctions of used medical, laboratory, and business assets. Users can conveniently bid, make payments, and arrange for local pickups or shipping directly from their phones.
- Bid on auctions
- Pay for won items
- Schedule pickups
- Arrange shipping
- Browse surplus assets
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DirectBids is the premium online marketplace for used medical, laboratory and business assets. Never miss an auction with the DirectBids mobile app. Conveniently bid, pay and schedule pickups on your phone. Local pickups and shipping available.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: DirectBids at 5.0 against Lightning Auctions's 3.7. Lightning Auctions's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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.
DirectBids 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 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Lightning Auctions ships an update every 7 months, DirectBids every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on August 28, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lightning Auctions | DirectBids |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (34 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 34 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 6 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 137 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Lightning Auctions Inc. | Direct Bids, LLC |
Customer experience
Lightning Auctions
DirectBids
In-app purchases
Lightning Auctions
No in-app purchases
DirectBids
No in-app purchases
