Mainland Auctions vs DirectBids
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mainland Auctions
Participate in live auctions for construction, machinery, farm equipment, and more directly from your mobile device. Preview items, track your bids, and receive notifications for upcoming lots of interest. The app offers a streamlined registration process and allows you to engage in sales from anywhere.
- Live auction bidding
- Preview upcoming lots
- Push notifications for items
- Track bidding history
- Quick registration
- On-the-go participation
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Mainland Auctions was established in 2017 by a professional team with over 30 years of experience in the auction industry. We specialise in onsite auctions, asset recovery and liquidations in construction, machinery, engineering, farm machinery, hospitality, freight claim, insurance and more. We are always happy to provide guidance and support with your next step when buying or selling in the auction process. With the Mainland Auctions app, you can preview, watch and bid in our auctions from your mobile/tablet device. Participate in our sales while on-the-go and gain access to the following features: •Quick Registration •Following upcoming lots of interest •Push notifications to ensure you engage on items of interest •Track bidding history and activity •Watch live auctions
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 ads: Mainland Auctions at none against DirectBids's shown. Mainland Auctions also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). DirectBids's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, rating, 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Mainland Auctions against 5.0 for DirectBids. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DirectBids has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Mainland Auctions ships an update every 2 months, DirectBids every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mainland Auctions | DirectBids |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 6 months |
| 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 | 135 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Mainland Auctions Christchurch Limited | Direct Bids, LLC |
Customer experience
Mainland Auctions
DirectBids
In-app purchases
Mainland Auctions
No in-app purchases
DirectBids
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Mainland Auctions free?
Is DirectBids free?
Which has better reviews, Mainland Auctions or DirectBids?
Do Mainland Auctions or DirectBids have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mainland Auctions or DirectBids?
Other comparisons
