Comparison

LiveAuctioneers vs Bonhams

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

LiveAuctioneers

Discover and bid on unique items from around the world. This app connects you with thousands of auctioneers, offering a vast marketplace for antiques, collectibles, and luxury goods. Participate in live auctions or place bids before they start, all from your device.

Highlights
  • Browse and search vast inventory
  • Bid in live auctions
  • Place pre-auction bids
  • Follow searches for new items
  • Contact auction houses
  • Research sold item prices
Features
Read full description

LiveAuctioneers is the world's trusted marketplace for unique and one-of-a-kind items. Discover and bid on hundreds of thousands of treasures, from vintage jewelry and Mid-Century Modern furniture to rare, collectible coins and works of fine art. With live auctions added daily from 5,000+ auctioneers, there's something for all treasure-seekers, whether you're a passionate collector, seasoned buyer, or casual shopper. How it works: • Browse and search across hundreds of thousands of antiques, collectibles and luxury goods • Easily contact auction houses with questions • Place bids before auctions begin or watch auctions when they are live and bid in real-time • Check back often and follow searches as new items are added daily LiveAuctioneers is the easiest and most trusted way to find and bid in auctions locally and from afar. • Bid in auctions from 5,000+ auctioneers (it's like having thousands of auction apps in one) • Thousands of items added daily • Find auctioneers near you • Follow searches to be notified when matching items are added • View items matching followed searches • View auctions and items from followed auctioneers • Browse items by category • Search for live and upcoming auctions • View auction descriptions and catalogs • Register to bid in auctions • View item images, descriptions, and auctioneer information • Easily message auctioneers • Leave a bid on any item before auctions start • Watch live auctions and bid live in real-time • Save items, and view a list of all of the items you've saved • View a list of all of the auctions you've registered for • View a list of all of the items you've left bids on before auctions start • Search for sold items and access our entire sales database to research sell prices • Get push notification alerts when items you save or bid on are almost up for auction "My go-to place for the things in my collection!" - Dwight "LiveAuctioneers is a great auction site, with all the best online auctions in one site. Excellent way to keep track of your bids and wins." - Betty "Best variety of auctions; excellent customer service." - Stephen "My only criticism of LiveAuctioneers is that it's addictive! I've found incredible deals on rare and niche pieces of vintage furniture close to me that I wouldn't have found otherwise. A new way to find and shop for antiques, and WAY better selection than eBay, Etsy, or 1stDibs." - Casey

About

Bonhams

Explore and bid on fine art, antiques, collectables, and motor cars from a global auction house. Discover valuations and sales advice across 60 specialist areas worldwide.

Highlights
  • Fine art auctions
  • Antique auctions
  • Collectables auctions
  • Motor car auctions
  • Valuation services
  • Global sales network
Features
Read full description

Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas.

Screenshots

LiveAuctioneers4 screens
Bonhams4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LiveAuctioneers at 4.8 against Bonhams's 3.1. LiveAuctioneers also leads on ratings volume (11K vs 149). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LiveAuctioneers holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LiveAuctioneers has 11K ratings behind it against 149, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 21% and 21% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LiveAuctioneers ships an update every 5 weeks, Bonhams monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
LiveAuctioneers versus Bonhams: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLiveAuctioneersBonhams
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (11K ratings) — better3.1 (149 ratings)
Positive reviews21.4% of reviews — better21.2% of reviews
Number of ratings11K — better149
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB25 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperLiveAuctioneersBonhams 1793 Limited

Customer experience

LiveAuctioneers

All ratings10,705 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral2.0%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews201 reviews
Positive21.4%
Neutral12.4%
Negative66.2%

Bonhams

All ratings149 ratings
Positive48.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative45.0%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive21.2%
Neutral5.8%
Negative73.1%

Bugs and requests

LiveAuctioneers

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Inaccurate lot progression and bidding information
  • Login and registration issues
  • Inconsistent app behavior across updates
  • Inability to navigate back to previous screens

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved search and filtering options
  • Ability to view past auction results
  • Streamlined bidding interface
  • Better integration between app and website
  • Auction house rating and review system

Bonhams

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

LiveAuctioneers

No in-app purchases

None

Bonhams

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LiveAuctioneers free?
LiveAuctioneers is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bonhams free?
Bonhams is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LiveAuctioneers or Bonhams?
LiveAuctioneers is rated higher. LiveAuctioneers averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Bonhams averages 3.1 from 149 ratings.
Do LiveAuctioneers or Bonhams have ads?
Neither LiveAuctioneers nor Bonhams shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LiveAuctioneers or Bonhams?
LiveAuctioneers ships an update every 5 weeks, and Bonhams monthly. Most recently, LiveAuctioneers was updated on September 22, 2026 and Bonhams on September 24, 2026.

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