Bonhams vs Swann Auction
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Fine art auctions
- Antique auctions
- Collectables auctions
- Motor car auctions
- Valuation services
- Global sales network
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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.
Swann Auction
Explore upcoming and past auctions, search for items, and save your favorites. Register for auctions, receive reminders, and place absentee or live bids directly from your mobile device. Track all your bidding activity in one place.
- View Auction Calendar
- Search and Save Lots
- Register for Auctions
- Receive Bid Reminders
- Place Absentee Bids
- Bid Live
- Track Bidding Activity
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The Swann Auction App lets you view our Auction Calendar and Bid Live in our Auctions from your mobile device. Participate in our Auctions from anywhere using your mobile device and unlock the following features: - View the Auction Calendar of Upcoming and Past Auctions. - Search Lots. - Save Favourite Lots. - Register for Upcoming Auctions. - Receive reminders to ensure you never miss a chance to Bid in an Auction. - Leave Absentee Bids. - Bid Live. - Track your Bidding Activity.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Swann Auction at 4.3 against Bonhams's 3.1. Swann Auction also leads on review sentiment (42% vs 21%). Bonhams's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (149 vs 3). On price, ads, 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.
Swann Auction holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bonhams has 149 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of Bonhams's written reviews are positive against 42% of Swann Auction's.
Bonhams ships an update monthly, Swann Auction every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bonhams | Swann Auction |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (149 ratings) | 4.3 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 21.2% of reviews | 41.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 149 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bonhams 1793 Limited | Swann Galleries, Inc. |
Customer experience
Bonhams
Swann Auction
In-app purchases
Bonhams
No in-app purchases
Swann Auction
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Bonhams free?
Is Swann Auction free?
Which has better reviews, Bonhams or Swann Auction?
Do Bonhams or Swann Auction have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bonhams or Swann Auction?
Other comparisons
