Comparison

CTBIDS vs ThriftBrain

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

Head to head
About

CTBIDS

Participate in online estate sale auctions with bidding starting at just $1. Discover unique items and everyday treasures from the comfort of your home. The app offers easy navigation, bid tracking, and favorite lists for a seamless auction experience.

Highlights
  • Bidding starts at $1
  • Bid from anywhere
  • Set maximum bids
  • Filter items by category and location
  • Track bidding status
  • Create favorites lists
Features
Read full description

Discover a world of unique and everyday treasures with CTBIDS, where bidding starts at just $1. Our user-friendly app makes online auctions a breeze, ensuring a seamless experience for all. Users of this app must be 18 years or older. Welcome Home to CTBIDS: •Bid from anywhere! •Set maximum bids so that you don’t miss out on fun while you are away. •Easily filter items by category, location, featured estate sales, and more. •Stay in the loop with your bidding status every step of the way. •Create favorites lists to explore more of what you love. CTBIDS grew from an idea over 10 years ago by Caring Transitions owners across the country. These owners are carefully managing the treasures and everyday household items for their clients as they downsize or transition to new homes. These items have quality, value, and a history that are a perfect fit for someone else. Our mission was to create a platform where these estate sales are brought to you online. Instead of set pricing, bidding starts at $1. This process allows our bidders to find unique and everyday treasures for a great value. In addition, the repurposing of these belongings will have a positive and lasting impact on the world we all share. CTBIDS is powered by Caring Transitions. Established in 2006, Caring Transitions is the nation’s largest and most trusted organization specializing in downsizing, relocation, estate sales, decluttering, home cleanouts, online auctions, and other services. To learn more, visit CaringTransitions.com.

About

ThriftBrain

Instantly determine the resale value of items by snapping a photo. This tool calculates net profit after fees and generates optimized listing titles and descriptions for platforms like eBay and Poshmark.

Highlights
  • AI Visual Scanner & Tag Identifier
  • Real eBay Sold Comps
  • True Net Profit Calculator
  • Instant SEO Listing Generator
  • Vintage BOLO & Tag Guides
Features
Read full description

See real eBay sold prices in seconds — not just active listings, but what buyers actually paid. Snap a photo of any item or tag at the thrift store, goodwill bins, garage sale, estate sale, or flea market and instantly know its true resale value and exact net profit after eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, and Depop fees. No more guessing. No more leaving money on the table. BUILT FOR RESELLERS, THRIFTERS & VINTAGE FLIPPERS: • AI Visual Scanner & Tag Identifier: Snap a photo of clothing tags, footwear, electronics, cookware, toys, or antiques to identify exact era, brand, and model. • Real eBay Sold Comps: See true market value based on actual sold listings and sell-through demand. • True Net Profit Calculator: Automatically deducts platform fees (eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, Amazon) and shipping costs from your thrift store buy price. • Instant SEO Listing Generator: Generate copy-and-paste titles and descriptions optimized for eBay and Poshmark in one tap. • 500+ Vintage BOLO & Tag Guides: Built-in reference library for dating vintage t-shirt tags, denim, workwear, mid-century cookware, stereo receivers, and collectibles. Terms of Use: https://www.thriftbrain.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.thriftbrain.com/privacy

Screenshots

CTBIDS4 screens
ThriftBrain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ThriftBrain at 100% against CTBIDS's 6%. ThriftBrain also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.4) and chart position (#186 vs unranked). CTBIDS's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (248 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ThriftBrain sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. CTBIDS asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ThriftBrain holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CTBIDS has 248 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 6% of CTBIDS's written reviews are positive against 100% of ThriftBrain's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CTBIDS ships an update every 3 weeks, ThriftBrain every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
CTBIDS versus ThriftBrain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCTBIDSThriftBrain
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.4 (248 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews6.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings248 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank—#186 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB12 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperCaring Transitions, IncJeffrey Karst

Customer experience

CTBIDS

All ratings245 ratings
Positive26.5%
Neutral7.3%
Negative66.1%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive6.0%
Neutral8.6%
Negative85.3%

ThriftBrain

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

CTBIDS

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues with Google/Apple accounts
  • Inconsistent app behavior and crashes
  • Incorrect or missing auction information
  • Inability to access account and bidding history

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to view item photos without opening listing
  • Improved navigation and back button functionality
  • Real-time bid updates and notifications
  • Filtering and sorting options for search
  • Seamless integration with website and account management

ThriftBrain

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

CTBIDS

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

ThriftBrain

Subscriptions2
  • ThriftBrain Pro$9.991 Month
  • Dealer Pro$24.991 Month

Questions

Is CTBIDS free?
CTBIDS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ThriftBrain free?
ThriftBrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CTBIDS or ThriftBrain?
ThriftBrain is rated higher. CTBIDS averages 2.4 out of 5 from 248 ratings, while ThriftBrain averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do CTBIDS or ThriftBrain have ads?
Neither CTBIDS nor ThriftBrain shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CTBIDS or ThriftBrain?
CTBIDS ships an update every 3 weeks, and ThriftBrain every 2 weeks. Most recently, CTBIDS was updated on November 3, 2026 and ThriftBrain on November 1, 2026.

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