Comparison
Auction Now vs Whatnot: run auctions on your own Shopify store
Whatnot is a live-stream auction marketplace where you sell to its audience and pay an 8% commission plus 2.9% + $0.30 processing; Auction Now is a Shopify app that runs auctions on your own store, where you keep the customer and pay a 5% success fee plus your normal Shopify processing.
Pick Auction Now if…
- You already have a Shopify store, an email list, or a social following.
- You want bidders to become your customers, not the platform's.
- You'd rather pay a lower fee on sales you generated yourself.
- You want auctions to live alongside your fixed-price catalogue.
Pick Whatnot if…
- You don't have an audience yet and need a marketplace to find buyers.
- Live video selling is your main format and you want an integrated stream + checkout.
- You sell in a category where Whatnot's fee is reduced (coins, electronics).
Pricing
Auction Now
- Free to install, no monthly plan
- 5% success fee on the final bid, charged only when the winner pays
- Unlimited auctions, unlimited bidder emails
- No fee on unsold or unpaid auctions, shipping, or tax
Whatnot
- 8% commission on most categories (US, CA, AU)
- 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing on the total order
- Lower commission on some categories and high-value orders
- No listing fees
Whatnot also runs volume tiers and promotions that change the commission. Shopify processing rates depend on your plan; Shopify Payments on Basic is 2.9% + $0.30 in the US.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Auction Now | Whatnot |
|---|---|---|
| Where the auction runs | Your Shopify product page | Whatnot's app and site |
| Who owns the buyer | You (Shopify customer) | Whatnot |
| Live video | Pair with any streaming tool | Built in |
| Soft close / popcorn bidding | Yes, adjustable | Yes |
| Proxy (max) bidding | Yes | Yes |
| Combined shipping | Automatic | Yes, within a show |
| Discovery | Your traffic | Whatnot's feed |
| Sell fixed-price items too | Yes, same store | Yes, in-app |
These are different tools for different stages. Whatnot is a marketplace: it brings the buyers, hosts the stream, and takes a cut. Auction Now is a Shopify app: it adds auctions to a store you already run, so the buyers and the data are yours. Many sellers use both.
Fees on a $100 sale
| Whatnot | Shopify + Auction Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform / app fee | $8.00 (8%) | $5.00 (5%) |
| Payment processing | $3.20 (2.9% + $0.30) | $3.20 (Shopify Payments, Basic, US) |
| Total | $11.20 | $8.20 |
On $5,000 of monthly auction sales that's roughly $560 on Whatnot against $410 on your store — before counting that your store's buyers are on your email list for next time.
The real difference is who owns the customer
Every bidder on your store signs in with a customer account. They get your branded outbid and ending-soon emails, show up in your Shopify customer list, and can be marketed to with the tools you already use. On a marketplace you rent that relationship.
Using both
The common pattern: stream on Whatnot for reach, then point regulars at store auctions with combined shipping and first look at new inventory. See Moving from Whatnot to your own Shopify store.
Free to install. No monthly fee — a 5% success fee only when an auction sells.
Install on ShopifySources (checked 2026-09-19): Whatnot seller fees (help center), Shopify pricing. Competitor pricing and features change; if something here is out of date, email us and we'll fix it.