Build Guide

Build a Auction Site Without WordPress

WordPress auction plugins break under concurrent bidders. Build a real-time auction platform that handles bid wars without crashing.

Start Building
The Old Way

The WordPress Approach

Required Plugins

1Ultimate WooCommerce Auction ($39/year) — WooCommerce auctions
2WP Auctions ($199/year) — WordPress auction plugin
3AuctionPress Theme ($39 one-time) — auction theme
4WooCommerce Simple Auctions ($39/year) — simple bidding system

Limitations

No real-time bid updates — bidders must refresh the page to see new bids
Race conditions on concurrent bids — two people can "win" simultaneously
Countdown timers are JavaScript-only, desync across client clocks
No anti-sniping protection (automatic bid extension in final seconds)
Payment collection after auction is manual — no automatic winner billing

Typical Cost

$40-200/year in plugins + WooCommerce hosting costs

The Modern Way

The Modern Approach

Next.js + Supabase + Stripe + real-time bidding engine

Supabase handles the auction database with real-time subscriptions for live bid updates. Database transactions prevent race conditions on concurrent bids. Stripe automatically charges the winner when the auction ends.

Real-time bid updates — all bidders see new bids instantly
Database-level bid validation prevents double-winning race conditions
Server-side countdown timers prevent clock desync cheating
Anti-sniping: automatic 2-minute extensions on last-second bids
Automatic winner notification and payment collection via Stripe

WordPress vs. Modern Stack

WordPress

  • No real-time bid updates — bidders must refresh the page to see new bids
  • Race conditions on concurrent bids — two people can "win" simultaneously
  • Countdown timers are JavaScript-only, desync across client clocks
  • No anti-sniping protection (automatic bid extension in final seconds)
  • $40-200/year in plugins + WooCommerce hosting costs

Modern Stack

  • Real-time bid updates — all bidders see new bids instantly
  • Database-level bid validation prevents double-winning race conditions
  • Server-side countdown timers prevent clock desync cheating
  • Anti-sniping: automatic 2-minute extensions on last-second bids
  • Automatic winner notification and payment collection via Stripe

Recommended Tools

Supabase

Auction database, real-time bid updates, and auth

Free up to 500MB, $25/month Pro

Stripe

Winner payment collection and payment holds

2.9% + 30¢ per transaction

Next.js

Auction pages with real-time bidding interface

Free and open-source

Resend

Bid notifications, outbid alerts, and winner emails

Free up to 3,000 emails/month

Vercel

Hosting with edge functions for bid processing

Free hobby tier, $20/month pro

Step-by-Step Build Guide

1

Design the Supabase schema — auctions (item, start price, reserve price, end time), bids (user, amount, timestamp), and watchlists

2

Build a bid placement function with database transaction that validates bid > current highest and updates atomically

3

Create the auction page with real-time bid feed via Supabase Realtime, countdown timer, and bid form

4

Implement anti-sniping — if a bid is placed in the last 2 minutes, automatically extend the auction

5

Set up Stripe payment intents — authorize the winning amount when auction ends and capture payment

6

Add email notifications via Resend — outbid alerts, auction ending soon, and winner confirmation

7

Build the seller dashboard for creating auctions, monitoring bids, and managing completed sales

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prevent bid sniping?
Implement anti-sniping rules: if a bid is placed in the last 2 minutes, automatically extend the auction by 2 minutes. This is a database trigger in Supabase that fires on every new bid near the auction end time.
How do I handle concurrent bids fairly?
Use Supabase database transactions with row-level locking. The bid function checks if the new bid exceeds the current highest within a transaction, ensuring only one bid wins in a race condition.
How do I collect payment from winners?
Use Stripe payment intents. When a bidder places a bid, create a SetupIntent to save their payment method. When they win, create a PaymentIntent to charge the winning amount automatically.

Auction Site Guides

In-depth guides and tutorials to help with your migration

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