A Brand New Bidding War: OnGait vs Hoofbid Comparison

There is a new bidding war that started last week in the harness racing world, but this time it's not just over a single horse. Instead Hoofbid, the new competitor of OnGait, is competing for a share of the online horse sales market. I want to take an unbiased look at how they stack up against each other. To be clear, I have no involvement with either company, and have never bought or sold a horse with either one- so this will be a comparison from a purely outsider's viewpoint.

So let's jump right to the good stuff - how do the two compare objectively?

Pricing Comparison

When it comes to sale listings, OnGait offers sellers two options: (1) Pay $150 upfront OR (2) pay only $29 upfront + $250 if the horse sells. HoofBid keeps it simple here and charges $99 regardless of if the horse sells or not. OnGait gives listings a life of 90 days, where Hoofbid offers 30. This may be valuable for a seller who wants to take the $29 option and isn't in a rush to sell, as they can take advantage of the increased exposure time at a cheaper cost in that case.

We have a clear winner when it comes to auction pricing- Hoofbid has come to the table with the total cost of an auction for the seller cut basically in half.

Extras

Both sites offer upsell features with some additional options such as featured listings and race videos. Unfortunately in our sport this is a reality, having to pay extra to be allowed to show a video of your horse that you are trying to sell- but don't get me started on that, it isn't to blame on these auction companies.

The Software

Both sites now offer apps for both Android and Apple devices. OnGait responded quickly - releasing their app only days after Hoofbid hit the track running. Honestly, without having bought or sold on the apps, I can only tell you my opinion from having browsed around the apps. Hoofbid is the better looking of the two, style wise. Hoofbid is also slightly easier to navigate, and has some nice little features such as making it fast and easy to contact a seller. OnGait's app feels like a clone of their website, which may not be entirely a bad thing since users from their website will find it familiar. This is also where OnGait finds one advantage - you have the option to use either the app or their website. HoofBid doesn't offer selling/buying on their website, you must use the app.

The Real Battle

If I've learned one thing in the technology world, it's that the best tech doesn't always win. As a seller of a horse, what matters to me more than anything is being put in front of as many serious buyers as possible. As a buyer, I'd go wherever quality horses are being sold at good prices. In this case, whoever can attract the most eyes to their auctions should eventually win over the most sellers.

Regardless of who wins, this bidding war is going to be good for our sport. Have we seen the final bid as far as price goes, or will OnGait respond with a price reduction of their own? Or will a new competitor jump in and join the bidding? Competition is a good thing. I for one am wishing both companies success, and I hope they continue to do their best to provide a valuable service that is becoming increasingly important with the uncertainty surrounding live auctions this year.

Both are available for download:
OnGait: Download here
Hoofbid: Download here