April 17, 2026 By Admin
Host school & college cricket auctions for free! Live player bidding, budget tracking & big screen display. Best free cricket auction apps reviewed.
CricAuction is genuinely free — up to 3 teams. School inter-class leagues, small colony tournaments, or any small-format event with 3 teams or fewer can run a complete live player auction at zero cost, forever. But if your college tournament has 6, 8, or 12 teams — which most do — a paid plan is required. This guide clears up exactly what is free, what is paid, and why 40,500+ tournaments across India have chosen CricAuction regardless of plan.
📋 In This Article
- Free vs Paid — What's the Real Difference?
- All Pricing Plans Explained Clearly
- When the Free Plan Is Perfect for Schools
- Why College Tournaments Need a Paid Plan
- What Every Plan Includes — Features Breakdown
- Why 40,500+ Tournaments Trust CricAuction
- Is the Paid Plan Worth It? Honest Answer
- Getting Started — Free or Paid
Free vs Paid — What Is the Real Difference?
Many cricket auction apps advertise "free" and then hide most features behind a paywall. CricAuction is different — the free plan is genuinely useful. But it has one clear limit: maximum 3 teams. That is the only restriction. Every feature — live big screen display, mobile bidding, PDF export, Excel import, YouTube live overlay — is available on every plan, including free.
✅ What the Free Plan Gives You
A full, professional live cricket player auction for up to 3 teams. All features included — big screen projector view, mobile bidding for team owners, player categories, budget tracking, PDF squad export, and WhatsApp support. No credit card. No hidden charges. No feature restrictions.
⚠️ The One Limitation of the Free Plan
The free plan supports a maximum of 3 teams per auction. If your tournament has 4 or more teams — whether it's an inter-class league, inter-department college cup, or colony tournament — you will need to upgrade to a paid plan. There are no exceptions to this limit on the free plan.
⚡ The Clear Rule
3 Teams = Free Forever. 4+ Teams = Paid Plan Required.
This is the only rule you need to remember. CricAuction does not restrict features by plan — it only restricts the number of teams. Everything else works exactly the same whether you are on the free plan or the most expensive paid plan.
All CricAuction Pricing Plans — Clearly Explained
Here is every available plan on CricAuction as of 2026. The price is per auction — meaning you pay once for each tournament auction event, not a monthly subscription.
| Plan | Teams | Price Per Auction | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Up to 3 | ₹0 — Free Forever | Small format, trial runs, inter-house 3-team events |
| Plan 2 | Up to 4 | ₹1,999 / auction | Small colony or society tournaments |
| Plan 3 | Up to 6 | ₹2,499 / auction | School inter-class (6 divisions) or small college leagues |
| Plan 4 | Up to 8 | ₹2,999 / auction | Most popular — inter-department college leagues |
| Plan 5 | Up to 12 | ₹3,999 / auction | Large college tournaments or multi-branch events |
| Plan 6 | Up to 16 | ₹4,999 / auction | Inter-college cups or city-level tournaments |
| Plan 7 | Up to 20 | ₹5,999 / auction | Corporate leagues or district-level events |
| Plan 8 | Up to 30 | ₹6,999 / auction | Large-scale tournaments with 30 franchises |
✅ Important Note on Pricing
Pay Per Auction — Not Per Month
CricAuction charges per auction event, not as a monthly subscription. If your college runs one tournament per year, you pay once per year. There is no recurring fee, no annual lock-in, and no penalty for not using the platform between events.
When the Free Plan Is Perfect — School Use Cases
The 3-team free plan is not a stripped-down demo. It is a complete auction platform. Here are the exact school and college scenarios where the free plan is perfectly sufficient:
✅ Trial Run Before Your Main Tournament
Run a 3-team test auction with the sports committee the week before the actual event. Get familiar with the controls, test the projector connection, and let team captains practice mobile bidding — all completely free.
✅ Small Inter-House Events with 3 Houses
If your school has exactly 3 houses competing — say Red, Blue, and Green House — the free plan covers the entire auction from start to finish. Full features, no charges, no limits other than the team count.
✅ Practice Format & Friendly Tournaments
A 3-team practice tournament between three college departments before the main inter-college event. Run a free auction to build hype, test the format, and let students experience the IPL-style bidding atmosphere ahead of the paid main event.
⚠️ When the Free Plan Is NOT Enough
If your college inter-department league has 6 branches, or your school's inter-class event has 8 classes competing, the free plan will not work. You will need to select the appropriate paid plan based on your team count. The good news: every feature remains exactly the same.
Why Most College Tournaments Need a Paid Plan
Let's be honest — most college cricket tournaments have more than 3 teams. An engineering college with 6 branches, a university with 8 departments, or a college festival with 12 participating teams — all of these require a paid plan on CricAuction. Here is how to choose the right one:
- 6-branch inter-department league: Plan 3 — ₹2,499 for up to 6 teams
- 8-class inter-section tournament: Plan 4 — ₹2,999 for up to 8 teams (most popular)
- 12-team college festival cup: Plan 5 — ₹3,999 for up to 12 teams
- 16-team inter-college invitational: Plan 6 — ₹4,999 for up to 16 teams
- Large university tournament (20+ teams): Plan 7 or 8 starting at ₹5,999
"Our inter-department cricket league had 8 teams. We went with the ₹2,999 plan. For what we got — the big screen auction, mobile bidding for all 8 captains, PDF squad reports — it cost less than the trophy we gave out. Completely worth it."
— Sports Committee, Engineering College, Surat 2026What Every Plan Includes — Full Features Breakdown
This is the part most apps hide. On CricAuction, every plan — including free — includes all features. The only difference is the team count limit. Here is the complete feature list available on all plans:
| Feature | Free Plan (3 Teams) | Paid Plans (4–30 Teams) |
|---|---|---|
| Live Projector / Big Screen View | ✔ Included | ✔ Included |
| Mobile Bidding for Team Owners | ✔ Included | ✔ Included |
| Bulk Player Entry via Excel | ✔ Included | ✔ Included |
| Player Registration via Web Link | ✔ Included | ✔ Included |
| PDF & Excel Squad Export | ✔ Included | ✔ Included |
| Auction Modes (Random / Manual / Category) | ✔ Included | ✔ Included |
| YouTube Live Overlay | ✔ Included | ✔ Included |
| Admin Invite System | ✔ Included | ✔ Included |
| Automatic Budget Deduction | ✔ Included | ✔ Included |
| WhatsApp Support | ✔ Included | ✔ Included |
| Maximum Teams | 3 Teams Only | 4 to 30 Teams |
Why 40,500+ Tournaments Trust CricAuction
Crossing 40,500 completed auctions is not just a number — it is 40,500 times that a cricket organiser chose CricAuction over Excel sheets, WhatsApp confusion, and manual bidding chaos. Here is what has driven that trust:
🏆 Built Specifically for Indian Cricket Culture
CricAuction understands the IPL auction format that India loves — the drama, the strategy, the big screen moment. Every feature is designed around how Indian cricket communities actually run their tournaments, not a generic international template.
📱 Works on Any Phone, Any Connection
Team owners bid from their own phones using a simple link — no app download required. The platform is optimised for Indian mobile networks, so even if your college ground has average connectivity, the auction runs smoothly.
💬 Real Humans on WhatsApp Support
When you contact CricAuction support on WhatsApp, a real person responds — not a bot. For organisers setting up their first auction, this makes an enormous difference. Call or WhatsApp: +91 76 98 767 767.
🔄 Used Across All Tournament Types
From school inter-house events to engineering college cups, from corporate leagues to city-level tournaments — CricAuction has handled them all. The platform scales from a 3-team free auction to a 30-team paid event without changing the interface or experience.
Is the Paid Plan Worth It? Honest Answer.
If your college tournament has 8 teams and 60 players, the ₹2,999 plan works out to roughly ₹50 per player auctioned — less than the cost of a decent cricket ball. For what you get in return — a professional live auction experience, automatic budget management, PDF squad reports, big screen display, and support — the value is difficult to argue with.
- ₹2,999 for 8 teams = approximately ₹375 per team for the entire auction experience
- Time saved: A manual 8-team auction with 60 players takes 4-5 hours; CricAuction reduces this to under 90 minutes
- Zero disputes: Every bid is recorded automatically — no arguments about who outbid whom
- Professional output: PDF squad reports ready to print and post on the sports noticeboard instantly
- Engagement value: Students remember and talk about a well-run IPL-style auction — it builds tournament culture
⚡ Bottom Line
For Most Colleges, ₹2,999–₹3,999 is the Right Investment
Compare this to the cost of printing, physical auction paddles, manual scoresheets, and the inevitable arguments that come with a manual process. The paid plan pays for itself in time saved and goodwill generated — often from the very first tournament.
Getting Started — Free or Paid, Same Process
Whether you start with the free plan or go straight to a paid plan, the setup process on CricAuction is identical. Here is how to begin:
Step 1 — Register at app.cricauction.live
Create your account at app.cricauction.live — no credit card required for the free plan. For paid plans, payment can be made via UPI (GPay/PhonePe/Paytm: hardiksavaliya037@okicici), bank transfer, or PayPal for international users.
Step 2 — Create Your Tournament & Add Teams
Name your tournament, set the number of teams, assign each team a budget (virtual credits or real money equivalent), and add team owners. If you have more than 3 teams, select the appropriate paid plan at this step.
Step 3 — Add Players via Excel or Web Registration
Import all players via Excel with names, departments, playing roles, and base prices. Or share a web registration link and let players register themselves — the system handles it automatically.
Step 4 — Share Bidding Links & Go Live
Each team captain receives their unique bidding link on WhatsApp. Connect the auctioneer's laptop to a projector. Open the live dashboard. Start the auction. Every bid updates in real time on screen.
📚 Related Guides
🏏 The Honest Summary
CricAuction is free for up to 3 teams. It is paid for 4 or more teams. That is the complete, honest answer. There are no hidden feature restrictions, no sneaky upsells mid-auction, and no degraded experience on the free plan. The only thing the free plan cannot do is run an auction with 4 or more teams.
With 40,500+ completed auctions across India, CricAuction has proven that the platform — at every price point — delivers exactly what cricket organisers need. For school and college tournaments, the choice is simple:
- 3 teams or fewer? Use the free plan. No charges, full features, start in 30 minutes.
- 4–6 teams? Plans from ₹1,999–₹2,499 per auction — one-time payment.
- 8–12 teams? The most popular range — ₹2,999–₹3,999 per auction.
- 16–30 teams? Full-scale tournament plans from ₹4,999–₹6,999.
- Every plan includes big screen display, mobile bidding, PDF exports, YouTube overlay, and WhatsApp support.