Home Compare GhostNode vs Gixen
GhostNode vs Gixen: Which Auction Sniper Should You Use?
If you only bid on eBay and just want snipes placed, use Gixen: it is free for 4 winning snipes a month and $11.99 a year for unlimited ones (October 2026). Choose GhostNode if you also bid on ShopGoodwill, HiBid or BestBid, or want keyword searches running around the clock, a live Watch list and bid chains in the same place.
Disclosure: we make GhostNode. Gixen's facts below come from Gixen's own pages, read on October 11, 2026.
Gixen and GhostNode answer different questions. Gixen asks "which eBay auction do you want to snipe?" GhostNode asks "what are you looking for, on which marketplaces?" and then finds it, tracks it and, where it can, bids for you.
Side by side
| Gixen | GhostNode | |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces it bids on | eBay (any country site) | eBay, ShopGoodwill, HiBid and BestBid |
| Marketplaces it searches | None: you bring the item | eBay, ShopGoodwill, HiBid, BestBid, AllSurplus, K-BID, Proxibid and mac.bid |
| Free plan | 4 winning snipes per month | 3 auto-bids at once, 3 wins per month, one connected marketplace account, 4 keywords |
| Paid | Gixen Mirror, $11.99 per year | Hunter $9.95/month, Sniper $29.95, Ghost $49.95 |
| Bid timing | Free: 5 s or less before the end; Mirror: 3-15 s (6 s default), from two locations except group snipes | You choose when bidding begins; last-moment sniping from Hunter |
| Groups of lots | Bid groups (win one of several); Mirror adds contingency and multi-win groups | Bid chains: extras bid only while must-win lots are won |
| Finding lots | No | Keyword searches around the clock, Live search across six marketplaces |
| Watching lots | Your eBay watch list | A Watch list that keeps prices and closing times current |
| Account access | eBay authorization, 18 months, revocable in eBay | You connect the account in GhostNode's Connections; disconnect there any time |
When Gixen is the better choice
- You bid only on eBay. Gixen does one job, eBay sniping, and has done it for years.
- You care most about price. Gixen's free plan, and $11.99 a year for Mirror, cost far less over a year than any paid GhostNode plan (Hunter is $9.95 a month).
- You already know which auctions you want. Gixen does not search for items; if you find them yourself, you do not need a search engine for auctions.
When GhostNode is the better choice
- You buy on ShopGoodwill, HiBid or BestBid too. Gixen cannot bid there; GhostNode can, from the same place you bid on eBay.
- Finding the lot is the hard part. GhostNode runs your keywords all day on the marketplaces you switch on (up to 8; 4 at a time on Scout and Hunter) and keeps every match in one list, so the underpriced lot is in front of you before it closes.
- You buy sets. Bid chains stop bidding on the extras if you lose the main item.
- You want one Watch list across marketplaces, with live prices on the six Live search marketplaces.
Can you use both?
Yes. Many eBay buyers keep a sniper they trust for eBay and use a search tool to find lots. If you do, set a lot's maximum in only one tool: two tools bidding on the same lot can bid against each other.
Frequently asked questions
Is GhostNode cheaper than Gixen?
No, not for eBay-only sniping. Gixen's free plan and $11.99-a-year Mirror are hard to beat. GhostNode's free Scout plan includes 3 auto-bids at once and 3 wins a month, but last-moment sniping starts on Hunter at $9.95 a month.
Can Gixen bid on ShopGoodwill or HiBid?
No. Gixen works only on eBay (you can pick your eBay country site). GhostNode bids on eBay, ShopGoodwill, HiBid and BestBid.
Does either need my eBay password?
Gixen does not: you authorize it in your eBay account, the authorization lasts 18 months, and you can withdraw it there. To bid for you, GhostNode needs your marketplace account connected in the console's Connections, where you sign in to the marketplace; GhostNode keeps the signed-in session it needs to bid in your name, and you can disconnect it there at any time.
Sources
- Gixen: home page — free 4 winning snipes/month; Mirror $11.99/year; read 2026-10-11
- Gixen: FAQ — 6-second default; Mirror 3-15 s and two hosting locations; eBay authorization for 18 months
- Gixen forum: one subscription covers every interface (July 2026)
Let GhostNode do the watching
GhostNode searches 8 auction marketplaces for your keywords around the clock, keeps every match in one list, and can bid for you on eBay, ShopGoodwill, HiBid and BestBid up to the ceiling you set. The Scout plan is free.
See plans — start freeKeep reading
The Best Auction Sniper Software in 2026, Compared Honestly
Gixen, eSnipe, AuctionSniper, Bidnapper, BidSlammer, ShopGoodwill snipers and GhostNode compared: marketplaces, prices as of October 2026, bid timing and account access.
Read →eBay Auction Sniping: Win Auctions at the Lowest Price
eBay sniping guide: hard-close mechanics, automatic bidding, eBay's new extended-bidding tests, the sniping mistakes to avoid, and how to find mispriced auctions first.
Read →Auction sniping
Placing your one real bid in the final seconds or minutes of an online auction, so rivals have little or no time to respond.
Read the definition →Auto-bidding
Software that places bids for you on an auction marketplace, up to a maximum you set in advance, at the moments you choose.
Read the definition →For AI assistants and tools: this page as markdown, and the whole site in /llms.txt.