Droplert
Why track an eBay item's price
On eBay the price is set by each seller, not by the site. Sellers lower prices when an item hasn't moved, raise them when stock runs low, and run their own sales. The same listing can cost noticeably different amounts a week apart.
A price tracker checks the listing for you on a schedule, saves every price it sees, and tells you when it falls or reaches a number you picked. You find out about the drop without opening the app every evening.
Set up an eBay price drop alert in 4 steps
- Open the listing in the eBay app or in Chrome. If the listing has options such as size, colour or storage, pick the one you want first. Each option can have its own price.
- Tap Share, then Droplert. Droplert opens the listing. You can also copy the link and paste it into Droplert.
- Tap the item price. Droplert remembers where that price sits on the page and shows you what it read. Tap Track it.
- Pick a check schedule and, if you like, a target price. Every few hours suits a popular item. Once a day is plenty for something you're happy to wait on.
Track Buy It Now listings, not auctions
This is the one thing that matters most on eBay. A price tracker is built for prices that can go down. An auction's price only goes up while bidding runs, and it ends at a fixed time. There is no price drop to wait for.
Track Buy It Now (fixed-price) listings instead. Their price is whatever the seller sets, and sellers do lower it. If you want something that is mostly sold at auction, look for the same item from a seller who also lists it at a fixed price, and track that listing.
Best Offer
Some fixed-price listings show a "Make offer" button. The listed price is then the most you'd pay, not the least. A tracker can only see the listed price, so it won't know what the seller would accept. Watching the listed price fall is still useful: a lower asking price gives you a lower starting point for an offer.
Listings end
Unlike a product page at a big store, an eBay listing can end. It sells out, the seller removes it, or it runs out of time. When that happens the price disappears from the page, the check can't read it, and Droplert flags the product instead of going quiet. That's your cue to find the item again and start tracking the new listing.
eBay details that trip people up
Shipping is separate
eBay shows postage on its own line, for example "+$8.50 shipping" or "Free shipping". Tap the item price, not the shipping line. Keep the postage in mind when you set a target: a cheaper item with expensive shipping can cost more in the end.
Per-item prices
Listings that sell several units often show a price followed by "/ea". That is the price for one item, and it's the right number to tap.
Converted prices
When you view a listing from another country, eBay can show a second price converted to your currency and marked as approximate. Droplert reads the currency from the page, so tap the price in the currency you'd actually be charged in and the history stays consistent.
Same item, different seller
A tracker follows one listing. If ten sellers offer the same thing, the cheapest one today may not be the one you're tracking tomorrow. For popular items, track two or three listings from sellers you trust.
How to pick a good target price on eBay
- Add the shipping in your head. Decide what you'd pay in total, subtract the shipping, and use that as the target.
- Watch first, then decide. Track a listing for a week without a target. Use the lowest price in the history as your starting point.
- Ignore tiny changes. Some sellers nudge prices by small amounts. Set a minimum change so only real drops send an alert.
eBay Watchlist vs saved searches vs Droplert
eBay's own tools are good, and they're free. Use the one that fits what you want to know:
| Best for | Trade-off | |
|---|---|---|
| eBay Watchlist | Notices when a watched item's price drops, when stock runs low, or when a listing is ending. Also shows private offers a seller sends you | eBay only. eBay decides when a drop is big enough to tell you, and there's no price history chart |
| eBay saved searches | Hearing about new listings for an item from any seller | About new listings, not price changes on one you're watching |
| Droplert | Your own target price, your own check schedule and a price history, on eBay and other shops in one list | Follows one listing at a time. History starts when you start tracking. Can't see offers sent to your eBay account |
Plenty of people use both: the Watchlist for private offers and ending-soon reminders, Droplert for a target price and a chart they can check at a glance.
Questions
Can Droplert bid for me?
No. Droplert only reads the price on the page and tells you when it changes. It doesn't bid, make offers or buy anything.
Do I need to sign in to eBay?
No. Droplert never signs in to eBay and doesn't ask you to create a Droplert account. Your watchlist and price history stay on your phone.
Is it free?
Yes. The free plan tracks up to 5 products with hourly checks and 30 days of history. An optional upgrade gives unlimited products, checks as often as every 15 minutes, and a year of history.
A listing keeps failing. What now?
First check that it hasn't ended. If it's still live, open it in Droplert and tap the price again so it re-learns where the price sits. If that doesn't help, email the link to support@droplert.app.
Does it work on iPhone?
Not yet. Droplert is Android only, Android 10 and newer.