Best Wishlist (wishlistapp.io) Alternatives

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io) works across iOS, Android and the web. It suits people who want a dedicated app with birthday reminders and a Chrome extension for saving items. If those are your priorities, it may be all you need.

Other people prefer a list that friends and family can open directly from a link without creating an account. This page compares Wishlist (wishlistapp.io) with Things To Have across ten practical criteria, including guest access, gift reservations and data export. It also lists other alternatives worth considering alongside them.

What Wishlist (wishlistapp.io) does well

• It provides apps for iOS and Android along with a web version, all from one team.
• The company states it has more than 100,000 users and 800,000 saved wishes.
• The app holds a 4.3 rating on the App Store.
• It includes a Chrome extension for saving products.

Why people look for an alternative to Wishlist (wishlistapp.io)

No published export. Other services in this category, such as Carted and Kit.co, have already closed down. The website does not state whether you can export your saved wishes.

Less clear about reservation anonymity for the list owner. The website promises no spoilers. It does not describe what the list owner sees.

Privacy posture is not spelled out as clearly as on the calmer apps. The partner page offers brands product placement inside the app.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io) vs Things To Have

View without an account

A birthday list is usually shared with relatives who do not want to install an app just to choose a gift. If the link asks them to create an account before showing the items, some people stop there.

Things To Have. Anyone with the link can open a shared list in a web browser. They do not need an account or an app to view the items. A visitor only signs in if they choose to reserve a gift.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). Sharing is built around a personal profile link and followers whom the owner approves. The site does not state that a visitor can open a list without creating an account.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead for lists shared with people who will not sign up.

Reservations

Marking an item as reserved prevents duplicate gifts. People buying from your list can see which items have already been chosen.

Things To Have. You can turn reservations on or off for each list you create. Visitors sign in to reserve an item, and other guests can see that it is taken.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). Friends can reserve a gift so other visitors know someone is buying it. Your saved delivery address is shared with the person who reserves the item.

Verdict: Even, because both services allow visitors to reserve gifts.

Free, no paywall

Most people open a wishlist only a few times a year. Paying an ongoing subscription for occasional gift lists is hard to justify. Hitting an unexpected limit on items right before December creates practical problems.

Things To Have. Everything is free to use. There is no paywall across the service. You can create as many lists and save as many items as you want without hitting a limit.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). The mobile app is free to download, and its Google Play listing shows no in-app purchases. The website also states there are no registry fees for wedding lists.

Verdict: Even, since both are free to use.

No ads

Promoted products turn a shared wishlist into marketing space. Guests and family members should see only the gifts you selected. Unrelated items make a personal list harder to read.

Things To Have. There are no adverts or sponsored products on the site. The platform has no algorithmic feed and makes no product recommendations.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). Its partner page offers brands product placement inside the app, along with affiliate links and promotional codes. The service also offers push notifications with brand discount codes to users who have saved items from those companies.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead for a list free of brand promotions.

Any store

Good gift ideas come from small shops and independent websites as well as big retailers. A wishlist should accept items from anywhere online.

Things To Have. A list accepts links from any online shop.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). It accepts product links from any online store, and its Chrome extension saves items from the web.

Verdict: Even, since both platforms let you save items from any store.

Autofill

Typing a title, price and photo by hand for each item is slow. It is often why people stop adding things to a list.

Things To Have. Pasting a link fills in the title, photo and price without requiring a browser extension. It also provides a bookmarklet, an iOS Shortcut and an embeddable save button for shop owners.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). Pasting a product link automatically fills in the name, image and price. Items can still be entered by hand.

Verdict: Even, since both autofill from a pasted link.

Works on any device

Families rarely share one kind of phone. A shared wishlist needs to work on whatever phone or computer a relative happens to use. An app limited to a single operating system leaves someone out.

Things To Have. It runs in any browser as a website and an installable web app. You do not need to download or install software to view or manage lists on any device.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). The service provides mobile apps for iOS and Android, along with a web version. That setup covers most phones, tablets and desktop computers.

Verdict: Even, since both work across phones and the web.

Sort & filter

A long list needs a clear way for friends and family to find items. Guests shopping to a budget need to see what fits their price range without scrolling through every suggestion. Sorting options help them locate suitable gifts quickly.

Things To Have. Any visitor, whether signed in or not, can search a list directly in their browser. They can set a maximum price limit and sort items by price in either direction. Prices in different currencies are converted so guests can compare them accurately.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). The list owner can drag items into priority order and organise them into collections. This lets friends see the preferred items first. The platform allows sorting, but its documentation does not mention search tools or price filters for visitors.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead for guests looking for a gift within a budget.

Export your data

Wishlist apps do close down, as Carted did in 2025 and Kit.co in 2026. An export is what lets you keep your lists when that happens.

Things To Have. Settings → Data exports your lists as a JSON file. You can also import a pasted list of links or upload a .txt, .md or JSON file. The importer shows a preview before anything is saved.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). Its site and privacy policy do not mention a data export. It is not clear whether you can take your wishes with you.

Verdict: Unclear, because Wishlist (wishlistapp.io) does not document an export.

MCP

Model Context Protocol lets an AI assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT read and update your wishlists. This allows you to add items or plan gifts for friends by talking to an assistant.

Things To Have. You can connect Claude, ChatGPT or your own agent over MCP to add items, tidy lists and work out what to buy friends you follow. You control the permissions the assistant receives, and you can revoke the connection at any time.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). It publishes no MCP server, ChatGPT app or Claude connector. Its website and help pages do not mention one.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead, as it lets you connect an AI assistant over MCP.

Final verdict

• You want a free list to send to family who will not sign up: Things To Have is the better option. Anyone with the link can open a list in a browser without an account or an app.
• You want what Wishlist (wishlistapp.io) is best at (a cross-platform wishlist with birthday reminders): stay with Wishlist (wishlistapp.io). It offers apps on iOS, Android and the web to track those dates.

Wishlist (wishlistapp.io), Things To Have and the runners-up

Frequently asked questions

Keep comparing

• Best wishlist apps, all of them ranked against the same ten criteria
• Every comparison, one page per app