Best Wishlists Alternatives

Wishlists is a universal wishlist app for iOS and Android with a built-in Secret Santa organiser. The service is built around its mobile apps. List owners manage their gifts on a phone. If your main priority is to run a Secret Santa draw alongside a mobile wishlist, it handles both tasks in one app.

This guide examines options for people who prefer a fully free service that works across desktop and mobile browsers. It compares Wishlists with Things To Have across ten criteria, including guest access and data exports. It also lists other alternatives for sharing wishlists with family and friends.

What Wishlists does well

• It claims more than 1.2 million users.
• Guests can view wishes without downloading the app.
• It includes a built-in Secret Santa organiser.
• It has a clean mobile interface.

Why people look for an alternative to Wishlists

Managing the list lives in the app. Guests can view lists in a browser. You must use the app to manage items and reserve gifts.

No web app to speak of exists alongside the mobile apps. You cannot manage a list from a computer.

No export we could find in the app. A copy of your data is available only on request, and wishlist apps do close.

Wishlists vs Things To Have

View without an account

The people who buy gifts are often the least keen to install software or register accounts. A list that opens straight from a text message reaches more people.

Things To Have. Anyone with the link can open a shared list in a browser. Visitors need no account and no app to look through the items.

Wishlists. Guests can view a shared list without downloading the mobile app. They can check wishes in a web browser without an account.

Verdict: Even, since both let guests view a list without an account.

Reservations

Marking an item as reserved prevents duplicate gifts. People who buy from your list can see what is already taken before they buy.

Things To Have. The list author can turn reservations on for any list. Visitors sign in to reserve an item, which then shows as taken to other guests.

Wishlists. People can reserve items anonymously through the mobile app. A guest viewing the list in a web browser must install the app to claim an item.

Verdict: Even, since both services let people reserve items.

Free, no paywall

A list used for a few birthdays and Christmas does not justify a monthly fee. Paid tiers also tend to matter most during the busiest month of the year.

Things To Have. Everything is free to use, with no paywall. You can add as many items and create as many lists as you need without hitting a limit.

Wishlists. The app is free to download. It includes a Premium subscription, which is sold monthly, quarterly, yearly or as a lifetime purchase. Its website does not state which features require that paid upgrade.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead, because Wishlists keeps a paid tier.

No ads

A wishlist should show only the things you chose yourself. Commercial suggestions and promotions turn a personal list into a storefront. They distract visitors who only want to see what you asked for.

Things To Have. The site runs without adverts or sponsored products. There is no algorithmic feed and no product recommendations. Lists show only the items you chose to save.

Wishlists. The website advertises the service as free with no advertisements. Its App Store listing states that the app is free of advertising and will always stay that way.

Verdict: Even, since neither shows ads.

Any store

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

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

Wishlists. You can add any item as a wish with a link, price, image and notes. You can also share an item into the list directly from other mobile apps.

Verdict: Even, since both accept items from any store.

Autofill

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

Things To Have. Pasting a link fills in the title, photo and price, with no browser extension needed. It also provides a bookmarklet, an iOS Shortcut, and an embeddable save button for shop owners.

Wishlists. You can add an item with a link, price, image and notes, or share it directly from other mobile apps. The app's documentation does not say how much of that information fills in automatically.

Verdict: Unclear, because the app's documentation does not say.

Works on any device

You should be able to keep a list up to date from whatever device is to hand. An app that only runs on phones makes managing a list harder.

Things To Have. It is a website and installable web app, so it works on any device. There is nothing to install to view or manage lists.

Wishlists. There are iOS and Android apps, and guests can view lists in a browser. Managing a list and reserving items must happen inside the phone app. There is no web app for organising your wishes from a computer.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead for anyone who wants to manage a list from a computer.

Sort & filter

People often shop with a clear budget in mind. On a long list, search and price sorting save a lot of scrolling.

Things To Have. Any visitor can search a list, set a maximum price, and sort items by price in either direction. These tools work whether a visitor is signed in or not. Prices in different currencies are converted so they compare correctly.

Wishlists. The app can calculate the total cost of a wishlist. Its listing does not mention search, sorting, or price filters.

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

Export your data

Wishlist apps close down from time to time, as Carted did in 2025 and Kit.co did in 2026. Without an export, your saved lists disappear along with the service. A direct download keeps your gift ideas safe on your own device.

Things To Have. You can export your lists as a JSON file under Settings → Data. The import screen accepts pasted links alongside .txt, .md, or JSON files. It also provides a preview of your items before anything is saved.

Wishlists. There is no export tool inside the app that we could find. A copy of your data is available only on request.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead, with an export you can run yourself at any time.

MCP

The Model Context Protocol lets an AI assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT read and update your lists, so you can add items or plan gifts by talking to it.

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 approve which permissions the assistant receives and can revoke access at any time.

Wishlists. Wishlists does not publish an MCP server, Claude connector or ChatGPT app. Its website and help pages do not mention one.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead, as Wishlists offers no MCP connection.

Final verdict

• You want a free list to send to family who will not sign up: Things To Have lets guests view lists in a browser without an account, and has no paywall or adverts.
• You want what Wishlists is best at (a mobile-first list with a Secret Santa mode): stay with Wishlists for its mobile apps and built-in organiser.

Wishlists, 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