Best GiftList Alternatives

GiftList is a free universal wishlist with an AI gift finder and no item limits. It is designed to suggest ideas when buyers are unsure what to choose. It works well if you want automated gift recommendations alongside a shared list.

This guide is for people who want a list without advertising feeds or product recommendations. It compares GiftList with Things To Have across ten practical criteria, including guest access and reservations. It also reviews other wishlist alternatives that your family can use.

What GiftList does well

• It advertises itself as free with no limits on how many items you can add.
• There are apps for iOS and Android, a web version, and browser extensions for Chrome, Safari and Edge.
• An AI gift finder helps suggest presents when you do not know what to buy.
• It is close to Things To Have on price, since neither service charges a fee.

Why people look for an alternative to GiftList

Owners can reveal who reserved what. In GiftList, the list owner can choose to reveal gifts and the givers behind them in the Gift Tracker. Things To Have keeps reservations private. The list owner never sees who claimed a gift.

The AI layer sits in front of the list. GiftList includes an AI finder and curated gift guides to recommend products. Suggestions can help an undecided shopper, and they can get in the way when you are not buying.

Free, but not as simple. GiftList includes an AI helper and a feed of trending gift ideas. These extra browsing surfaces make the interface feel like a shop. Things To Have contains no feeds, adverts or product recommendations.

GiftList vs Things To Have

View without an account

The people buying gifts are often the least keen to sign up for a new service. That extra requirement turns some visitors away before they look at an item.

Things To Have. Anyone with the shared link can open a list directly in a web browser. They do not need an account or an application to view the items.

GiftList. According to its FAQ, visitors do not need an account to view a shared list or reserve a gift. Only the person creating the wishlist is required to have a free account.

Verdict: Even for viewing, since both open without an account. GiftList also lets guests reserve a gift without signing up. Things To Have asks visitors to sign in before they can reserve an item.

Reservations

Marking an item as reserved prevents duplicate gifts. People buying from your list can see which items are already taken.

Things To Have. You can turn reservations on for any list. Visitors sign in to reserve an item, and other visitors can see that it is taken.

GiftList. Visitors can reserve gifts on a shared list without signing up for an account. Reserved items remain visible to other gift-givers so they know what is taken.

Verdict: Even, because both services let visitors reserve items.

Free, no paywall

A wishlist sees heavy use around birthdays and holidays and little in between. A subscription for that pattern is hard to justify.

Things To Have. Everything is free, with no paywall and no paid tiers. There are no limits on the number of lists you make or items you save.

GiftList. Its FAQ says GiftList is free for everyone.

Verdict: Even. Both are fully free.

No ads

A wishlist works best when it contains only what the recipient chose. External suggestions introduce items that the list owner never requested. A list without recommendations stays focused on their actual choices.

Things To Have. The app has no adverts and no sponsored products. It does not include an algorithmic feed or product recommendations. Lists display only the items added by their authors.

GiftList. GiftList includes an AI gift finder and a shop of trending gift ideas. It also provides curated gift guides. Its site states that it may earn a commission on purchases made through its links.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead, because GiftList puts a gift ideas feed alongside your list.

Any store

Good gift ideas come from small independent shops as well as large retailers. A wishlist needs to accept items from anywhere so you can collect all your ideas in one place.

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

GiftList. GiftList allows you to add items from any website by link or by entering details by hand.

Verdict: Even, because both services work with any online shop.

Autofill

Typing a title, price and photo by hand for each gift is slow. When saving an item takes that much effort, people often stop updating their lists.

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.

GiftList. GiftList fills in details when you paste a link, or you can enter them by hand. It also has an in-app browser for finding items and an extension for Chrome, Safari and Edge.

Verdict: Even, as both tools fill in item details automatically when you paste a link.

Works on any device

Family members rarely all use the same phones or computers. If a wishlist requires a specific platform, some people will be left out.

Things To Have. It works as a website and an installable web app. Nothing needs to be installed to view or manage lists on any device.

GiftList. GiftList provides free apps for iPhone and Android along with a standard web version. It also has browser extensions for Chrome, Safari and Edge.

Verdict: Even. Both cover every common device.

Sort & filter

Long lists are difficult to browse without a way to narrow them down. Gift buyers often shop with a fixed budget or want to find a specific item. Sorting by price or filtering items helps people find what they need without scrolling through the entire list.

Things To Have. Any visitor can search a list, whether they are signed in or not. They can set a maximum price and sort items by price in either direction. If items use different currencies, prices are converted so they compare.

GiftList. List owners can drag items into their preferred order on the page. They can also add custom tags to organise items by sizes, rooms or priorities. Those tags can then be used to sort and filter the list.

Verdict: Even. Both provide ways to organise and narrow a list. Things To Have focuses on price sorting and currency conversion, while GiftList relies on custom tags and manual ordering set by the owner.

Export your data

Wishlist services can shut down, as Carted did in 2025 and Kit.co in 2026. If an app closes without an export option, you lose all the items you saved.

Things To Have. You can export your lists as a JSON file from Settings → Data. You can also import data using pasted links or a .txt, .md or JSON file. The import tool provides a preview of your items before saving them.

GiftList. Its FAQ does not mention exporting or downloading your lists.

Verdict: Unclear, because GiftList does not document an export.

MCP

Model Context Protocol, or MCP, 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 your assistant.

Things To Have. You can connect Claude, ChatGPT or your own assistant over MCP to add items, organise lists and choose gifts for friends you follow. You control the permissions the assistant receives and can revoke the connection at any time.

GiftList. GiftList does not publish an MCP server, ChatGPT app or Claude connector. Its website and help documentation make no mention of MCP connections.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead, because it lets you connect your own AI assistant over MCP and GiftList does not.

Final verdict

• You want a free list to send to family who will not sign up: Things To Have opens directly in any browser without asking guests for an account. There are no adverts or product recommendations mixed into the page.
• You want what GiftList is best at (an AI-assisted "what should I get them" helper alongside a free universal list): stay with GiftList. It provides an AI gift finder and trending gift ideas when you need suggestions.

GiftList, Things To Have and the runners-up

Frequently asked questions

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