Best GoWish Alternatives

GoWish is the largest wishlist app by user count, with more than 18 million registered accounts. It focuses on gift discovery and connecting people in a large community. If you want a place to browse ideas from outside brands, it may be all you need.

This guide is for people who want a private list without adverts or product recommendations. It compares GoWish with Things To Have across ten practical factors that determine whether relatives will use a list. It also details the other alternatives worth considering alongside them.

What GoWish does well

• More than 18 million registered users and 600 million saved wishes make it the largest wishlist app by user count.
• It provides apps for iOS, Android and the web, alongside a browser extension.
• A built-in gift generator suggests ideas when you do not know what to buy.
• It has a strong brand presence, including a partnership story with Snap.

Why people look for an alternative to GoWish

It is ad-supported. Users describe it as "basically a commercial app. Full of advertisement and cluttered design". Its site also lists an advertiser programme and commercial partnerships.

The discovery layer is the product. Inspiration from trending brands sits directly between you and your own list. The app also includes a gift generator that suggests items when you do not know what to buy.

It reads as a shop window. GoWish displays brand promotions and product recommendations alongside the items you choose yourself.

GoWish vs Things To Have

View without an account

Gift buyers include relatives who will not create an account for a single birthday. Asking them to sign up beforehand means some of them will give up.

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

GoWish. Its help centre says anyone with the link can view a shared or hidden list, but not whether they need to be logged in. It does state that users must be logged in to reserve a wish.

Verdict: Unclear, as GoWish's documentation does not say whether viewing needs an account. Both ask guests to sign in before reserving.

Reservations

Marking an item as reserved prevents duplicate gifts. People buying from your list can see what is already taken.

Things To Have. Visitors can reserve an item when you turn reservations on for that list. Guests sign in to mark an item as taken.

GoWish. Guests can reserve items on a shared list after logging in. Other visitors can then see which gifts are already taken.

Verdict: Even, as both services let visitors reserve items on a list.

Free, no paywall

Most people use a wishlist only a few times each year. Paying an ongoing monthly fee for occasional use is hard to justify.

Things To Have. Everything is free, with no paywall on any feature. There are no limits on how many lists you create or how many items you save.

GoWish. GoWish is free to download and use on supported devices. The service lists no paid tier or subscription.

Verdict: Even. Both are free to use with no paywall.

No ads

A list surrounded by promotions reads like a store catalogue. Brand suggestions distract guests from what you asked for.

Things To Have. There are no adverts, sponsored products or algorithmic feeds. The site never adds product recommendations to a list.

GoWish. GoWish is ad-supported, with an advertiser programme and commercial partnerships listed on its website. The app includes inspiration from trending brands alongside your saved wishes.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead, because GoWish carries advertising.

Any store

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

Things To Have. A list accepts a link from any online shop.

GoWish. GoWish adds wishes from any online store.

Verdict: Even, as both services let you save items from any online store.

Autofill

Adding a title, price and photo by hand for every gift takes time. When saving an item is slow, people often leave their lists unfinished.

Things To Have. Pasting a link from any store fills in the title, photo and price with no browser extension. You can also add items using a bookmarklet, an iOS Shortcut or an embeddable save button for shop owners.

GoWish. Pasting a link creates a wish automatically, or you can save items directly from the share menu on an iPhone or iPad. It also provides a browser extension to add items from any online store.

Verdict: Even, as both services automatically fill in item details from a web link.

Works on any device

Families use different phones, tablets and computers. A wishlist that runs on only one platform leaves some relatives unable to open it.

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

GoWish. GoWish provides dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android. It also has a website that functions in any standard desktop or mobile browser.

Verdict: Even. Both work on every common device.

Sort & filter

A long list is hard to shop without a way to narrow it down. Buyers often have a budget in mind. Sorting by price helps them find a suitable gift quickly.

Things To Have. Any visitor can search a list and set a maximum price. They can also sort items by price in either direction. Prices in different currencies are converted so they compare.

GoWish. The owner can change the order of a wishlist by hand. Its help centre describes no search, filter or price sort for visitors.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead for visitors browsing a long list.

Export your data

Apps close down over time, as Carted did in 2025 and Kit.co in 2026. A direct export means your saved lists outlast any single service.

Things To Have. Under Settings → Data, you can export your lists as a JSON file. You can also import pasted links or files in .txt, .md or JSON format. A preview appears before anything is saved to your account.

GoWish. The web version can print a wishlist of under 100 wishes as a PDF. It does not provide an export file for your items. Beyond that print option, your data is available only on request.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead, because GoWish offers print only.

MCP

The Model Context Protocol lets an AI assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT read and update your wishlists. You can add items or work out what to buy by talking to your assistant.

Things To Have. You can connect Claude, ChatGPT or your own agent at https://thingstohave.app/mcp and choose which permissions it receives. The assistant can then add items you mention, tidy your lists and help work out what to buy friends you follow.

GoWish. GoWish 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 GoWish publishes no MCP server or assistant connector.

Final verdict

• You want a free list to send to family who will not sign up: Things To Have opens in any browser with no account or app needed. It is free, has no adverts, and keeps reservations hidden from the owner.
• You want what GoWish is best at (discovering gift ideas and a large community of users): stay with GoWish. It includes a gift generator, brand inspiration and more than 18 million registered users.

GoWish, 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