Best Wishr Alternatives

Wishr is a wishlist app known for privacy controls on individual lists. You can keep private lists on a public profile, or restrict access so friends must request permission. Wishr works well if you only need separate visibility settings for different lists.

Wishr notifies the list owner when someone buys an item, which removes the surprise beforehand. This guide compares Wishr with Things To Have on ten features that decide whether people use a wishlist. It also covers other alternatives worth considering alongside them.

What Wishr does well

• It offers per-list visibility, so a public profile can hold a private list.
• Visitors do not need an account to view a public list.
• The service is simple and free to use.

Why people look for an alternative to Wishr

The owner is told when items are bought, so reservations do not keep the surprise. Wishr advertises real-time updates to list owners when items are purchased. The owner knows what has been bought before their event.

Little published guidance exists on data export. To get a copy of your lists, you must email the Wishr privacy address and wait up to 30 days for a response. The documentation does not mention an export tool that you can run yourself.

Wishr vs Things To Have

View without an account

Relatives who are asked to create an account before seeing a list often give up. A link that opens straight away makes the list easy for everyone to see.

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

Wishr. Anyone can view a public list on a public profile without signing in. List owners can also set lists to friends-only or private. Those restricted options require visitors to send access requests that the owner must approve.

Verdict: Even for public lists. Both platforms allow guests to browse public lists without registering for an account.

Reservations

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

Things To Have. You can turn on reservations for any list you create. Visitors sign in to reserve an item, which shows other visitors that the item is taken.

Wishr. People buying a gift can mark an item as purchased directly on the list.

Verdict: Even, as both platforms allow items to be marked as reserved or purchased.

Free, no paywall

Most people use a wishlist for only a few occasions each year. A regular subscription is difficult to justify for an app that sits unused for months at a time.

Things To Have. The entire service is free to use. There is no paywall, and you will find no caps on your lists or items.

Wishr. The FAQ explains that Wishr is completely free to use. You receive full access to core features without needing a paid plan. The service also allows you to make unlimited wishlists.

Verdict: Even, since both are free. Neither option charges a fee or locks basic list features behind a paywall.

No ads

When a wishlist displays promoted products, it serves commercial brands. Family and friends visit to see the items chosen by the author. Promotional suggestions distract from the items the author requested.

Things To Have. There are no adverts or sponsored products on the platform. The service does not use an algorithmic feed. Visitors never see product recommendations.

Wishr. The homepage shows trending gifts from brands such as Stanley and Laneige. The app also includes trending product suggestions.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead for a list with no featured products. Wishr highlights specific brands and suggested items across its service.

Any store

Good gift ideas come from small shops and independent websites as well as large retailers. A wishlist needs to accept items from anywhere so you can include whatever you like.

Things To Have. A list accepts links from any online shop. You can paste a link directly, or save items using a bookmarklet, an iOS Shortcut, or an embeddable button.

Wishr. Wishr accepts items from any store. You can paste links, save items with a Chrome extension, or find products from a photo with a visual search tool.

Verdict: Even, since both apps accept items from any online shop.

Autofill

Entering every title, price and photo by hand takes time. That extra typing often makes people give up on adding items to a list.

Things To Have. Pasting a link fills in the title, photo and price without needing a browser extension. You can also save items using a bookmarklet, an iOS Shortcut or an embeddable button for shop owners.

Wishr. Pasting a link fills in the item details, and the documentation names Amazon and Etsy among supported shops.

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

Works on any device

People buying gifts use phones, tablets and computers. A list link needs to open cleanly on whatever screen they use.

Things To Have. It is a website and an installable web app, so it runs in any modern browser. You do not need to install anything to view, create or manage lists on any device.

Wishr. It provides a web app that works in any browser. The FAQ also lists dedicated apps for iOS and Android.

Verdict: Even, since both work on phones and computers.

Sort & filter

On a long list, guests need a clear way to find gifts within their budget. Scrolling through every item takes time. Search and filter tools help people find suitable gifts quickly.

Things To Have. Any visitor can search a list and set a maximum spending limit, whether they are signed in or not. Items can be sorted by price in either direction. Prices saved in different currencies are converted automatically so they compare correctly.

Wishr. The how-it-works page mentions filtering by price range when browsing a list. The public documentation does not describe a search bar. It also leaves out whether items can be sorted by price.

Verdict: Unclear, because Wishr documents only part of what it offers here. The site confirms price range filtering without detailing any search or sorting tools.

Export your data

Wishlist services can shut down over time, as seen with Carted in 2025 and Kit.co in 2026. With a direct export, you keep your saved items if a platform closes.

Things To Have. You can export all your lists as a JSON file by opening Settings → Data. The import tool accepts a pasted list of links or a .txt, .md or JSON file. A preview appears on screen before you save the imported items.

Wishr. To get a structured copy of your data, you must email the address listed in the privacy policy. Wishr states that a reply can take up to 30 days. The policy does not mention an export tool that you can run yourself.

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead, with an export you can run yourself in seconds.

MCP

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) lets an AI assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT read and update your lists. You can add items or plan gifts for friends by speaking with your assistant.

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

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

Verdict: Things To Have is ahead, because Wishr publishes no MCP server.

Final verdict

• You want a free list to send to family who will not sign up: Things To Have. Anyone can open your link in a browser without an account or an app. Reservations also stay hidden from you, so gifts remain a surprise.
• You want what Wishr is best at (a quiet list with granular visibility): stay with Wishr. It lets you set individual lists to private, friends-only or public on the same profile. That works well if you need to approve who views each list.

Wishr, Things To Have and the runners-up

Frequently asked questions

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