What's the best wishlist app on iOS? (and is there a gap worth filling?)
Hey, I've been looking for a good wishlist app and went through a few of them, and I wanted to hear what people on iOS actually use and like.
Here's what I'd want from one:
- Multiple lists I can fill with items from any shop, so I don't have to keep checking 5 different platform wishlists. (I still use the platform ones for price drop alerts.)
- Groups — family, friends, etc. Where everyone can see each other's lists (only what's shared with the group), and people can reserve gifts without the owner finding out.
- Secret Santa support. Multiple groups (family, work, etc.), vote on a budget, draw names with proper rules (no spouses drawing each other, no duplicates), and see the picked person's wishlist. I hate solving this with whatsapp chats
- Profiles for each person — shoe size, clothing size, colour preferences, favourite shows/movies/games. So even if someone's wishlist is empty, you still have something to work with.
- Good design. I genuinely won't use an app that looks like it's from 2010. (Maybe that's just me.)
- No mandatory account creation. Downloading is fine, account creation before I can even open the app is not.
What I've found so far:
- Listful (I haven't tried this one) - good design and price tracking, but creators can see what's been reserved, and basic stuff is paywalled.
- Giftful (I looked into it, on their website, and the app store) - free, guest-friendly, but international support is weak and there are some bugs.
- Elfster (I don't want to try this one :D) - the Secret Santa standard, but forces everyone into accounts, spams email, and has weird AI stuff. Skipped it.
- Giftster (I looked into it, on their website, and the app store) - solid features, design is stuck in 2010.
- GoWish (I haven't tried this one) - commercial and ad-cluttered now.
- Things To Get Me (I've tried this, deleted it after I saw how it looks...) - ad-free and no-account, but you have to enter most things manually and it's just ugly.
- Wishlists (This is where I'm at right now) - minimalist, ad-free, free, modern design, guest-friendly. Closest to what I want. Just doesn't have a profile system.
Out of those I've actually tried Wishlists (best of the lot in my opinion), and Things to Get Me (deleted it almost immediately because of how it looks) - would love your input here, because I haven't tried all of them, but based on my research and the "BAD" parts (which you will be able to see down below) I just didn't want to spend time trying them out. So if you think that what I write here is not true, or not true anymore about a specific app/platform please tell me, so that I have a better understanding of these.
A few things I'm curious about:
- What do you actually use on iOS?
- What annoys you most about your current app?
- Based on what I'm describing, what would you recommend?
- Do you think this kind of app benefits from being available in multiple languages, or is English enough for most people?
- And one I keep coming back to — am I the only one who's tired of every utility app having that same clean-modern-sterile look? Something warmer, friendlier, more fun-feeling... that feels missing here.
I'm honestly thinking of making my own app, and I keep going back and forth on whether it would be worth it. Wishlists hits a lot of marks already, so part of me thinks the niche is well-served. But the profiles + Secret Santa + warmer design combo doesn't seem to exist anywhere - and it would probably be a lot of fun to try and create something new in this space, while still delivering on the basics. So that's also part of the question: would something like this be worth it, or am I overthinking a niche that's already mostly solved?
Posted May 12, 2026, 6:17 AM UTC