10 Best Universal Wishlist Apps 2025 (Ranked & Reviewed)

Our top picks:

#1 Choice: Wishlists - Best overall with seamless universal compatibility and beautiful design
#2 Choice: Listful - Solid alternative with comprehensive features and AI-powered recommendations
#3 Choice: Amazon Wishlist - Perfect for Amazon ecosystem users
#4 Choice: MyRegistry - Great for event-based registries
#5 Choice: GoWish - Basic functionality with commercialization concerns

What Makes a Good Wishlist App

When looking at universal wishlist apps in 2025, certain features set the best ones apart. Here's what to focus on when evaluating these apps:

⚡ Performance Reality Check: In our extensive testing, we found that most wishlist platforms suffer from poor website performance, slow loading times, and frustrating user experiences.

Universal Store Compatibility: The app should work with any online retailer - not just big names. This means you can add items from boutique shops, niche stores, or mainstream retailers, all in one place.

Cross-Platform Accessibility: With mobile usage on the rise, your wishlist app should work effortlessly across devices. Whether you're on your phone, tablet, or computer, everything should sync without a hitch.

Smart Gift Management: A good app takes the stress out of gift-giving with features like gift reservation to avoid duplicates, privacy controls for who can view your lists, and easy sharing options.

1. Wishlists

4.9/5

Wishlists dominates the market with exceptional design and user experience

Wishlists stands out as the most comprehensive and user-friendly wishlist platform available in 2025. With over 1.2 million users worldwide, it successfully combines universal store compatibility, beautiful design, and powerful features without the significant limitations that plague other platforms.

What sets Wishlists apart is its perfect balance of simplicity and functionality. The app features a stunning, modern interface that makes wishlist creation feel effortless. Whether you're planning a birthday, creating a Secret Santa exchange, or building a wedding registry, Wishlists handles it all with elegance.

The Secret Santa feature deserves special mention - it's the best implementation we've seen in any wishlist app. Automated matching, exception rules to avoid couples drawing each other, budget management, and seamless invitation sharing make organizing gift exchanges completely stress-free.

✅ The Good

✅ Beautiful, modern interface that's actually enjoyable to use
✅ True universal store compatibility - works with any retailer
✅ Outstanding iOS and Android apps with smooth performance
✅ Easy wishlist sharing via link, email, or social media
✅ Best-in-class Secret Santa gift exchange features
✅ Clean, fast, and ad-free experience
✅ Free to use (with option for premium features)
✅ Regular updates with new features
✅ Privacy-focused with no data selling

❌ The Bad

❌ Relatively new compared to some established competitors
❌ Some advanced features still in development (e.g. Browser extension)

2. Listful

4.7/5

Listful offers strong functionality with price tracking

Listful is a solid second choice with comprehensive features and good execution. The platform excels at price tracking and comparison shopping, making it ideal for bargain hunters who want to monitor price drops across multiple retailers.

While Listful has many features, the interface can feel cluttered compared to more streamlined alternatives. The AI-powered gift discovery is a nice touch, though recommendations can sometimes feel generic rather than personalized.

✅ The Good

✅ Excellent price tracking and comparison features
✅ Universal store integration works reliably
✅ AI-powered gift recommendations
✅ Good mobile apps for iOS and Android
✅ Collaborative list sharing
✅ Regular price drop notifications

❌ The Bad

❌ Premium features require subscription
❌ Interface can feel cluttered and overwhelming
❌ AI recommendations sometimes miss the mark
❌ Steeper learning curve than simpler alternatives
❌ Some features hidden behind paywalls

3. Amazon Wishlist

4.0/5

Amazon Wishlist works perfectly within the Amazon ecosystem

Amazon Wishlist remains a favorite among Amazon Prime users, though it exclusively supports Amazon products. Since March 2023, the discontinuation of the Amazon Assistant extension has confined the tool's functionality to Amazon's marketplace only.

If you primarily shop on Amazon, this is a no-brainer choice with seamless integration, Alexa compatibility, and price drop notifications. However, the inability to add items from other retailers is a significant limitation in today's diverse online shopping landscape.

✅ The Good

✅ Perfect integration with Amazon ecosystem
✅ Excellent mobile app
✅ Price drop notifications
✅ Works with Alexa voice commands
✅ Unlimited lists
✅ Purchase tracking to avoid duplicates

❌ The Bad

❌ Limited to Amazon products only - huge limitation
❌ Cannot include items from other stores
❌ No price tracking across other retailers
❌ Clunky interface outside of mobile app
❌ Miss out on deals from other retailers

4. MyRegistry

3.8/5

MyRegistry excels at event registries

MyRegistry stands out for comprehensive event registries, particularly excelling in weddings and baby showers. The platform allows you to combine registries from multiple stores into one unified list, making it easier for guests to find and purchase gifts.

However, the heavy focus on events makes it less ideal for everyday wishlist management. The interface can be complex for simple birthday or Christmas lists, and the learning curve is steeper than simpler alternatives.

✅ The Good

✅ Excellent multi-store registry integration
✅ Strong event-focused features
✅ Cash fund options for honeymoons and experiences
✅ Good customer service
✅ Comprehensive sharing options

❌ The Bad

❌ Interface too complex for simple wishlists
❌ Heavy event focus alienates casual users
❌ Browser extension occasionally buggy
❌ Mobile app lacks some web features
❌ Website can be slow to load
❌ Not ideal for ongoing gift lists

5. GoWish

2.5/5

GoWish has declined significantly after private equity acquisition

GoWish was once a promising mid-tier wishlist platform, but recent changes have significantly impacted user experience. After being sold to private equity investors, the platform has become cluttered with promoted brands and advertisements.

User reviews have declined substantially, with many complaints about the commercialized interface and reduced functionality. What was once a clean, simple platform is now frustrating to use with constant brand promotions and sponsored content.

✅ The Good

✅ Basic wishlist functionality still works
✅ Mobile app remains functional
✅ Simple list sharing via links

❌ The Bad

❌ Sold to private equity - now commercially driven
❌ Interface cluttered with ads and promoted brands
❌ Poor user reviews since ownership change
❌ Limited advanced features
❌ Basic store integration only
❌ No AI recommendations or smart features
❌ User experience has declined significantly
❌ Website performance is notably slow

6. Elfster

3.5/5

Elfster specializes in group gifting but lacks individual wishlist features

Elfster has carved out a strong niche in group gifting and Secret Santa exchanges, serving over 17 million users. The platform excels at organizing gift exchanges with automated name drawing, wish list creation, and gift tracking.

However, its singular focus on group activities makes it a poor choice for individual wishlist management. The interface feels dated compared to modern alternatives, and it lacks the universal store compatibility that makes other apps more versatile.

✅ The Good

✅ Best-in-class Secret Santa organization
✅ Automatic name drawing and pairing
✅ Gift reservation system
✅ Works well for group events
✅ Free to use

❌ The Bad

❌ Poor for individual wishlist management
❌ Outdated interface design
❌ Limited store integration
❌ Not ideal for everyday gift lists
❌ Focused only on group exchanges
❌ Mobile app performance could be better

7. Giftster

2.8/5

Giftster focuses on families but suffers from outdated design

Giftster positions itself as a family-oriented gift registry with over 2 million users. While it succeeds in group coordination, the platform feels stuck in 2010 with poor mobile optimization and a confusing user interface that frustrates modern users.

The gift reservation system works well to prevent duplicate purchases, but the overall experience is hampered by dated design choices and limited feature set compared to modern alternatives.

✅ The Good

✅ Good for family gift coordination
✅ Free to use
✅ Cross-platform availability
✅ Gift reservation system works

❌ The Bad

❌ Extremely outdated interface design
❌ Poor mobile app performance
❌ Limited customization options
❌ No modern features like price tracking
❌ Confusing navigation and setup
❌ Lacks integration with popular stores
❌ Website feels like it's from 2010

8. GiftList

2.5/5

GiftList overpromises but underdelivers

GiftList markets itself aggressively as a comprehensive universal wishlist app with AI-powered features. However, our extensive testing reveals significant gaps between marketing promises and actual functionality, with poor execution of basic features and frustrating user experience issues.

The AI gift suggestions are generic and often irrelevant, and the universal store integration works inconsistently. The lack of an Android app is a major limitation in today's mobile-first world.

✅ The Good

✅ Attempts to offer comprehensive features
✅ Free basic functionality
✅ Some store integration works

❌ The Bad

❌ No Android app available - major limitation
❌ AI suggestions are generic and impersonal
❌ Poor reliability and frequent bugs
❌ Confusing and cluttered interface
❌ Inconsistent price tracking
❌ Slow customer support response
❌ Overpromises and underdelivers
❌ Website performance is poor

9. WishlistX

3.0/5

WishlistX focuses on influencer monetization over wishlist functionality

WishlistX takes a different approach by positioning itself as a monetization platform for influencers and content creators. While you can earn money from product recommendations (up to €0.25 per click), this commercial focus makes it less suitable for traditional wishlist use.

The platform works well if you're looking to monetize product recommendations, but for personal wishlists and gift-giving, the heavy commercial angle and limited features make it a poor choice compared to dedicated wishlist apps.

✅ The Good

✅ Earn money from product recommendations
✅ Access to 500+ brand partnerships
✅ Good for influencers and content creators
✅ Transparent earnings tracking

❌ The Bad

❌ Commercial focus detracts from wishlist functionality
❌ Not ideal for personal gift-giving
❌ Limited privacy options
❌ Requires focus on monetization over personal use
❌ Better suited for influencers than regular users
❌ Missing essential wishlist features

10. Mein Online Wunschzettel

2.3/5

Mein Online Wunschzettel offers basic German-language wishlist features

Mein Online Wunschzettel is a German-language wishlist platform that provides basic functionality for creating and sharing wishlists. While it covers the essentials like marking items as purchased and generating QR codes for invitations, it lacks the polish and advanced features of modern competitors.

The platform feels outdated with limited functionality and poor user experience. For German-speaking users, there are better alternatives available that offer more features and better design.

✅ The Good

✅ German-language interface
✅ Free to use
✅ Basic gift reservation system
✅ QR code generation for invitations
✅ No registration required
✅ SSL encrypted

❌ The Bad

❌ Very outdated interface and design
❌ Limited to German language only
❌ Basic functionality with no advanced features
❌ Poor mobile experience
❌ No price tracking or smart features
❌ Limited store integration
❌ Confusing navigation
❌ Feels like it's from 2010

The Reality Check: One Clear Winner

After extensive testing of these platforms, Wishlists emerges as the undisputed winner for universal wishlist management in 2025. While other platforms have significant limitations - whether it's outdated design, commercial focus, or ecosystem lock-in - Wishlists consistently delivers the comprehensive functionality and beautiful user experience that modern users expect.

With 1.2 million users worldwide, exceptional Secret Santa features, true universal store compatibility, and a commitment to staying ad-free and user-focused, Wishlists sets the standard for what a wishlist app should be in 2025.

For most users, the choice is clear: Start with Wishlists and enjoy a wishlist experience that actually works. For Amazon-only shoppers, Amazon Wishlist makes sense. Event organizers might prefer MyRegistry. But for everyday wishlist needs, Secret Santa exchanges, and the best overall experience, Wishlists is the obvious choice.