App comparisons

Elfster Alternatives (2026): Secret Santa and Wishlist Apps Compared

Elfster alternatives for 2026: free Secret Santa generators with exclusions, family wishlist apps, and how to pair a name draw with a list your family can shop without signing up.

By the Jinnie editorial team8 min readUpdated October 13, 2026

For a Secret Santa draw, the closest Elfster alternative is DrawNames, a free generator with exclusions and wish lists; Giftster and GoWish also run draws for groups that already use them. If what you need is a wishlist your family can shop without signing up, Jinnie is the better pick, though it does not draw names.

What Elfster does well

Elfster is a Secret Santa organiser first. Its listing describes exclusions so couples do not draw each other, kids are not paired with adults and last year's matches are skipped, for groups from 3 to more than 300 people. Elfster emails each person their match privately and says even the organizer does not see who got whom. Participants can ask their match anonymous questions without breaking the secret.

Its wishlists take links from any store, and Elfster says it watches items for price changes. The listing says it is 100% free, with no hidden fees, subscriptions or premium upgrades, and it runs on iPhone, Android and desktop. Elfster says more than 47 million gift-givers in over 50 countries have used it.

Why people look for an Elfster alternative

The main friction is accounts. Elfster's help center says that if you don't have an Elfster account, you need to create one to RSVP to an exchange. Its own FAQ page says participants can join without one, so the two pages disagree; plan for most people being asked to sign up.

The other reason is shape. Elfster organises everything around an exchange. If your family wants one list per person that anyone can open from a link, all year, without joining an event, a wishlist app fits that job better. Elfster does let you follow friends' lists between exchanges, so if your group already lives there, that may be enough.

Elfster alternatives at a glance

App	Draws names?	Exclusions	Wishlists	Do participants need an account?	Price
Elfster	Yes	Couples, kids with adults, last year's matches	Yes, from any store	Its help center says yes, to RSVP	Free
DrawNames	Yes	Several per person, hidden by default; repeat matches avoided	Yes	Not stated on the pages we read	Free
Giftster	Yes, inside a family group of members	Yes	Yes, plus kids' lists	Group members sign in	Free
GoWish	Yes, Secret Santa Exchange	Not stated on the pages we read	Yes; your Santa sees the list you attach, even a private one	Logging in is required to reserve a wish	Free
Jinnie (ours)	No	Not applicable	Yes, from any store, shared by one link	No: a web reservation takes a name, an email and one confirmation tap	Free, no in-app purchases

Read October 13, 2026 from each product's App Store listing, help center or website.

1. DrawNames: the closest free name draw

DrawNames calls itself a free Secret Santa generator. You can set more than one exclusion per person, so couples and relatives don't draw each other. Exclusion rules are hidden by default and can be shown to the group if needed. When you reuse a group the next year, it remembers previous draws and avoids repeat matches. It has wish lists too.

Pro: free, with hidden exclusions and memory of past draws.
Con: its pages we read do not say whether participants need an account, so test it with your group.

2. Giftster: best for a family that also wants year-round lists

Giftster adds a Secret Santa draw to a private family group. Its listing describes exclusions, private reveals of each person's pick, and a drawing that stays secret even from the organizer. Around the draw sits a full family wishlist system: the list maker never sees what has been claimed, and parents can create lists for children and collaborate on them.

Pro: the draw and everyone's lists live in one place, all year.
Con: everyone has to be in the group; non-members can only shop public lists as guests in a browser.

3. GoWish: a Secret Santa Exchange attached to your wishlist

GoWish runs a Secret Santa Exchange. Its help center says you connect one of your GoWish wishlists to the exchange, and the person who draws your name can see it once names are drawn, even if the list is private. GoWish recommends that your Santa also reserves the gift, so people outside the exchange do not buy the same thing, and it says the list owner cannot see who reserved it.

Pro: your exchange and your everyday wishlist are the same list.
Con: you must be logged in to reserve a wish.

4. Jinnie: the list half of Secret Santa, without sign-ups

Jinnie is our app, and it does not draw names. What it does is the list your Santa shops from. You make a list on the web, iPhone or Android with links from any store, and send one link. Your Santa opens it in any browser and reserves the gift with a name, an email and one confirmation tap, with no account. Anyone else shopping from the same list sees it as Reserved, without the name.

Your own list stays a surprise: Jinnie hides reservations from you by default, in the app, on the web and on your own link while you are signed in. Leave "Show reserved items" off until the exchange is over.

Pro: free, any store, and nobody has to sign up to reserve.
Con: no name draw; pair it with Elfster, DrawNames or Giftster.

How to run Secret Santa with a free draw and Jinnie lists

Draw names with Elfster, DrawNames or Giftster, and set your exclusions there.
Each person makes a Jinnie list with gifts inside the agreed budget and sets it to Public.
Everyone posts their list link in the group chat, or sends it only to the organizer.
Each Santa opens their match's link, picks a gift and reserves it.
If your match has no list, send them our Secret Santa questionnaire.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free alternative to Elfster?

Yes. DrawNames describes itself as a free Secret Santa generator with exclusions. Giftster and GoWish are free on the App Store and both run name draws. Elfster itself is free; its listing says there are no subscriptions or premium upgrades.

Does Jinnie draw Secret Santa names?

No. Jinnie handles the lists: each person shares a link, and their Santa reserves a gift from it without an account. Use Elfster, DrawNames, Giftster or GoWish for the draw.

Do you need an account to join an Elfster exchange?

Elfster's help center says that if you don't have an Elfster account, you need to create one to RSVP. Its FAQ page says participants can join without one. Expect most participants to sign up.

Can I use Elfster outside Christmas?

Yes. Elfster's listing covers birthdays, weddings and other occasions, and Elfster says you can follow friends' lists and get birthday reminders all year.

What is the best app for an office Secret Santa?

Elfster or DrawNames. Both draw names with exclusions, and Elfster's listing covers groups of more than 300 people. Add a wishlist link from Jinnie if colleagues want to share gift ideas without signing up for anything else.