How to choose a wishlist service: seven questions to ask before you start a list

Why “no sign-up” no longer tells you anything

A couple of years ago a guest had to create an account to reserve a present. Today almost every notable service lets guests skip that, so putting “no sign-up” in the headline says nothing. The real differences are elsewhere.

• What the service shows the list owner — the whole point of a wishlist is the surprise, and half the services don't protect it.
• What happens to the link when the list is edited.
• How the service makes money — and whether your list becomes a shop window for somebody's ads.
• What outsiders and search engines can see.

Seven questions to ask

1. 1Does the owner need an account. Guests rarely do anymore. But many services still make you register just to try. Here a list is created from the home page without an account; you can attach an email later so you don't lose it.
2. 2Can the owner see who reserved what. The main question. If a service shows reservations to the owner “for convenience”, there is no surprise. Here the owner sees no reservations at all; peeking is possible only on purpose, one wish at a time, with a confirmation.
3. 3Does the link change after edits. You rename the list and the link you already sent is dead. Check before sending. Here the list address doesn't depend on the title and never changes.
4. 4How does the service make money. Ads on the gift page, affiliate link swaps, a paid tier for basic things. Here there are no ads, links go exactly where you pasted them, nothing is behind a paywall; the service runs on voluntary “buy me a coffee” support.
5. 5What can outsiders see. Will the list show up in a search for your name. Here list pages are excluded from indexing: only people with the link can see them.
6. 6What if two people pick the same thing. A wish should hold one reservation, otherwise duplicates happen anyway. That's how it works here — the second person sees the present is already taken.
7. 7Can you add a wish without a shop link. “Any decent Japanese knife” is a perfectly good wish, and a service that demands a URL isn't for you. Here a wish can be plain words, and if there is a link, the title, image and price fill in on their own.

What mewish has — and what it doesn't

For the comparison to be fair, both sides.

• Has: three languages (English, Russian, Polish), a Secret Santa draw from a single link, and ideas for an empty list — games from your Steam wishlist, records by artists you listen to, upcoming concerts.
• Doesn't have: a mobile app — it's a website; emails or notifications — the service sends no mail at all; shared lists for two — a list has one owner.
• If you need email reminders or a list for a couple, another service will suit you better — and it's better to know that now.

Who else is in this category

Searching in English for the same thing you'll meet Elfster, Giftster, Throne, Amazon's own lists and a long tail of smaller apps. We don't compare their features point by point: they change, and we can't vouch for them. But the seven questions above take a minute to check on any of them — open a demo list and look at what the owner sees and what happens to the link.