Say you’ve sent your Christmas list to the family. Now you’re wondering whether two people have bought the same gift. You’d like to check, but asking could spoil the surprise.
That’s where a separate view for gift buyers helps: they can see what’s been claimed without showing the recipient. Giftster, Elfster and Amazon Lists approach this differently. Start with the way your family already shops, then decide how much setup everyone’s willing to do.
First, decide whether you need a list or a name draw
A shared wishlist collects gift ideas. A Secret Santa draw assigns each participant someone to buy for. They’re two different jobs. You can use Giftster or Elfster wishlists without organizing a draw.
For gifts from several shops, start with the two dedicated wishlist services. For gifts available on Amazon, an Amazon List may mean less change. If nobody wants another account, a family coordinator can handle the same basic job.
Giftster: useful when buyers want to reserve gifts
Giftster supports items from different stores, including written ideas for things sold offline. Its family groups, lists and gift-claiming features are free to use. The person making a list needs an account, but the app is optional: the website works in a browser.
Buyers can reserve an item before shopping, release it if plans change, and mark it purchased afterward. Crucially, clicking through to buy something does not automatically update its status. The buyer must return and mark it. Giftster says these reservations and purchases are hidden from the recipient’s My List view.
Here’s where accounts make a difference. Someone shopping a public list in a browser can reserve or mark gifts purchased as a guest, supplying a name and email address rather than opening an account. Guest shopping is not available in the mobile apps.
Check the privacy settings before sharing: shared lists are for group members; public lists support outside guests and can be discoverable. Public does not mean family-only. You can review Giftster’s member search settings before sharing. Also, managed child-account lists show item status in the Shop For view, so take care when sharing a parent’s screen or login.
Elfster: useful if your family already uses it
Elfster also supports links from different stores and custom written wishes. You do not need its browser extension or a Secret Santa exchange to use a wishlist. Its wishlist service is free, with no premium plan or credit card required, and you can use the website instead of installing an app.
Unlike Giftster’s browser guest route, a buyer must log in to an Elfster account to mark a wish purchased. Other viewers can then see that it has been bought; the wishlist owner is not notified and does not see that status. Plan on manually marking purchases, rather than assuming checkout updates the list.
Check the Public, Limited and Private settings. Public is required for sharing outside Elfster, while Limited lets you choose eligible groups or individuals. Do not treat an externally shared public link as an invitation-only family space.
Amazon Lists: keep this option Amazon-focused
An Amazon List may suit a family whose requested gifts are available on Amazon. You can create and share one using an Amazon account in a browser or the app.
Amazon’s Lists guide explains sharing links and hiding purchased items from shoppers. Its surprise setting also hides purchases from the owner, with an exception: attempting to buy something already purchased can reveal that fact.
The current official instructions reviewed here document adding Amazon products, not a verified way to collect arbitrary outside-store items. Use Giftster or Elfster when an any-store list is the deciding requirement. Do not assume older browser-extension instructions still apply.
No new app: appoint a gift coordinator
Ask everyone to send wishes, shop links, exact sizes or colors, and quantities through the messaging channel your family already uses.
One coordinator keeps a separate purchase record. Before buying, each person checks that the gift is available, asks the coordinator to claim it, then confirms the purchase. If they change their mind, they release the claim. A second person coordinates presents for the first coordinator.
It’s more manual, but the recipient never needs access to the purchase record. Avoid putting claims in the same family conversation as the wishes.
Download the Family Gift Claim Sheet (PDF). Print at 100% on US Letter paper, write by hand, and keep the sheet private with the gift coordinator.
Whichever route you choose, keep one main list per person and update claims promptly. These tools help reduce duplicates; they cannot guarantee that every shopper will follow the system or that every surprise stays secret.
Documentation checked 21 October 2026. This is a shopping-planning guide based on official sources, not hands-on testing. Amazon details refer to Amazon.com; features and settings can change.