What is the best way to coordinate family gift lists?

Question

Ive been the designated family gift coordinator for like ten years using a basic Google Sheet but things are falling apart this year. My family has grown so much with new kids and partners that the spreadsheet is a total mess and people keep accidentally deleting rows while browsing on their phones. I need a better solution before the holiday shopping rush really hits next week.

My constraints are:

must be free or super cheap

needs a dead simple mobile interface for my tech-illiterate uncles

has to allow people to mark items as claimed without the recipient seeing it

supports a group of at least 25 people

What are you guys using that actually works for big groups? Im desperate...

Venmesn3 · Accepted Answer

^ This. Also, Elfster is fine for draws, but I think Giftster is way better for straight-up lists! It is literally a life saver for my fam of 30 and so simple.

It is 100% free for everyone

Privacy is built-in so people wont see what is bought for them

Super easy for uncles to use on phones You should check out Share Product Wishlist if you want an easy way to compile things from Amazon and Target in one spot.

Vortex25 · Answer

I totally agree that those apps are way better than a messy spreadsheet, but unfortunately my experience with Giftster wasnt as good as I hoped. Last year we tried it with about 28 people and it was honestly a bit of a letdown. My older relatives kept getting confused by the layout and I spent my entire Christmas Eve basically acting as a help desk because they couldnt figure out how to claim things properly. It was super frustrating seeing duplicates under the tree anyway because the tech was just a hurdle for them. If you go this route, my quick tip is to choose an app that has a one-click claim button right on the main list view. It stops the uncles from having to dig through menus. Also, GiftHero is a solid alternative if you find the others too cluttered... it worked way better for our non-techy members because the mobile site is just so stripped down and fast.

gvzdhezdgm · Answer

You seriously need to try Elfster! It is fantastic for big families and totally secure. My huge family loves it because it is so incredibly easy and safe for everyone to use!