"Three kids means three birthday lists plus Christmas. Before this, my family would text each other asking 'did you already get the LEGO set?' Now they just check the list. Problem solved."
Jenny M.
Mother of 3
WishApp
Giftbuster vs WishApp
Giftbuster launched in 2014 with a smart idea: a wishlist that also tracks prices and surfaces promo codes. But users keep reporting that the crawler mainly works on Amazon, and the founder is actively looking to sell the app. WishApp does less but does it reliably, for any store. Here's the honest comparison.
We built WishApp, so we're biased. But we'll be honest.
Last updated: February 2026
The quick version
Giftbuster
Deal-tracking wishlist with price alerts and group gifting
- Price drop alerts when saved items go on sale
- Group gifting with cash contributions toward expensive items
- Birthday reminders for people you follow
- 4.42/5 rating on the iOS App Store from ~650 ratings
WishApp
Privacy-first wishlist that works with every store
- Works with any online store, not just Amazon
- Zero ads, zero trackers, zero data selling
- Hidden reservations keep gifts a surprise
- Free forever with no premium tier
Feature-by-feature comparison
How Giftbuster and WishApp stack up on the things that actually matter.
| Feature | Giftbuster | WishApp |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | ||
| Mobile app (iOS) | ||
| Mobile app (Android) | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Works with any store | Amazon only (reliable) | |
| Hidden reservations | ||
| Group gifting | ||
| Price drop alerts | ||
| Birthday reminders | ||
| Secret Santa | ||
| No account to view lists | ||
| No ads or trackers | ||
| Free (no premium tier) |
What actually sets them apart
Price alerts sound great. The scraper is the problem.
Giftbuster's headline feature is price drop notifications. Save a product, and the app watches the price. That's genuinely useful. But users consistently report that the crawler mainly works on Amazon. Prices are frequently shown incorrectly for non-Amazon products. One reviewer put it plainly: "The crawler mainly works on Amazon and that's it." WishApp doesn't track prices. What it does do is reliably pull product data from any URL, not just Amazon.
The app is looking for a new owner
In 2025, founder Milosz Nowaczyk publicly announced he is ready to sell Giftbuster. His words: the app is "established and recognized in its niche with proven profitability and is ready to scale with the right vision." That sounds optimistic. But a founder actively seeking an exit means no new features, reduced maintenance, and real uncertainty about whether the app exists in 12 months. WishApp is actively developed. New things ship. Bugs get fixed.
A team of two, and some real UX gaps
Giftbuster has roughly 2 employees. That's a very small team to maintain iOS, Android, a browser extension, price tracking across millions of products, and birthday reminder logic. The ~650 iOS ratings tell the same story: a small user base, limited traction, and no external funding in 12 years. There's also no per-list sharing. Your wishlist content is either fully private or visible to every profile visitor. No way to share just one list with a link. WishApp lets you share individual lists by link. That's it. Simple.
Affiliate deals and promo codes come with strings attached
Giftbuster's revenue comes from affiliate commissions and brand promo code partnerships. That means some of what you see inside the app is there because brands paid to be there, not because it's the best option for you. WishApp also earns affiliate commissions, but the difference is what you see. There are no brand deals or sponsored placements in your feed. Paste a URL, get the product. That's it.
When to pick each one
Pick Giftbuster if you...
- Shop mainly on Amazon and want price drop alerts on saved items
- Want birthday reminders for friends and family you follow
- Like seeing promo codes and brand deals surfaced in your feed
- Want group gifting with cash contributions toward expensive gifts
Pick WishApp if you...
- Shop at stores beyond Amazon and need reliable product data
- Care about privacy and don't want brand deals in your feed
- Want a wishlist app that's actively developed, not for sale
- Want to share a specific list with a link, not your entire profile
52,000+ wishlists and 150,000+ gifts reserved for birthdays, weddings, and every occasion worth celebrating
"My girlfriend and I share lists with each other. I can reserve stuff without her knowing, which makes birthdays way less stressful. The hidden reservation thing is actually clutch."
Theo P.
College Student
"We used this instead of a traditional registry. Added items from 11 different stores. Stuff we actually wanted, not just whatever one store had. Our guests said it was easier too."
Leila R.
Recent Bride
Frequently asked questions
Giftbuster vs WishApp: the full picture
What Giftbuster set out to build
Giftbuster launched in 2014, founded by Milosz Nowaczyk in New York City. The concept was solid: a wishlist that doubles as a deal tracker. Save items, get notified when prices drop, surface promo codes from brand partners, and let friends pool cash toward expensive gifts. The iOS app has a 4.42/5 rating from ~650 ratings on the App Store. AppGrooves aggregates about 1,005 reviews. For a bootstrapped app with roughly 2 employees and no external funding, that's genuine traction. And yes, the price drop alert concept is one the bigger players have copied.
Why the execution didn't keep up with the idea
The problem Giftbuster runs into is execution. The scraper that's supposed to pull in product data from any website mainly works reliably on Amazon. Users report prices shown incorrectly, links that fail to load, and lists with data accuracy issues. Giftbuster also doesn't support per-list sharing. Your wishlist content is either fully private or visible to everyone who visits your profile. There's no middle ground. And in 2025, the founder announced he's looking to sell. An app in exit mode doesn't get new features. Maintenance slows down. WishApp works with any online store, lets you share individual lists by link, and is actively maintained by a team not planning an exit.
Which one should you actually pick?
Honestly, if you shop primarily on Amazon and want price alerts, Giftbuster has that and it works for Amazon products. But if you shop across different stores, want reliable product data, and need an app that will still exist next year, WishApp is the safer bet. WishApp doesn't track prices. But it works with any store, has hidden reservations, group gifting, and Secret Santa. You share a specific list with a link, not your whole profile. Neither costs anything to try.
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