"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
Lyst vs WishApp
Lyst is a fashion-only search engine used by 200M+ shoppers annually. It aggregates 8 million products from 27,000 brands. WishApp is a wishlist for everything: clothing, electronics, books, anything. Here's how they actually compare.
We built WishApp, so we're biased. But we'll be honest.
Last updated: February 2026
The quick version
Lyst
Fashion search engine with 200M+ annual shoppers and 8M+ products
- Aggregates products from 27,000+ brands and retailers
- Price drop and back-in-stock alerts for saved fashion items
- $206M raised from investors including LVMH and Fidelity
- Acquired by ZOZO, Inc. in April 2025 for $154M
WishApp
Privacy-first wishlist that works with every store
- Works with any online store, not just fashion retailers
- Zero ads, zero trackers, zero data selling
- Hidden reservations keep gifts a surprise
- Free forever with no premium tier
Feature-by-feature comparison
How Lyst and WishApp stack up on the things that actually matter.
| Feature | Lyst | WishApp |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| Browser extension | US only | |
| Works with any store | Fashion only | |
| Price drop alerts | ||
| Back-in-stock alerts | ||
| Hidden reservations | ||
| Group gifting | ||
| Secret Santa | ||
| No account to view lists | ||
| No ads or trackers | ||
| Free (no premium tier) |
What actually sets them apart
Fashion only vs. everything
Lyst is a fashion search engine. Full stop. It covers clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories from 27,000+ brands. That's genuinely impressive. But if you want to add a kitchen appliance, a book, a bike, a video game, or literally anything else to your wishlist, Lyst can't help. WishApp works with any product page on any store. Fashion, gadgets, furniture, toys. One wishlist for your whole life.
Shopping discovery vs. gift coordination
Lyst is built for discovering and tracking products you want to buy yourself. It has no concept of gift coordination. No reservations, no sharing wishlists for others to shop from, no Secret Santa. WishApp is built specifically for sharing. Your friends can see your list, reserve items without you finding out who, and coordinate group gifts. Completely different use cases.
No ads in WishApp
Lyst earns money by charging brands roughly 16% commission on every sale, and brands can bid for better placement in the feed. That means what you see is influenced by who's paying the most. WishApp has zero ads and zero commissions. No brand pays for placement. You see what you saved, in the order you saved it.
Saved items that stay saved
Lyst users on Trustpilot (4.0 stars from 3,800+ reviews) specifically complain that saved items randomly disappear from the app. Get this: if you spend time building a wishlist and items just vanish, that's not a wishlist tool, that's a frustration. WishApp was built around the wishlist as the core product. Items stay put.
When to pick each one
Pick Lyst if you...
- Shop exclusively for fashion and want to compare prices across 27,000+ brands
- Want price drop and back-in-stock alerts on clothing and accessories
- Enjoy discovering new designers you wouldn't find on your own
- Are buying for yourself and don't need gift coordination features
Pick WishApp if you...
- Want a wishlist that covers any category, not just fashion
- Need to share lists with friends or family for gift-giving
- Care about privacy and don't want your data influencing what you see
- Need people to reserve gifts without spoiling the surprise
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
Lyst vs WishApp: the full picture
What Lyst actually is
Lyst launched in 2010 in London and raised $206M from investors including LVMH, Fidelity, and Balderton Capital. It peaked at a ~$700M valuation before being acquired by ZOZO, Inc. for $154M in April 2025. Today Lyst serves 200M+ shoppers annually with 8M+ products from 27,000+ brands. Their annual revenue hit ~$64M USD in the year ending March 2024. It's a serious business. But it is a fashion shopping discovery platform, not a wishlist app.
Why WishApp solves a different problem
WishApp started with one question: what if creating and sharing a wishlist was actually simple? You add items from any store. You share a link. Friends see what you want, can reserve something without you knowing who got what, and no one ends up with three of the same gift. WishApp doesn't compete with Lyst on fashion discovery or price tracking. It competes on something Lyst doesn't do at all: coordinating gifts with the people in your life.
Which one should you actually pick?
Honestly? Use both if fashion is your thing. Lyst for discovering and tracking fashion deals, WishApp for building shareable wishlists others can shop from. But if you need one tool that covers everything (clothes, books, gadgets, experiences) and lets your friends actually coordinate gifts without duplicates or spoiled surprises, WishApp does that. And it's free with no ads, no brand commissions influencing what you see, and no account required for the people browsing your list.
40,000+ people already making wishlists
Start your free wishlist from any store
Create your first wishlist in under 60 seconds. Free forever, no ads.
Create my wishlist → No duplicate gifts Friends reserve in secret Works with any store