7 Housewarming Gift List Apps Compared (2026)
GiftList, MyRegistry, Things To Get Me, Giftster, Amazon, Target, and Crate & Barrel all let you make a free housewarming gift list. They differ on whether items can come from any store, whether guests can give cash and what that costs, and whether the list is built for a private group or a party. GiftList is 100% free, adds items from any store, and supports cash funds with no GiftList fee (payment-provider fees may apply).
According to the National Association of Realtors' 2025 buyer profile, the typical first-time buyer is now 40 years old — people are settling into homes later, often long after the wedding-registry window has passed, and a new house is the moment they actually need the nice knife set. A gift list solves the two classic housewarming party problems at once: guests guessing (hello, third bottle of olive oil) and duplicate gifts.
The first question is whether you want to pull items from anywhere or shop a single store's catalog. Below are seven options for 2026, each checked against the app's own pages (or their archived copies) in September 2026, followed by what to compare before you start. GiftList publishes this guide and is listed first because we make it; the order isn't a ranking. If you're starting from zero, our step-by-step guide to organizing a housewarming gift registry covers setup and sharing, and our 64 housewarming registry essentials will fill the list itself.
Quick Comparison
| App | Add from any store | Cost | Cash gifts | Built around |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GiftList | Yes | Free | Yes — no GiftList fee; provider fees may apply | Universal list + AI gift ideas |
| MyRegistry | Yes | Free | Yes — new funds via GoFundMe (its fees); legacy PayPal funds $3.95–$6.95/gift + 2.5% | Syncing existing store registries |
| Things To Get Me | Yes | Free | Yes (US, UK, Europe) — 3.9% + 30¢ per contribution + $1.45 per payout; givers may cover | Lists without an account |
| Giftster | Yes | Free | No | Private family gift groups |
| Amazon Custom Gift List | No — Amazon only | Free | Gift card fund (Amazon credit) | Amazon's catalog and checkout |
| Target Custom Wish List | No — Target only | Free | No | Target's catalog |
| Crate & Barrel Registry | No — Crate & Barrel only | Free | Group gift fund (C&B gift card) | Crate & Barrel's kitchen and home catalog |
GiftList
GiftList is built for exactly this use case: one list, items from any store on the internet. Paste a product link and the title, price, and photo fill in when available; you can edit or add details yourself; the browser extension saves items while you browse, and the iOS and Android apps include an in-app browser so you can build the list from the couch of your not-yet-furnished living room.
What it offers for housewarmings:
- Truly universal and 100% free — no credit card required. Mix the Costco vacuum, the Etsy print, and the IKEA shelf on one list.
- Cash funds and group gifting with no GiftList fee — set up a "new patio furniture" fund or let guests chip in on one big item; contributions go directly to your Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, or Cash App. GiftList never holds the money or takes a cut; payment-provider fees may apply.
- No account needed for guests — they open the link, reserve or buy, done. Reservations are hidden from you but visible to other guests, which helps avoid duplicates without spoiling the surprise.
- AI help when you're stuck — Genie, GiftList's AI gift finder, suggests housewarming ideas based on your home and style, and guests can use it too.
You can create a free housewarming registry, mark your "Most Wanted" items so guests know what to prioritize, and share a single link by text or email when guests ask.
MyRegistry
MyRegistry is a long-running universal registry that explicitly supports housewarmings alongside weddings and baby showers. It can sync a registry you've already started at a specific store into one combined list. It also offers a browser extension, mobile apps, and private or public visibility.
On cash gifts, MyRegistry's Terms (effective October 1, 2025) route new users' cash funds through GoFundMe, which sets and processes its own fees. Older PayPal-powered Cash Gift Funds add a handling fee to each cash gift, paid by the giver ($3.95 for gifts up to $100, rising to $6.95 for $500–$1,000), and deduct PayPal's 2.5% from each contribution. Creating and sharing the registry itself is free.
Things To Get Me
On Things To Get Me, you can create a shareable list without making an account, and creating a list is free. It says its lists work for any occasion, offers Chrome, Firefox, and Safari extensions for adding items from any store, and includes money funds (US, UK, and Europe) plus a privacy-friendly shipping option (US and UK) so guests can send gifts without knowing your new address. Money-fund contributions carry transaction fees (3.9% + 30¢ per contribution under its Terms, plus $1.45 per payout), and by default contributors are offered the option to cover them.
Giftster
Giftster takes a different shape: instead of one outward-facing list, it organizes a private group where family and close friends all keep lists and can see each other's. Items can come from any store via link, and gift-givers mark items purchased so others can see what's taken. It's built around ongoing family gifting — birthdays, Christmas, and a housewarming inside the family circle.
Amazon Custom Gift List
Amazon's Custom Gift List covers "any occasion" — housewarmings included — and uses Amazon's catalog, checkout, and Prime shipping to the new address. It's free.
Since Amazon retired its Amazon Assistant extension in 2023, there's no supported way to add items from other stores, so the list is limited to Amazon's catalog. If the local pottery studio's mugs or a specific furniture brand matter to you, a universal list like GiftList holds them alongside Amazon items. See our full breakdown of universal wishlists vs. Amazon lists.
Target Custom Wish List
Target no longer has a separate housewarming registry page; its Custom Wish List works for any occasion, including a housewarming. You build the list online, and guests shop it like any Target registry. Target's home section includes move-in essentials such as shower curtains, surge protectors, and food-storage sets. As with Amazon, the catalog is the constraint: Target items only.
Crate & Barrel Gift Registry
Crate & Barrel's gift registry supports housewarming registries directly (alongside wedding, anniversary, and baby), created online or in its app. Its catalog centers on cookware, glassware, tableware, and home goods, and as with the other store registries here, the list holds that store's items only.
What to Compare Before You Start
Three questions sort out most of the differences:
- One store or every store? If your list spans more than one retailer, check whether the app can add items from any store; the Amazon, Target, and Crate & Barrel lists here hold only their own items. On GiftList, you add items from any store, and product details fill in when available.
- Do you want cash contributions? For a couch fund or renovation help, compare fees. GiftList charges no fee for group gifting or cash funds — contributions go through your own linked payment methods, so only that provider's fees may apply. MyRegistry's cash funds for new users run through GoFundMe, which sets its own fees; its older PayPal-powered funds add a handling fee to each cash gift, paid by the giver ($3.95 for gifts up to $100, rising to $6.95 for $500–$1,000), and deduct PayPal's 2.5% from each contribution. None of the three store registries pays out cash: Amazon's Gift List has a Gift Card Fund and Crate & Barrel has group gift funds, both paid as store gift cards.
- Who's the audience? For a mixed party crowd, check whether guests need an account to reserve. On GiftList, guests open one link and reserve without an account.
The sharing rules are the same for any list: don't put the link on the invitation itself, share it when people ask, and keep a healthy spread of small-ticket items. Our housewarming gift etiquette basics cover the host-side rules. When you're ready, create a free housewarming registry on GiftList and share one link.
