# Elfster: The Secret Santa App — user reviews > 815 indexed App Store user reviews of Elfster by Elfster, Inc., rated 4.90/5 from 330,922 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elfster-the-secret-santa-app/id751594890/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elfster-the-secret-santa-app/id751594890.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 297,024 · 4★ 26,894 · 3★ 5,422 · 2★ 632 · 1★ 950 ## What do users think of Elfster? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Easy to use - 🚀 Convenient for gift exchanges - 💡 Helpful wishlist feature - 🎁 Great for coordinating gift exchanges - 🎄 Useful for Christmas and other occasions **Cons** - 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and glitches - 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find specific features - 🔒 Privacy concerns with visibility of wishlists - 🌍 Limited to certain countries/regions - 📧 Excessive email notifications **Commonly reported bugs** - Inability to redraw names in gift exchanges - Issues with adding and editing wishlist items - Frequent log-outs and re-login requirements - Problems with syncing purchased items across devices **Most requested features** - Ability to separate wishlists for different exchanges - Option to hide purchased items on wishlists - Easier way to manage child/family member accounts - Anonymous Q&A between gift givers and receivers - Improved integration with online shopping platforms ## Newest reviews (15 of 815) ### 4/5 — Elfster *2026-08-05, version 2026.730.32* I really like Elfster. You do have to worry about your kids putting things on your amazon account, (as me speaking as a kid!) The only thing I wish is for this can be casted at the whole screen. ### 3/5 — Awesome app! 5-stars! *2026-06-05, version 2026.504.12* This app has it all - way more complete than just a gift exchange or wishlist app. I keep my wishlist up to date and I always get what I want year round ### 3/5 — Great app! *2026-06-04, version 2026.504.12* Love this app! ### 5/5 — Great app for any wishlists *2026-05-18, version 2026.504.12* This is a fun tool we use for gift exchanges, and sometimes birthdays. I personally add anything I want to buy to keep things all in one place instead of tabs everywhere. It helps keep things organized & give people ideas for gifts for my kids or myself on birthdays. Also have a list for gift ideas for family/friends. ### 5/5 — LOVE IT *2026-04-01, version 2026.304.107* I love this app because if you want your friends or family to know what you want for your B day,Christmas,etc it is a great app to do so ### 5/5 — Ik it's a long review but please read it. It is my review and I described what elfster actually is🙂 *2026-03-16, version 2026.304.107* I think elfster is a great app! Allthough old school secret Santa with pulling names on pieces of paper, elfster make it really easy because if you don't know much about someone in you're family and you get them, when you pull them, they should allready have a list made so you can just look at that. For those who don't have elfster, here is what it is, you create a family with everyone in your secret Santa. Then it rolls names. You can't get anyone in you family. When you sign into elfster you get a list to make and to add stuff, all you do is search on this app and it pops up a bunch of stuff that is and is related to your search so you don't have to find anything off of any other app. But you can add things to your list, and then you can also add things to favorites so people know what you most want vs what you want. You can also add a note to something on your list for what color, size, etc you want. And if someone bought something on your list and someone else clicks on it, they get a notification that someone allready bought it so you won't get the same thing twice. And when you roll your secret Santa, you automatically get their list. ### 5/5 — Elfster *2026-03-12, version 2026.304.107* All I can say is I love it that’s all ### 5/5 — Love it! *2026-03-10, version 2026.304.107* Makes our annual Secret Santa much easier. ### 5/5 — Never forget a birthday again *2026-03-03, version 2026.218.105* Reminds me weeks ahead of time when a birthday is approaching for one of my contacts and recommends their most wanted items. Even lets you filter their list to a certain price range so you can stay within a budget. Don’t know what you want? It has awesome suggestions! ### 5/5 — this app helps a lot *2026-02-18, version 2026.122.103* this app is amazing for me and my friends because it helps us a lot when we want something for our birthday ### 5/5 — Epic idea *2026-01-27, version 2026.122.103* What a fun and stress free app for secret gifting ### 4/5 — 😀 *2026-01-22, version 2026.114.102* It’s honestly a great app love everything about it only con is that it sometimes won’t show the thing I search and takes a while but besides that great app recommend 👌🏼👍🏼 ### 5/5 — Slow this year *2026-01-21, version 2026.114.102* Have used every year for a few years. This year it’s running very slow and I’m getting errors trying to create. My internet connection is fine. Update: was just an issue on this specific day. Ended up working fine the rest of the month. ### 4/5 — International *2026-01-21, version 2026.114.102* Would like an option for Australian prices Edit: they have since added more countries making the app easy to use! ### 5/5 — Great *2026-01-19, version 2026.114.102* Great app! just wish i could browse more stuff because its hard to think of things! I absolutely love it!! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — 403 forbidden *2026-08-21, version 2026.730.32* Can’t use the site or app. Keep getting a 403 forbidden message and I’ve cleared cache and everything. Downloaded and redownloaded the app as well. ### 1/5 — Multiple users *2026-06-05, version 2026.504.12* I wish this app allowed each person to draw more than one name. We usually draw 2-3 people each year. What a bummer. ### 1/5 — Allow it *2026-04-12, version 2026.304.107* Doesn’t allow me at all to allow my mother add me as her child! ### 1/5 — Easy of use *2026-02-03, version 2026.122.103* I have used this for several years and my one complaint is that different list get made and no way to merge them. I had an old list deleted everything started a new one and people could only see my old list which should have been deleted. Now that I thought I only had one list I added items and people can only see the first items not the current ones. I get on the old list to add things and it takes me to to new list and only my old list is available to view ### 1/5 — Maybe the worlds worst app *2026-01-31, version 2026.122.103* The UI is terrible and we’re forced to use this app every year. Terrible. ### 1/5 — Elfster RUINED CHRISTMAS *2025-12-24, version 2025.1222.99* My teen daughter set up our extended family gift exchange over a month ago. A few weeks before Christmas I checked in with her to make sure everything was smooth and she said yes mom the app tells me one person hasn’t seen their draw yet(Grandpa!) - we’re good! Come, Christmas Eve, the same notification pops up. But the app lied. No one had seen their draw… & thus no one was prepared. Instead of the app notifying everyone that there were individual individuals who did not see their draw, only the organizer receives notifications that the draw is incomplete. In addition, the notification that my daughter received was a lie. One person not receiving the draw was not correct…And thus- Christmas was ruined by Elfster app. ### 1/5 — Notifications! *2025-12-18, version 2025.1217.95* Even with all of the notifications in the app turned off it still sends me notifications. I shouldn’t have to go into Apple settings to disable all notifications from an app when the app has its own settings that don’t work. ### 1/5 — Amazon *2025-12-18, version 2025.1217.95* I don't like that the items are immediately linked to Amazon. Please can you offer other options. I'm trying not to use Amazon because of the its poor employment conditions, tax avoidance, monopolisation, etc. ### 1/5 — Very difficult to use between platforms *2025-12-16, version 2025.1212.92* Neither my husband or I are able to get him into his Elfster account, nor will it allow us to change our username or passwords properly. It has become evident that there is a security issue when trying to use Elfster on iOS devices and the app then trying to use it on the web on my laptop. The web requires a password that is not set on iOS devices and the request for a password reset caused my email to be connected with an unknown person! It is also impossible to get the required reset password email until days later, which is when it was hacked by an unknown person. ### 1/5 — Half my exchange’s lists are empty *2025-12-14, version 2025.1212.92* The person I was given in my exchange has a fully blank profile when I look at their profile. I checked two others in my exchange and see nothing. I asked someone within the exchange if those three have anything listed and they can see multiple wishlists for each. I didn’t get anything for my person since I didn’t know what they had on their list until today. I needed to buy it by today due to holiday travel schedules. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — I love this app *2026-08-11, version 2026.730.32* I love this app so much my mom my sister and I enjoy looking at this app for our birthdays and Christmas hope this helps! ### 5/5 — Love it *2026-08-09, version 2026.730.32* I love elfster ### 5/5 — Giftgiving *2026-08-03, version 2026.730.32* This app makes it very easy to pick out my loved ones gifts without giving it away and knowing what they are really hoping for and wishing for and I really like I like that and I like that they cannot see that I’m the one they purchased it, but others can see that that item was already purchased. I think it’s fun and you won’t make you know any mistakes and you can always go at the last minute and see what’s left on the list and you can begin in July if you want I love that. ### 5/5 — I actually love this! *2026-07-31, version 2026.716.27* I was using GoWish but then it got confusing somehow probs a new version but I was looking google said this app honestly has been working ✨amazing✨ haven’t used it for secret Santa yet but I’m exited to!🍓😚💅🏻 ### 5/5 — So fun!10/10 *2026-07-28, version 2026.716.27* It’s so fun I can save stuff to my wish list ### 5/5 — The best app *2026-07-23, version 2026.716.27* Www ### 5/5 — Luv it 💘💘💘💘 *2026-06-23, version 2026.605.21* I luv this app soooo much it helps me know what to get my loved ones and what other can get for me and they have so many thing I didn’t even know existed that I added to my list. ### 5/5 — Love it! *2026-06-23, version 2026.605.21* I’m using this for my upcoming b day and it’s so easy just to put the link in or search it up! ### 5/5 — Love Elfster *2026-06-12, version 2026.605.21* Great app that we use all year ### 5/5 — Best app ever! *2026-05-28, version 2026.504.12* This is such a great app for keeping my wishlist updated all year long. Now my husband and kids get me exactly what I want for every occasion. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*