Comparison

Candlelit vs GIFTbase

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Candlelit

Read full description

Candlelit is a beautiful birthday and celebration tracker that turns remembering into something you actually look forward to. Add birthdays, anniversaries, and special dates, then blow out the candles when the day arrives to collect rare and whimsical candles and cakes. Track What Matters β€’ Add birthdays, anniversaries, and custom celebrations β€’ See upcoming events at a glance with multiple calendar views β€’ Get gentle reminders so you're always prepared β€’ Sync events to your device calendar with one tap Collect Something Special β€’ Blow out candles on the big day to earn a random collectible β€’ Discover 30 unique candles and 30 cake decorations β€” from Common to Legendary β€’ Build your collection over time with every celebration β€’ Each collectible is a tiny surprise you won't want to miss Make It Yours β€’ Choose from 9 gorgeous color themes to match your style β€’ Pick a matching app icon for your home screen β€’ Set custom colors for individual celebrations β€’ Add photos and notes to every event Private by Design β€’ No account required β€” ever β€’ All your data stays on your device β€’ Optional iCloud sync keeps your celebrations in sync across devices β€’ No tracking, no analytics, no ads Upgrade to Pro ($2.99 one-time) Unlock all color themes, alternate app icons, advanced reminders (up to 1 month ahead), and per-event color customization. One purchase, yours forever β€” no subscriptions. Candlelit is the birthday tracker that celebrates with you. Download it today and start collecting!

About

GIFTbase

This app helps you find personalized gift ideas using AI, manage event reminders, and create shared wishlists. It prevents duplicate gifts and offers unique gift-giving scenarios.

Highlights
  • AI-powered gift recommendations
  • Smart event calendar with reminders
  • Universal wishlists from any store
  • Gift reservation to prevent duplicates
  • Personalized gift-giving scenarios
  • Wishlist sharing and collaboration
Features
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Fifteen birthdays a year. You remember four and know what to gift for one. GIFTbase is a gift finder, a birthday reminder, wishlist and secret santa in one app. It keeps every date and finds gift ideas for each person: ideas that fit who they actually are, with links to buy where you live. Tell the app who the gift is for: what they're into, what you want to spend, what the occasion is. You get a feed of specific gift ideas, each with a short reason it suits that person, and a link to buy it in your city. WHAT YOU CAN DO Find gift ideas for one specific person: Set the occasion, the budget and the recipient. Swipe through the ideas: right to keep, left to skip. Every idea comes with a line explaining why it fits them. Tap through to buy in your city. Keep a profile for everyone you buy for: Interests, tastes, what they already own, the thing they mentioned in passing in March. The more a profile knows, the closer the ideas land. One profile works all year: a birthday in June, Christmas in December, an anniversary in between. Never miss a date again: Birthdays, anniversaries, work milestones, public holidays. All in one calendar, with reminders early enough that you can still do something about it. Build a wishlist people can actually use: Add anything from any store with a link. One tap, no retyping. Share the list, or edit it together with family and friends. Stop getting the same present twice: Friends reserve items from your wishlist anonymously and see what is already taken. You keep the surprise. Run a Secret Santa for any group: Create a game in a few steps: budget, dates, how you'll swap gifts and one of 10 room themes. Invite friends by link, code or QR. Couples won't draw each other, and you can add players without a phone, like grandma or the kids, and play for them. Everyone opens their match in an envelope, adds wishes or links a GIFTbase wishlist, and can ask their match questions anonymously. When you're stuck, get gift ideas for your match: instant picks from the catalog based on their interests, plus a full personal gift search, free once a season. If you swap by mail, only your Santa sees your address. Friends can play in the app or right in their browser, without signing up. Make the handover worth remembering: Generate a personal scenario for giving the gift. In "Apartment Detective" the app writes a chain of riddle notes based on real hiding places in your home, leading the person to what is waiting for them. FOR EVERY OCCASION AND EVERY PERSON Birthdays, Christmas, Secret Santa at the office, weddings, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day. For a partner, a parent, a coworker you barely know, or the friend who has everything. Any occasion, any budget: the ideas adjust to the person. WHAT IT COSTS Free, always: β€’ Event calendar and reminders β€’ Creating, sharing and editing wishlists β€’ Booking gifts from your friends' lists β€’ Following what the people around you want β€’ One hand-picked Gift of the Week β€’ Secret Santa games: the draw, wishes, anonymous questions and the gift swap β€’ One full gift search for your Secret Santa match every season β€’ Three gift searches to start: one right away, 21 more for easy first steps, 200+ gift ideas free β€’ One more free search every month if you run out, and extra searches for inviting friends Paid, if you want it: β€’ Extra searches, bought as you need them β€’ Subscription: 10 gift searches every month that roll over, personal giving scenarios, a questionnaire about your recipient, two more Gifts of the Week, and priority processing The calendar, the reminders and the wishlists stay free whether you pay or not. Download GIFTbase and stop opening a browser tab called "gift ideas for mom" three days before her birthday. Terms of Use (EULA): https://giftbase.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://giftbase.app/privacy/

Screenshots

Candlelit4 screens
GIFTbase4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Candlelit at none against GIFTbase's 6. Candlelit also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. GIFTbase sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Candlelit asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Candlelit ships an update every 4 days, GIFTbase every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 5 level
Candlelit versus GIFTbase: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCandlelitGIFTbase
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsβ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 4 days β€” betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
Monetizationβ€”Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 β€” better15.6
Further details β€” not scored
Size25 MB183 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYuka MoribeAndrei Trenogin

In-app purchases

None

Candlelit

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

GIFTbase

Subscriptions2
  • Best Friend for 1 month14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Best Friend for 1 Year14 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time4
  • Small occasions$0.99
  • Base pack$2.99
  • Medium pack$5.99
Show 1 more
  • Generous Friend$9.99

Questions

Is Candlelit free?
Candlelit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GIFTbase free?
GIFTbase is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Candlelit or GIFTbase have ads?
Neither Candlelit nor GIFTbase shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Candlelit or GIFTbase?
Candlelit ships an update every 4 days, and GIFTbase every 9 days. Most recently, Candlelit was updated on November 9, 2026 and GIFTbase on October 31, 2026.

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