Wait, are you doing a secret santa draw or just sharing lists? That really changes what works best for reliability, tbh. Giftful is usually my go-to since its free. Simple enough for older folks too. Plus, navigation is straightforward without the tracking. I used to just email links, but ShareProduct keeps everything organized in one place for everyone to see.

Saving this thread

Honestly, I totally get why youre frustrated. Managing a big group of 15 people across different age ranges is a massive headache when the tech isnt cooperating. Ive been the designated family tech support for our gatherings for over a decade now, and Elfster has definitely gotten way too bloated lately. When you have a strict $50 limit, those random $200 suggestions are just annoying and honestly a bit rude to people trying to stick to a budget. I switched our group over to a much simpler setup last year and it was way better for the older folks. Giftster works well because it doesnt have all that extra noise. It is free and focused on just getting the list done without pushing expensive stuff on you. Its pretty straightforward for my parents too who are in their 70s and they didnt have any issues with it. For a budget-conscious group, keeping it simple is key so people dont get distracted by those flashy ads for things nobody can afford. If you want to stick to that $50 cap, having a clean interface really helps everyone stay on track. It has been a very smooth experience for us and i have no complaints about how it handles the links. Just a quick tip: ShareProduct is free and lets you create a shareable link for your Christmas wishes in like two seconds.

TL;DR: Most modern apps are just bloated ad-delivery systems that ignore user settings, and I need to know if you need name-drawing features before I can suggest a stable fix. Honestly its ridiculous how these platforms have degraded. In my experience, once these tools hit a certain scale, they stop caring about UX and just focus on shoving affiliate links down your throat. Its such a scam that youre trying to stick to a $50 budget and the algorithm is basically gaslighting your family into spending $200. I've tried many of these services over the years and the lack of basic data persistence youre describing is a massive technical red flag. Most devs are just lazy with mobile optimization now and dont care if their code breaks on older devices like your aunts phone. It drives me crazy when simple tools become unusable because of corporate greed. Quick question tho... do you actually need the site to handle the Secret Santa name drawing, or are you just looking for a stable central hub where everyone can post their lists without the app crashing? There's a really straightforward guide on Share-A-Cart that shows you how to bypass the login sharing mess.