Best Gift Registry Apps & Sites in 2026 (Ranked)

Quick Answer: The best gift registry apps in 2026 are GiftList and MyRegistry for universal registries (add items from any store, free), Babylist for baby, Zola or The Knot for weddings, and Amazon or Target if you mostly shop one store. A universal registry beats a store-locked one because guests shop one link instead of juggling three separate accounts. Start a free universal registry on GiftList.

The fastest way to pick the right registry is to first answer one question: do you want a universal registry or a store registry? A universal registry lets you add a gift from any website — a national brand, a local boutique, even an experience or a cash fund — into one list your guests shop from a single link. A store registry only holds items that one retailer sells. Everything below is sorted with that distinction front and center.

What Makes a Great Gift Registry App?

A great gift registry app does three things well: it works with the stores you actually want to shop, it prevents duplicate gifts by tracking what's already been bought, and it makes sharing effortless for guests who may not have an account. The best ones add cash funds, group gifting, and reminders on top — all without nickel-and-diming you. Price matters too: the leading registries are free, and the only fees worth watching are the ones charged on cash contributions.

Quick Comparison: Best Gift Registry Apps in 2026

Universal = you can add items from any retailer, not just one store. Partial = a curated set of partner retailers plus that platform's own catalog. Fees shown are for cash/honeymoon funds, where most platforms make their money. Verify current pricing on each site before you register.

The Best Gift Registry Apps, Ranked

1. GiftList — Best Universal Registry for Any Occasion

GiftList is a free, truly universal registry and wishlist app: you paste a link from any online store and it auto-fills the title, price, and image, or you add items manually for experiences and gift cards. One account handles a wedding, a baby shower, a birthday, and the holidays — each as its own list — so you're never starting over on a new platform. It works on web, iOS, Android, and via a one-click browser extension for Chrome, Safari, and Edge.

Why it stands out: It's 100% free with no premium tier and no item limits. Guests don't need an account to view, reserve, or buy — and reservations stay hidden from you, so duplicates are prevented without spoiling the surprise. It also includes free group gifting and cash funds — several guests can chip in toward a big-ticket item or a cash goal, with no platform fee, and contributions go straight to you via Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, or Cash App. If you're not sure what to add, Genie, the built-in AI gift finder, suggests real products, and the daily-refreshed Gift Ideas feed filters to the recipient's age and gender.

• Best for: Anyone who wants one universal registry for every occasion
• Universal: Yes — any online store, any country
• Price: Free

Create your free universal gift registry and start adding items from any store.

2. MyRegistry — Best for Universal Registry Power Users

MyRegistry is the long-running universal registry standard. You add items from any store with a browser button, import existing Amazon or Target registries, and combine physical gifts with cash or experience funds in one list. It supports group gifting, cross-store duplicate tracking, and built-in checklists across weddings, baby, birthdays, and more.

Why it stands out: It charges no platform fee on cash funds — 100% of every contribution reaches you. The core registry is free; MyRegistry has historically offered optional premium add-ons, so check current terms when you sign up.

• Best for: Registry power users who want deep import and cash-fund control
• Universal: Yes
• Price: Free (cash funds at no platform fee)

3. Babylist — Best Baby Registry

Babylist is the go-to universal baby registry. You add items from any store — Amazon, Target, Etsy shops, brand sites — into one list, and layer in zero-fee cash funds (sent via Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App) for big-ticket items or services like a doula. It includes free registry insert cards with a QR code and a completion discount window before your due date.

Why it stands out: Cash funds reach you as actual cash, not store credit — a real advantage over Amazon's baby "diaper fund," which converts to Amazon credit. If you're building a baby registry, Babylist is purpose-built for it.

• Best for: Expecting parents who want a universal baby registry
• Universal: Yes
• Price: Free (zero-fee cash funds)

4. Zola — Best Wedding Registry With a Full Planning Suite

Zola pairs a registry with a complete wedding-planning suite: free wedding website, guest list, and invitations. You can register from 30+ partner retailers plus Zola's own shop and add cash or honeymoon funds. On cash funds, Zola lets you choose who absorbs the 2.5% card fee, and it offers a completely fee-free Venmo option.

Why it stands out: The all-in-one wedding toolkit. It's less of a true universal registry than GiftList or MyRegistry, but for couples who want registry, website, and planning in one place, it's hard to beat. See Zola's honeymoon fund advice for the fee details.

• Best for: Couples who want registry + wedding website + planning tools
• Universal: Partial (partner retailers + Zola shop)
• Price: Free (cash funds: fee-free via Venmo)

5. The Knot — Best for a Wedding Website + Registry

The Knot is Zola's closest competitor and a strong pick for couples who already use its wedding website and vendor marketplace. It supports a registry with cash and honeymoon funds. The trade-off: The Knot charges a 2.5% fee on card contributions to cash funds, and the guest must pay it — you can't absorb it for them, and there's no fee-free option.

Why it stands out: Deep wedding-planning ecosystem and vendor directory. If you're choosing purely on cash-fund cost, Zola and the universal registries are friendlier.

• Best for: Couples invested in The Knot's wedding website and vendor tools
• Universal: Partial
• Price: Free (cash funds: 2.5% card fee, guest-paid)

6. Amazon — Best for One-Store Shoppers

Amazon's registry is fast and familiar, with huge selection, free shipping for Prime members, and a baby registry welcome box and completion discount. Amazon also offers an "Amazon Universal Registry" button that lets you add items from other sites — but those items still route back through Amazon, so it's not a fully neutral universal registry the way GiftList or MyRegistry are.

Why it stands out: Unmatched catalog and logistics if you and your guests already shop Amazon. The downside: no true cash fund (the baby "diaper fund" converts to Amazon credit), and you're steering everyone to one store.

• Best for: Households that already shop primarily on Amazon
• Universal: Mostly store-only (limited add-from-web)
• Price: Free

7. Target — Best Store Registry for In-Person Returns

Target's registry is a solid store registry, especially for baby and wedding, with a free welcome kit of samples, Target Circle bonuses, and easy in-store returns. It's not universal — items must be sold by Target — but if Target is your default store, it's clean and reliable.

Why it stands out: Brick-and-mortar convenience and a generous baby registry kit. For anything beyond Target's shelves, you'll want to pair it with a universal registry.

• Best for: Shoppers loyal to Target who value in-store returns
• Universal: No (store-only)
• Price: Free

Universal Registry vs. Store Registry: Which Should You Choose?

Choose a universal registry (GiftList, MyRegistry, Babylist) if you want to register for items across multiple stores, add experiences or cash funds, or reuse one account across different occasions. Your guests shop one link and buy each gift at its original retailer.

Choose a store registry (Amazon, Target) if you and most of your guests already shop that one store and you value its perks — fast shipping, welcome kits, easy returns. The cost is flexibility: every gift has to come from that store's catalog.

Many people do both: a store registry for staples plus a universal registry to catch everything else. For a deeper breakdown, read what a universal gift registry is and how a gift registry differs from a wish list.

How a Universal Registry Works (Video)

Here's a quick walkthrough of building a universal gift list that pulls items from any store into one place:

How to Add Gifts From Any Store to Your Registry

The whole point of a universal registry is one list, any store. With GiftList, you have three easy ways to add items:

1. Paste a link — copy any product URL and the app auto-fills the title, price, and image.
2. Use the browser extension — save gifts in one click while you shop on any site.
3. Add it manually — for experiences, gift cards, or anything without a link.

Then share your list by link, text, email, or social — no account required for guests to view and shop. Reservations stay hidden from you, so you avoid duplicate gifts without ruining the surprise. Browse more gift ideas if you need inspiration to fill out your list.

The Bottom Line

For most people in 2026, a universal registry is the smarter choice — GiftList and MyRegistry let you register across every store for free, and Babylist does the same for baby. Pick a wedding-specific suite (Zola or The Knot) if you want a matching wedding website, and lean on Amazon or Target only if you genuinely shop one store. Whatever you choose, the rule is the same: one link your guests can actually use beats three accounts they'll never open.

Create your free universal gift registry and add your first item in seconds.