Compare
Secret Santa apps, compared fairly
Every group is different. Here's who each tool suits, so you can pick the one that fits yours.
Updated
The short version
- Just need names drawn, fast? A simple name drawer like DrawNames, or our free Secret Santa generator, does the job with no account.
- A big office exchange, White Elephant, or native phone apps? Elfster covers a lot of ground and has iOS and Android apps.
- A family or close friend group who want December to feel like a shared place? That's what Snowglobe Village is for: a cozy village with wishlists, hints, letters retold by Pip, a shared schedule and a slow Gift Day. No ads.
What makes Snowglobe Village different
Most Secret Santa tools are built around the draw. Snowglobe Village is built around the weeks after it. Everyone moves into a cottage in a little snowy town, and the village fills up as the season goes: windows light as wishes go on the shelf, Santas ask the village questions, Pip the mail elf carries letters, and on Gift Day everyone opens one gift at a time, on every screen at once.
What it doesn’t do
- No native apps. It's a web app. It works in a phone browser, but there's nothing to download from an app store.
- Adults only. Snowglobe Village is for people 18 and over, in the United States.
- Secret Santa only. No White Elephant or Yankee Swap mode.
- An email address is needed. There's no password, but everyone signs in with their email.