Exchange
Name, budget, and two dates
A name, an optional spend range, a wishlist deadline, and the exchange date. Participants see the same details you enter, so the invitation and the group page agree.
The desk
What you can set before anyone buys a gift.
Elf Match is free to use: no paid tier and no card to start. These are the controls on an exchange, not a catalogue of moods.
People
Email invitations, no participant cap
Invite as many addresses as the exchange needs. You need at least three joined people before a draw is possible. Pending invitations stay visible, and you can resend them.
Wishlists
Title, note, price, and a shop link
Each person can add items with a description, a price estimate, and a link. The list is readable by the group, which is how a giver finds something specific.
Exclusions
Pairs who must not match
One exclusion keeps two people from being assigned to each other, in either direction. The draw will not ignore a rule you saved.
The draw
Preview, regenerate, then confirm
You see every pairing before anyone else does. Generate another arrangement as many times as you like. Confirming sends each person a private email. After that, assignments are fixed.
Addresses
Shared only with the assigned giver
A delivery address is encrypted before it is stored. Other participants do not see it. The person buying the gift does.
Sign-in
A code by email, or Google or Apple
People join with a free account. Email sign-in uses a one-time code, so there is no password to invent for a once-a-year exchange.
After the draw
Gift status for the giver
The person buying can mark the gift bought, shipped, or delivered. Those notes stay with them. The recipient is not shown the status.
Against the usual alternatives
A comparison of chores, not of brands. Paper slips and a spreadsheet can both draw names. They do not keep a wishlist next to a private assignment.
| Elf Match | A spreadsheet | Paper slips | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw that respects exclusions | Built in | You maintain the rules | Hard to enforce |
| Wishlist beside the match | Yes | Usually a second document | No |
| Who sees the full draw | Organizer, until send | Whoever has the file | Whoever unfolds the slips |
| Address only for the giver | Yes | Easy to overshare | Passed by hand |
| People in different cities | Email invitation | Possible | Needs everyone present |