How it works

Add three or more names. For each person you can note what they are into, so their Santa sees suitable ideas.
Use "Not with" for couples or housemates. The rule works both ways.
Draw, then copy each person's message and send it to them alone.
Each link shows one match, the budget, the date and gift ideas sold in your country within the budget.

Looking for ideas first? See Secret Santa gifts and gifts under 25.

Why draw names online

Pulling names from a hat only works when everyone is in the same room, and someone always draws themselves or their partner. An online draw fixes both: people can join from anywhere, and the rules you set (no one draws themselves, couples never draw each other) are checked before anyone sees a result. Because each person gets a separate link, the organiser does not have to know who has whom, so the organiser can take part too.

Nothing is saved on our side. The match is sealed inside each person's link, so there is no account, no email list and no database of your names. Lose the links and you draw again.

Setting a budget that works

The most common Secret Santa complaint is a mismatch: one person spends the limit, another spends a third of it. Say the number out loud and treat it as both a ceiling and a floor. These are the budgets that tend to work:

Office, people who barely know each other: US$15 to US$25, C$20 to C$30, £10 to £20, A$20 to A$30. Low enough that nobody minds, high enough to buy something that is not a novelty mug.
Friends: US$25 to US$50 or local equivalent. Room for something they would not buy for themselves.
Family, adults only: US$50 or more works when it replaces buying for everyone. One good gift each beats eight small ones.

Every link we generate shows ideas sold in the person's country inside the budget you set, priced on the shop's own page.

Office Secret Santa

Keep it opt-in, and set the exchange date before the last week of term or the holiday rush, when people are away. Ask everyone to add one or two interests when you draw (coffee, plants, running) so their Santa has more to go on than a job title. Agree a rule on joke gifts in advance; one person's joke is another's HR complaint. For remote teams, ask people to ship directly to each other, and set the exchange date at least ten days after the draw so parcels arrive.

Family Secret Santa

The usual reason families switch to a draw is cost: buying for every adult gets expensive and produces a lot of things nobody needed. Use "Not with" for couples and for anyone who drew the same person last year. Leave children out of the draw and buy for them as usual. If relatives live in different countries, the ideas each person sees are from shops that sell in the giver's country, so check the shipping deadlines before you order.

Questions people ask

Can the organiser take part?

Yes. The organiser sees a list of links, not the matches. As long as you do not open other people's links, you will only know your own match.

What happens with an odd number of people?

Nothing special. Everyone gives one gift and receives one, in a single loop or several, whatever the count. You need at least three people.

What if the rules make a draw impossible?

With small groups, too many "Not with" rules can leave no valid draw. The tool tells you instead of quietly breaking a rule. Remove one exclusion and try again.

Can someone see their match again later?

Yes. The link keeps working, so they can open it again when they go shopping.

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up. We may earn a commission if someone buys an idea through a shop link, which is how the site pays for itself.