--- title: "DrawNames Alternative With No Email Needed" description: "Compare GiftMyCrew and DrawNames for Secret Santa: email, accounts, who can see the draw, wishlists and apps. Sourced, dated, and clear on where DrawNames wins." url: "https://www.giftmycrew.com/guides/drawnames-alternative" published: 2026-10-08 updated: 2026-10-08 --- # A DrawNames alternative that never asks for an email GiftMyCrew and DrawNames are both free Secret Santa tools that work without registering. The difference is email: DrawNames' website asks each person for a name and an email address, and GiftMyCrew asks for neither. DrawNames does more, with phone apps, anonymous questions and a draw the organizer can't see until afterwards. ## GiftMyCrew and DrawNames compared | | GiftMyCrew | DrawNames | | --- | --- | --- | | Account needed to join | No: open the link and tap your name | No registration required; accounts are optional | | Email address needed | No, never asked for | On the website, a name and email address; not in its app | | Price | Free | Free | | Ads | None | Says no ads; its website asks to set marketing cookies | | Who can see the whole draw | Nobody on the share page, but the organizer holds every private link | Nobody until the celebration date has passed, then the organizer | | Exclusions | Block any pair, both ways or one way | Yes, in groups of 4 or more | | Wishlists from any store | Yes, up to 20 ideas per person | Yes: paste a link from any webshop, plus a gift finder | | Anonymous questions to your match | No | Yes | | Phone apps | No, runs in the browser | iOS and Android | | Group size | 2 to 100 people | No limit stated; its FAQ describes a route for large groups | | Data kept | Deleted after 90 days without activity, or 30 days after the event date, if that's later | No set period: kept no longer than necessary, then anonymized | Competitor details checked on 2026-10-08 from: [drawnames: FAQ](https://www.drawnames.com/help); [drawnames: How to draw names online?](https://www.drawnames.com/how-to-draw-names); [drawnames: Secret Santa App](https://www.drawnames.com/secret-santa-app); [drawnames: Privacy](https://www.drawnames.com/privacy). drawnames is a registered trademark of its owner. GiftMyCrew is independent and not affiliated with drawnames. ## When is DrawNames the better choice? DrawNames does several things we don't. Its FAQ says everyone sees only the name they drew, and the organizer can view the full list only after the celebration date has passed. With us, the organizer holds everyone's private link, so an organizer who wanted to peek could. If your organizer is taking part and the group cares about that, DrawNames handles it better. It also lets the person who drew you ask a question anonymously, has iOS and Android apps, and includes a gift finder for ideas. Its FAQ describes reusing last year's group so that nobody draws the same name twice. We keep no history from year to year, so we can't do that. ## When is GiftMyCrew the better choice? When you'd rather not collect email addresses. DrawNames' privacy page says that to use the website you enter your name and email address, and its FAQ points people without an email address to the app. With us there is no email step at all: the organizer shares one link, and each person taps their name and sets a PIN. It also suits an office or a club that wants as little left behind as possible. There are no marketing cookies to accept or decline, nothing to install, and each exchange deletes itself after it goes quiet. ## What does joining look like in each? In GiftMyCrew, the organizer sends one link to the group. Each person opens it, taps their name and sets a 4-digit PIN, and sees who they're buying for straight away. Then they can add up to 20 gift ideas for their own Secret Santa. In DrawNames, according to its own pages, the organizer enters the names and sends invitations by email, text or a messaging app. People accept their invitation, draw a name and make a wish list. On the website each person is tied to an email address, and the same address can be used for more than one person. In the app, no email is required. Both get a group drawing in minutes. The difference is what each person hands over on the way in: an email address on DrawNames' website, and nothing here. ## What do you give up with GiftMyCrew? Being this light has real trade-offs. Know them before you choose. - The organizer could open other people's private links. DrawNames hides the full draw from the organizer until after the date. - No anonymous questions: item notes carry sizes and colors, but your match can't ask you anything. - No phone app and no gift finder. It runs in the browser, and ideas come from any store you paste or type. - A draw holds up to 100 people, and each wishlist up to 20 ideas. - Exchanges are deleted after 90 days without activity (or 30 days after the event date, if that's later), so last year's matches aren't remembered. ## How do I move a group from DrawNames to GiftMyCrew? There's no import, but there's little to move. Copy your group's names into a new draw, add the same exclusions, and share the new link. Each person adds their wishlist when they reveal their match. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is GiftMyCrew part of DrawNames? No. GiftMyCrew is an independent tool with no connection to drawnames. ### Does DrawNames need an email address? On its website, yes: its privacy page says you enter your name and email address to use it. Its FAQ says people without an email address can take part through the app. ### Can the organizer see who drew whom in each tool? In DrawNames, its FAQ says only after the celebration date has passed. In GiftMyCrew, the share page doesn't show matches, but the organizer holds everyone's private link, and opening one shows that person's match. ### Is DrawNames free? Yes. Its own pages describe it as free, with no registration required and no in-app purchases. ### Can my match ask me questions anonymously on GiftMyCrew? No. If that matters to your group, DrawNames is the better fit. Wishlist notes cover sizes, colors and preferences instead. ## Related guides - [Elfster alternative](https://www.giftmycrew.com/guides/elfster-alternative): Compare GiftMyCrew and Elfster for Secret Santa: accounts, ads, wishlists, group size and apps. Sourced, dated, and clear about where Elfster is stronger. - [Secret Santa generator](https://www.giftmycrew.com/guides/secret-santa-generator-no-email): Draw Secret Santa names in your browser and share one link. Each person reveals their match privately and adds a wishlist. Free, with no email and no ads. - [Office gift exchange](https://www.giftmycrew.com/guides/office-gift-exchange-tool): The fastest way to run an office Secret Santa. Share one link in Slack or Teams, with no sign-ups, no email collection and no ads. Private by design. --- Start a Secret Santa draw: https://www.giftmycrew.com/?mode=exchange#create Source: https://www.giftmycrew.com/guides/drawnames-alternative Published by GiftMyCrew (https://www.giftmycrew.com/).