We Put 3 Other AI Gift Finders to the Test — Here’s What We Learned

At Outdone, we know finding the perfect gift is tough. And we’re not alone — loads of other recommendation tools are out there promising to make gifting a breeze, often with the help of AI.

In theory, AI should be the perfect solution to gifting stress, using data-driven techniques to match shoppers with curated product recommendations. But with dozens of gifting sites claiming to harness this emerging technology, how many actually deliver thoughtful, high-quality suggestions that stand above the rest?

I recently put three up-and-coming AI-powered gift finders to the test — GiftList, Gift Genie, and Giftruly. Like Outdone, these platforms take a data-driven approach to recommendations, aiming to make gift-giving smarter and more personalized.

To see how they stack up, I searched for the same gift recipient across all three, and compared the results. I chose to shop for my cousin, Timmy, whose birthday is coming up… figured I might as well get some of my shopping done while writing this post 🤠

Here’s what I shared about Timmy:

• Age: 28
• Gender: Male
• Interests/Hobbies: Politics, Golf, Hunting/Fishing, Traveling, Concerts, Bars & Dining Out
• Other Details: Works on Capitol Hill, loves Boston sports, is very tall 🙂

… and here’s how the tools did:

GiftList, Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Review: GiftList uses an AI chatbot called Genie to help users find gift ideas. Their process was simple: I wrote in a few details, and Genie recommended several products spanning my cousin’s interests—like a fishing rod, a politics book, concert tickets, and golf balls.

✅ Pros: The chatbot was intuitive and let me share as much or as little detail as I wanted. The recommendations were impressively specific and adequately covered the range of my cousin’s many interests.

❌ Cons: The experience felt a bit too transactional—there wasn’t much of a "fun" factor. Also, clicking a suggested product led to a page with 10+ variations of the same product, which felt overwhelming. The Genie felt more like a mega-filter for Amazon’s product database than a personalized experience for high-quality gift recommendations. A bit more curation and focus on quality products could go a long way.

• Personalization: (8.5/10) – Nailed his interests, allowed for as much detail as I wanted to share.
• Quality of Recommendations: (6.5/10) – Good range, but some low quality recs.
• Ease of Use: (9/10) – Very smooth chatbot experience, easy to talk with. 
• Speed: (10/10) – Near-Instant results, no wait time.

Gift Genie, Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Review: Gift Genie (not to be confused with GiftList’s Genie tool) has a welcoming home page with a clear entry point for gift recommendations. The tool allows users to input up to 2080 characters of details about their gift recipient—more than many AI gift finders. However, the recommendations felt generic and lacked specificity.

✅ Pros: The interface is extremely easy to use, making it one of the most accessible gift recommendation tools out there. It’s a simple, no-fluff tool for gift recommendations.

❌ Cons: The results page was uninspiring, with no justifications for why specific products were recommended, and generally, felt static. Also, the tool often suggested multiple versions of the same product (e.g., six different smartwatches or fishing rods), making the results seem repetitive. Like GiftList, it lacked enough curation to make the experience feel truly personalized.

• Personalization: (8/10) – Allows for as much detail as you’d like (<2080 characters).
• Quality of Recommendations: (3/10) – Low quality recs and ambiguity around why products were recommended.
• Ease of Use: (8/10) – Extremely easy and intuitive user interface.
• Speed: (9/10) – Near-Instant results, very little load time.

Giftruly, Overall Rating: 5/10

Review: Giftruly takes a more structured approach to recommendations than other AI gift finders, guiding users through a short survey (e.g., input occasion, relationship, and age) before allowing open-ended details. While this hand-holding is surely helpful for some shoppers, the actual recommendations felt uninspired, limited in quantity, and not always reflective of the input I provided.

✅ Pros: The survey-style intake flow was a nice touch, especially for users who need more guidance. I also liked the clear progress bar (steps 1-5), which made the process feel structured and intentional.

❌ Cons: The UX felt outdated and in need of a refresh. The recommendations page was text-heavy, with images and purchase options buried in tabs, making it less engaging. While I appreciated the curated selection, only receiving three product recommendations felt limiting.

• Personalization: (6.5/10) – Allows for plenty of detail, but small input fields don’t encourage much detail.
• Quality of Recommendations: (4/10) – Relevant products, but too few to feel robust.
• Ease of Use: (7/10) –Easy process, but the recommendations page layout was confusing and took some time to get acclimated.
• Speed: (8/10) – Not as instant as a chatbot, but still very quick.

After testing three AI-powered gift finders, a few key patterns emerged:

1. Ease & Speed Don’t Differentiate — Most tools are optimizing for a smooth experience: intuitive inputs, fast recommendations, and frictionless checkout (often via Amazon links — many of these platforms leverage the Amazon Associates program). Speed and simplicity are important, but they don’t set any one gift recommender apart.
2. More Data Doesn’t Guarantee Better Personalization  — True personalization isn’t just about allowing users to share a ton of detail, it’s about interpreting inputs in a way that feels intentional. Many suggestions felt generic, repetitive, or uninspired—more like a product search engine or mega-filter than a thoughtful gifting assistant.
3. Surprise & Delight Is Missing — The biggest gap? Excitement! These tools delivered “relevant” results, but missed the emotional aspect of gifting—the “wow” moment when you know you’ve found the perfect present. 

Why This Matters for Outdone

At Outdone, we’re determined to perfect the process and excel where these other tools fall short. It’s not just about finding a gift—it’s about finding the right gift. That means:

✅ Prioritizing quality over quantity—deliver curated, high-quality recommendations over mass-market products.

✅ Making AI feel more human—not just filtering products, but offering thoughtful, personalized guidance.

✅ Deliver that "wow" moment—introducing shoppers to gifts and new brands they wouldn’t find on their own. We want to blow people's minds.

Interested in AI-powered gift finders? Try Outdone out and let us know how we stack up!