The status of your holiday gift list is…complicated. It exists on Post-its and paper scraps, as entries in your phone’s Notes app and bookmarks in your browser. That can make holiday shopping a confusing task and inevitably lead to forgotten items.

Before that happens, put yourself first on your holiday gift list and download a gift-list app. Once you make your list, you won’t have to check it twice because a good gift-list app handles most of the hard work: syncing across platforms and figuring out which stores have the items you’re looking for, as well as things like the sizes of your gift recipients.

A gift-list app is probably one of the least expensive gifts you’ll buy this season because most are free or under a dollar. It will certainly save you from some holiday blues and could help your holiday budget from going into the red. One note: a few of the apps are very specifically Christmas-themed in name and look but function fine for any holiday at any time of the year. (And for actual gift ideas for everyone on your list, check out PCMag’s full holiday gift guide.)

Christmas Gift List

Buying and budgeting is made easy with Christmas Gift List (Android(Opens in a new window)) this year—and next—since it archives your list to remind you of the favorite items of your favorite people. The app is also password-protected to keep what’s wrapped up under wraps. And it handles multiple currencies and languages.

Christmas Gift List

Same name, different app. The satisfying ticking off of items is probably going to be your favorite feature of Christmas Gift List (Android(Opens in a new window)). Or you might prefer that you can get a countdown to Christmas, keep track of your budget, and even start planning for next year.

Christmas Gift List Tracker

There’s a countdown to Christmas at the top of Christmas Gift List Tracker (iOS(Opens in a new window)), not that you necessarily need one if you’re on top of your gift-giving to the point of using an app. What you can probably use, though, is the bar chart with your budget that’s right underneath. It tallies up all your purchases from your various gift lists and lets you know how much you have left. The app also lets you view lists from previous years to avoid gifting mistakes, collaborate on lists, and set a password so no one can snoop.

GiftPlanner

GiftPlanner (iOS(Opens in a new window)) covers all the holidays, events, and birthdays you have to buy for; lets you balance the budget for each; has a bookmarklet that adds items to your lists while you browse online; and can even send gift cards right from the app. Also, if you’re awful at remembering what something is after it’s wrapped, you can snap a photo and store the info.

Giftster

Giftster(Opens in a new window) (iOS(Opens in a new window), Android(Opens in a new window)) is most useful if you’re organizing lists for groups of people, like families, friends, or offices. You can write your own lists for those you’re buying for, or you can get them to join Giftster so you can see what they want and buy it with one click. There’s also a Secret Santa feature that makes gift exchanges easy.

The Christmas List

Divvy up the dough you have to spend by who you’re spending it on with The Christmas List (iOS(Opens in a new window)). You can also arrange your list by store so you don’t make multiple trips in person or fill online shopping carts (and pay shipping fees) more than once. If you’re sharing gift-giving duty, there are simple ways to send your lists. The countdown feature lets you know how many shopping days you have left this season.

(Image: Yulia Reznikov/Getty Images)

For more ideas, keep tabs on PCMag’s full holiday gift guide.