You might also be interested in the Best Subscription Boxes for Gifting, the Best Gift Subscriptions for Kids, or one of our many other gift guides. Updated December 2022: We added new entries in most sections, a new Travel and Experiences section, and updated the existing links and prices.
Gift CardsMovie and TV SubscriptionsMusic Streaming ServicesEbooks and AudiobooksDigital News and MagazinesGaming SubscriptionsPassword Managers and SecurityOnline Teaching CoursesFitness ServicesShopping Loyalty ProgramsTravel and ExperiencesDonating to Charity In Their Name
Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-Year Subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you’d like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. They may not be all that imaginative, but electronic gift cards let your loved ones choose what they actually want, and it’s never disappointing to receive one (assuming it’s at a place you like). Gift cards are everywhere—you can also look beyond the retail giants to find highly rated independent stores, delis, or restaurants near your giftee. Music makes a wonderful gift. It can conjure memories, boost your mood, and get you dancing. Our Best Music Streaming Services guide runs through our favorites and why we like them in more detail, but these four subscriptions are the best options for most people:
PlayStation Plus Essential costs $10 per month or $60 per year. It’s essential for anyone who wants to play online multiplayer on a PlayStation 5 or PS4, and it gives access to monthly free games. If they already have it, consider PlayStation Plus Extra ($15 per month or $100 per year) for a catalog of around 400 games, or PlayStation Plus Premium ($18 per month or $120 per year) for more than 700 games and cloud streaming access.Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($15 per month) might be the best deal in gaming. It includes hundreds of titles, including frequent new releases, to download and play on Xbox or PC. It also includes access to the Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming service so you can play on your Android phone or tablet.Nintendo Switch Online ($20 per year) is a must-have for online play and cloud game saving. It also gives access to classic NES and SNES games. If you opt to add the Expansion Pack, you’ll pay $50 for a year, but this adds N64 and Sega Genesis games as well as DLC for Animal Crossing.Google Play Pass for Android phones costs $5 per month or $30 a year and provides access to a library of ad-free games and apps for Android phones and tablets. You can’t gift the subscription specifically, but you can send a Google Play gift code for someone to spend on Play Pass.Apple Arcade for iPhone and iPad is also $5 per month and has more than 200 games and costs $5 per month or $50 a year. Again, there’s no specific gifting option, but an Apple Gift Card can pay for an Apple Arcade subscription.Humble Choice memberships cost $12 per month and give access to new mainstream and indie PC games every month, as well as a curated library. You can also gift Humble Bundles and a portion of every purchase goes to charity.Steam PC game store gift cards come in various sizes and make great gifts for PC gamers. Steam has a library of more than 50,000 games.
If you have family or friends with questionable online security habits, no amount of nagging will change their ways, but buy them a digital security gift and they might just try it. Here are a few security-related digital gift ideas. (We also have more info in our Best Password Managers and Best VPNs guides.) Many of us have more than we need, and gifts can be hit or miss. Making a charitable donation in someone’s name is a great alternative that lets people know you’re thinking of them and also does some good in the world. Just be careful to do a little research on your chosen charity or service before you spend. Organizations like Charity Navigator and Charity Watch can help you find the most deserving and trustworthy charities.
GlobalGiving supports all kinds of projects and relief funds all around the world. You can choose to donate to a specific project in someone’s name or give them a gift card so they can pick a project.GiveWell is all about ensuring your donations have the highest possible positive impact. It takes no fees and supports some crucial global campaigns.World Wildlife Fund symbolic species adoptions ($60+) cover everything from hammerhead sharks to arctic wolves. These make great gifts for animal lovers and come with an optional soft toy and information pack. The WWF does have a large infrastructure to support but takes its mission to protect wildlife and the environment very seriously.
