Whether you’re deciding what gifts to purchase for family and friends or looking for ways to economize, Christmas shopping will be a lot less stressful with the right mobile apps at your fingertips. Take a look at these 12 cool Christmas-shopping apps designed to help you organize your Christmas lists, keep track of spending, and ferret out the best deals, both online and off.

Christmas Gift-List Apps

Christmas List

Organizing your gift list and keeping track of spending is pain free with Christmas List. This free Android app lets you track gift purchases by person, keeps you apprised of how much you’ve spent and on whom, and lets you search for and purchase comparable gift items from your phone that match those on your list. Upgrading to the Pro version eliminates the ads that take up some screen space. The Pro version also lets you email gift lists to yourself and others.

Christmas Gift List Planner

This is another Android app that has many of the features of Christmas List. In addition to tracking gift purchases, the free version lets you track which gifts you’ve wrapped and which ones you’ve mailed. The Pro version gives you the ability to password-protect your lists, annotate them with gift ideas for each person, and scan barcodes to automatically add items to your lists.

Better Christmas List

Here’s an iOS app that not only lets you create gift lists by individual, but also by group such as family, friends, and co-workers. You can keep track of the gifts you gave people in years past, assign and view gifts by store, and integrate your list with your address book. As with the other list apps, Better Christmas Lift keeps track of your spending for individuals and groups and includes intuitive icons that give you the current status of your gift purchases.

Apps for Finding the Best Deals

TheFind

Designed for use on the iOS and Android platforms, TheFind is a free mobile app that guarantees it will find the best deals on thousands of items, no matter where you are. This is because it integrates four ways of shopping — via tablet, smart phone, website, and Facebook. The mobile app detects your location to find the stores closest to you, lets you scan barcodes, and gives you the ability to set price alerts on those scanned items so you don’t miss out on sales and other deals.

Coupon Sherpa

If it’s coupons you’re looking for, then Coupon Sherpa is the app to have. This free mobile app, for use on iOS and Android phones, eliminates the need for clipping, organizing, and storing paper coupons. Simply search for one of the many stores the app supports or by category, select your coupon, and show the barcode on your phone to the cashier who will scan it to get you your savings.

Shopkick

Want to earn reward points for just walking into a store? Then you’ll need the Shopkick free iOS/Android app. Your smart phone automatically registers reward points called “kicks” when you walk into stores like Target, Macy’s, Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, Old Navy, and Toys R Us. You also get kicks for scanning certain products and making purchases by linking the app to your VISA or Mastercard. Then redeem your kicks for discounts on products, movie tickets, gift cards, free restaurant meals, and more.

Online Shopping Apps

eBay

eBay is an iOS app that brings the excitement of eBay shopping to your smart phone. This free mobile app lets you buy, bid or make offers on, and securely purchase the items you’re interested in. You can also track your purchase so you know exactly when it’s scheduled to arrive. The ability to scan barcodes lets you make price comparisons on comparable items. You can also save your searches and get notified when new items that match them are available.

Etsy

Etsy is a popular, online marketplace that sells handmade and vintage items created by artisans and crafters from around the world. Its free iOS mobile app is a streamlined version of the website, giving you access to over 11 million one-of-a-kind, handmade items. You can browse by category, view individual items or shops, send messages to sellers, and purchase items from the convenience of your phone.

Amazon Mobile

Gain access to the vast world of the Amazon marketplace with this free iOS app. Just about anything you can do at the website, you can do with this app, including browsing by department, reading reviews, comparing prices, and making secure purchases directly from your phone. The app also gives you multiple ways to get information on a product; you can scan a barcode, take a photo, or key in a search.

Retail Store Apps

Toys R Us Shopping

This free, iOS/Android app makes Christmas shopping for the kids a breeze. Find the store nearest you, including hours and directions; browse by item or category; scan barcodes for production information, videos, and reviews; and of course, make secure purchases directly from your phone. You can also share how much fun you’re having shopping for the kids via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and email.

Target

Devoted “Tarjay” shoppers will love this free, iOS/Android app. It includes a store locator, barcode scanner, and a list function called TargetLists to help you keep track of the items you need to purchase. It also informs you of weekly ads and daily deals via text alerts that keep you up to date on current discounts and sales. You can also get coupons sent directly to your phone and redeem them at the cash register.

Home Depot

There’s even a mobile app to help you shop for the DIYers on your Christmas list. Home Depot has a free, iOS/Android app that lets you create shopping lists, find the store nearest you, browse by category or item, and scan barcodes to get product information. Use the in-store map and aisle locator to track down items on your list, or make purchases directly from your phone and pick them up at the store. You can even use your voice to search for items on your list.

Editor’s Note

With so many no contract cell phone plans available, there’s really no excuse not to have a smart phone so you can take advantage of these apps to help you with this year’s Christmas shopping. This guest post was brought to you by Natalie Bracco. You can email her by clicking here.