Holidays

12 Virtual Gifts To Give Your Besties

Workout classes, audiobooks, and other creative digital gifts.

Updated: 
Originally Published: 
A woman in a cozy sweater browses virtual holiday gifts you can give during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pekic/E+/Getty Images
We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

March might have been yesterday, but the holidays are well upon us, meaning it’s time to get your present-giving strategy together. Between the usual shipping costs and COVID-related delays, you might be leaning towards "sending" online presents to your friends and family this holiday season. Fortunately for you (and everyone on your gift list), the best virtual gifts to buy during the COVID-19 pandemic have the range to take care of everyone you want to send holiday cheer to.

You don't have to hit up the mall to do your shopping in 2020. Sure, you might miss tugging on your Santa hat, representing with your "This Is How I Roll" dreidel sweater, and subjecting everyone in the stores to your puns. This year, you can still force your roommates and social media followers to deal with your holiday puns, but you can shop safely — for yourself and your giftees— at the same time.

Virtual gifts have the benefit of not taking up any space or gathering any dust, plus your loved ones can enjoy them well into next year. Whether your friend is into video games and yoga or Marvel movies and audiobooks, you'll be able to find something they’ll love, with no risk of COVID passing between you. These 13 virtual gifts can help you and your buds celebrate the end of 2020 in digital style.

We only include products that have been independently selected by Bustle's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

1

Libro.fm Audiobook Subscription

Subscribe your book-listening pal to Libro.fm if you think they'd like to support local bookstores while they're listening to their favorite true crime novels. For $14.99/month, they'll get an audiobook per month and 30% off any other audiobooks they want to get from indie bookstores.

2

Shine Premium Subscription

Sometimes, you want to build community along with your daily anxiety-relieving meditations. If that sounds like your cousin who's been searching for meditations by and for Black women, gifting them with a $20/month subscription to self-care and meditation app Shine sounds like a fun way to go.

3

Affirmation Pod with Josie Ong Subscription

When you know your friend needs a daily reminder that they can do this thing called life, gift them a year-long subscription to Josie Ong's Affirmation Pod. They'll get access to bonus episodes and playlists, all of which will guide them through meditative affirmations focused on specific themes (like feeling overwhelmed, your inner critic, and facing new life challenges).

4

Skillshare Premium Subscription

Whether your friend wants to get into digital illustration, photography, self-care journaling, or has been dabbling in all of the above during the pandemic, gifting them with a subscription to Skillshare can open up new worlds. They'll get their first two weeks free, and then $99 will cover their entire year of learning.

5

Disney+ Bundle

For your friend that's just as into Captain Marvel and Black Panther as they are into how the Mets are doing, gift them a year's worth of their favorite TV and movies for $69.99.

6

Peloton App Subscription (With Or Without The Bike)

You don't have to invest over $2,000 in a Peloton bike to give your indoor cycling enthusiast pal an at-home biking experience. You friend can use the Peloton app with a bike they already have for $12.99/month, and they'll work up a sweat all the same.

7

PlayStation Plus Digital Membership

That friend who's super into all things gaming? A one-year subscription to PlayStation Plus can give them all the video game content they desire. If they've got the console, your $59.96 gift will give them the rest.

8

Calm Premium Subscription

If you've got that one friend who's so into meditation that they want to take classes on it (on top of practicing new meditations daily), a year's worth of the Calm app's premium subscription at $69.99 might be for them. The subscription gives giftees access to tons of guided meditations, including ones specifically for sleep, relaxing music playlists, and more.

9

Broadway Streaming Platform

Your roommate won't stop blasting show tunes from their room, and while you can't really blame them, you want them to actually see the musicals they're belting along to. Enter the Broadway HD platform, where for $99/year, your friend can sing and sob and dance along with Broadway shows to their heart's content.

10

DC Universe Membership

For your friend who swears by everything DC, this year-long subscription to the DCverse will let them access classic and modern comics, films, and shows featuring their fave superheroes. For $74.99, over 23,000 comics will be at their virtual fingertips (not to mention all those movies).

11

Babbel Language-Learning Subscription

If your sister can't stop talking about learning German so she can impress her new girlfriend's parents, a year-long subscription to Babbel might be your best bet for the holidays. For $41.45, you can gift her with 12-month's worth of conversational practice and personalized approaches to learning.

12

Runner's World Plus Subscription

Your aunt is training for that half-marathon, but she's still pretty new to running. Or, your best bud from college has been running for ages and loves to geek out about the latest running science and gear. Either way, a Runner's World Plus subscription might be the right fit. At $50 for the entire year, you'll give the gift of training plans, physical copies of the bi-monthly magazine, and unlimited access to the website.

This article was originally published on