If you’re in B2B sales or marketing, you’ve probably heard the pitch: send a perfectly-timed gift, get your prospect’s attention, and suddenly your pipeline’s full. But there are a ton of gifting platforms out there—Alyce, Sendoso, Reachdesk, Postal, and a few dozen more. They all promise to make gifting “personal, scalable, and ROI-driven.”
So how do you actually compare Alyce with the rest? What matters, what doesn’t, and what’s mostly fluff? This guide’s for anyone trying to cut through the noise, figure out what to really look for, and avoid getting locked into a tool that just creates more busywork.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You’re Trying to Do
Before you drown in feature lists, get specific about your goals. Are you just trying to get prospects to book more meetings? Do you want to build relationships with existing customers? Are you running big campaigns, or just looking for a simple way to send a few gifts here and there?
Be honest about: - Volume: Are you sending 10 gifts a month or 1,000? - Team size: Is it just you, or a 50-person SDR team? - Integration: Do you need it to play nice with your CRM or marketing tools, or is a simple dashboard enough? - Budget: Some platforms get expensive—especially with hidden fees, minimums, or required subscriptions.
Pro tip: Write down your must-haves and nice-to-haves before you start demoing tools. It’ll help you stay focused when the sales rep starts talking about “AI-powered delight moments.”
Step 2: Know What Sets Alyce Apart
Alyce pitches itself on “personal experience gifting.” They’re big on letting recipients choose their own gifts, claiming it creates a better connection. Here’s what’s actually different (and what isn’t):
Where Alyce Stands Out
- Gift Choice: Recipients get to pick from a curated selection. This feels less random than sending a coffee mug with your logo.
- Data & Insights: Alyce claims to use recipient data to personalize options. In reality, some of this is just matching based on location and title—not psychic-level personalization.
- Integrations: Decent out-of-the-box with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Outreach. Not the widest range, but better than some smaller players.
- Compliance: Strong on GDPR, privacy, and anti-bribery controls. Good if you’re in a regulated industry.
Where Alyce Falls Short
- Price: Not the cheapest. There are platform fees plus the cost of gifts. Be sure to read the fine print.
- Global Reach: US and Canada coverage is solid. International gifting options are growing, but not as seamless as some competitors.
- Physical vs. Digital: Heavy on choice, but less on “wow” factor for big, branded experiences (think: custom swag kits).
Ignore the hype: The “AI” personalization isn’t magic—it just helps narrow down choices. If you want 1:1, truly personal gifts, you’ll still need to put in some work.
Step 3: See How Other Platforms Stack Up
Here’s how some of the main alternatives compare if you’re shopping around:
Sendoso
- Strengths: Huge catalog, strong logistics for sending physical items, good for swag, event kits, and even direct mail. International reach is better than Alyce.
- Weaknesses: The platform can get clunky, especially for new users. Some complaints about customer support lagging.
- Best for: Complex, high-volume gifting that includes branded items or direct mail.
Reachdesk
- Strengths: Easy interface, good for sending both digital and physical gifts. Decent international options.
- Weaknesses: Smaller catalog than Sendoso, and less “personalization” focus than Alyce.
- Best for: Teams that want a straightforward tool and don’t need deep personalization.
Postal
- Strengths: Good automation for campaigns, integrates well with CRMs. Pricing is a bit more transparent.
- Weaknesses: Catalog is US-heavy. Some features locked behind higher tiers.
- Best for: Marketing teams running nurture or ABM campaigns.
Others (Giftagram, Loop & Tie, etc.)
- Usually simpler, cheaper, but with fewer integrations and less automation. Good for low-volume use or one-off gifting.
Bottom line: Most platforms do the basics: send a gift, track delivery, and nudge the recipient. The big differences are in catalog size, international reach, integration, and whether the recipient gets a choice.
Step 4: Dig Into Real-World Usability
This is where most buyers get tripped up. Ignore the sales deck—ask about the stuff that gets annoying after a few months:
- How many clicks does it take to send a gift? If it’s more than three, your team will avoid it.
- Is the catalog full of real choices, or just random trinkets? Demo the recipient experience to see what they actually get.
- How fast is delivery? Especially for physical gifts—slow shipping kills momentum.
- Can you automate triggers? If you want to send gifts for demo bookings or deal milestones, see if you can set this up without a developer.
- How’s support? Try emailing support with a basic question. If it takes days, imagine how it’ll be when something breaks.
Pro tip: Most platforms offer a free trial or “sandbox.” Run a real test—send yourself and a coworker a gift, and see what the process feels like.
Step 5: Watch Out for Hidden Costs and Traps
Here’s what they don’t put in the marketing copy:
- Minimums: Some platforms require a minimum spend or annual contract. Make sure you’re not locked into more than you need.
- Markups: The price you pay for a $25 gift often isn’t $25. There are platform fees, shipping, and sometimes “handling charges.” Ask for a sample invoice.
- Unused Gifts: If a recipient ignores your gift, do you get the money back? Some platforms refund, some keep it as a credit, some just pocket it.
- CRM Integration Fees: Some integrations cost extra, or only work on certain subscription levels. Double-check before you sign.
Real talk: Sales engagement is about relationships, not just sending stuff. If you’re spending more time managing the gifting platform than talking to prospects, it’s not doing its job.
Step 6: Measure What Actually Matters
Don’t get distracted by vanity metrics like “gifts sent.” Focus on whether gifting is actually moving the needle:
- Meeting booked rate: Are more prospects scheduling calls after a gift?
- Response rate: Does gifting help with hard-to-reach accounts?
- Pipeline impact: Any difference in deal velocity or close rates?
- Recipient feedback: Are people actually happy, or just taking the gift and ghosting you?
Set up a simple dashboard (even just a spreadsheet at first) to track outcomes. If you can’t see real results in a quarter, rethink your approach.
Step 7: Make Your Shortlist and Test
After all the demos and checklists, pick two or three platforms that fit your needs. Don’t let a sales rep rush you into a contract.
- Do a real-world test: Send a few gifts, try an automated campaign, get feedback from your team.
- Get references: Ask the vendor to connect you with a customer in your industry.
- Negotiate: There’s almost always room on price or contract terms, especially if you’re comparing vendors.
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate it. A simple, reliable process that your team actually uses beats the fanciest platform every time.
Keep It Simple: Final Thoughts
B2B gifting platforms can help break the ice—but they’re not magic. Whether you go with Alyce or a competitor, focus on what fits your process, your team, and your budget. Don’t get dazzled by AI, “delight,” or endless features. Test things in the real world, iterate, and keep it human. That’s what actually moves deals forward.