Merchloop vs SwagUp A Better Way to Send Swag Without the Stress

Corporate swag should be exciting. It should make employees feel appreciated, help customers remember your brand, and turn a simple hoodie or water bottle into something people actually want to use. But if you’ve ever managed swag ordering, you already know the truth—swag can quickly turn into a stressful maze of inventory issues, sizing headaches, delayed shipments, and piles of leftover items that nobody asked for.

That’s exactly why so many companies compare Merchloop vs SwagUp when searching for a smarter way to handle branded merch. Both platforms can help you order swag, ship it to people, and create a branded experience. But the real question is this:

Which one makes it easier to send swag without the stress while still delivering premium quality and great value?

Let’s break it down.

A Quick Look at Merchloop and SwagUp

Before we dive into the differences, it helps to understand what each platform is designed to do.

SwagUp

SwagUp is widely known for curated swag packs and gifting campaigns. It’s often used for:

• onboarding swag kits

• event giveaways

• client gifting bundles

• one-time branded merchandise shipments

SwagUp focuses heavily on packaged experiences, offering kits that can feel polished and ready to ship.

Merchloop

Merchloop is built for modern companies that want swag to feel effortless and scalable. The platform specializes in:

• on-demand company swag stores

• premium branded products with no minimums

• one-by-one ordering and drop shipping

• an experience that lets recipients choose what they actually want

Merchloop is also vertically integrated, meaning it manages decoration and fulfillment through its own facilities. That leads to better pricing, faster shipping, and stronger quality control.

Pricing Matters When You Want Swag Without Wasting Budget

Swag platforms often look similar at first glance. But pricing is usually where the gap between them becomes obvious.

SwagUp Pricing

SwagUp includes convenience, but that convenience often comes with added costs depending on:

• pack assembly

• warehousing and inventory storage

• bundled shipping costs

• multiple vendor layers

SwagUp can work well when you’re doing one-time kits, but costs tend to climb when you scale, expand your product selection, or run multiple campaigns throughout the year.

Merchloop Pricing

Merchloop’s advantage is efficiency. Since the platform handles the store setup, decoration, and fulfillment internally, it eliminates many of the middleman costs that inflate pricing in the swag industry.

Merchloop also offers many premium products at or below MSRP, including name brands that companies usually assume will be out of reach.

Bottom line: If you want to maximize budget without sacrificing quality, Merchloop tends to deliver stronger value long term.

Product Selection That People Actually Want

The best swag is the swag people genuinely use. It becomes part of someone’s routine. It gets worn, carried, and noticed. And when that happens, your brand stays top of mind.

What SwagUp Offers

SwagUp provides a solid range of products and kits, often centered around:

• standard branded apparel

• drinkware

• desk items

• curated bundles

The selection works well for gifting and general use, especially if you’re happy choosing items on behalf of your recipients.

What Merchloop Offers

Merchloop focuses on premium branded goods and on-demand access to products people recognize and want. That includes:

• Nike apparel

• The North Face outerwear

• TravisMathew polos

• Marine Layer clothing

• other premium lifestyle and workwear brands

And here’s the key difference: Merchloop makes it possible to offer these items one at a time, without ordering hundreds in bulk.

That means your swag program can stay fresh and exciting, instead of locked into one massive purchase.

Swag Packs Versus On Demand Stores

This is where the biggest difference between Merchloop and SwagUp shows up.

SwagUp Works Best for Swag Packs

SwagUp specializes in the swag kit experience. You build a pack with specific items, ship it out, and the recipient receives everything in one box.

This is great for:

• onboarding kits

• welcome gifts

• event VIP packages

• holiday gift bundles

But swag packs come with common challenges:

• you need to collect sizes

• people might not love the item choices

• leftover inventory is common

• product updates require rebuilding the pack

Merchloop Works Best for On Demand Company Stores

Merchloop offers a completely different approach. Instead of guessing what someone wants, you build a store and let recipients choose their own items.

This removes the biggest stress points in swag:

• no size collection awkwardness

• no guessing what people want

• no extra inventory sitting in storage

• no waste from unwanted items

Employees can grab the hoodie they actually like. Clients can select something useful. Your swag doesn’t just get delivered—it gets appreciated.

Fulfillment Speed and Quality Control

Swag that arrives late or looks poorly decorated doesn’t just disappoint people—it reflects on your brand. That’s why fulfillment matters more than most teams realize.

SwagUp Fulfillment

SwagUp works with multiple suppliers and partners. That can be helpful for variety, but it can also mean fulfillment timelines vary depending on:

• supplier availability

• production time

• shipping logistics

• customization method

Some orders may arrive quickly. Others may take longer.

Merchloop Fulfillment

Merchloop’s vertical integration gives it more control over production and fulfillment. Because decoration and shipping run through Merchloop’s own facilities, companies often benefit from:

• more consistent turnaround times

• fewer production surprises

• better branding consistency

• stronger quality checks

When you’re shipping swag regularly throughout the year, that reliability becomes a major advantage.

Ease of Use for Busy Teams

If your swag program requires constant coordination, approvals, spreadsheets, and follow-ups, it stops being fun. It becomes a second job.

SwagUp User Experience

SwagUp is built to support gifting programs and bundle shipments. The experience can be streamlined, especially for companies that run a few campaigns a year.

But swag kit programs can require more management when:

• inventory needs to be updated

• sizes change

• new products are introduced

• storage needs increase

Merchloop User Experience

Merchloop is designed to reduce ongoing work. Once your store is set up, swag becomes easier to manage over time because:

• recipients order what they want

• items are produced and shipped as needed

• inventory storage is reduced or eliminated

• your offerings can evolve without big bulk orders

It’s a system built for busy HR, marketing, and operations teams who want swag to run smoothly in the background.

Best Use Cases for Merchloop vs SwagUp

Both platforms are strong, but they work best for different swag strategies.

SwagUp is a good fit if you want:

• curated swag packs

• one-time onboarding kits

• bundled gifting experiences

• event giveaway kits

Merchloop is a good fit if you want:

• an on-demand swag store

• premium brand options

• no minimum ordering

• fast and reliable fulfillment

• less waste and less size chasing

• long-term swag scalability

Final Thoughts on Merchloop vs SwagUp

Swag should feel like an asset, not a burden. And the best platform is the one that fits how your company wants to grow.

If your focus is mostly on curated kits for onboarding or gifting, SwagUp can be a solid option.

But if you want swag that scales, stays premium, and eliminates the classic problems like inventory waste and size stress, Merchloop stands out as the smarter long-term solution.

Merchloop helps companies deliver swag in a way that is flexible, modern, and surprisingly easy—exactly what you want when you’re trying to build culture, strengthen brand loyalty, and keep things running smoothly.