AliExpress is currently the leading online wholesale store for dropshippers, but due to the scarcity of certain products and unreasonable shipping charges, most dropshipping store owners have started searching for alternative dropshipping websites to get better margins on their products.
If you are the one who is searching for such alternatives, you have come to the right place. In this blog, we have enlisted a few top AliExpress alternatives, which provide users with quality products at a reduced price. Hence, being a dropshipper, you can get a competitive advantage by utilizing alternative shopping websites when it comes to maintaining a reasonable profit margin.
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But before we list sites like AliExpress, please note that many shady shopping sites exist online. So, we have prepared this checklist to help you differentiate the real ones.
List of AliExpress Alternatives
Here is a list of best sites like AliExpress to start a dropshipping business in 2024.
1. DHGate
DHGate is a market place just like AliExpress. It has sellers from the Far East offering manufactured products directly to the consumers. It is a highly popular AliExpress alternative and used by many dropshippers. Both DHGate and AliExpress offer the same products so you can compare prices to get the most profit.
Do note that you have to do your own due diligence on DHGate by checking out the rating of the suppliers and the number of orders they have sold so far.
Best Products to Dropship
DHGate offers over 10 million dropshipping products from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other Central Asian countries. It lists products from all categories, including:
- Electronics
- Smartphones and Computers
- Men and women’s Clothes
- Watches & Jewelry
- Toys & Hobbies
- Home & Beauty
- Outdoor & Sports
Delivery Time
DHGate also uses ePacket shipping for delivering products. So, the delivery time of AliExpress and DHGate is same.
Payment Methods
Dropshippers can pay for items on DHGate using PayPal – the most preferred mode of payment of most shoppers.
Why Use DHGate?
DHGate has almost the same products as AliExpress. So you can use it when:
- The price on AliExpress is higher
- No seller is selling your desired product on AliExpress
- DHGate offers a faster delivery time
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2. Banggood
Banggood is another ecommerce marketplace that offers low prices on multiple products and good AliExpress competition. It has got everything from smartphones to drones, with over four million products listed. Not many people know about this ecommerce store, so that naturally makes it an enticing place for dropshipping products.
Best Products to Dropship
Banggood offers multiple products from China, Hong Kong, and even the United States. Most of the products listed here are directly from suppliers. Buying the listed items from Banggood will be a lot beneficial for dropshippers:
- Drones and Robots
- Smartphones and Computers
- Home and Beauty
- Outdoor and Sports
- Garden and Outdoor
- Clothing and Apparel
Delivery Time
Banggood offers ePacket and Air Parcel delivery that takes from 7 to 30 days to reach the destination.
Payment Methods
Banggood accepts a wide variety of payment methods, including Visa, PayPal, Wire transfer, and even Cash on Delivery (CoD) in some countries.
Why Use Banggood?
Banggood offers most products that aren’t available at other online shopping stores, such as drones and robots. So, if you are dropshipping these hard-to-find items, Banggood is a great place to search.
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3. DX
DX, formerly known as Deal Exchange, is an ecommerce shopping website that has over two million products listed. It has both suppliers and retailers listed with varying prices for the same products.
Best Products to Dropship
DX offers a multitude of products that you can dropship. It has a top deals section that offers almost 50% discount on all products. So, while dropshipping, you can easily select products from DX and sell for a higher price.
You can easily dropship the following items:
- Toys and Gaming Consoles
- Smartphones and Tablets
- Smart watches and Robots
- DIY products
- Garden and Outdoor
Delivery Time
Most DX products are shipped within a single day. However, if you live in countries farther from the actual location of the manufacturer, the delivery time can exceed 15 days.
DX offers free shipping on the majority of its products.
Payment Methods
You can pay through credit cards and PayPal.
Why Use DX?
DX offers discounts on most of the listed products. You can order them through DX and take advantage of the deals it offers.
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4. Taobao
Taobao is one of the biggest shopping websites in China after AliExpress. It is also owned by AliBaba. The biggest difference between AliExpress (another subsidiary of AliBaba) and Taobao is that Taobao is a B2C platform specifically catering to Chinese manufacturers. On the other hand, AliExpress is made for the international market. It also has a wider variety in comparison with Taobao.
However, where Taobao stands tall is its pricing. Most products offered on Taobao have a low price because they are only for Chinese customers. Dropshippers who want to use Taobao as a dropshipping supply point, first need to contact the suppliers and ask if they actually ship products to other countries.
Best Products to Dropship
Taobao is only available in Chinese language. Hence, while searching for the best dropshipping products, you will either have to get help from Google Translate. Here’s a list of things that you can order through Taobao.
- Sports and Outdoors
- Clothing and Apparel (Men and Women)
- Jewelry accessories
- Smartphones and tablets
- Hobby and DIY tools
Delivery Time
Taobao offers Customer to Customer (C2C) selling. So, most products can take a week on average.
Payment Methods
Taobao accepts credit cards, bank transfers, and PayPal.
Why Use Taobao?
Taobao offers discounts on most of its products. So, if the products have a high price on AliExpress, you can order them through Taobao because of the lucrative deals it offers.
5. Lightinthebox
LightInTheBox is another Chinese store selling hot and trending products globally. It is headquartered in China. The shopping store is perfect for buying almost everything. The best way to use Lightinthebox for dropshipping is by comparing its prices with other dropshipping stores and then making a wise choice.
Best Products to Dropship
Lightinthebox offers everything ranging from sports and outdoor items to clothing and apparel.
But the most bought items on Lightinthebox are:
- Fashion and Jewelry
- Phone and Electronics
- Shoes and Bags
- Wedding and Prom
- Beauty and Hair
Delivery Time
Lightinthebox has warehouses only in China, so most products can take 15 to 30 days on average to deliver your desired products.
Payment Methods
Lightinthebox allows credit cards, PayPal, and Western Union.
Why Use Lightinthebox?
Lightinthebox is offering reasonable prices for most fashion accessories and household products. And most of the time, it offers even lower prices than other stores working within the same niche. These combined allow dropshippers to make the most profit.
How to Determine Success?
It all comes down to revenue. AliExpress is undoubtedly the best option when it comes to variety and prices. But sometimes, other ecommerce dropshipping stores that we have listed above offer better margins. So, keep monitoring them all, and order from the one that provides the most benefit.
6. Worldwide Brands
Worldwide Brands is a platform where dropshippers can connect with wholesalers. You only have to pay a one-time fee of $224, and you will get access to all the wholesalers who are using WorldWideBrands.
The platform claims that it provides access to over 16 million products.
Best Products to Dropship
WorldWideBrands offers tons of products that you can get to dropship directly to your customers. Since you will be getting most of these products directly from wholesalers, these products will be available for a low price.
You can easily dropship the following items:
- Toys and Gaming Consoles
- Smartphones and Tablets
- Smart watches and Robots
- DIY products
- Garden and Outdoor
Delivery Time
The delivery time of each product on WorldWideBrands depends on the wholesaler. If the wholesaler is based in China, they will ship the product in around a month. For wholesalers within your region, you can get the shipments in less than a week.
Payment Methods
You can pay through credit cards and PayPal.
Why Use WorldWideBrands?
WorldWideBrands is a perfect platform for expert dropshippers who want to try selling new products in the market. It isn’t made for inexperienced dropshippers who want to start practicing dropshipping business.
7. Salehoo
Salehoo is a dropshipping and ecommerce platform made with the purpose of reducing the inventory worries of ecommerce store owners. With Salehoo, you only have to pay $67 for a year, and you will get access to over a million products from 8,000+ suppliers.
Best Products to Dropship
Salehoo offers some of the best products to dropship because its inventory comes from wholesalers directly, giving you leverage over other ecommerce store owners who sell from AliExpress and DHgate.
You can easily dropship the following items:
- Electronics and Home renovation equipment
- Smartphones and Tablets
- Smartwatches and Robots
- DIY products
- Garden and Outdoor
- Exercise and Gym equipment
- Daily use accessories
Delivery Time
You can negotiate delivery time and get the products at a time of your choice from most Salehoo wholesalers. However, if the wholesalers are based in China, they will require at least 30 days to ship the products.
Payment Methods
You can pay through credit cards and PayPal.
Why Use Salehoo?
With Salehoo, you can select the products that you want to sell through your store with the click of a few buttons. It also lets you negotiate deals with clients and buy and sell products at the lowest cost – all for only $67 per year.
8. Gearbest
Gearbest is one of the most popular alternatives to AliExpress, mainly because it offers similar products to the Chinese behemoth, and also provides fast shipping options. However, because Gearbest was established relatively later, they often hold sales to get more customers.
Best Products to Dropship
You might want to check their “Deals” section in order to find some of the best products to dropship from Gearbest. They also have a fantastic collection of other items that you can dropship, such as:
- Electronics and Home renovation equipment
- Smartphones and Tablets
- Smartwatches and Robots
- DIY products
- Exercise and Gym equipment
- Daily use accessories
Delivery Time
They ship around the world, so delivery times can range between 1-18 days.
Payment Methods
Gearbest accepts payments via PayPal and secures credit cards through their payment gateway.
Beware of Dropshipping Alternative Scams [Checklist]
- Search reviews: Are they listed on the third-party review websites? What type of reviews are available on them.
- Talk to the representatives: Talk to their representatives to know where they are from and how they conduct business. This brings in a level of trust and you will know that it is actually a legit business.
- Do they have known vendors listed on their site? You need to check if they have known vendors listed on the site. If you can’t find them, then simply check out dropshipping forums and ask them if this dropshipping alternative is legit or not.
- Is the payment method secure? Most dropshipping stores offer a third-party payment service like PayPal, Payoneer, or Authorize.net. These are universal payment methods and are safe to use. Therefore, you must make sure that the dropshipping store uses these payment methods.
The list is in no particular order, and all AliExpress alternatives include a comprehensive analysis depicting their strengths and weaknesses and the best products available for dropshipping.
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Which One Is the Best Dropshipping Alternative for AliExpress?
Each platform has its pros and cons. While AliExpress often remains the top choice for dropshippers, these alternatives do offer chances of catching profitable deals.
You’ll just need to traverse through them carefully and look for the right vendor. DHgate, for instance, gives tough competition to AliExpress in terms of pricing.
For example, we searched the term ‘Cat lockets’ on AliExpress. Here are the results:
See that products are around $1 and available with free shipping.
Now, let’s search for the same product on DHgate.
The prices are almost the same, but the minimum order cost exceeds $1. And, if you want to buy a single item, then the price is $2 or more.
In comparison, Banggood and DX offer moderate prices, but they don’t have the variety offered by AliExpress. So, you, as a dropshipper, will have to search for products and then compare their prices on these ecommerce stores to see if they are worth ordering from.
Bonus Tip: Always choose an optimized ecommerce hosting provider to ensure your dropshipping store loads with lightning speed.
Final Words!
This brings us to the end of this blog. In this blog, we have discussed five of the best alternative AliExpress platforms for dropshippers. We hope you liked our list of the available alternatives. Give them a try by ordering products for your dropshipping store and see which one of these works best for you.
Here is a summarized list of AliExpress alternatives:
- DHGate: Most variety – free shipping – Suitable for bulk orders
- Banggood: Unique products – Offers low prices
- DX: Tons of deals and huge discounts
- Taobao: Lowest cost of products – Original quality from Chinese manufacturers
- Lightinthebox: Great for fashion and jewelry products
- Worldwide Brands: A wholesaler for dropshippers who want to ship from China
- Salehoo: Let’s you get the best products and suppliers for your products
- Gearbest: Ideal for electronics and toys
We will be adding more websites like AliExpress and DHgate to this list after carefully analyzing them. Until then, stay tuned and keep experimenting.
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Q1. Which is better: DHgate vs Aliexpress?
If we compare DHgate vs Aliexpress, Aliexpress would be the better option because:
- It has a bigger product range
- Its store size is larger
- It has a higher number of sellers
Sajjad Shahid
Sajjad is an Ecommerce Community Manager at Cloudways. He loves helping out Ecommerce store owners, merchants and marketers in establishing their businesses and startups. Sajjad enjoys playing table tennis and cricket over the weekend.
