Complete Guide To Dropshipping From Alibaba (No MOQ)

Alibaba used to be mainly a wholesale marketplace and not ideal for dropshipping. However, with the recent launch of the Alibaba Dropshipping Center, the platform is now a viable option for dropshippers.

So, is it better than AliExpress? What is the catch? And, how exactly can you start?

Let’s dive right in to find the answers to all of those questions.

What Is Alibaba?

First, we’ll need to make something clear. When news websites talk about Alibaba, they actually talk about the Alibaba Group, not Alibaba.com alone. The company owns multiple eCommerce platforms, including AliExpress, Tabao, Tmall, 1688, and of courses, Alibaba.com.

However, in this post, we’ll use Alibaba as a shorthand for Alibaba.com for the sake of simplicity and because the platform is our sole focus, not any others.

Launched in 1999, Alibaba is the largest platform for global wholesale B2B trade used by millions of buyers and sellers across the globe.

Specifically, it connects 150K+ suppliers to 10M+ buyers from 190+ countries and regions in 40+ industries and 5,9K+ product categories.

Buyers can go to the website, request quotations from any supplier in minutes, and pay for orders in a secure trade assurance manner. It’s estimated that there’re 300K+ inquiries sent each day.

Is Alibaba Safe?

It’s 100% safe to buy from Alibaba with Trade Assurance. It’s an order protection service that ensures your product quality is as described and shipped on time by the supplier. If it’s not, Alibaba will help you settle your dispute and get a full refund.

Below are other features that make Alibaba safe and legit to buy from:

• Secure Payments: Orders are processed through the latest security system. On top of that, The Alibaba Transaction Center can help you track and reconcile the fund flow.
• Letter Of Credit: Another method to pay for orders is to use a letter of credit, a document issued by a bank guaranteeing that a buyer will pay the correct amount of money to a seller on time. It also ensures that the buyer will receive the goods stated in the document.
• Extended Support & After-Sales Service: If you aren’t satisfied with your orders within 30 days after delivery, Alibaba will help you resolve any claims, disputes, or return & refund requests you might have.
• Business Verification & Authentication: To become Gold Suppliers or Verified Suppliers, businesses must pass strict A&V and Onsite Check processes.
• Penalized System: Alibaba has strict policies & rules and employs a penalized system to check against that. Any supplier who has incurred 48 penalty points or committed serious infringements will have their account terminated.
• Multi-Language Communication: The Alibaba Messenger AI (available in Alibaba App) helps you easily chat with suppliers in 12 different languages.
• Product Monitoring & Inspection: Alibaba provides you with a comprehensive inspection solution by letting independent third-party partners visit manufacturers and validate products against order specifications. By paying for this service, you can eliminate risks in production conformity and delay.
• Report IPR Infringement & Abuse: Anyone can submit a report against any deceptive behavior.
• Shipment Tracking: You have access to a dashboard with end-to-end tracking and live updates.
• Transparent Data: You get to see everything about suppliers, including the delivery rate, response time, number of transactions, performance index, open duration, ratings, production capacity, and other in-depth company info.

You can also have a look at this review on Alibaba products from Chloe Knorth.

Can You Get Scammed On Alibaba?

You will rarely get scammed of counterfeit goods or products not delivered on Alibaba. Even if that happens, you can easily get your money back because nearly all suppliers on the platform follow the Trade Assurance agreement.

Having said that, it’s still best to double-check suppliers’ transaction activity, reviews, and how long they have been on Alibaba. We’ll guide you on how to do this later.

Is It Possible To Dropship From Alibaba?

It’s now officially and legally possible to dropship from Alibaba with the born of Alibaba Dropshipping Center. It allows you to quickly buy numerous l0w-cost products with no minimum order requirement (no MOQ or purchasing in a single unit) and have them shipped fast globally to your customers.

In addition, the payment process is simple, and you don’t have to own any license or register a business to start dropshipping from Alibaba (at least until you make a lot of money).

Does Alibaba Dropshipping Work With Shopify?

Alibaba Dropshipping Center doesn’t work directly with Shopify yet. However, by using official third-party apps, including Modalyst, Syncee, Spocket, or Dropified, you can easily import Alibaba products with no MOQ to your Shopify dropshipping store and start selling in a few minutes.

We’ll guide you on how to do this in the next couple of sections.

Pros & Cons Of Alibaba Dropshipping Vs. AliExpress Dropshipping

The below table will help you better understand the similarities and differences as well as benefits and drawbacks between dropshipping from Alibaba and AliExpress.

Criterion	Alibaba Dropshipping	AliExpress Dropshipping
Easy to use	Yes. However, there’re some abbreviations you need to understand before processing orders.	Yes.
No need for inventory or warehousing	Yes.	Yes.
Low startup costs	Yes.	Yes.
Control over the back end	No. You cannot directly manage product quality, fulfillment, and shipping processes. Your suppliers handle them.	Same as Alibaba.
Buyer countries & regions	190+	220+
Supplier countries & regions	200+	7 (China, Russia, Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, Brazil).
Request for quotations	Yes.	No.
Number of dropshipping products	Limited products and categories to dropship at the moment.	Most products are available for dropshipping (except branded items).
Competition & saturation	You have access to new goods early since many Alibaba suppliers have Research & Development departments. As a result, you have more chances to find winning dropshipping products with little competition and saturation.	Products might become competitive and saturated quickly.
Branding potential	Alibaba has many private-label/white-label products that allow for custom dropshipping branding and packaging.	Little to no private-label/white-label suppliers.
Product pricing	True wholesale pricing. You can even negotiate with suppliers to lower product costs.	Many reselling products with markup pricing. Little to no room for negotiation.
Product reviews	No.	Yes.
Discounts for dropshippers	Discounts only when buying items in bulk.	A level system that enables dropshippers generating high revenue to get exclusive discounts.
Product quality	Consistent and high product quality.	Inconsistent. Many products are bad.
Supplier quality	Mainly consists of high-quality suppliers with detailed and transparent information.	Plenty of bad suppliers or even scammers with little information.
Supplier reponse times	Within a few hours.	Long response times.
Sourcing & scaling	Easy to post sourcing requests and scale your dropshipping business.	No direct way to post sourcing requests.
Order protection	Trade Assurance with extended support within 30 days of delivery.	Buyer protection within 15 days of delivery.
Returns & refunds	Yes.	Yes.
Shipping fees	Relatively expensive on many dropshipping products.	Cheap and even free.
Shipping times	At least 15 working days.	7 – 45 working days depending on shipping methods.
Shipping methods	Couriers, Alibaba Ocean Freight, Alibaba Air Freight, Air Express, and Parcels.	Couriers (DHL, ePacket, UPS, FedEx, EMS, etc.), AliExpress Standard Shipping, and AliExpress Premium Shipping.
Payments	Credit/debit cards, wire transfers (T/T), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.	38 payment channels in 51 local currencies.
Languages	Auto translation to 18+ languages.	Same as Alibaba.
Sorting & filtering	Cannot sort products based on the number of orders or ratings.	Can sort items based on reviews and orders.
Analysis tools for dropshippers	No.	AliExpress Dropshipping Center has a powerful trend and sales analysis tool.
Dropshipping apps	Limited apps support Alibaba dropshipping.	Nearly all dropshipping apps support dropshipping from AliExpress.

So, Is Alibaba Or AliExpress Better For Dropshipping?

In our opinion, AliExpress is still the better option than Alibaba for dropshipping if you know how to pick high-quality products and suppliers. The reason is that AliExpress offers a wider range of no-MOQ items with much lower shipping fees. However, Alibaba is more solid for winning product discovery, sourcing, and branding, making it worth considering.

Alibaba Incoterms & Abbreviations

Incoterms are trade terms that explain the tasks, responsibilities, risks, and costs involved in the delivery of goods between sellers and buyers.

Before starting dropshipping from Alibaba, understanding basic incoterms will help you find better dropshipping products from reliable suppliers with favorable outcomes and expenses.

• EXW – Ex Works: A shipping arrangement in which the buyer must arrange and pay for all the transportation and container loading costs.
• FCA – Free Carrier: The seller is responsible for carrying goods to an agreed pick-up point where the costs and the risks of loss and damage are transferred to the buyer.
• FAS – Free Alongside Ship: The seller delivers the goods alongside the loading port. The buyer then bears all costs and risks from that moment.
• FOB – Free On Board: The seller is responsible for product transportation and clearing the goods for export until they’re loaded on the designated vessel.
• CFR – Cost And Freight: The seller pays for the carriage of the goods up to the buyer’s destination port.
• CIF – Cost, Insurance, And Freight: Similar to CFR. However, the seller is also responsible for any damage to the goods while transporting them to the buyer’s destination port.
• CPT – Carriage Paid To: The seller bears the costs of transportation to the buyer’s place of destination.
• CIP – Carriage And Insurance Paid To: Similar to CPT. In addition, the seller is required to ensure the products are in good condition and in transit.
• DPU – Delivered At Place Unloaded: Formerly DAT – Delivered at Terminal. The seller covers all previous costs in addition to the unloading from the carrier and the port charges.
• DAP – Delivered At Place: The buyer is liable for all costs, duties, and taxes associated with unloading the goods.
• DDP – Delivered Duty Paid: The seller pays both duties and taxes. However, the seller is not responsible for unloading.

You can also have a look at the image below provided by Alibaba for visual explanations.

Additionally, here’re other helpful abbreviations to know when ordering products on Alibaba.

• MOQ – Minimum Order Quantity: The number of product units a supplier requires a customer to buy at one time.
• RFQ – Request For Quotations: A document buyers use to get details about specific products or services. It’s also a helpful tool for comparing item prices of various suppliers.
• OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer: A company that provides facilities and human resources to help clients manufacture their products.
• ODM – Original Design Manufacturer: A company that can design, develop, produce and sell products themselves.
• RTS – Ready To Ship: Products that are in stock and ready to be ordered and delivered to customers.
• R&D – Research & Development: A department of a company that is able to innovate new products.
• A&V – Authentication & Verification: A process to validate whether a supplier is legally registered, operated, and has an authorized contact person to represent the supplier.
• QC – Quality Control: A procedure taken by a professional entity to ensure that the quality of a product adheres to predefined criteria and standards.
• Onsite Check: A process in which a professional entity visits the manufacturing facilities in person to check products against order specifications.
• SOPI – Supplier Online Performance Index: A system that measures a supplier’s presentation quality, product popularity, transaction volume, and service quality. 0 is the lowest index, and 5 is the highest.
• Gold Supplier: A paid membership on Alibaba obtained by passing the Onsite Check (for Chinese suppliers) or A&V Check (for international suppliers).
• Verified Supplier: A supplier that has passed all the inspection and validation processes, ranging from trading, production, R&D capabilities to after-sales service. Hence, you can completely trust verified suppliers.

Alibaba Verified Supplier Tags & Product Tags

Below are some supplier tags you might bump into when assessing dropshipping suppliers on Alibaba. These tags are given to a supplier by professional independent third parties.

• Environmentally Compliant: Suppliers who have passed one of the environment audit programs, such as GRS or FSC.
• Minor Customization: Providing logo, package, or graphic customization on products.
• Overseas Service Support: Offering after-sales customer service overseas.
• Socially Responsible: Suppliers who have passed one of the social responsibility audit programs, such as SA8000, BSCI, SEDEX, or WRAP.
• Quality Control Experts: Having qualified for Quality Management System Certification and possessing onsite materials and finished products.
• Centralized Procurement Available: Operating more than 3 different categories and are available for one-stop procurement.
• Fast Delivery: Maintaining 40% RTS products in stock and an on-time delivery rate in the top 50% of the industry.
• Repeat Buyers Choice: Suppliers with at least 7 orders/year and customer reorder rate in the top 30%.
• Good Reputation Supplier: Having more than 3 views and an overall rating of over 4.8.
• Quick Response: Over 9 inquiries/180 days and a 24-hour response rate in the top 30%.
• Immediate Response: Over 9 inquiries/180 days and a 1-2-hour response rate in the top 30%.
• Process Control Expertise: Having production flow, work instructions, or approved sample.
• High R&D Capability: Owning patents and research & development staff, equipment, and procedures.
• Global Export Expertise: Having more than 10 years of experience in export.
• Multi-Language Capability: Being able to communicate in foreign languages other than English.
• Finished Product Inspection: 80% of products are completed and ready for shipping.
• Onsite Material Inspection: Having most of the product materials onsite to produce them quickly.

Alibaba also provides a vast number of management & product certifications to help you quickly find items and suppliers that meet specific criteria. Examples are API, ASTM, ASME, AZO Free, BIS, BAP Free, CB, etc.

In addition, there are 4 main product tags to keep in mind:

• Ready To Ship: These products provide little room for negotiation and customization. However, they’re available for immediate purchase with displayed shipping fees and must leave the production facilities within 15 days.
• Paid Samples: Products that allow you to order a sample item to inspect their quality before buying them in large quantities.
• Fast Dispatch: Products that leave the manufacturers within 7 days.
• Delivered Duty Paid: Goods with all the import duties, taxes, and other charges paid by the suppliers when entering the buyers’ country.

How To Start Dropshipping From Alibaba With No Minimum Order Requirements

Here are 10 steps to start dropshipping from Alibaba with no MOQ successfully.

1. Register An Alibaba Account

The first step is to create an Alibaba account. This will enable you to fulfill your dropshipping orders later. You also get access to your purchased history or other member benefits.

On the Alibaba passport page, click on the “Join Free” button to start the registration process. Or, you can use your Google, Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter account for one-click signup.

That’s pretty much all you have to do to create an Alibaba account.

2. Create Your Shopify Dropshipping Store

There’re many advanced eCommerce site builders on the internet, such as Wix, Ecwid, ShopBase, etc.

However, the reason we choose Shopify in this post is that it’s the most popular dropshipping platform, featuring 100+ themes to help you design a beautiful store in any niche and 4200+ apps to extend its functionality effortlessly.

On top of that, it’s easy to set up and can scale really well with all of your business needs.

For a complete step-by-step guide on creating a Shopify dropshipping store, check out this article on How to start Shopify dropshipping.

3. Sign Up With Syncee Dropshipping App

Syncee is the official Alibaba dropshipping technology partner. With one-click import and automatic product syncing, you can add various Alibaba products with no MOQ to your store in minutes and have their data updated automatically on a daily basis.

On top of that, Syncee supports order process automation, sending your payments and order details directly to Alibaba sellers in a click. Any update on your orders will also reflect on your Syncee account automatically.

Since Syncee is among the few powerful apps that support Alibaba Shopify dropshipping, plus it’s available for free for up to 25 imported products, we recommend you go with it.

To start creating a Syncee account, simply click on the “Get Started” button in the top right corner of its homepage. You can choose to register with your email or use your Google or Facebook account for fast signup.

After registering, log in to your Syncee account, and the platform will guide you through an onboarding process. Just skip all steps by clicking on the “Next” button. It’s better to configure settings inside the main dashboard.

4. Integrate Syncee With Shopify

The next step is to connect your Shopify store to Syncee so you can find, import, and manage all Alibaba dropshipping products in one place.

On your Syncee dashboard, select the “My Shops” tab with the home icon on the left sidebar. Next, click “Add New Store” and choose Shopify.

Enter your myshopify.com URL into the blank field and click on the “Install” button. Syncee will then redirect you to your Shopify dashboard.

The final thing to do is to hit “Install App” to finish the integration process. If everything works correctly, you will see your Shopify account name appeared inside the Syncee “My Shops” tab.

5. Access Alibaba Dropshipping Product Catalog

Start by selecting the “Marketplace” tab on the left sidebar of your Syncee dashboard, choose “Alibaba,” and click “Search Products.”

Syncee might prompt you to authorize your Alibaba account. Just click “Connect to Alibaba.com” to do so.

After authorizing, click “Go To Alibaba Dropshipping site” to access the product catalog (Alibaba Dropshipping Center).

Now, you can begin finding dropshipping items by entering keywords related to your favorite dropshipping niches in the search field.

It’s possible to filter results based on shipping countries. Additionally, the currency box will help you display product prices in another type of currency.

Hot picks feature new and trending goods. Therefore, it’s worth checking them out to find winning and unsaturated dropshipping products.

Currently, there’re 12 product categories, including Consumer Electronics, Fashion Clothing, Home & Garden, Vehicles & Accessories, Beauty & Personal Care, Fashion Accessories, Home Appliances, Gifts & Crafts, Jewelry, Bags & Cases, Sports & Entertainment, and Shoes. Click on a specific one will allow you to see all items inside that category.

6. Evaluable Product Quality And Potential

To make sure that you find a great and potentially winning dropshipping product, there’re a few criteria to keep in mind:

• Reasonable Shipping Fees: There’s no hard rule for how much shipping should cost since you can always bump up your store listing price and shipping fee to make up for that. However, a general of thumb is that it shouldn’t exceed the product cost.
• Fast Delivery Time: The total delivery time (shipping time + processing time) should be less than 30 days. Any higher number will be very likely to result in customer complaints and, even worse, returns and refunds.
• Avoid Branded Products: Most advertising platforms don’t allow you to promote branded goods unless you’re an official seller. Moreover, your dropshipping store might be shut down due to legal matters.
• Avoid Easy-To-Find Items: An excellent dropshipping product is not only something that people want right away but also something that people don’t know where to buy it.
• Catch Your Eyes: If you find an item that makes you go “wow,” it’s very likely for others to also have the same reaction. More often than not, abandoning all the rules and trusting your gut will yield you an excellent result.

Although most suppliers on Alibaba are legit, some don’t offer as speedy and reliable services as others. Hence, it’s vital to check their profiles against the standards below:

• The supplier is either a Gold or a Verified one.
• Having a response rate of higher than 95%.
• An on-time delivery rate of no less than 95%.
• Having a Supplier Online Performance Index of at least 1.
• The supplier has been active on Alibaba for a minimum of 1 year.

It’s important to note that there’re many good products and suppliers that don’t fit all the criteria above. In these cases, it depends on you to decide and take the risk.

If possible, try ordering a sample product to check for its quality as well as delivery time.

7. Import Products To Your Dropshipping Store

Under each product, there’s an “Add To Import List” button. Click on it will push the product to your Syncee Alibaba import list.

You can change the product’s name, tags, SEO title, description, variants, prices, and images if necessary. Once done, click “Add To Catalog.”

Syncee will show a popup asking you to create a new catalog. Think of it as a collection of products with unique pricing and updating rules.

Enter the catalog name and margin (250% is the industry standard). You can keep “Update your store prices automatically based on the supplier’s price and your added margin” as it. Since each imported product comes with a “Use Own Pricing” option, the automatic setting won’t mess up with your custom prices.

Now, you should see your newly created catalog when visiting the “My Catalogs” tab. Clicking on the “Sync” button will immediately push all products inside the catalog to your Shopify dropshipping store.

It’s also a good idea to double-check your Shopify catalog to ensure products have been imported to your store successfully.

8. Process Your Store Orders

Before being able to process Alibaba dropshipping orders, make sure you have fill in your billing information and shipping information inside the “Order Settings” tab of your Syncee profile. Some wholesale suppliers might need this data for order automation.

When customers purchase Alibaba products on your Shopify store, go to “Alibaba Orders” and click “Synchronize” to download all orders.

To start fulfilling one, select it and click “Place and pay selected orders.”

A checkout popup will appear, asking you to select a shipping method. Just select the cheapest or the fastest one depending on your need. Then, click “Place And Pay Order.”

9. Finish Your Order Payments

If you haven’t paid for any order before, you will have to add and save your card information on Alibaba for order automation to work next time. To do this, click “Pay Order” attached to the order you have just processed on Syncee.

The app will redirect you to the Alibaba order information page. Before making the payment, you should double-check your customer shipping address, product details, and shipping method.

Another crucial factor to review is trade terms.

Normally, the order is DAP. As we have mentioned, it means the buyer (in this case, it’s your customer) is responsible for all import duties and taxes when receiving the product.

Hence, on your Shopify store, you have to make it clear to your shoppers that additional duties may apply upon arrival, and you aren’t responsible for these additional costs.

Here’s an example:

If everything is filled in correctly, click “Make Payment” to pay for the order.

10. Track Alibaba Dropshipping Shipments

Once Alibaba suppliers send products, the tracking number will be found in your store.

If the orders are sent by express shipping methods, you and your customers can track them through 17track with their tracking number. However, it wouldn’t make a good user experience directing your customers to these third-party pages.

A method to solve this problem is to create a custom HTML order tracking page for Shopify to let customers track their orders right on your site.

For Alibaba packages delivered by non-express or seller shipping methods, 17track might not work. In this case, you’ll want to tell your customers that their orders are being processed with a private shipping line, and there’s nothing to worry about.

Important Notices When Dropshipping From Alibaba

Because of the impact of COVID-19 on the global supply chain, the production and shipment of some Alibaba orders might be affected. Therefore, it’s important to state clearly to your customers that their orders might arrive late due to the pandemic.

The second one is the Chinese Lunar New Year, which is the main factor that causes significant logistic delays from China. The holiday usually happens between January and February. Hence, expect to have slow shipping around this time and also notice your customers about this situation.

5 Other Apps To Dropship From Alibaba With No MOQ

Apart from Dropified, 5 other apps below will also help you start Alibaba dropshipping.

1. Importify

Importify is a Shopify dropshipping app to help you find and import products from various marketplaces into your store with one click, not just Alibaba. Supported platforms are AliExpress, DHgate, Etsy, Chinabrands, Banggood, CJdropshipping, Taobao, 1988, Amazon, Wallmart, and many more.

One special of Importify is that it has a built-in ad spy tool to let you monitor other Shopify dropshipping stores and see their winning products.

Along with Shopify, the app allows you to integrate your store with Wix, WooCommerce, and Jumpseller.

However, one big weakness of this app is that it doesn’t support automatic Alibaba order fulfillment.

Importify’s cheapest pricing plan starts at $14.95/month.

2. Dropified

Dropified, along with the remaining 3, is the official Alibaba dropshipping partner app. It allows you to 1-click import any Alibaba product into your eCommerce store along with their titles, descriptions, and images to start selling right away.

The advantage of using Dropified over Importify is that it enables you to automate order fulfillment and also lets you bulk-fulfill many Alibaba dropshipping orders at once.

Another noteworthy feature of Dropified is multi-vendor mapping, which provides you with the ability to set up different suppliers for different variants of the same product in case one runs out of stock.

Speaking of integration, Dropified is compatible with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and CommerceHQ.

The app is free to use if you only want to use it to research and save dropshipping products. To import products to your store, you need to be on a subscription plan starting from $19/month.

3. Modalyst

The next one is Modalyst. It lets you access numerous Alibaba dropshipping products with no MOQ in 40+ different major categories, from consumer electronics, machinery, automotive, to beauty and apparel.

It also allows for order fulfillment automation. With a click of a button, you will be able to send shipping details as well as payments to Alibaba suppliers and let them handle the rest.

Supported integrations are Shopify, BigCommerce, and Wix.

Like Syncee, Modalyst is available for free with a limit of 25 imported products. For more, you have to be on a paid plan, starting from $35/month.

4. Spocket

Spocket is one of the best Shopify apps to access uniquely curated winning Alibaba dropshipping products and seamlessly push them to your store. This effectively helps you save time researching the best items to sell and focus more on building and scaling your eCommerce business.

Concerning integration, Spocket works hard to help you connect with various eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Felex, and Ecwid.

In order to import Spocket’s products to your dropshipping store, you have to pay a subscription fee of $24/month.

5. Sezam

Finally, we have Sezam. It’s the first official WooCommerce plugin for Alibaba dropshipping.

In addition to helping you quickly import any product to your WooCommerce store, it also allows for automated ordering, regular data refreshing, and auto-populated product information.

Currently, Sezam costs a one-time payment fee of $99.

Tips To Save Money When Dropshipping From Alibaba

Besides negotiating with your suppliers to get lower product prices and cheaper shipping fees, you can use the LetyShops cashback service to get up to 2.7% of your money back when purchasing Alibaba dropshipping orders.

To get started, simply sign up for LetyShops, visit the Alibaba LetyShops page, and click on the Alibaba icon on the left side. Then, the service will direct you to Alibaba and activate the cashback functionality.

It’s important to note that you have to fulfill your dropshipping orders using the “Start Order” button for this to work. Plus, you might not receive cash back every time or for specific products.

Note: If you use Syncee or other dropshipping apps to automate the order process, this method will not work.

Can You Dropship Directly From Alibaba To Amazon/eBay Customers?

It’s possible to sell Alibaba dropshipping products directly on Amazon or eBay. However, you must assure that you’re the seller of record, meaning that your brand name (and no one else) is on all packing slips, invoices, and shipment packages. Additionally, you’re responsible for accepting and processing returns and refunds.

As also noted in eBay dropshipping policies, purchasing an item from another retailer or marketplace (e.g., AliExpress) to ship directly to your customer is not allowed. But, fulfilling orders directly from a wholesale supplier (e.g., Alibaba) is permitted.

10 Alibaba Alternatives For Dropshipping

Below are the 10 best alternative marketplaces to Alibaba to find low-cost dropshipping products with no MOQ.

1. AliExpress

The first one on the list is our all-mighty AliExpress – the largest Chinese B2C international eCommerce website on the internet founded in 2010 by Alibaba Group.

AliExpress provides over 100+ million products in nearly every category at low prices and is able to deliver them to 200+ countries and regions globally.

Payment methods include Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express, Wire Transfer, Paypal, AliExpress Pocket, etc.

2. Global Sources

Like Alibaba, Global Sources is geared towards B2B wholesale customers. However, you can still find plenty of suppliers offering dropshipping products with no MOQ.

Global Sources has been around for more than 50 years. Nowadays, it’s a primary buying destination for over 10 million registered international customers.

To become Verified Manufacturers or Verified Suppliers on this platform, companies must have business registration details verified by independent third parties and go through capability assessment.

Regarding payments, Global Sources require you to register an Escrow.com account to purchase orders.

3. Chinavasion

Next, we have Chinavasion. The platform serves both B2B and B2C customers, connecting them with top Chinese suppliers.

All products on Chinavasion are claimed to have gone through comprehensive quality control, supplier review, arrival inspection, and after-sales feedback monitoring.

The two main payment methods are Paypal and credit cards with a risk control system to ensure transaction security.

4. DHgate

DHGate is another big platform to discover excellent dropshipping products. With 2.2 million sellers and 22 million product listings, it has served 26 million enterprise and individual buyers from over 222 regions.

The platform doesn’t have as strict supplier verification processes as Alibaba. However, it employs an advanced system to monitor seller behaviors 24/7 and immediately blocks any dishonest account.

Accepted payment methods are Paypal, credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, etc.), bank to bank wire transfers, and Western Union.

Consider checking out the complete guide to DHgate dropshipping for more information.

5. Tomtop

The next one on the list is Tomtop. This marketplace has its own exclusive dropshipping website called Quarkscm.

Tomtop, founded in 2004, provides a massive collection of products specializing in video games, computer accessories, mobile phone accessories, clothing & jewelry, home & garden, car accessories, and RC models.

Since 2006, Tomtop has been verified as a Gold Supplier and recommended Alibaba seller.

The platform accepts various payment methods, including PayPal, credit cards, wire transfers, BOLETO, and QIWI.

6. Banggood

Banggood commits to provide 500K+ low-cost Chinese products with top-notch customer service and buyer protection. All orders have a 7-day DOA product guarantee and 30-day no reason return or exchange.

Currently, Banggood controls 37 overseas warehouses covering all major regions and has partnerships with DHL, EMS, UPS, GLS, DPD, and TOLL to support door-to-door fast shipping globally.

It accepts 40 different secure payment methods, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, RuPay, UPI Payment, KONBINI, Multibanco, Paypal, Klarna, etc.

By becoming a Bangood’s dropshipping partner, you gain a 5% – 20% discount on most items. The program has no membership fee and offers 24-hour customer service.

7. GearBest

If you’re finding an alternative dropshipping platform to Alibaba for premium electronic devices and gadgets, we recommend having a look at Gearbest.

It’s an eCommerce website under Globalegrow – a renowned Chinese cross-border enterprise. Suppliers on here have to go through a strict selection process. Products are also guaranteed to be genuine with comprehensive quality control procedures.

Taking advantage of Globalegrow’s supply chains and self-built supplier repository, Gearbest can offer great pricing products with door-to-door fast shipping to more than 200 countries and regions. Specifically, it can typically deliver items within 3-15 days to the USA, UK, and other European destinations.

You can pay for Gearbest orders in over 40 global payment methods.

8. DX

Similar to Gearbest, DX (DealeXtreme) is a marketplace that mainly focuses on cool gadgets. Categories include phones & accessories, consumer electronics, computers & offices, automobiles & motorcycles, electrical & tools, and lighting. Besides, it has a small collection of fashion and beauty products.

Established in 2005, DX is one of the direct Chinese B2C online retailers with over 1 million customers and 3000 suppliers. Accepted payment methods are Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.

9. GeekBuying

GeekBuying is yet another alternative marketplace to Alibaba for finding the finest dropshipping consumer electronic gadgets, ranging from smartphones, laptops, TV boxes, smart wearables to drones.

Owning local warehouses in Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, America, Hong Kong, and China, all of your orders will be dispatched within 48 hours and shipped fast globally.

GeekBuying accepts all major credit cards and debit cards. It also receives payments via Paypal and wire transfers.

10. ZAFUL

If you’re only interested in dropshipping clothing, ZAFUL is your best friend. It’s one of the leading fast-fashion brands owned by Hong Kong Bi’an Information Technology Co. Ltd.

ZAFUL has its own market research team to discover the latest fashion trends. Then, it partners with 128+ suppliers worldwide to quickly produce a wide variety of popular and high-quality garments. As of now, the platform can help you deliver products to 260 countries and regions.

ZAFUL accepts PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, Western Union, American Express, Klarna, and Afterpay.

Alibaba Dropshipping – Conclusion

So, is Alibaba good for dropshipping?

Despite not having as diverse dropship-able goods as AliExpress, Alibaba lets you access new products from verified suppliers for winning product discovery. Moreover, the platform provides many private-label/white-label/personalized items that allow for custom branding and packaging. Hence, Alibaba is definitely a reasonable choice for dropshipping.

For a complete roadmap on making money dropshipping, check out dropshipping checklist.