DHGate vs AliExpress Dropshipping: Which is Better?

Introduction

The spread of the internet has led to numerous economic opportunities, and dropshipping has become a very popular way of earning extra money in a passive manner. It also provides an efficient and easy way of doing business without forcing you to use the traditional model, which is very expensive and requires you to invest a lot of money in capital. Even though some are still skeptical about it, it still works for many.

There are also many services that give you a chance to build your dropping business, and we will discuss two of them in this article – DHGate and AliExpress. Both are renowned Chinese eCommerce platforms that work well for people purchasing small amounts of items, but you might be wondering which one is a better pick for different circumstances. We will compare both of them in this DHGate vs AliExpress dropshipping article and talk about the advantages and disadvantages, which will give you a better idea on what you can work with for your business.

AliExpress

This is a multimillion dollar company whose aim is providing international buyers a chance to buy anything from them. It is the more popular option of the two, and even has the largest directory of suppliers in the dropshipping business.

Because of its features, many like to compare it to Amazon, but it is more like an eBay type of platform – and this is because it allows both individuals and businesses to sell their products, whether they are Chinese or not.

They do offer over 100 million products of different types. These can range from jewelry, smartphones, baby clothes, laptops, accessories, sports equipment, and so on. Even though they do not have an email address or phone number to reach them, there is live chat support on a 24/7 basis.

However, there are some disadvantages with using AliExpress such as

Product Quality

One of them is that buying products on their site can be a gamble at certain times because the information available for certain products is limited. This might force you to work from the reviews of other buyers if you decide to purchase from a specific store.

Return Policy

In addition, there is no exchange or return policy in place. While the platform still gives a certain extent of protection for the buyer, refunds can only happen if the customer receives a different product from what they saw on the advertisement, or if the product somehow fails to arrive to them. Aliexpress has a tracking service, but there are numerous instances where the buyer uses third-party tracking systems to give a more comprehensive log of where their items are.

Delivery Time

In addition, the delivery time is quite long compared to the other dropshipping sites, which has forced many sellers and buyers to look for alternative solutions. The high shipping cost is also a hindrance, and sometimes the products are not easily available which leads many business owners to search for other websites instead.

DHGate

Like Aliexpress, DHGate is a platform that connects Chinese business, mostly small scale, to customers around the world. Many businesses prefer using it over the former. While it offers fairly similar products to Aliexpress, it has fewer quantities of products – which is the unfortunate part. These are not too few though, as it offers about 30 million products, mostly sourced from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China.

Some of the products on the platform include home decor, smartphones and computers, clothes for women and men, accessories, and so many other items.

Delivery Time

The delivery time is not different from AliExpress, as it takes about the same time. You just need to note the ratings of every supplier when you are checking them out before deciding to conduct business with them. Buyer protection is also present with the platform, such as the incorporation of an escrow system where the sellers only receive money from the buyers after the product is delivered. Keep in mind that delivery times will also depend on where your buyers live, as some places have faster delivery times compared to others.

Disputes

There are some dropshipping business owners who say that DHGate is more willing to have a mediation role when disputes arise, but this only happens after a specific time frame passes. This is probably due to the platform wanting the seller and buyer to resolve their issues before it can step in. like Aliexpress though, there is no return or exchange policy in place.

Customer Support

In terms of customer support, DHGate beats AliExpress on this front. Some of their facilities are a messaging system that has a turn around time of 24 hours, a 24/7 live chat option, a toll free US number that handles concerns, social media handles, assigned account manager that handles issues from top level members, and a dedicated messaging center to handle dispute resolution.

You have to be careful when shopping from DHGate though, as many products tend to be replicas and fakes – but the advantage here is that you can order items one by one instead of in bulk form, which can be convenient if you are searching for one item in particular. This is in contrast to AliExpress, which has a stricter policy of the products they allow on their site.

Comparison Table

Final Thoughts

These two companies do not have as many differences when you compare both of them, as they offer you products at cheap prices and have a worldwide reach. Both companies are also compatible to some dropshipping apps and plugin like Dropified, Alidropship, Shopmaster, and many others to assist you in building your dropshipping store easily.

Moreover, they also have prominent Chinese sellers and suppliers who thrive in foreign trade. However, make sure to always do plenty of research before engaging with a seller to ensure your buyers do not receive counterfeit or low quality products – which is a challenge that is common, as quality control may not be as high.