Now that you have a decent understanding of both Alibaba.com and AliExpress, let’s take a look at how the two measure up to one another.
|
Alibaba.com |
AliExpress |
| Marketplace type |
B2B |
B2C |
| Typical buyers |
Businesses |
Consumers, resellers |
| Typical sellers |
Manufacturers, wholesalers, trading companies, exporters |
Retailers |
| Fixed annual fee for sellers |
Yes |
No |
| Commission per sale for sellers |
0% (in most countries) |
5-8% |
| Custom storefronts |
Yes |
Yes |
| Auto translation |
Yes |
Yes |
| Secure payment portals |
Yes |
Yes |
| Buyer countries and territories |
190+ |
200+ |
| Seller countries and territories |
200+ |
6 |
| Request for Quotation (RFQ) |
Yes |
No |
| Shipping time |
15 days to months |
1-4 weeks |
| Dropshipping support |
No |
Yes |
| Product |
Raw materials, customizable products, ready-made products |
Ready-made products |
| Pricing |
Negotiable |
Fixed |
| Shipping cost |
Vary depending on the shipping terms agreed upon by buyers and sellers |
Typically free |
| Minimum order quantity |
Yes |
No |
| Private labeling |
Yes |
No |
| Financing options for buyers |
Yes |
No |
| Order protection |
Yes |
Yes |
| Dispute resolution |
Yes |
Yes |
Key differences between Alibaba.com and AliExpress
As you can see, Alibaba.com and AliExpress are very similar but serve two different purposes. The main difference has to do with the nature of the transactions that each platform is suited for.Alibaba.com is a B2B platform that carries out transactions between businesses. AliExpress is a B2C platform that facilitates transactions between businesses and consumers.
Many buyers are attracted immediately to Alibaba.com whether they are businesses or not simply because of the attractively low pricing of products on the site. However, Alibaba.com has minimum order quantities in place, meaning buyers must buy in bulk to access the wholesale rates.
AliExpress, on the other hand, still has relatively low prices but does not have minimum order quantities.
When it comes to commission and take rates, sellers on Alibaba.com pay 0% on most transactions. AliExpress sellers pay up to 8%.
Although these platforms are different, neither is better or worse. Which you should use totally depends on your goals as either a buyer or a seller. Consumers are better off shopping on AliExpress, and businesses are better off sourcing products or materials on Alibaba.com.
- For Complete Story go HERE
