Top 10 Websites Like DHgate For Affordable Shopping

DHgate is one of the best marketplaces to find China-based manufacturers, wholesalers, and suppliers, many of whom are dropshipping friendly. However, it’s not the only such site.

This article highlights 10 DHgate alternative websites you can use for your eCommerce sourcing needs, including some of these platforms’ core features, pros, and cons.

Let’s dive in by first looking at what DHgate is and its core features

Understanding DHGate

DHgate started in 2004; its present annual revenue stands at $200m-$500m, with over 10 million buyers in about 230 countries worldwide. It also hosts about 1.2 million vendors who showcase over 40 million products with an average of 2 million completed transactions. 

Out of 6700 reviews, DHgate has a general customer rating of 3.52 stars on Sitejabber, which shows general customer satisfaction.

DHgate takes pride in offering an accessible, convenient, customized, and affordable shopping experience.

DHgate’s Core Features

• The platform provides different versions of its website in 10 languages, including but not limited to English, Italian, German, Spanish, etc., for a wider reach. 

• It accepts over 30 forms of online payments, including bank transfers, several credit cards, and eWallets such as Skrill.

• DHgate offers a Buyers Protection Programme that ensures quality control and protection of buyers’ information, allowing them to verify products before payment completion. This Escrow System works as shown below.

• DHgate has a community forum that allows buyers to interact and share their experiences. This also involves an automated customer service platform.

Pros

• Has a refund policy for products not up to standard

• Security while making payments

• Wide variety of goods at a low price

• It allows you to track your order

• 90% of the products have no set minimum order, allowing you to make bulk purchases

Cons

• The website isn’t entirely safe for name-brand purchases —most such name-brand items on the platform are knockoffs

• Most vendors are China-based, which means a longer waiting time for shipping, especially for international orders

• Since it’s a China-based platform, quality control might be non-standardized in your part of the world

• Sometimes there are refund delays

DHGate FAQ

Here are clear answers to some of DHgate’s frequently asked questions:

Q1: Can I track my order?

Yes. Tracking can be done on the website or using Ship24 by keying in the order number.

Q2: Is PayPal an acceptable mode of payment?

Yes. PayPal payments are acceptable and securely made anywhere in the world.

Q3: What is the Return policy?

Buyers cover the return shipping cost, but the cost is refunded once the seller gets the returned product.

Q4: When can’t one make a guarantee claim?

You can’t make a guarantee claim when the seller states the product’s flaws, but you still make the purchase.

Q5: Can I cancel an order?

Yes. However, the buyer and the seller have to settle a claim, agreeing on a refund first. Sometimes this process can be frustrating.

Now that you know DHgate’s core features, advantages, and disadvantages, let’s focus on DHgate alternative sites

1: AliExpress

The company was started in 2010 by Alibaba Corporation, then later branched out to venture into affiliate marketing. 

In the past year, it recorded an average of 60 million buyers in over 230 countries, with about 20 million daily visitors to its website. It is also available in 18 different languages, reaching a wider audience.

Core features

• AliExpress offers an app that serves both Android and ios, hence more convenience.

• It offers a variety of Sale days, with some discounts going up to as high as 90%

• AliExperss offers a quick and efficient customer support service with 24/7 support

• Offers Buyer Protection Programme that includes a refund policy

Pros

• It offers a 60-day claim policy, thus giving the buyer ample time to check the products

• Allows you to track your products

• Offers free shipping for a variety of goods

• Offers a variety of goods at low prices

Cons

• Communication with the sellers is not always effective, considering the language barrier since most sellers are China-based

• It isn’t the best place to buy western brands due to the higher prices

• Faster shipping incurs an extra cost

• Some reviews can be fake since there is no system in place to filter them

2: Bangood

Founded in 2006, Banggood has since registered close to 66 Million users. The company’s premise is to create value for its customers by offering professional services and quality goods. The site has a review of 4/5 on Trust Pilot, with an average of 5 stars per review.

They currently operate about 37 warehouses located in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia for a wider reach.

In 2021, Banggood reported annual revenue of about $433.3M.

Core Features

• They have a FAQ on their page that covers most concerns raised by buyers.

• They allow you to earn from reviews; you can accumulate and exchange them for cash.

• They offer a 7-days DOA product guarantee. 

• Offers a VIP section that grows as you make more successful purchases

Pros

• You can use several payment options, including PayPal.

• Offers a 14-day return policy; as long as you haven’t tampered with the goods, you can get a partial refund, excluding the shipping fee.

• You can cancel an order if it hasn’t gone through processing.

• They offer a screen protection policy for Xiaomi phones if it’s broken during the warranty window.

Cons

• Reviews can be fake due to the feature of earning points.

• Communications delays are common 

• You have to pay a shipping fee on return goods.

3: Alibaba

Alibaba is one of the best alternatives to DHgate and one of the largest online shopping stores; it is a sub branch of the Alibaba Group.

It has a huge pool of buyers and vendors estimated to be over 100 million. Their last reported annual revenue stands at $248 Billion.

Core Features

• You have to create an account to engage in buying or selling on the platform at no cost

• Apart from the website, it offers an App

• Alibaba offers wholesale prices due to the high number of manufacturers and wholesale suppliers.

Pros

• Offers a secure payment gateway that ensures privacy

• Offers customer support services through live chat, emails, or social media support

• Offers free shipping on select products and allows you to pick the most convenient shipping method

Cons

• There can sometimes be a bias when claims are forwarded where the team sides with the manufacturers

• Non-standardized Quality control

• Most vendors display similar pictures for products, making it challenging to select products.

4: Taobao

Taobao is a platform under The Alibaba Group. It was launched in 2003, and as the name suggests, you can find quality goods at the most pocket-friendly price possible—Taobao is one of the cheapest marketplaces. In 2014 it recorded 60 million visits per day from shoppers, which has only increased since then.

Core Features

• The site is in Chinese.

• Vendors have to pay a minimum deposit of 5,000 to 15,000 Yuan, which covers buyers in case of complaints

• The company demands a 5% payout of sales made by a company if it doesn’t meet the set target in sales value of 1 million Yuan annually.

• They offer a 3-day return policy once the product has been received by reaching them through taobao [email protected].

Pros

• Super deals and discounts throughout the year

• High competitions promote the quality of goods offer

• Offers Taobao agents to help buyers outside China

• Works with professional dropshipping sourcing and fulfillment agents who offer additional services like a free quotation, customized packaging, and 1v1 customer service through many different mediums

Cons

• Language barrier.

• Most of the sellers do not advocate for international modes of payment.

• Quality control on products or sellers is sometimes suspect, even with the reviews left.

5: 1688

1688.com offers solutions to most queries. Unfortunately, 1688 is not as used as other websites like DHgate, especially for international buyers, because it was primarily made for Chinese residents. 

Core features

• 1688 sources products directly from manufacturers, which helps lower their cost and the product prices

• Provides an extension that allows you to add product details from 1688 to your store

• It offers an option of contacting the merchant who helps make needed specifications or clarification.

• Offers a variety of payment options, including Alipay, bank transfers, and 1688 purchase funds

Pros

• Direct access to manufacturers translates into low prices, making 1688 one of the best DHgate alternative sites

• It offers label branding services based on suppliers’ MOQ

• Allows you to use a professional dropshipping agent who can help in checking the quality of products

Cons 

• Language barrier.

• It does not ship to buyers outside China; fortunately, because 1688 also works with agencies, international dropshipping business owners who want to source from 1688 can use an order fulfillment agency

• The 7-day return policy does not account for the shipping period, which might be up to 10 days— or more at times

• Offers limited and less secure payment options, like wire transfers

6: DealeXtreme

The company started in 2006 and is headquartered in Hong Kong. In 2021 alone, DealeXtreme generated a global net sale revenue of $14.4M.

DX has set up warehouses in Australia, the United States, and the UK. It hosts over 400 vendors and about 1 Million organic users.

Core Features

• It handles packaging, warehousing, and product shipping, making sourcing from the platform easy, convenient, and fast for customers

• Offers free worldwide shipping for most products

• Offers store credit

• The site is in English

Pros

• It demands no fee for returned goods

• DealeXtreme offers a Bulk Rate for customers who make huge purchases

• Offers a variety of goods at affordable prices, making it a great alternative to DHgate

• Allows you to make purchases without signing up.

Cons

• Unreliable customer services.

• Poses security concerns when it comes to making payments using credit cards.

• Sometimes only a partial refund after successful claims.

7: ChinaBrands

Chinabrands started in 2011 using the B2B business model for shoppers and wholesalers to interact. It supports over ten languages, which helps the site reach a wider audience. Chinabrands has a sale volume of $250M- $500M annually, attracting over 200,000 unique customers monthly.

Core features

• Provides professional pictures and product descriptions

• Allows you to have a VIP account at a fee

• Outsources and ships goods for you

Pros

• Ensures quality control by setting standards for wholesalers

• Offers customer support through channels like emails, FAQ, and emails

• It has an efficient warehouse logistics system that streamlines the order fulfillment process, making it more secure

Cons

• Product descriptions can sometimes be wrong

• Faster shipping comes at a premium

• Getting refunds isn’t always easy

8: Gear Best

Gear Best has a consumer rating of 4.43 from 10,751 reviews, which shows great satisfaction from the clients. It sources its products from over 5000 well-known Chinese brands.

It is well known for sourcing quality and cheap gadgets and delivers to over 200 countries worldwide.

Core features

• GearBest has a professional rating system that makes it relatively easy to identify high-quality suppliers

• Thanks to the well-set-up product vetting process, this DHgate alternative site offers high-quality products

• A FAQ section on their website

• They have global warehouses

Pros

• Affordable prices since they source products directly from manufacturers

• Offers fast and efficient delivery service, including door-to-door shipping and order fulfillment

• Offers order tracking, making it easier for customers to track their orders

• Offers payment security and different payment methods

• Offers 1-year product warranty

Cons

• There can be a delay in response from the team or automated responses

• Some products can be out of stock during a certain period.

• Refund delays are quite common, even with the refund policy

9: Tom Top

Founded in 2004, Tom Top offers wholesale and retail high-quality products. The company has a customer rating of 3.76 from 3,458 reviews, proving its credibility, and over 50,000 supplying brands.

Core Features

• Easy-to-use website

• Allows coupons

• Customer support, including Live Chat

• Offers a 1-year product warranty

Pros

• Several payment options, including PayPal, which offers Buyers Protection

• Has a return policy on products

• Fast shipping of products with a variety of rates

Cons

• It doesn’t offer free shipping

• Extra custom fees when shipping to some countries like the USA

10: JD.com

JD is China’s leading online retailer. Founded in 2009, this DHgate alternative has attracted over 500 Million organic customers and set up approximately 1400 warehouses for different levels of suppliers.

Core Features

• Offers small to medium warehouses, including customization to fit supplier products like frozen products.

• JD offers the same and next-day delivery in China.

• They can make commercial deliveries by drones.

• Has a smart supply chain system in place

Pros

• Employs the use of Artificial Intelligence, allowing shoppers to shop using voice commands

• The platform offers a secure shipping platform and experience through data encryption.

• JD has a return policy of 14-28 days

Cons

• There’s a language barrier since the website is in Chinese

• Responses can be automated

• Shipping to parts outside China can be expensive and lengthy.

Conclusion

We have covered ten websites like DHgate, showcasing the core features, pros, and cons. You can use this list to choose a platform that works best for your dropshipping needs.