AliExpress vs Amazon: Which is Better to Shop At?

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AliExpress and Amazon are two of the largest e-commerce retailers in the world. AliExpress is based in China, while Amazon is in America. They would have been highly competitive if they were in the same country or region, but they are not.

Nevertheless, they are worth to be compared since they have almost the same mode of operation, and people want to know the best place to buy from or sell their products. If you are here for the same reason, you are in for a detailed comparison.

Differences between AliExpress and Amazon

About Aliexpress

AliExpress is one of the largest B2C e-commerce platforms in the world. It is an online retail store based in China and a subsidiary of Alibaba Group. The site was launched in 2010 and is still active.

They are known to sell merchandise at a low price because most of their manufacturers are from China. Hence, there is no need for the importation of materials.

Times before now, AliExpress only allowed manufacturers from China to create a shop on the website and sell their products. But recently, the e-commerce store enables sellers from various countries such as Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Spain, Russia, Italy, Portugal, Estonia, France, Ireland, Turkey, Greece, Netherlands, etc.

Audience

AliExpress has customers all over the world that buys from them. According to Similar Web, AliExpress recorded about 405 million visits in October 2022. It gets more traffic in France, Spain, and Korea. They also get traffic from Canada and United States but not compared to Amazon.

However, AliExpress does not allow Chinese customers from Mainland China to buy from the platform. Although most of their retailers are Chinese, they prefer selling to international buyers.

Advantages of buying and selling at Aliexpress

Buying from AliExpress	Selling at AliExpress
Products are sold at low prices.	You can sell to up to 20 different countries
Most of their products are shipped free to your location	You are in charge of the prices
Secured online payment	It has an automatic translation of 18 languages
You have the option to review your experience with the seller	There is no subscription for selling at Aliexpress
	You don’t need an online store.

Disadvantages of buying and selling at AliExpress

Buying from AliExpress	Selling at AliExpress
Your order may take a long time to reach your destination	It is competitive
English is translated poorly on their website	You will pay a 5-10% commission on each product you sell
Most of the sellers do not accept PayPal	Limited customization since it is not an independent online store
Complicated refund/return process	Their translation quality is low
They sell lots of replica items than originals, and some products have poor quality

About Amazon

Amazon is the second top-rated retail store in the world after Walmart. The Multinational Technology Company deals in E-commerce, Cloud Computing, Online Advertising, Entertainment, and Logistics. 

It was founded on July 5, 1994, by Jeff Bezos. This company has expanded to multiple subsidiaries, which include Amazon Web service, Amazon Go, Amazon Fresh, Twitch Interactive, Amazon books, Amazon logistics, Amazon studios, etc. Amazon allows sellers from different countries to sell their products on Amazon’s website.

Audience

People from most parts of the world shop at Amazon but majorly from the US and Canada. As of October 2022, Amazon recorded about 4.14 billion visits to their website and a 34.09% bounce rate which is helpful for those who want to sell at Amazon.

Advantages of buying and selling at Amazon

Buying from Amazon	Selling at Amazon
There are varieties of products to choose from	Using the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) option will save you the stress of picking, packing, and delivering products to customers.
They have high-quality products in their stores	You can get high traffic on Amazon
They have a functioning algorithm, so you can easily search for the goods you are looking for with the right keyword.	People trust Amazon to sell high-quality products.

Disadvantages of buying and selling on Amazon

Buying from Amazon	Selling at Amazon
They sell at different prices, depending on the size and model you want to buy	It is crowded and highly competitive between independent sellers and Amazon.
Their shipping costs are high.	You need to subscribe to the professional plan to sell on Amazon, which costs 39 pounds per month.
	You don’t have control over prices.

AliExpress Vs Amazon – Which one is better for sellers and buyers?

No doubt that Amazon is a better option for sellers and buyers than Aliexpress. Although Aliexpress is fair on prices for buyers and sellers, Amazon is worth the money you pay. Here are some reasons why Amazon is better than Aliexpress.

Delivery time

When you buy from Amazon, your product reaches your doorstep faster than with AliExpress. Amazon is almost in all parts of the world, while AliExpress is majorly based in China. Goods from China might take a long time to reach your destination.

The delivery of all products on Amazon is controlled by Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA). It is a large warehouse where products are picked, packed, and shipped to customers. Their delivery time is mostly 1 or 2 days. Meanwhile, AliExpress shipping offers 15 to 45 days delivery days.

Quality of Product

Amazon is trusted to have high-quality products better than AliExpress. Shopping at Aliexpress is a matter of luck because of the different kinds of sellers on the platform. Some sellers deal with fake products that appear original.

According to some reviews on Quora, items in AliExpress are of low quality. But you can have your way around it by getting the services of AliExpress agents. They are dropshipping agents that help you with your purchase.

They check the quality of the product and if it is what you ordered before sending them to you.

Read Also: Does Target Sell Amazon Gift Cards?

Return policy

Amazon has a better return policy than AliExpress. It is faster and less complicated. Many people complain of the difficulty in the return policy at AliExpress. According to a Quora user, AliExpress does less or nothing to protect the buyer but instead sides with its sellers.

He ordered a Tablet but got a bracelet. When he tried to return it, he was made to go through a rigorous process just to be told, “$0 REFUND.” The best way to get your money back is to do a chargeback on your credit card.

Audience

To get the products you sell to a larger audience, you should opt for Amazon. Amazon attracts a more loyal audience to its website than AliExpress. According to Similar Web, Amazon has a lower bounce rate than Aliexpress.

It also recorded over 4 billion visits in October 2022 (According to a report by Semrush), while AliExpress recorded about 673 million visits in the same month. There are only a few regions that have not heard of Amazon. Amazon is widely and popularly known by people as the best platform to shop.

In addition, Amazon has gained people’s trust more than AliExpress could because of its product quality.

Why is AliExpress so cheap?

AliExpress operates majorly in China, and most of its sellers or manufacturers are from or living in China. China has the leading manufacturers in the world and they produce almost everything. They have resources for that.

Therefore, the costs of importation of raw materials or products are not added to the price of the products for sale since they make them themselves. In addition, some of the products at AliExpress are made with inferior materials to reduce costs. They break easily after a few times of use and turn to waste.

What are the tips for shopping at AliExpress?

To avoid being scammed at AliExpress, you should do the following before buying any of the products on the platform;

1. Check the rating and reviews of the product.

Ratings from 4.5 stars and above and reviews not less than 50 should be your target.

2. Check the year the seller started working with AliExpress. 

Sellers that stayed long on the platform are better options than those that started a few months ago. However, time does not really matter. 

If the seller who has stayed long on the platform has a low rating, you should opt for the ones with a high rating,  even if they are new in the business.

3. Buying through a dropshipping agent

Instead of buying directly from AliExpress, you should buy through an AliExpress agent. They are dropshipping agents that offer help to buyers from AliExpress. These agents help to check the quality of your products and ensure they are exactly what you ordered.

They also help to deliver goods directly to your customers. If you are a retailer, they will help place your logo on the box which is to be sent to your customer. This would help to create awareness of your branding without you making an effort.

Is AliExpress better than Amazon?

Yes, but only on the pricing of their products and fees charged to their sellers. AliExpress sells products at a cheaper price than Amazon. Although some of their products are a replica of the original, it doesn’t mean you can’t get authentic products at a lower price.

Unlike Amazon, there is no subscription plan to start selling on the AliExpress platform. AliExpress only takes their commission for each of your sales.

Do people in Mainland China patronize AliExpress?

No, they don’t. Instead, they buy from Taobao, another subsidiary of Alibaba Group which also deals in the online retail business. AliExpress majorly sell to their international customers.

Takeaway…

Amazon may have won in the comparison, but it doesn’t change that AliExpress is a good platform to buy or sell your products. If you want to buy an expensive item and don’t need it urgently, AliExpress is the better option if you do your due diligence. However, if you need massive awareness of your products, Amazon is the better option.