Alibaba Group is one of the biggest eCommerce companies in the world. It is operating many online shopping websites in China and Internationally like Alibaba, Aliexpress, Taobao, Tmall, 1688, Alimama, Daraz, Lazada, etc. All these are shopping websites in different languages. In this article, particularly we give Aliexpress vs Alibaba short and brief comparison that will help you to understand which one is the best.
Both of the websites are different in their models and we will try to share the information which is required by the end-users. As mentioned above Aliexpress and Alibaba both are owned by the same Alibaba Group and these websites are like Amazon or eBay for Asians. Before we start our comparison of Aliexpress vs Alibaba, you must be aware that the Alibaba Group is one of the largest eCommerce brands in the world and the biggest in China. Also, it controls and holds a very strong position in online wholesale and retail markets in the world.
About Aliexpress and Alibaba
What is Alibaba?
Alibaba is basically a Business to Business (B2B) business model where businesses (manufacturer or traders) provides the products to other business (manufacturer or traders or retailers). In simple words, we can say that on Alibaba, sellers or traders can purchase the products in wholesale or bulk from manufacturers and resellers in the wholesale or retail market all over the world.
Mostly resellers or retailers in Asian and significant numbers all over the world, prefer to buy from Cine due to the cheap labor and huge manufacturing industry and Alibaba has provided a platform to manufacturers and sellers where they can do their business in a protected environment.
What is AliExpress?
Aliexpress is a Business to Consumer (B2C) business model where businesses (Seller or Traders) sells the products to end-users/consumers. Aliexpress is an ideal platform for those consumers who are looking for a variety of products at best and affordable rates. It offers many and easy shipping options and accepts many payment methods. If I say that AliExpress has the widest range of products as compared to any other online shopping website, it will not be wrong.
Aliexpress is the biggest competitor to Amazon, eBay and Walmart, and their regional websites. It has mostly sellers from China and you will find easily everything from Aliexpress which might not available on any other website.
AliExpress vs Alibaba – What is the Difference
As said before both Aliexpress and Alibaba are owned by the same group and both the platforms are for online shopping, still, there are many differences in their models the way they work. For your information, we are going to share with you some prominent differences of AliExpress vs Alibaba in the following paragraphs.
- The basic difference between both websites is that Aliexpress is a B2C while Alibaba is a B2B platform
- If you are doing a dropshipping business, Aliexpress will do the dropshipping but Alibaba does not offer the dropshipping.
- Aliexpress has no minimum order requirement while Alibaba being a wholesales B2B platform has the condition of minimum order.
- Aliexpress product has a fixed price while on Alibaba you can negotiate the price because you will be placing the big order.
- You must ask for a quotation from the manufacturer/supplier on Alibaba. Aliexpress has not any option like this and you just need to pay what is showing on the website and your order will be processed.
- You can get customized products under your own brand name and logo but on Aliexpress, you will not get this offer.
- AliExpress products are ready fr sales and dispatched while products on Alibaba dispatched after the product after each order. This means the shipping time of Aliexpress is less than as compared to Alibaba.
AliExpress vs Alibaba – What is similar?
Although, both websites are working on different models and fundamentally different but still you can find some similarities between them. In the coming lines you will see some basic similarities of Aliexpress vs Alibaba.
- Owned by the Alibaba Group.
- Affordable and best-budgeted quality products.
- Accept the various payment methods, including bank transfers, credit cards, and, AliPay.
- User-friendly interfaces and easy to navigate the products.
- Offers buyer protection services for payments made directly on them.
AliExpress vs Alibaba – Which is Best for You for Shopping
Now you have a better idea of how the business models of both websites Aliexpress and Alibaba works. In this section, we are going to share some guidelines which will be best for shopping for you. we have selected some basic factors by focusing on the mindset of the buyers.
Quantities:
The minimum quantity is a factor that needs to be considered while choosing the Aliexpress or Alibaba platforms. Aliexpress is basically a B2C website where there is no minimum quantity requirement however on Alibaba mostly the sellers have the minimum quantity requirement. It’s mean that if you are going to order a single piece of some product, you have to choose the Aliexpress while for more quantities, you can choose among both giving the best price and shipment options.
Wholesaling
If you are a reseller or trader and need the product in wholesale or in bulk then your most suitable platform should be Alibaba. Aliexpress is using the retailing business model and you will not find the good options for wholesaling. For this factor, Alibaba is best for you.
Pricing Negotiation:
AliExpress uses the fixed prices and you will not get the change to negotiate the price. On Alibaba, you will directly deal with the manufacturer and you are given the opportunity to negotiate the price. Manufacturers will happily negotiate and give you the best price for bulk orders.
Shipping Time:
Shipping Time of Aliexpress is lesser than Alibaba because most of the orders on Alibaba customized and they start manufacturing receiving the order. Once the order completed, the shipping process starts. On the other hand, the products on AliExpress are already been manufactured, and they shipps the orders immediately.
Shipping Cost
Shipping costs on Aliexpress are much lesser than Alibaba and even, many products you can order with free delivery option. Aliexpress offers different shipping options and you can choose according to your budget and urgency. However, the shipping cost on Alibaba is higher as compared to Aliexpress. You have to pay the shipping costs which you will agree with the manufacturer and these could be including the loading, shipping to port, documentation, etc.
Dropshipping:
If you are operating a dropshipping website then you must be going with AliExpress because it supports dropshipping. Alibaba is being a wholesaler and manufacturers platform, you will not find the drop shipping option on Alibaba.
Customization:
Are you planning to launch your own brand and want the products with customization and your brand logo? If your answer is yes then you have the only option to choose the Alibaba. Manufacturers on Alibaba will provide you the customized products with private labels for your company. Aliexpress is a retailer and sells the manufactured products so these services cannot be availed through AliExpress.
Conclusion
To conclude this post, I would like to conclude that if you will do shopping carefully by checking the specifications, quality, and terms, you will find the best quality products on both Aliexpress and Alibaba. On both websites, you can get good quality and bad quality products depending on the decision you make.
AliExpress vs Alibaba, you can decide now by using this guide, which is best for you. If you find this post useful for you, kindly share with others using the below easy to share icons. AlExpert always welcomes suggestions, appreciation, and criticism to improve the content. So if you have any questions or suggestion you can give you feedback on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Contact Us Page.