When it comes to sourcing products from China, two of the most popular platforms are DHgate vs Alibaba.
Both platforms offer a wide range of products at competitive prices, but which one is better for beginners?
In this article, we will compare DHgate and Alibaba to help you decide which platform is right for you.
DHgate
Dhgate is a Chinese eCommerce platform that sells products to international buyers. Diane Wang, an entrepreneur from China, founded DHgate in 2004.
It began as a business-to-business (B2B) wholesale platform but has since expanded to include retail customers. With offices in Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, DHgate is headquartered in Beijing.
DHgate provides a buyer protection plan, a secure refund policy, express delivery, and shipment tracking. It is committed to providing a fast, easy, and safe buying experience to businesses and consumers worldwide, suitable for dropshipping.
If you’re looking for dropshipping suppliers, DHGate is a good choice with much better prices than expected.
Alibaba
Alibaba is the precursor to AliExpress, founded in 1999 by Jack Ma and a large team of co-founders. Whereas AliExpress is focused on business-to-consumer sales, Alibaba is focused on wholesale, business-to-business transactions.
This platform brings millions of products in over 40 major categories, including consumer electronics, machinery, and apparel.
Buyers for these products are located in 190+ countries and regions and exchange hundreds of thousands of messages with suppliers on the platform each day.
One of the main reasons why Alibaba is many drop shippers’ go-to platform is because of the effective Buyer Safety policies it practices. Before finalizing any deal, buyers can ensure the credibility of the suppliers by checking company profile metrics and availing of the quality inspection service.
If you want to move up from small orders, then Alibaba can be a good option.
What Is the Process for the DHgate Website to Release Products?
The process of uploading products online in DHgate, which is the detailed operation process of publishing products, requires sellers to fill in the following information when uploading products on DHgate:
Product name
Brief product description
Product attribute values
Product Information Description
Product sales information
My service commitment
Other information
First, you need to log in to the “My DHgate” – “My Product” – “Add New Product” page and select a product category.
For example, taking a wedding dress as an example, you should choose a wedding dress, bridesmaid dress, women’s formal dress, bridesmaid dress, and women’s formal dress.
Next is the product title, which should be clear, complete, and vivid, with a maximum input of 140 characters.
Second, after filling out the “Product Title,” you must add “Basic Product Attributes” such as brand, style, size, material, color, etc. You must select the attribute options on the page based on your product.
The attribute values you fill in will be directly displayed on the buyer page. The attributes marked with the symbol need to be filled out carefully. Otherwise, it will directly affect the upload and release of your product.
Next are the product specifications. Different retail prices can be set for other specifications of the product. The specifications you can choose from here include decoration, season, body shape, trend, year series, and single-item price range.
If the specifications provided by the system cannot meet your needs, you can choose the “Custom Specifications” option and set them independently.
Third is product sales information; sales methods can choose to sell by piece or package. If you decide to sell by box, please enter the quantity of each parcel of products, where the unit is “pieces.”
You can also select other sales units on the right, such as dozen, foot, set, gram, kilogram, etc. Set up inventory status, quantity, period, and product price ranges.
As mentioned above, the DHgate website can set different product price ranges according to various specifications. You can set product codes to distinguish products from other manufacturers, categories, and specifications.
Fourth, product content description, display your product with vivid and realistic images, and prepare the photos before uploading the product.
You can upload images from ‘Local Upload’ or ‘Album Upload.’
Fifth, you can upload a high-quality image for internal and external promotion.
To facilitate sellers in managing their products, you can create product groups and add products of the same category to the same product group.
Sixth, it is recommended to fill in more words in the product short description column that buyers can search for when searching for items. You can input Chinese punctuation marks, which will be automatically converted into English punctuation marks.
You can input up to 500 characters. Further detail the product information that cannot be covered in the product name and specifications in the detailed product description to the buyer.
The final step is to set the packaging size, weight, shipping cost, and product expiration date.
The product’s expiration date refers to the period from the day the product is successfully submitted to the day your product stops being displayed online. The default expiration date is 90 days.
DHgate vs Alibaba：The Difference
Regarding online marketplaces, DHgate vs Alibaba are two of the biggest players in the game. Both platforms offer a wide range of products at competitive prices, but some key differences between DHgate vs Alibaba are worth exploring.
Firstly, DHgate primarily focuses on small and medium-sized businesses, while Alibaba caters to larger enterprises.
DHgate is a great option for entrepreneurs and startups looking to source products in smaller quantities.
At the same time, Alibaba is better suited for established companies that require larger orders.
Another major difference between DHgate vs Alibaba is the way they handle transactions.
DHgate acts as a middleman between buyers and sellers, processing payments and ensuring that both parties are satisfied with the transaction.
On the other hand, Alibaba allows buyers and sellers to communicate directly, which can be both a blessing and a curse. While this direct communication can lead to more personalized transactions, it also means less buyer oversight and protection.
Regarding product selection, both DHgate vs Alibaba offer a wide range of items, but there are some differences in the types of available products.
DHgate is known for its electronics, fashion, and home goods selection, while Alibaba is more focused on industrial and commercial products. If you’re looking for items like machinery, raw materials, or wholesale goods, Alibaba is likely your best bet.
Regarding pricing, both platforms offer competitive rates, but DHgate tends to be slightly cheaper overall. This is partly because DHgate is focused on smaller businesses, which often have lower overhead costs than larger enterprises.
However, it’s worth noting that prices can vary widely depending on the product and seller, so it’s always a good idea to shop around and compare prices before purchasing.
Finally, it’s worth considering the user experience when choosing between DHgate vs Alibaba. DHgate is known for its user-friendly interface and streamlined checkout process, while Alibaba can be a bit more complex and overwhelming for new users.
However, Alibaba offers a wider range of features and tools for businesses, including marketing and advertising services, so that it may be worth the extra effort for larger companies.
There are many websites where you can get connected with suppliers such as Globallyfulfill.
Conclusion
DHgate vs Alibaba offer a wide range of products at competitive prices, but the two platforms have some key differences.
DHgate is better suited for small and medium-sized businesses, while Alibaba caters to larger enterprises. DHgate acts as a middleman between buyers and sellers, while Alibaba allows for direct communication between the two parties.
DHgate is known for its electronics, fashion, and home goods selection, while Alibaba is more focused on industrial and commercial products.
DHgate tends to be slightly cheaper overall, but prices vary widely depending on the product and seller.
Ultimately, the choice between DHgate avs Alibaba will depend on your specific needs and preferences as a buyer or seller.
