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Did you know that 84% of eCommerce merchants say that finding a dropshipping supplier for their eCommerce website is the most significant roadblock to starting their dropshipping business?
84% of tens of millions of online sellers is a lot of people. Specifically, online entrepreneurs who traditionally are super resourceful and embrace a good challenge.
All of that is to say that finding dropshipping suppliers for your dropshipping business idea is not easy.
First, many well-established dropshipping companies don’t have a strong marketing presence on the internet. If they have a presence at all, it is sometimes buried in the backpages of Google Search results, making it almost impossible to find. Secondly, some dropshipping companies pose as reputable suppliers, when, in fact, they are not professionally managed - or even scams.
The good news is that there are technology-based solutions to this problem. In the interest of chipping away at that 84% figure, here are 11 of the best dropshipping websites and dropshipping suppliers to get your business started, whether it's B2B dropshipping, branded dropshipping or a more conventional type. .
What is dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a retail fulfillment method where a store doesn't keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, when a customer places an order, the store purchases the item from a third-party supplier and has it shipped directly to the customer.
Dropshipping can be a great way to start selling online with little upfront investment. You don't need to worry about storing inventory or shipping products, which can save you a lot of time and money when starting a business.
Learn more: Is dropshipping worth it?
How to find a dropshipping supplier?
Online dropship and wholesale supplier directories can make it easier and quicker to find suppliers for your business (especially when considering certain dropshipping niches). These research tools are encyclopedic, listing and categorizing thousands of dropshipping suppliers and their product offerings. Some of these directories are free but the paid ones tend to vet and research their suppliers thoroughly before publishing them to their sites.
Vetting suppliers takes quite a bit of time. For those with limited resources, I believe this is a premium worth paying for. On top of that, you can research whether a supplier is legitimate using search engines, looking for testimonials, verified reviewers and other resources.
11 best dropshipping suppliers
01. Spocket
Spocket offers a curated network of high-quality suppliers, primarily from the US and Europe, providing fast shipping and premium products across various categories. It’s known for its seamless integration with platforms like Wix, making it an ideal choice for automated dropshipping.
Pros: Spocket ensures fast shipping from local suppliers, with premium-quality products and branded invoicing options. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to manage inventory and fulfill orders.
Cons: Some premium suppliers are available only on higher-tier plans.
Pricing: Free trial for 14 days; paid plans start at $39.99/month.
02. SaleHoo
New Zealand-based Salehoo was founded in 2005 and has served over 137,000 merchants since then. Salehoo is a search directory that features more than 8,000 suppliers and gives you access to more than 2.5 million different types of products, across a variety of types of businesses.
Pros: It's difficult to find legitimate dropshipping suppliers offering brand name companies. SaleHoo verifies every supplier and guarantees that its products are legal and authentic. They also have exceptional customer service and a robust resources center.
Cons: SaleHoo is a directory, not an integrated technology solution for your store. You cannot sync products directly from suppliers on their database. Furthermore, while the database has 1000s of pre-vetted suppliers, it needs to be refreshed and updated with newer vendors.
Pricing: Starts at $67/year.
03. Worldwide Brands
Worldwide Brands is a U.S.-based company that was founded in 1999 by power eBay seller Chris Malta. Worldwide Brands is one of the oldest incumbents in this space, with over 20 years of experience since its founding. Like SaleHoo, Worldwide Brands helps you find and learn about wholesalers and distributors from around the globe. Worldwide Brands boast of more than 16+ million certified products.
Pros: One of the advantages of being a veteran in the industry is that you can build up an impressive menu of options. That is precisely what Worldwide Brands has done well.
Cons: Suppliers on their platform will require that you have a tax I.D. before they do business with you. This can add friction when starting new relationships through the platform. Beyond this, their customer service is limited. They do not offer live chat, and their email support takes almost two business days to get back to you.
Pricing: Starts at $299/year.
04. Modalyst
Modalyst is dropshipping automation software for online businesses. It offers automation tools to streamline starting a dropshipping business and a large marketplace of high-quality suppliers and products.
Modalyst also has an official partnership with AliExpress. Through this partnership, eCommerce store owners (see our guide on what is eCommerce) get access to the AliExpress Dropshipping Center, analytics on trending products and a suite of tools to import and sell AliExpress products directly on their storefronts.
The site also offers integrations with the Wix eCommerce platform. You can also manually upload their products to your store via CSV file.
Through AliExpress, Modalyst connects you directly to:
100+ million dropshipping products
4,000+ product categories
Analytics on best selling AliExpress products
Chrome Extension to import products and sync customer orders in a single click
Pros: Modalyst has a curated Marketplace of its own with US and EU-based suppliers and they thoroughly vet them to ensure that they’re willing to meet their high standards. Further, all dropshipping suppliers on its Marketplace must meet strict return, shipping and pricing requirements, all of which are pre-negotiated by Modalyst. This means that, as a merchant, there is no need to hammer out separate deals with each supplier you work with.
Cons: You must upgrade to the Pro plan to add premium, brand name products to your store.
Pricing: A free plan with limited features is available, while the paid plans start at $35/month.
05. Inventory Source
Inventory Source is a US-based dropshipping provider that has been in business since 2002. Inventory Source is both an inventory management tool and catalog of suppliers, with integrations to eCommerce platforms and online marketplaces.
Their inventory management module manages price markup, low stock limits, custom categories, and product filters. Merchants can integrate their own existing suppliers as well as use the supplier directory.
Their supplier directory includes product details, images, pricing, and current stock levels and gives you access to 200+ suppliers across the USA and China. Their dropshipping suppliers have extensive catalogs, with some containing tens of thousands of products. Overall, these products span 30 different categories, including clothing, electronics, books, outdoor items, and pet supplies.
Pros: Inventory Source updates your product inventory and virtual storefront with the latest data from your suppliers. They also route orders to your suppliers and sync the shipment details with customers automatically.
Cons: Their starter plan only lets you connect with one supplier. If you intend to source from multiple suppliers, you'll need to pay additional monthly fees.
Pricing: Inventory Automation starts at $99/month and Full Automation at $150/month.
06. DSM Tool
DSM Tool is an automation solution designed to streamline your dropshipping business on eBay. Their tools allow you to add products to your eBay store from various vendors, including Walmart, Sears, Aliexpress and Amazon U.S., UK, France, Germany, and Canada.
Pros: DSM Tool allows over 50 listings for free subscribers and up to 150,000 listings for paid subscribers. Furthermore, beyond AliExpress, DSM tool connects you to other catalogs such as Walmart and Amazon. You can choose any of the suppliers and start selling immediately.
Cons: DSM Tool only has 50 dropshipping suppliers in its database, which is relatively limited when compared to the competition.
Pricing: Free plan available, with paid plans ranging from $24.97/month to $499.97/month
07. Printful
Printful is an on-demand order fulfillment platform that fulfills and ships products, including clothing, accessories and lifestyle items for eCommerce entrepreneurs.
Printful offers a variety of features, including direct integrations, design and photo services, and fulfillment arms in both North America and Europe. If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner who wants to start selling online, Printful can help you jumpstart your online business.
To get started, link your store with Printful. Once you are connected, you can design products and see how they’ll look in real life with their online mockup generator. You can add as many products as you want to your storefront, and no inventory will be printed until an order is placed. That means you do not have to store any inventory.
You can then promote your dropshipping store to start making sales. When you make a sale, Printful will print it, pack the item and ship it directly to your customer for you.
Printful was founded in 2013 and is the industry leader in print-on-demand dropshipping.
Pros: Printful is located in both the United States and Europe, meaning delivery to customers is fast and localized. You will face no problems selling to a global audience. Printful's ship times, on average, takes three to four business days.
Further, with Printful, you can add your brand logo to a shipping label and also create a packing slip.
Plus it’s easy to integrate Printful with eCommerce platforms like Wix.
Cons: Their product catalog focuses mostly on clothing. Likewise, shipping fees can add up so you'll need to make sure to incorporate the costs into how much you charge.
Pricing: No setup fees or ongoing membership costs.
08. Printify
Printify is a dropshipping and print on demand company for small businesses. They provide custom printing solutions on a wide range of items including clothing, gift and novelty items and accessories.
Pros: Printify has a strategic partnership with multiple print providers around the world. These providers are located in major regions, including the U.K., the USA, Canada, China, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Printify has integrations with various eCommerce solutions, including Etsy, eBay, and Wix. Beyond this, they offer a merchant protection policy that covers image quality control, reprints, and refunds.
Cons: Printify, compared to Printful, has fewer customization and branding options and integrations with fewer sales channels and third-party marketplaces.
Pricing: For those who are just starting, they offer a free plan. Printify also has paid membership options, starting at $29/month.
Learn more: How to start a print on demand business
09. AliExpress
AliExpress, a subsidiary of Alibaba, is a global eCommerce catalog headquartered in China. While their DNA is direct-to-consumer, they have an enormous market of online businesses sourcing products directly from the vendors listed on their platform. One of its most compelling features is the high profit potential of their products.
10. BigBuy
BigBuy is one of the leading dropshipping providers in Europe. Headquartered in Spain, it’s a B2B eCommerce company that sells thousands of items to businesses of all kinds. It specializes in merchants who resell their products through the online channel.
The list above is not exhaustive, but it is meant to highlight the solutions that deliver the most value for online merchants. This list will likely evolve as new trends emerge, and companies enter the b2b eCommerce arena. Nonetheless, I hope you find it useful when you are figuring out how to start your business.
11. Importify
Importify simplifies dropshipping for both new and experienced merchants, enabling quick product imports from suppliers like AliExpress and Amazon directly to online stores. Its intuitive interface and straightforward setup cater to users across all levels, enhancing product variety with ease. Designed for ecommerce platforms like Wix, Importify streamlines supplier management and order fulfilment, making it an essential tool for efficient online store operations.
Key Features:
Product Importer: Seamlessly import product listings from 30+ supplier marketplaces including AliExpress, Alibaba, Amazon, Walmart, etc.
Supplier Management: Maintain a curated list of reliable suppliers. Override or switch suppliers with one-click.
Order Optimization: Place orders faster, Minimize manual work through automations.
Pros: User-Friendly Interface, Excellent Customer Support, and Efficient Operations: Importify excels in providing a seamless and hassle-free experience, praised for its intuitive design, prompt customer service, and time-saving automation, making it a top choice for both beginners and experienced dropshippers
Cons: There is no free plan available.
Pricing:
Basic: $14.95/month
Premium: $27.95/month
Gold: $37.95/month
Free Trial available on all plans
Ready to start selling? Create your dropshipping business today.
How to spot bad dropshipping suppliers
We've talked about the best dropshipping suppliers out there but you also need to make sure you know which to avoid. Here are the top 5 tips for how to spot (and avoid) bad dropshipping suppliers:
Check for negative reviews: Read reviews from other businesses that have used the supplier. If there are a lot of negative reviews or the supplier has a poor reputation, it's a red flag.
Beware of low prices: If the prices are too good to be true, they probably are. Be wary of suppliers who offer prices that are significantly lower than their competitors.
Ask about shipping times: Make sure the supplier can ship the products you want to sell to your customers in a timely manner. If the shipping times are too long, it could lead to customer dissatisfaction. This is also a good way to make sure the supplier is easy to communicate with. If they're slow to respond to emails or phone calls, or they're not responsive to your questions, then it won't be a good fit for you.
Get quotes from multiple dropshipping suppliers: Compare prices and shipping rates from multiple suppliers before you make a decision. This will help you ensure that you're getting the best deal. Pay attention to how transparent the supplier is about pricing, too. If they don't disclose all of the fees involved in shipping and handling, or they use hidden charges, then look elsewhere.
Be clear about your expectations: Make sure the supplier understands what you need and what you expect from them. This will help to avoid any misunderstandings down the road. If they're not willing to customize their products or services to meet your needs, it's a bad sign.
How to approach a dropshipping supplier
Before you reach out to a supplier, take some time to research them online. Read reviews from other businesses that have used them and check their website for information about their policies and procedures. This will help you to avoid wasting your time with suppliers who are not a good fit for your business.
Once you get in contact with suppliers, be clear about what you're looking for. This includes the products you want to sell, the quantities you need and the shipping times you require. The more specific you can be, the better.
Here are some specific things to include in your initial contact with a dropshipping supplier:
Your name and contact information
The products you are interested in dropshipping
The quantities you need
The shipping times you require
Your budget
Any other relevant information
It's also a good idea to attach a product catalog or other information about your business to your initial contact. This will help the supplier understand your needs and see how they can help you.
Once you have found a dropshipping supplier that you're interested in working with, it's important to build a good relationship with them. This means being responsive to their inquiries, communicating clearly and being honest about your expectations. By building a good relationship with your supplier, you can ensure that they're willing to go the extra mile to help you succeed.
Tips for working effectively with dropshipping supplier
Working with dropshipping suppliers can lead to a profitable business but it requires careful planning and effective communication. Here are some tips to help you succeed with your dropshipping venture:
Choose reliable and reputable wholesalers: Select dropshipping wholesalers with a proven track record of reliability and positive reviews. Research potential suppliers thoroughly, considering factors such as shipping times, product quality and customer service. Opt for wholesalers with transparent business practices to avoid complications.
Communicate effectively: Establish clear and open communication channels with your dropshipping wholesalers. Regularly check in, seek updates on stock levels and inquire about any changes to their processes. Effective communication helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures a smooth working relationship.
Test product quality: Before committing to a partnership, place sample orders to assess the quality of the products and the efficiency of the wholesaler's fulfillment process. This firsthand experience allows you to evaluate the products' condition upon arrival and the overall customer experience.
Negotiate favorable terms: Negotiate terms that benefit your business, such as discounted prices for bulk orders, flexible payment terms or priority processing for your orders. Establishing mutually beneficial terms helps improve your profit margins and strengthens your overall partnership with the dropshipping wholesaler.
Automate processes: Use automation tools and software to streamline order processing, inventory management, and communication. Automation not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors in order fulfillment. Look for tools that integrate seamlessly with your eCommerce platform and the systems used by your dropshipping wholesalers.
Dropshipping suppliers FAQ
How do I verify the legitimacy of a dropshipping supplier?
To verify a dropshipping supplier's legitimacy:
1. Check their business registration
2. Read online reviews about them, make sure to read a lot
3. Request references
4. Verify their contact information
5. Ask for product samples to really test quality
6. Check industry associations
7. Investigate their online presence, including their website