As the ecommerce industry continues to evolve, dropshipping is becoming an increasingly popular way for entrepreneurs to launch their own online businesses.
With the rise of digital marketing and social media platforms, it has never been easier for aspiring entrepreneurs to start a profitable business from the comfort of their own homes.
In 2023, many great ecommerce platforms for dropshipping are available to help you get started with your venture quickly and easily.
From Shopify to AliExpress, these services offer powerful features like automated order fulfillment, inventory management, payment processing, customer support tools and more, so you can focus on growing your business without worrying about dealing with complex logistics or processes.
The beauty of dropshipping is that businesses can leverage the power of ecommerce without having to manage expensive inventory or worry about order fulfillment or delivery timeframes.
In 2023, dropshipping remains one of the best ways for entrepreneurs to start their own online businesses with minimal risk and cost. With powerful dropshipping services like Shopify available, aspiring entrepreneurs have access to all the necessary tools required for success.
The Reasons a Dropshipping Business is a Good Idea
Low Startup Costs: Dropshipping is a great way for entrepreneurs to start a dropshipping store without breaking the bank. With no inventory costs, businesses only need to pay a monthly fee for their ecommerce platform and any other subscriptions they may require—making it much easier to get started.
Easy Processes: With modern dropshipping ecommerce platforms like Shopify, setting up a dropshipping store and managing orders is incredibly simple. As soon as customers place an order, the system notifies your supplier so they can take care of everything else—leaving you free to focus on marketing and promotion efforts.
Test New Markets: Dropshipping allows businesses to quickly test new products or markets without investing large amounts of money upfront. This helps to reduce the risk associated with a new venture and makes it easier to find successful products or niches.
Scalability: As your business grows, so can you. Scaling up operations quickly and easily by adding more suppliers, increasing marketing spend or hiring additional staff.
Your Guide to the Best Dropshipping Platforms to Use Today
Dropshipping is a great way for entrepreneurs to start an online business without managing inventory or dealing with order fulfillment.
In 2023, there are a wide range of powerful dropshipping platforms available to help you launch and run your business successfully. Below is a list of our the best dropshipping platforms you can use today:
Shopify
Shopify is a popular ecommerce platform that enables merchants to create and manage their own online store. It has all the necessary features you need for success, from automated order fulfillment to integrated payment processing.
Plans cost from $29 and $299 per month. With an annual plan or a biannual plan, you can save 10% or 20%, respectively. If you don’t use Shopify Payments, you’ll pay transaction costs on top of payment processing fees.
These plans don’t contain many marketing tools like smart product search, recurring billing, or an eBay integration; however, if you require these services, you can purchase apps that provide them.
Shopify provides customer assistance around-the-clock via live chat, phone, and email. You can also use the knowledgebase and community forum to discover solutions to frequently asked questions. This is one of the reasons it is one of the best ecommerce platforms today.
You won’t need to worry about acquiring hosting, SSL, or software installation because this is a hosted ecommerce platform.
You can quickly create your online store with Shopify. Simply register and utilize the user-friendly Store Builder. There is no need to know any coding; all you need to do is pick a theme, change it using the drag-and-drop WYSIWYG editor, add your products, and you’re ready to start selling.
Shopify Plus is an enterprise ecommerce solution suitable for high-volume businesses. It offers additional features such as third-party integrations, advanced analytics, and automated order management.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is another popular ecommerce platform that enables a dropshipping supplier to easily create, manage and grow your online store.
Being one of the best ecommerce platforms today, it provides a range of features including automated order fulfillment, integrated payment processing, and more.
Pricing starts at $29.95 per month for the Standard plan and goes up to $299.95 for the Pro plan. Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce does not charge any additional transaction fees or commissions; instead, they provide discounted credit card processing fees depending on your subscription level.
With no restrictions on file storage or bandwidth, each plan can host unlimited items. BigCommerce plans offer more basic features, such as gift cards and a ratings and reviews tool.
Sales caps are also included with each plan. Only $50,000 a year is allowed under the fundamental plan. This is more than enough for startups, but as you grow, you’ll need to update your strategy.
BigCommerce also offers an Enterprise plan; however, pricing is only available upon request, so it’s best suited to high-volume businesses that need advanced features such as unlimited bandwidth and priority support options.
Customer service is one area in which BigCommerce shines. There are a ton of videos and tutorials, a sizable knowledge base, and an active online community. Although live chat is available around-the-clock, there could be lengthy waits.
Dropified
Dropified is an automated dropshipping platform that makes it easier for entrepreneurs to launch and manage their own stores. It helps you to find products from AliExpress, Oberlo, and other suppliers, create listings on multiple platforms (including Amazon and eBay), and track orders quickly and easily.
There is no Dropified marketplace; instead, you can access products from any website using a plugin for your browser, letting you access worldwide brands.
After the 14-day free trial, the Retro plan costs $47 per month or the yearly plan costs $39 per month.
A profit dashboard, Zapier connectivity, and an infinite high-speed captcha solver have recently been introduced to the Channel Management plan, which costs $127 per month or $97 per month with yearly billing.
Other dropshipping services do not have some of the more sophisticated capabilities that Dropified offers, such as advanced variant mapping, unique tracking URLs, unique supplier order notes, product bundling, offers and discounts, product review importing, and others.
Finding videos that are relevant to the market is made easier by the Tubehunt tool. It provides easy interaction with Shopify, toll-free support for premium clients, and Facebook ad integration for the products that are currently in your inventory.
AliDropShip
AliDropShip is an automated dropshipping plugin for WordPress that connects you directly with AliExpress. It helps you to find and import products from the supplier, create listings on your website, and manage orders quickly and easily.
With cross-platform connectivity and compatibility, Alidropship gives users total control over dropshipping tools and facilitates the operation of various stores.
You don’t have to keep paying for your subscription because it is accessible for a one-time purchase of $89, and the cost is kept low.
The plugin provides features such as automated order processing, automatic pricing updates, customer reviews importing, product customization options, Google Merchant Center integration and more!
You can also benefit from time-saving tools like auto-updating stock levels and customizable product descriptions.
Three alternative dropshipping options are available from AliDropship:
They’ll create for you an exact clone of a top-performing AliDropship store, complete with a bestsellers catalog.
Plugin for AliDropship (Install it to turn your existing ecommerce site into a dropshipping store)
AliDropShip has an excellent customer service team and a comprehensive knowledge base with useful resources, so you can get the help and advice you need to run your business.
Spocket
Spocket is a dropshipping marketplace where you can access thousands of products from US and EU suppliers. It has features like automated order fulfillment, one-click product imports, supplier pricing discounts and more!
It seamlessly integrates with all popular e-commerce platforms, automates order fulfillment, and makes it simple to find hundreds of fantastic products from dropshipping suppliers throughout the globe (particularly in the EU/US).
The customized invoice function of Spocket, which enables you to design a unique invoice for your brand that is mailed along with your products, is one of the service’s standout features. Branded packaging may significantly increase brand recognition and repeat business.
You can browse Spocket’s product database using the company’s free plan. Then, you can upgrade to one of the paid plans once you are ready to start selling.
The Starter package is $24.99 and includes 25 products and unlimited orders. At $49.99 per month for 250 products and branded invoicing, you may upgrade to Pro.
At $99.99 per month, you can access unlimited products with the Empire plan. It also offers advanced features, such as automated inventory updates and a product variation switcher.
Doba
Doba is a dropshipping service that provides direct access to millions of products from over 200 suppliers. It has powerful features like one-click order fulfillment, automated product updates, and more!
The most distinctive aspect of Doba is its automated pricing regulations. Merchants can set up “rules” to price their goods at a set markup above the wholesale cost rather than doing so manually. The automated price also adjusts in response to supplier price fluctuations.
Plans begin at $49.99/month following a 30-day trial period.
With Doba, you can quickly import hundreds of thousands of items into your store with just one click. It also provides detailed product information such as images and descriptions so you don’t have to spend time entering this data manually.
The platform also offers powerful automation features such as automated inventory updates and order notifications. This helps to save you time and money since orders are processed automatically, leaving you free to focus on marketing or other aspects of your business.
Printful
Printful is a dropshipping service that specializes in custom printing and embroidery. You can use it to design, print, and ship custom products for your business without ever handling any inventory.
You may put your logo or design on just about anything. Around 330 different products are available from Printful, including clothes for men, women, and children, wall art, hats, mugs, water bottles, stationery, backpacks, blankets, and more.
It seamlessly integrates with popular ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. The platform also provides its own online store builder where you can quickly create your own website from scratch.
Unlike traditional dropshippers, Printful offers access to a wide range of unique items including apparel and accessories like hats, backpacks, hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, and more! It’s easy to find the perfect product for your target audience with their comprehensive catalog of items.
Printful offers a wide range of printing, embroidery, and fulfillment services. Prices are based on the item you choose and the quantity you need; however, there is no fee for using their service.
Printful also provides detailed product images and descriptions so you can easily create high-quality listings for your store. They also have a dedicated customer support team available around the clock to assist with any queries or issues that may arise.
You may import your products with special designs and start selling them in your shop. Orders are forwarded to Printful as they come in, and Printful will print, package, and ship them from the closest printing fulfillment site to the customer.
To the product packaging, you can add items like customized stickers and cards, and you can even add your own logo to the labels of t-shirts.
The majority of orders benefit from local fulfillment and quicker delivery times because there are facilities all over the world. And happier consumers are a result of quicker delivery times.
Creating an account with Printful is free. Although there are no ongoing costs, Printful will take a percentage of your product sales. You can upgrade to a subscription plan starting at $9/month if you want to access premium features.
SaleHoo
SaleHoo is an online retail dropshipper and wholesaler directory with over 8,000 verified suppliers. It helps you to find products from reliable suppliers, compare prices to make sure you get the best deals, and access a range of tools like operational guides, product research software, and more!
Unlike many other dropshipping services, the amazing thing about SaleHoo is that all of its suppliers and items are screened and approved. Thus you only have access to the providers with the best reputations and the biggest profit margins.
It includes a pricing control tool integrated into it. You may automatically add a certain profit margin to your product prices. Hence, if a supplier changes their prices, your retail price will instantly be changed to ensure that you always receive the desired margin.
Plans for SaleHoo Dropship start at $27 per month or $270 per year. As an alternative, you may pay $67 annually to have access to the SaleHoo Supplier Directory.
With SaleHoo, you can narrow down your search based on criteria such as price range, product availability (e.g., in stock or made to order), minimum order quantity, payment methods accepted (e.g., PayPal or credit card), and shipping time.
You can view detailed company profiles for each supplier containing contact information, product catalogs, payment options, and more! You may also receive personal support from the SaleHoo team via email or online chat to help with any questions you have about dropshipping your products.
The SaleHoo Market Research Lab is an invaluable tool that helps you identify profitable niche markets so you can focus on selling products that are most in-demand by customers. The software pulls data from eBay and Amazon and uses algorithms to calculate the total amount of money spent for certain search terms.
DropShipMe
DropShipMe is an automated dropshipping solution that immediately makes it easy to import and sell ready-made products. It provides a platform with over 50,000 pre-selected items from US, UK, Canada, Australia and Europe suppliers. The product range includes a variety of categories such as fashion apparel, electronics and home decor items.
In order to achieve this, they investigate current trends, examine the marketplace, evaluate product quality, look up supplier reviews and customer testimonials on AliExpress, and more. Then, so that you don’t have to, they use this information to determine which products have the greatest potential.
A free plan for up to 50 products will get you going. Higher import limitations on paid plans begin at $29 (one-time payment).
The most distinctive feature of DropShipMe is its comprehensive descriptions for each product. This helps you to create high quality listings quickly, so you don’t have to spend time researching or writing detailed product descriptions yourself.
It also includes features like one-click product imports and automatic inventory updates so you always know when items are out of stock or need to be reordered.
DropShipMe is a great choice for busy entrepreneurs who don’t have time to search for products and create detailed listings. The service offers access to over 50,000 pre-selected items from suppliers all over the world, so you can start selling quickly without any hassle.
Importify
Importify is a dropshipping integration platform that helps you to quickly import products from multiple suppliers into your store. It supports AliExpress, Banggood, DHgate, Walmart, eBay, Etsy and more!
The user-friendly interface of Importify allows you to search for products across its supported networks with just one click. To help you find the ideal items for your target audience and maximize profits, it provides powerful product filtering capabilities.
Plans begin at $14.95 per month (discounts available for annual plans). There is no need for a credit card to try it out for free.
Modalyst
Modalyst is a dropshipping platform providing access to over 1 million products from over 10,000 independent brands. It gives you the opportunity to find unique items for your store and design bespoke collections tailored to your target market.
Using Modalyst, you can quickly search its vast catalog of products and sort them by price or category. You may also filter based on brand name, product type, supplier location, popularity level and more!
The platform provides detailed product information, such as images and descriptions, so you don’t have to spend time entering this data manually. It makes it easy to track all your orders since they’re automatically forwarded to suppliers when customers place them in your store.
The $0 package from Modalyst includes up to 25 products and all of its automation capabilities. The monthly fee for up to 250 goods is $35.
Wholesale2B
Wholesale2B is a dropshipping platform aggregating products from over 100 suppliers. It offers access to millions of items across multiple product categories, such as clothing, electronics, home decor, and much more!
You may quickly import products into your store with just one click. It integrates with the top ecommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce so you can start selling right away.
You may manage the orders by signing up as a registered reseller with each supplier. Instead, you can pay Wholesale2B 3% to do that for you.
A lifetime free membership, 1 million products, and customer assistance are all included while using Wholesale2B.
The service also provides useful features to help you better manage your dropshipping business, such as automated order fulfillment, inventory updates and product descriptions. You can also access a range of marketing tools to promote your store, including email templates and discount codes.
What to Consider When Choosing a Dropshipping Platform
When you’re deciding which dropshipping platform to use, there are a few key things to consider.
Products
You need to make sure the platform supports the kind of products you would like to offer and that they have access to suppliers that can provide those items.
Fees
Most platforms charge a monthly fee in addition to any fees for importing products and processing orders. Make sure you fully understand what is included in the cost so you don’t get surprised by additional charges down the line.
Scalability
You need to make sure the platform can scale with you as your business grows. Look for features like automated order processing and customer reviews importing that will help streamline operations and save you time.
Integration
The platform needs to be able to integrate easily with your existing ecommerce store or website. You should also check if it supports other applications, such as Google Merchant Center integration, that may come in handy down the line.
Customer Service
It’s important to have access to a reliable customer service team when using a dropshipping platform so you can get any questions answered quickly and easily. Check out their support channels before signing up to make sure they offer the level of service you need.
Ease of Use
You should also consider how user-friendly the platform is. Look for features like customizable product descriptions and one-click order fulfillment that will make your life easier when it comes to managing your dropshipping business.
Hosted vs. Open-Source Platforms
You need to decide whether a hosted or open-source platform is best for your business. Hosted platforms are great for getting started quickly since they provide all the necessary tools and resources in one place. Open-source solutions require more setup but offer greater flexibility and control over your store.
Finding the right dropshipping platform can be a challenge, but with so many options available, there’s sure to be one that fits your needs. Consider these factors carefully before signing up and you’ll be well on your way to success!
Tips for a Successful Dropshipping Business
Dropshipping is an attractive option for entrepreneurs who want to start their own business without a lot of upfront investment. It can be a great way to test new markets and products while keeping your overhead low.
However, setting up a dropshipping business is not as easy as it sounds. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Research Your Niche
Before starting any dropshipping business, make sure you thoroughly research your market and niche. Understand what people are already buying, what the competition looks like, and how much demand there is for certain items. This will help you determine which products have the most potential and tailor your selection of items accordingly.
Dropshipping can be a lot of work, so it’s important to invest in automation tools that can help streamline operations and save you time. Look for tools that offer features like automated inventory updates and order notifications so you don’t have to manually check every detail.
Create Compelling Product Descriptions
Creating compelling product descriptions is an essential part of selling online, as it helps customers understand what they’re buying and why they should buy it from you. Make sure your descriptions are clear, accurate, and engaging to help convince customers to make a purchase.
Advertise Your Products
Once your store is set up and you have a selection of products ready to go, the next step is to start advertising them. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are great places to promote your items and attract more customers. Consider running paid ads as well if your budget allows it.
Dropshipping can be an excellent way to get started in ecommerce without having to handle any inventory yourself. If you’re looking for a way to launch your own business with minimal upfront costs, this may be the perfect option. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to success.
Final Thoughts on the Best Dropshipping Platforms
The best dropshipping platform for you will depend on your business needs and the products you plan to sell. All of the platforms listed in this article offer great features, competitive pricing, and excellent customer service. With so many options available, there’s sure to be one that fits your store perfectly!
Take a look at each of them and decide which platform is right for you by doing some research and comparing features. Once you find the perfect match, sign up and start selling with confidence knowing that it will help take your business to the next level!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the biggest dropshipper?
The biggest dropshipper is AliExpress, which is part of the Alibaba Group. It has a vast selection of products from millions of suppliers and offers access to buyers in over 200 countries around the world.
What is the best free dropshipping platform?
Shopify is one of the most popular free ecommerce platforms for dropshipping. It provides an easy-to-use dashboard, hundreds of customizable themes, and integrated payment processing so you can get started quickly with minimal effort.
What is the cheapest form for dropshipping?
Etsy is one of the cheapest forms of dropshipping because it has no monthly fees. You just pay a $0.20 listing fee and a 3.5% commission on each sale, plus payment processing fees if you use Etsy Payments.
How do I find reliable dropship suppliers?
You can find reliable dropship suppliers by researching online marketplaces such as AliExpress and SaleHoo or using supplier directories like DropshipMe or Importify. Wholesale forums are also a great place to ask questions and get advice from other experienced entrepreneurs.
With the right strategies in place, however, you can make significant profits with dropshipping platforms over the long term!
The best way to get started is by researching all of the options available and choosing one that fits your needs.
All of the platforms listed in this article offer great features at competitive prices and are trusted by thousands of entrepreneurs around the world. Take some time to review them carefully and decide which one is best for you.
8-figure Amazon seller and serial online entrepreneur since 2015. Research and practice various online business models, and apply his in-depth learnings to further expand and grow his businesses as well as help others to achieve greater successes. Ex-VP of a high tech VC in Vancouver and a Management Consultant with over a decade of experience in the industry. Master's Degree from HEC Paris.
