Spocket vs AliDropship, which is the superior dropshipping software between the two? That is what we shall find out in this article.
Dropshipping is one of the most popular methods to start an eCommerce business, it has low overheads, high-profit margins and can be run from the comfort of your home. There are many dropshipping apps that will help automate many aspects of running a dropshipping business, in this article, we will compare two of the most popular apps and see which one is the better.
Spocket vs AliDropship
So, one of the most important tasks in eCommerce is finding reliable suppliers to source products from.
Spocket have a strict verification process when it comes to accepting suppliers, most of the suppliers that work with Spocket are based in the USA and EU, although there are some from other parts of the world.
Suppliers who want to work with Spocket must meet these requirements and maintain a high order success rate if they are accepted into the Spocket supplier partnership program.
Spocket have hundreds of verified suppliers that you can source high-quality products from, you will usually get a minimum discount of 25% for these products, but usually, it’s more around 30%-40%. These discounts are part of the requirements that Spocket negotiates as part of the onboarding process for suppliers.
Many of the products listed on the Spocket marketplace are unique handcrafted items that are not available anywhere else.
Another bonus for Spocket is that if you want to use AliExpress to dropship products, they have developed a Chrome extension called Aliscraper which will allow you to easily import products from AliExpress into your store.
As you may be aware, AliDropship is a WordPress plugin that allows you to import products only from AliExpress. It’s an easy enough process and you can do this in the plugin area of your WordPress dashboard, or there is a free Chrome extension that you can use to import products.
There are many advantages of dropshipping with AliExpress and the biggest one is their huge range of products. This is why Spocket developed the Aliscraper Chrome extension, however, there are also issues that you will have to be aware of.
Not all suppliers on AliExpress are properly vetted and you will have to do your own due diligence when looking for suppliers to go into business with.
One of the biggest issues dropshippers face when they use AliExpress to source products is delivery times. As most products are shipped from China, the fastest time to ship to the USA is around 2 weeks. There are faster options, but using those methods will eat into your overall profit margin and you will have to sell in high volume just to break even.
Of course, if the customer doesn’t mind waiting a bit longer for their delivery, then it will not be a problem. However, we do live in the age of Amazon Prime and next day delivery, so customers will expect fast delivery for their products and some may not be willing to wait 2+ weeks for a product unless they cannot get it from anywhere else.
Spocket vs AliDropship – Automation Feature
Running any kind of business is tough and some tasks take longer than you would like, this is no different when running a dropshipping business. Fortunately, both Spocket and Alidropship come with many features that will allow you to automate or at least semi-automate a lot of the tasks that are required in running a dropshipping store.
Both apps come with similar automation features, for example, at the click of a button you can easily import products into your store along with the product descriptions and images.
Alidropship and Spocket allow you to automate pricing rules for different product categories, once the rules are in place, each product that you import will be automatically priced.
Both apps have automatic Inventory updates, so you will know exactly the amount of inventory you have available and make any necessary adjustments if needed.
The order fulfilment process is very simple, with both AliDropship and Spocket you can process orders at the click of a button, and you can do this order by order or process them in bulk. You will get an automated response from the supplier along with a tracking number once the order has been shipped.
Product Samples
When you run an eCommerce business, it is advisable that you test out the product you want to sell (if it’s financially viable). This way you can be assured of the quality of the product and also get an idea of how quickly the supplier process’s and fulfils and orders.
With Spocket, ordering samples is very straightforward as there is a button for this on every product page. As part of Spockets agreement with their suppliers, you are even eligible for a discount for product samples.
As AliDropship has no direct connection with any of the suppliers on AliExpress, if you want to order product samples, you will have to communicate directly with the supplier. As far as I am aware, the majority of suppliers will be happy to send over product samples but getting a good discount on them may be another issue. It never hurts to ask!!
Product Delivery Times
I touched on this near the beginning and I will elaborate a bit more here, quick delivery times go a long way in customer satisfaction and repeat purchases.
As the majority of Spockets suppliers are based in the USA and EU, they can offer fast delivery times, usually between 3-10 days. This is in stark contrast to AliDropship, as you can only import products from AlixExpress, delivery times are much longer. If you sell lightweight products, you can use their ePacket shipping method, which takes 2+ weeks to ship and fulfil the order.
Customers may not mind the long shipping time if you are fully transparent and let them know, but generally speaking, quick delivery times are always better for you and the customer and in this regard, Spocket has an advantage over AliDropship.
Branding
Spocket allows users to brand their invoices which help them stand out to their customers This is a nice feature of Spocket that will help dropshippers build their brand, suppliers are also not allowed to insert any kind of their own marketing material that may tip of the end customer where the product came from.
With AliDropship, there is no direct way you can upload your own branded invoice for suppliers to insert into the packages. You can contact them individually and ask them if they will be willing to insert your invoice, which many may be willing to do, you will also have to ask them to not include any of their own marketing material.
Support & Resources
Both AliDropship and Spocket are known to provide good support to their customers, Spocket have a very active Facebook group where you can get limited support for any queries you may have. They provide chat support for their Pro, Empire and Unicorn members and there is a section that answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Spocket.
When it comes to resources and training material for those beginning their dropshipping journey, AliDropship is way ahead of Spocket. In fact, AliDropships resources can be compared to that of Shopify, they provide free tools, eBooks, guides and case studies and also regularly update their excellent blog, which was the recent winner of an internal award.
AliDropship also have an active forum where you can seek advice from successful drop shippers, get questions answered and get helpful tips from other users. They also regularly post informative videos on their YouTube channel and are very active on various social media platforms.
Success Stories
While both do have success stories on their website, AliDropship has many more success stories to tell on their site. This does not mean that more people find success with AliDropship, but they do like to celebrate their customer’s success, even if it’s a small one.
eCommerce Platform Integration
The AliDropship plugin only works with WordPress, it is probably the best AliExpress dropshipping solution for people who want to build their stores on WordPress. However, if you want to use other eCommerce platforms, Spocket is the better option.
Spocket is compatible with WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce.
Spocket vs AliDropship – Pricing
Spocket has 4 pricing plans, with limited support and products for the starter plan, while Pro version comes with better support and more products to import. For full access to their entire catalogue.
AliDropship is a one-time fee of $89 for their plugin with lifetime support and free updates.
Final Thoughts
Both are fantastic dropshipping apps and which is suitable for your needs will depend upon what you want to sell, your eCommerce platform of choice and whether you want to dropship primarily with AliExpress suppliers or want access to suppliers in the USA and EU. AliDropship is the best choice for AliExpress dropshipping and Spocket for those who want to sell unique products that are sourced from suppliers in the USA and EU.