Is Temu the next big thing in dropshipping, or just another retail giant?

With Temu exploding in popularity, many ecommerce sellers are starting to ask the same thing: Could Temu actually replace AliExpress for dropshipping?

Or more importantly, should it?

These questions have become more relevant than ever as both platforms compete for the attention of budget-conscious shoppers and savvy dropshippers alike.

Quick Answer: What is the difference between Temu and AliExpress for dropshipping?

The main difference between Temu and AliExpress for dropshipping is that AliExpress officially supports dropshipping, offers robust integrations, and has a larger product catalog, while Temu does not officially support dropshipping and ships orders in branded packaging.

AliExpress is better suited for most dropshippers.

We tested both platforms across nine categories, so you can skip the guesswork and choose the right fit for your store.

Let's break it all down!

Temu vs AliExpress For Dropshipping: Which One Is Better?

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Overview: Temu vs. AliExpress for Dropshipping

For a quick answer on the main differences between Temu and AliExpress for dropshipping, take a look at the following table:

Temu		AliExpress
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
Cheap product prices	Can't use the product images	500+ million products	Lacking quality control
Trendy products	The products come in branded packaging	Publicly supports dropshipping	Unreliable shipping
Extensive product catalog	The return and refund process is complicated	Good ecommerce platform integrations	Customer support is lacking
Free shipping	Lacking ecommerce platform integrations	Product discovery tools available	The return and refund process may involve costs
Solid customer support	Slow refund process
Good return policy	It doesn't officially support dropshipping

For most dropshippers, we recommend AliExpress over Temu.

The main reasons are that Temu packages are branded, and the platform is not designed for dropshipping.

Conversely, AliExpress publicly supports dropshipping, has a dedicated dropshipping center, and offers a large selection of products.

With that said, here is a summary of when each platform may be ideal for you.

Temu is the right platform for you if:

You want to find and sell trendy products.
You need faster shipping than what AliExpress offers.
You don't mind Temu's branded packages.
You simply want to find winning products for your dropshipping store.

AliExpress is the right platform for you if:

You want to choose from millions of different products.
You want to compare similar products.
You require a solution that has robust third-party integrations with your ecommerce platform.
You're ready to compete against other dropshippers using AliExpress for dropshipping.
You want to leverage product discovery tools to find winning products.

What is Temu?

Temu is an online marketplace best known for its affordable, trendy products across a wide range of categories.

It was launched just in 2022 by PDD Holdings, a Chinese ecommerce giant that also owns the popular Pinduoduo app.

After its launch, Temu has been increasingly gaining popularity and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down:

Pros of Temu

Cheap product prices. Temu's vast supplier network and large budget help keep prices low.
Extensive product catalog. While not as large as AliExpress, Temu still offers a wide range of products.
Trendy products. Temu is known for trendy products, which can help in finding winning products.
Free shipping. Standard shipping is free on all orders, with express shipping free on orders over $129.
Good return policy. You can return products within 90 days, which is better than what AliExpress offers.
Solid customer support. Temu offers 24/7 customer support through its live chat.

Cons of Temu

Lacking a dropshipping program. Temu doesn't officially support dropshipping, and there are no programs available for it.
Lacking integrations. While a few third-party integrations are available for Temu, it is nowhere near what AliExpress has.
Branded packages. All Temu orders come with their own branding, which can be a problem for dropshippers.
Image restrictions. Unlike AliExpress, you can't use supplier images from Temu on your website or marketing.
Slow shipping. Although Temu's shipping is more reliable than AliExpress, it's still slow. Standard shipping takes 6 to 22 days, and express shipping takes 4 to 11 days but costs more.
Slow refund process. While the return policy is generous, refunds can take seven to 30 days after the product is returned.

What is AliExpress?

AliExpress is one of the most well-known online retail marketplaces owned by the Alibaba Group.

Like Temu, it has a strong seller base in China, and suppliers can list their products there.

AliExpress is known for its extensive product catalog, which includes over 500 million products.

It was launched in 2010, so it is considerably older than Temu.

However, with competitors like Temu emerging, the platform's growth in popularity has flattened out in recent years:

Popularity of AliExpress Google Trends — Source

Pros of AliExpress

A wide range of products. AliExpress has over 500 million products in its catalog.
Variety of product categories. AliExpress products are organized into hundreds of categories.
Cheap prices. Like Temu, AliExpress offers low prices for its products.
Available dropshipping program. AliExpress publicly supports dropshipping and has a Dropshipping Center to help find winning products.
Good third-party integrations. AliExpress can be integrated with third-party tools like DSers and AliScraper for automated dropshipping.
Third-party product discovery tools. Various third-party product discovery tools are available to help you find winning products.

Cons of AliExpress

Unreliable shipping. Standard shipping on AliExpress takes 15 to 30 days but is often inconsistent.
Non-existent customer support. AliExpress offers minimal customer support, leaving you to handle most issues on your own.
Inconsistent product quality. AliExpress doesn't have a strict supplier vetting program, so product quality varies.
Difficult returns. The return process on AliExpress is challenging due to the high cost of international returns and the difficulty of communicating with sellers.

Note: AliExpress or Temu products shipped to the US may now be subject to additional taxes due to the latest tariffs imposed during the Trump administration. Click here to learn more.

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Temu vs. AliExpress: How are their business models different?

As outlined in Temu's policy, the platform doesn't officially support dropshipping.

This is what they mention about it:

It is still possible to ship products from Temu suppliers to your customers, but there is one notable issue, which we'll discuss in the next section.

You can also order products from Temu and fulfill orders from your own warehouse or home, but that technically isn't dropshipping.

In contrast, AliExpress openly supports dropshipping. A clear example of this is the AliExpress Dropshipping Center, which we'll dive into shortly.

Winner: AliExpress

Temu vs. AliExpress: What are their dropshipping features?

Temu's dropshipping features are almost nonexistent, as the platform isn't designed for this model.

However, a few third-party apps in the Shopify App Store, such as Dropshipman, offer integrations with Temu, allowing you to import products.

On the other hand, AliExpress provides a wide range of dropshipping features.

Platforms like Auto DS, Spocket, DSers, and Zendrop offer tools for automating the AliExpress dropshipping process.

Plus, you've also got AliExpress product discovery tools.

Also, as mentioned in the previous section, the AliExpress Dropshipping Center is a tool created by AliExpress that helps to find and analyze pote n tial winning products.

For more information, read our AliExpress Dropshipping Center guide.

Winner: AliExpress

Temu vs. AliExpress: Which one offers more products?

While Temu doesn't publicly disclose how many products it has, estimates put it at around a million.

Temu is known for its trendy products across various categories.

You also have the 'Best Sellers' section, where you can find some of the best-selling products.

Even though AliExpress offers similar bestseller categories, we have to give credit to Temu for making the page clean and easy to navigate.

You can also filter the best sellers by time period and product category:

As with AliExpress, over 500 million products are available, far more than Temu offers.

The products are divided into even more categories:

AliExpress helps dropshippers find high-quality products through categories like 'Ships from the US' and 'SuperDeals.'

These categories aren't specifically made to find winning products, but can be used well for that purpose.

To conclude, AliExpress offers a much wider selection of products across more. However, while Temu offers fewer products, they tend to be more trend-focused.

AliExpress also offers product discovery tools to help you filter through its vast inventory and find winning ones.

Winner: AliExpress

Temu vs. AliExpress: Which one offers lower prices?

Both Temu and AliExpress are known for their affordable product prices.

Let's do a quick analysis to see which of the two wins.

We found this ice maker in Temu's Best Sellers list, priced at $50.49 with free shipping.

The same product on AliExpress was listed at $90.99, which is significantly more.

The product also has a welcome deal; without it, the price would be $166.65.

The ice maker on Temu was also on sale, but since almost all their products are on sale 24/7, we can't consider it.

This doesn't mean that all product prices are lower on Temu. Many products, such as this men's cross necklace, are cheaper on AliExpress:

The same product costs $3.14 on Temu, and both platforms offer free shipping.

To conclude, some products are cheaper on Temu, while others are cheaper on AliExpress.

Temu's prices tend to be more affordable for Best Sellers, but if you search for specific products across both platforms, the prices are often similar.

Winner: Draw

Temu vs. AliExpress: Which one is more user-friendly?

When it comes to platform user-friendliness and the interface, both platforms are quite intuitive to use.

Temu offers a simple, sleek interface where finding new products and scrolling through categories are easy.

This is what the Temu home page looks like:

As you can see, they showcase some of the best-selling products and different categories with big sales.

AliExpress' homepage is similar to Temu's:

The product pages on both platforms are also quite similar, including product information, customer reviews, shipping details, etc.

The order processing pages of both platforms are essentially the same, and you can also manage returns and refunds from these pages.

Winner: Draw

Temu vs. AliExpress: Which offers the best suppliers?

When comparing the suppliers of Temu and AliExpress, the main takeaway is that Temu vets them more carefully.

This is reflected in the number of products each platform offers.

AliExpress probably has 500 times as many products as Temu, which arguably means its quality control is worse.

Both platforms publicly showcase customer reviews, which makes it easy to see how good a specific supplier is.

They also feature seller profiles that provide an overview of supplier quality, including a rating section for each product they offer.

This is what it looks like on Temu:

AliExpress goes a step further with even more detailed supplier data.

When it comes to contacting suppliers, AliExpress makes the process simpler.

You can simply go to the supplier page and click the 'Contact Now' button.

On Temu, you need to copy the product's item ID and paste it into the support chat or use the 'Message' option on the seller's page.

However, the first point of contact is Temu's virtual chatbot, so you can't contact the Temu suppliers unless you have a serious problem.

To conclude, Temu vets its suppliers more carefully, but contacting suppliers is easier with AliExpress.

Winner: Draw

Temu vs. AliExpress: Who offers better shipping?

Both Temu and AliExpress offer quite long shipping times, but Temu has a slight advantage.

Temu uses two shipping methods:

Standard Shipping. 6 to 20 days free delivery on all orders
Express Shipping. 4 to 11-day delivery (costs $12.90 per order; free on orders over $129).

If your shipment is delayed, you'll receive a $5 credit as compensation.

Temu also has an interesting section called 'Local Warehouse' that lists sellers who have products stocked in local warehouses.

On the other hand, AliExpress is often known for its unreliable shipping.

AliExpress shipping time is normally 15 to 30 days, but it may take longer if suppliers have delays or other unforeseen circumstances.

AliExpress offers different ways to find suppliers with fast shipping, but this doesn't work for all products.

Depending on the product and size, AliExpress shipping can be free or cost a small amount (usually under 5 USD).

You can also go with premium shipping on AliExpress, but the prices are often quite high.

Here is one example from one product:

Winner: Temu

Temu vs. AliExpress: Who has a better return policy?

When it comes to return policies, Temu has a slight edge over AliExpress.

Let's go through both of their return policies.

AliExpress:

Some products qualify for the 'Free Return' policy, which allows you to return items within 15 days of receiving the order.
For items eligible for the 'Free Return' policy, return shipping is free, but it is limited to specific countries and sellers.
If the 'Free Return' policy does not cover the item, the buyer is responsible for shipping costs.
AliExpress offers 'Buyer Protection,' which includes a full refund if the item doesn't arrive or is significantly different from the description.
Refunds are issued after the seller confirms receipt and the item's condition.

Temu:

You can return items within 90 days of purchase.
Once a return request is initiated, items must be sent back within 14 days to be eligible for a refund.
The first return per order is free; additional returns incur a $7.99 shipping fee.
If your order arrives late, Temu compensates with a $5 credit for standard shipping or $13 for express shipping.

Most AliExpress products do not offer free returns, so returning them can be expensive (unless you qualify for 'Buyer Protection').

Temu's return process is more streamlined, although receiving money can take a long time.

Winner: Temu

Temu vs. AliExpress: Who has better customer support?

When it comes to customer support, Temu has an edge over AliExpress. Temu offers 24/7 live chat and email support.

Temu also has a chatbot on its website that gives quick answers to questions.

With AliExpress, customers often have to rely on a chatbot. The chatbot can direct you to human help, but you will quickly realize that they also can't often help.

AliExpress customer support might direct you right to the supplier, but you are not guaranteed a response from there either.

Winner: Temu

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Summary

Before we go, we've created a quick summary of this article for you so you can easily remember it:

AliExpress is a better option for dropshipping than Temu. AliExpress publicly supports dropshipping, whereas Temu doesn't.
AliExpress Dropshipping Center and third-party product discovery tools help with product research. Temu doesn't offer product research tools.
AliExpress offers more products in more categories than Temu. Temu has fewer products, but they're more trendy.
Temu offers better customer support, available 24/7 to all customers. With AliExpress, you often have to deal with a chatbot for your problems.
Both AliExpress and Temu are easy to navigate. Both platforms help users find winning products through categories like 'Best Sellers.'
Temu often has more reliable shipping than AliExpress. Temu offers free shipping, whereas some AliExpress products charge a fee.
Temu's return policy is more favorable for buyers. AliExpress return policy may incur additional fees.

Compare other platforms

Not sure yet if Temu or AliExpress is the right fit for you? Check out our other supplier comparison articles below:

Final verdict

So, what's our final take on which one is better, Temu or AliExpress, for dropshipping?

The answer is definitely AliExpress!

Temu doesn't officially support dropshipping, and it doesn't have any of the dropshipping tools AliExpress offers. Third-party integrations are also lacking with Temu.

On AliExpress, there are product discovery tools that can be especially beneficial for people new to dropshipping.

If you want to get started with AliExpress dropshipping, read our guide on it!

Good luck with your dropshipping journey!

Want to learn more about dropshipping?

Ready to move your dropshipping store to the next level? Check out the articles below:

Plus, don't forget to check out our in-depth guide on how to start dropshipping here!

Temu vs. AliExpress for Dropshipping: Which One Is Better?

Overview: Temu vs. AliExpress for Dropshipping