Online shopping is not just a modern trend, but also the most comfortable way of picking up necessary stuff, just by a click. Global consumer market depends a lot on e-commerce sites as they provide immense exposure to the small and large business enterprises.
Various e-commerce sites extend innumerable options for countless products maintaining quality and offering a wider price range.
There are so many competing e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Banggood and eBay.
Aliexpress and DHgate are among the leading e-commerce sites that draw much attention from global consumers. However, most often buyers get confused as to which one is the safer and better to opt for. Here we will focus and discuss such points that would answer a lot of questions based on the credibility of these popular e-commerce sites.
Aliexpress or Dhgate - Which has better offers?
Aliexpress
Aliexpress is one of the most sought-after online retail services owned by China-based Alibaba Group. This e-commerce site has been ruling over the global consumer market since 2010, which started with B2B selling and buying. Later, it expanded to B2C and C2C services and now the website runs in around 11 languages across the globe. This online shopping portal is challenging the other bigger online brands like Amazon, eBay, and many others. Aliexpress is one of the leading e-commerce sites that help Chinese businesses to approach the global audience and is also the top 10 popular websites in Brazil.
DHgate
China is one of the leading nations that provide online retail services and DHgate.com is another similar yet outstanding e-commerce site. Diane Wang founded this online portal in 2004 and was officially launched in 2005, headquartered in Beijing. DHgate is a cross-border e-commerce service that extends the logistic platform along with mobile e-commerce. This B2B e-commerce platform links several businesses individuals worldwide with the Chinese SMEs. DHgate also captured the headlines in 2015 for facilitating a bilateral e-commerce treaty between Turkey and China at the G20 summit. The diverse range of electronic products, beauty items, apparel, and many daily essentials makes it difficult for online shoppers to dodge off this outstanding shopping portal.
Product quality and prices
Generally, it is seen that the prices of online products are comparatively cheaper than market stores. This is because products are directly purchased from manufacturers by the customers that lead to a huge price drop. Besides, expenses on production are much less in China than in other nations that make online shoppers get the best deal on wider varieties of products on these online portals. However, the quality and pricing of products may vary, but both have their merits that attract massive web traffic.
● Aliexpress
Most of us are aware of the fact that China is the hotbed for duplication of products and selling them at a cheaper price. These websites are no exception and do offer such counterfeited items. They are also renowned for their well-curated commercial products, and Aliexpress is one such platform famous all across the globe. An extensive list of reasonable and excellent Chinese products is available at Aliexpress offering customers a safer mode of transaction. Aliexpress product listing comes with reviews and ratings, price, offers along with product and shipping cost. This way the customer gets every detail about the product and can opt for a suitable pick.
Aliexpress is known for Electronics, Apparel and Home Products
● DHgate
DHgate is one of the biggest online platforms and is constantly flourishing. Within a short period, this online portal has been tagged the second largest marketplace in the world after Aliexpress, providing unique and exciting products. DHgate and Aliexpress are more or less similar, but for the past few years, DHgate has been giving tough competition to Aliexpress. DHgate has achieved immense popularity and has become one of the prominent shopping websites. The major difference that makes this online retail portal stand out from other websites and differ from Aliexpress is that it puts forward the wholesale price of the product. Not only this, DHgate mentions the variations along with product price, shipping details, ratings, and reviews.
Dhgate is known for Replicas, Wedding Dresses, Watches
Payment Options
After selecting the desired items, the customers are often unsure of whether to trust the payment mode of the portal or not. Though online shopping is comfortable and easy, it has the highest risk of online scamming, hacking, and other illegal activities. Aliexpress uses various payment modes and they are Credit or Debit Card, Web Money, Wire Transfer, and Western Union.
It is well renowned that the payment mode is quite safe and secure, making it probably the best online platform for shopping. While on the other hand, DHgate offers options like Credit and Debit Card, Local Payment, and Bank transfer. This is evident that Aliexpress extends wider payment options and safer mode to the buyer. Whereas, DHgate on the other side is a trending online portal with limited payment mode, but it is safe and highlights explicit details on wholesale price.
AliExpress vs DHgate Price Comparison
Let’s take the SKMEI digital shockproof watch for example and compare the prices on both AliExpress and DHgate. You will notice that the price on AliExpress is nearly half the price on DHgate and this is due to the lower commission rates charged by AliExpress.
AliExpress Pricing
On AliExpress, the seller SKMEI is selling the 1688 model of smartwatch for a little under $16 which is a good deal. The only problem here is that this watch will be shipped out from China and would most likely take longer to reach the destination.
DHgate Pricing
On DHgate, the same watch with the exact same specifications and features is going for a whopping $36.45 which would likely be due to the fact that the seller has to pay a higher commission rate and hence the product's price has increased.
AliExpress vs DHgate Payment Options
| AliExpress Payment Options | DHgate Payment Options |
| Credit Card/Debit Card | Credit Card/Debit Card |
| Web Money | Local Payment |
| Wire Transfer | Bank Transfer |
| Western Union |
AliExpress vs DHgate Shipping
| AliExpress Shipping Carriers | Duration | DHgate Shipping Carriers | Duration |
| AliExpress Standard Shipping | 15-20 Days | China Post | 10-15 Days |
| AliExpress Saver Shipping | 30 Days | EMS | 5-10 Days |
| AliExpress Premium Shipping | 39 Days | DHL | 10-15 Days |
| China Post Air Parcel | 45-52 Days | FedEx | 15-20 Days |
| Turkey Post | 7-30 Days | TNT | 10-15 Days |
| Sellers Shipping Method | TBD | Singapore Post | 20 Days |
| FedEx | 24 Days | Post Link | 10 Days |
| DHL | 21 Days | HK Post | 10-20 Days |
| e-EMS | 45 Days |
Better Shipping Option
Most of these e-commerce sites have a well-organized shipment facility that brings the ordered material to your doorstep. However, this cost some bucks that get included with the product price despite that customers either face delay in delivery or other related issues. Let us check out how both these leading online shopping portals manage the logistics of their products.
Both Aliexpress and DHgate offer paid as well as free shipping facilities. They both display the tracking details of the ordered item, making it easier for the buyers to understand the shipment status of the item. But what makes them differ from each other is that DHgate's shipment terms depend on the sellers and the product ordered. Whereas, in the case of Aliexpress, customers get more specific info on the shipment date and cost. Another difference one can notice is that DHgate provides every detail about the shipping company with an approximate date. However, Aliexpress does not disclose the details of the shipping company; instead, they specify the exact date of delivery.
Better Buyer Protection
When everyone appreciates the merit of these online players, on the other hand, the trust of the consumers get shattered by the existence of online scammers. Buyers' protection on these online sites is a bigger threat than anything else. The customers entrust with their bank details, but the danger of fraudsters stalking the buyers' details is still looming. Hence, strong buyer protection plans and refund policies are essential that safeguards the customers from being trapped by fraudsters.
Both Aliexpress and DHgate counterfeit products, and one may notice several fake or duplicate products on these sites. However, they both have buyer protection plans, though all products are not applicable. Aliexpress and DHgate are both at par on this point as they provide money back guarantee options. The problem arises when all sellers don't opt for such buyer protection plans. In such cases, consumers need to check the refund policies before purchasing a particular product.
Better Product Variety
Well coming across some of the attributes, it is clear DHgate is a good competitor of Aliexpress. They both offer similar products, but they do vary in certain aspects and make Aliexpress lead this section as well. DHgate offers limited sellers and products, whereas Aliexpress presents a plethora of options for various items.
Aliexpress attracts customers with its extensive collection of clothing, electronics, jewelry, and whatnot. Most importantly, if you are out of option in Aliexpress, then do check out the long list of fabulous collections of replica shoes and bags. Besides, it offers some electronic goods that may not be available on other online retail platforms. DHgate also excels in surprising its customers with attractive offers and coupons that give them an easy win over Aliexpress.
Scam Sellers- A common danger
The activities of the fraudsters have increased with the growing advancement in the digital platforms and online markets. Purchasing items is not, actually, that easy as it seems. The threat of falling into the trap of scammers persists every moment. The transaction happens through credit or debit card, or other modes where buyers are asked to provide their bank details. The chances of bank details being hacked by online scammers is a serious issue. Customers need to research the product details and verify the price rates from other websites to be very sure. Besides, buyers also need to check with the sellers' details and refund policy to cross check the service standards.
Aliexpress and DHgate are both Chinese suppliers that are doing great on foreign trade through the digital platform. Both of them are quite similar, which makes them compete with each other on various attributes. When the credibility is questioned of these leading online retail portals, they do not have much difference. One can find fraud sellers in disguise on other websites and Aliexpress and DHgate is no exception. Hence, a thorough research and detail study about the sellers and product is necessary, to avoid the risk of losing money.
