Aliexpress is one of the largest trading platforms, but not the only one in China. The economy of the Middle Kingdom is developing at a tremendous pace, a large number of Chinese online stores are appearing, making a great contribution to this process and offering very attractive conditions for their customers. Below we will look at all sites and stores similar to Aliexpress.

ebay

The main competitor of Aliexpress, because. model is the same. Founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995. The difference is that in addition to the usual goods, there is an auction model, which is implemented according to the standard rule - the one whose bid is higher at the end wins. There is protection, like on Aliexpress, moreover, even double - from the platform itself and from Paypal. A significant disadvantage is that some goods are not sent to Russia. Prices in most cases are higher, so it is better to take ordinary goods on the Chinese site. Ebay is more suitable for buying original brand products.

Taobao

The project of Alibaba Group, which owns Aliexpress. The same type as Ali - a platform that connects sellers and buyers. Established in 2003. Initially, it was created exclusively for buyers from China. It was impossible even to register here without having a SIM card from a Chinese operator and a Chinese bank account. Subsequently, registration was greatly simplified, now a person from anywhere in the world can register here. The main difference is that Taobao is aimed at trade in China, while Aliexpress is aimed at international trade. This creates a difference in price and range of goods. In addition, the site is only available in Chinese.

TinyDeal

A Chinese store offering a wide range of goods of various categories: clothing, footwear, electronics, auto products, household goods. The main difference from Aliexpress is the direct sale of goods, i.e. Tinydeal itself is the seller of the entire range presented on the site, unlike Aliexpress. Free postage on all items. You can pay if you need delivery by courier.

Miniinthebox / Lightinthebox

Two sites, similar in design and owned by the same company. Focus on the Russian market: among the payment methods are Webmoney, Yandex Money, Qiwi. Just like TinyDeal, it is an ordinary store. A huge range of goods in various categories.

gearbest

Another Chinese store specializing in electronics. There are products in other categories. The store offers free shipping on any product worldwide. Of the minuses - the ability to pay for goods only by card or Paypal. Free shipping on all products, but without providing a tracking number. You will have to pay extra for shipping with tracking.

banggood

Another Chinese hypermarket selling goods in almost any category. Founded in 2004. Advantages: no minimum order amount and payment for goods (in addition to a standard card) via Webmoney, Yandex Money, Qiwi.

DealExtreme

Chinese shop founded in 2005. Webmoney, card, Paypal are available for payment. Huge assortment in all categories with about 100,000 products. The store offers free shipping on any product. Orders are shipped worldwide.

Conclusion

If you have read up to this point and none of the proposed options suits you, you can always go to Aliexpress -

They belong to the same company - Alibaba Group, which was founded by Jack Ma in 1999 in Hangzhou, China. In addition, these sites are united by a single electronic payment system, which was created by the same company in 2004 - Alipay.

Alibaba.com

An online resource designed for large wholesalers. The site was created to make purchase and sale transactions between factories and owners of large stores or a chain of stores. The ad contains only approximate prices, the minimum batch available for order, the location of the seller (where you can pick up the goods), payment methods that the seller himself sets, and contacts for communication. The owners of the resource practically do not control the process in any way and do not give any guarantees that the obligations assumed by the seller and the buyer will be fulfilled, i.е. no transaction protection. In view of this, a huge number of scammers come across on this resource.

In fact, this site can be called informational rather than trading. It does not have any advantages and conveniences for an ordinary retail buyer.

Taobao.com

Auction and the largest online marketplace in China, focused on the end user. We list the main pros and cons that are distinguishable at first glance, which most beginners identify for themselves.

pros:

• incredibly large selection of products


• low prices


• retail

Minuses:

• Chinese


• shipping from the seller only in China


• for sending to another country is needed (and these are additional expenses and disputes)

Now let's look at the process of buying on Taobao in more detail.

A huge selection of goods is without a doubt a very, very significant and undeniable advantage. However, it is he who makes the search for the necessary goods so long and not always productive. And if you add to this the Chinese language of the interface, then the task of finding the right thing becomes even more difficult.

The low price is one of the main components of the attractiveness of this trading platform and one of the biggest misconceptions of buyers. Since the delivery of goods from Taobao is carried out mainly only in China, the question of an intermediary arises. Therefore, you always need to add to the price of the goods the % of the intermediary (on average it is 5-10%), % for the transfer of money to the intermediary (usually the PayPal payment system is used, which takes about 5%), the cost of delivery in China (if any) + shipping cost to your country (depends on shipping method and country). After all the calculations, it turns out that the price of the goods increases by 20-50%, depending on the weight of the parcel.

The need to use an intermediary for purchases on Taobao carries not only an increase in the cost of the order, but also explicit / hidden methods of deception. Here are some of them:

• redemption of goods not through the buyer's links;


• delaying the processing and sending of the order so that the dispute time in paypal expires and the buyer can no longer return the money for the wrong or non-arrived goods;


• an increase in the weight of the parcel due to a large amount of paper or garbage.

In fairness, it should be noted that buying through an intermediary involves checking the product for defects when the order is still in China. In the event of an incorrect size, color or damage, the item can be promptly sent back to the seller.

Due to the fact that delivery in China, order processing at the intermediary's warehouse and delivery to the buyer sometimes take a very long time, the benefits and security of payments through PayPal lose their meaning, because. the system gives only 45 days from the date of payment to open a dispute for a refund.

Thus, purchases on taobao.com are profitable only for large and dimensional orders. Never forget that, despite the budget savings (and sometimes significant), they are still associated with a certain risk (and sometimes a complete loss of money in the case of a dishonest intermediary).

Aliexpress.com

was created by Alibaba Group as the younger brother of taobao.com, aimed at the international market. Initially, the developers of the trading platform did not invest in the development, advertising and promotion of the resource on the Internet, and this somewhat slowed down its growth in the e-commerce market. The fact that earlier there were quite a lot of sellers selling lots (3-5 or more pieces of the same name) did not add popularity to the resource. However, at the end of 2012 - 2013, the site's management took it seriously. As a result, the interface and the rating system were improved, trading rules were tightened, the Paypal payment system was replaced with a more suitable one - Escrow, and the rules for conducting disputes were gradually improved. You also need to give credit to the owners of the trading platform for keeping their finger on the pulse and quickly responding to the situation with delivery times - the maximum number of days on the counter first increased to 90, and then to 120, the situation with disputes was expanded and clearer a list of reasons for opening was formulated and some gaps were removed, for example, it is no longer possible to open a dispute for partial compensation for a parcel that is in transit.

If we consider Aliexpress in its current form (as of August 2014), then we can distinguish the following pros and cons:

pros:

• low prices;


• a large selection of payment methods;


• the presence of a buyer protection system - escrow;


• English and Russian interface and search languages;


• competitions, sales, discounts and availability;


• the ability to leave product reviews in Russian, English, Spanish and some other languages ​​and attach real photos;

Minuses:

• lower selection of sellers and products compared to Taobao


• there is no consolidation of parcels (an order from each seller comes in a separate parcel, and not in a common box, you have to run to the post office)


• You can check the goods for compliance with the order only after receiving the parcel


• limited number of delivery methods (no cargo and shipping by sea)

Taobao.com and Aliexpress.com have a similar positive point - low prices for goods. Let's look at an example, where is it cheaper, on Taobao or Aliexpress? Click to open full size images

A bag on Ali costs $7.51 with free shipping by China Post Air Mail. In addition to this, you can still return up to 2% cashback for a purchase, i.e. it will cost about $7.36. A bag with Tao at today's rate (10 CNY = 1.6 USD) will cost 3.15$ + 15% for an intermediary and money transfer via paypal (the price will be ~ 3.62$) + shipping (on average for the same China Post Air Mail to Russia intermediaries charge 18 yuan for 100 grams, the bag weighs 400 grams, we get $ 11.66). In total, a Taobao bag will cost about $15.28.

It was a direct and average calculation "on the forehead." Of course, few people order one inexpensive and easy thing from Taobao, besides, each intermediary sets its own price for delivery and offers different methods. You can choose to ship via cargo (approximately 300 rubles per 500 grams, minimum order weight from 5 kg) or delivery by sea (but the waiting time increases significantly). The calculation only shows that it is more profitable to take cheap and light goods on Aliexpress.com, and heavy ones on Taobao.com.

eBay.com

American company founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995. In 2002, the company acquired the PayPal payment system, which had previously been used to pay at the auction. an undoubted advantage over other sites is the availability of different versions of sites for countries such as the UK, France, Germany, Russia, which actually means a much more diverse selection of goods compared to China, where most sellers sell the same type, not unique things.
pros:

• the ability to place bets and receive goods literally for a penny;


• availability of original, authentic goods;


• double buyer protection (from ebay and paypal);

Minuses:

• the seller himself regulates the bid step;


• the seller may not sell the goods to the buyer who won the auction if the final price is lower than the one he planned;


• the cost of goods from Chinese sellers is higher than on Tao or Ali;


• some of the goods are not sent to Russia, Ukraine or other countries of the near abroad, even by Chinese sellers;


• a small choice of delivery method (mostly only state mail);


• the number of characters in a product review is limited to a very small number, i.e. You can't write a full length review.

I would like to clarify about authentic products on ebay.com. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. It is not uncommon to have doubts about the originality of an item purchased on ebay, so you need to be extremely careful when you take an expensive branded product. Do not forget about resellers, from time to time you can meet American and European sellers with goods from Chinese sites. If we talk about what is better than aliexpress or ebay, where it is cheaper, I would answer that it is more profitable to take goods from Chinese sellers on Chinese sites, and use ebay to buy European and American goods and original branded products. Here is an example of the cost of a similar product from the same seller on ebay.com and aliexpress.com. Pictures enlarge on click.

Compare the above trading platforms with , and others small Chinese online stores. Auctions and online megastores take a kind of rent from sellers, which entails an increase in the price of goods. For example, I will give the price of a phone on the website buyincoins.com and in the store of the same seller on aliexpress.com

As you can see the price difference is quite high. However, sometimes the comparison is in favor of the trading platform:

We see that on aliexpress.com this dress from the same store () is cheaper, in addition, it is possible to apply a coupon for $3 and $5. Let's look at a similar product in another popular Chinese online store - romwe.com:

Thus, we can conclude that small and cheap goods (makeup brushes, wall stickers, rubber bands, etc.), some electronics are more profitable to take on separate websites of single stores, but clothes, shoes, children's goods are better to buy on taobao .com, aliexpress.com, ebay.com.

As a conclusion, I will once again write the main conclusions :

• it is more profitable to buy bulky and heavy goods, or to make wholesale or large orders and save money due to cheap delivery.


• It is more convenient to purchase goods individually or in small lots. This is a great option for those who cannot or do not want to take a lot of things at once.


• it is better not to order goods from Chinese sellers and always be aware of resellers who sell more expensive what you can buy elsewhere at a lower price.


• in small separate it is cheaper to take small things, a part of electronics and equipment.

Finally, I would like to remind you that it is necessary to compare prices on different resources, calculate the final cost of the goods, not forgetting about additional expenses for third-party services, and look not only at the benefit, but also at the safety of the purchase. I hope the article was useful to you. You can place your additions and wishes in .

AliExpress is perhaps the most popular Chinese site where you can buy cheap and high-quality goods. But he is not alone. As theory has shown, there are several dozens of such sites. In practice, we have selected the 5 most worthy Chinese online stores to show how cool alternatives to Aliexpress can be.

#1 Tomtop

Tomtop marketplace positions itself as "a reliable Chinese wholesale and retail online store with a variety of high-quality products." It has been in operation since 2004, is an Alibaba Gold Supplier, and is certified by McAfee to confirm its safety.

Here you can buy all kinds of goods at amazingly low prices. Promotions are constantly held, free coupons are issued, discounts up to 70% are given every day. The interface and functionality are the same as AliExpress, so the experienced Ali user will feel at ease on Tomtop.

#2Joom

Joom is a company from Latvia with a development office in Moscow. The site sells many products from around the world, including China. The main feature of the site is its appearance, which differs from the standard one taken from AliExpress. But the interface is simple and clear, so you should not worry.

The advantages of the store are:

• Free worldwide shipping;
• round the clock technical support;
• low prices;
• profitable offer;
• unrealistically long product warranty of 75 days.

Joom also boasts of its user-friendly application. Interestingly, when ordering products from the app, you get additional discounts and coupons.

We believe that Joom is a worthy alternative to AliExpress.

#3 JD

JD.com is one of the largest B2C companies in China despite having been around since 2014. The site provides almost all possible products at reasonable prices. Traditionally, buyers are offered:

• coupons;
• stock;
• sales with discounts up to 60%.

The appearance of the site is similar to AliExpress, so advanced buyers do not experience discomfort when searching for the desired functions or products.

#4 GearBest

The GearBest online store focuses on service. The order is completed only when the buyer confirms that the goods have arrived intact and as stated. Worldwide delivery right to your door, 45 days warranty, wide range of products - all these advantages have made the site a leader.

Low prices, daily promotions, discounts are reminiscent of AliExpress. The site design is the same, only slightly redesigned. It will not be difficult for a confident user who is familiar with Chinese markets to deal with the resource on their own.

#5 Banggood

Banggood has been operating since 2006. Initially, the company specialized in research and development of computer programs, and later transformed into an online store. Familiar interface, profitable discounts, daily promotions - everything is "feng shui".

A wide range of more than 200,000 products for various applications. Here, as in other Chinese sites, there is everything your heart desires, and at charming prices. The service is also top notch.

We would like to note that all presented online stores have affiliate programs and many other tools for making money. So you can not only happily shop on Chinese sites, but also earn real money.

I know that many people are looking for sites similar to aliexpress. On the one hand, this is correct, because in some stores you can find goods cheaper than on aliexpress itself, but on the other hand, it is easier to return money to Ali through the dispute system and other features and chips.

Anyone who watches all sorts of YouTube bloggers knows that all reviewers of goods from China order not only on ali itself, but also on other Internet sites. Because, already all stores of goods from China have delivery to Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries.

In the same place, you can buy from covers to phones, ending with large household appliances, just like on Ali.

dx.com is a pure analog site. The prices are about the same, even the design of the site is the same.

tinydeal.com is similar to the previous one. Well, for prices, I would say that DX is far from it. There are some goods cheaper than on Ali, and some are more expensive.

banggood.com - here you can buy everything the same as above, but here the equipment is a little bit cheaper than in other Chinese online stores.

gearbest.com - a lot of goods, there are a lot of video cameras and other little things. It is convenient in that a more extensive description of the product, for each product you can find video reviews independent of the site. And photos of the product as received by users. Conveniently.

In general, all these stores are just drop-shopping platforms. Basically, the goods are sent to you by the manufacturer, and not by the online store.

And all these stores act as a guarantor of the transaction, only controlling honesty. And everyone knows that the best refund system on aliexpress.

I don't post here on Amazon and eBay because those sites don't work with the Chinese. Here it is better to buy American equipment, such as GoPro or iPhone.

Every day, a lot of competitors appear around the Aliexpress website. Similar sites and trading platforms like Aliexpress are ready to give the buyer the opportunity to buy goods from them under the same conditions as on Aliexpress.

Chinese analogue Aliexpress

If you use the Chinese analogues of Aliexpress in order to find prices even lower, then the chance that you will find something similar is very small. Since there are also placed goods offered to the buyer without dropshippers, that is, without intermediaries. The price there will be the base price, without markups, as well as on AliExpress.

List similar to Aliexpress:

1. www.gearbest.com
2. www.banggood.com
3. www.lightinthebox.com
4. www.MiniInTheBox.com
5. www.buyincoins.com
6. www.dresslily.com
7. www.sammydress.com
8. www.tomtop.com
9. www.soufeel.com
10. https://ru.tvc-mall.com
11. www.dhgate.com
12. www.newfrog.com/en/
13. www.gamiss.com
14. www.geekbuying.com
15. www.yoins.com
16. www.chinavasion.com

The interface of these sites is quite convenient to use. On the left is a menu where products are sorted into categories and subcategories. In addition, these sites have a convenient filter by price categories and an informative search, where, when you enter, a list of goods that are available and their quantity immediately drops out.

For the most convenient shopping, each online store has a Russified version of the site, where prices are presented in rubles, not dollars. In addition, there are also mobile versions of sites and applications that can be downloaded from Google Play.

On these Chinese marketplaces, you can find almost everything: men's, women's and children's clothing, gadgets, stationery, hygiene and health items, household appliances and tools.

Russian analogue of Aliexpress

Is there a Russian analogue of the Aliexpress website with Russian goods and free shipping? Nothing came to my mind that could be called the Russian analogue of Aliexpress.

On the Internet you can find many popular Russian online stores (M.Video, e96.ru, connected, ozon.ru), but they will not be analogous to Aliexpress, since they sell goods that are not produced in Russia, but mainly abroad . But I think that in the near future the Russian government, inspired by the success of Aliexpress, EBay and Amazon, will decide to create their analogue for selling Russian goods abroad.

American equivalent of Aliexpress

There are similar sites in America, where the Chinese also post their goods. Such as EBay and Amazon. But there, the same products that were offered on AliExpress will already be with a cheat, and not a small one.

Thus, we can conclude that now on the trading Internet sites are placed mainly Chinese goods. They can be bought in various online stores, with a large markup and delivery fees, or purchased without intermediaries from a Chinese seller directly, that is, on