Suppliers & sourcing
Dropshipping suppliers, ranked by what they actually deliver
Seven ways to get a product to a customer, with the delivery windows per region, the volume at which each one starts making sense, and what custom packaging really costs before you commit to 500 units.
TL;DR — Quick verdict
Updated August 202618 min readStart on DSers because it is free, then move to CJdropshipping when one product passes 5–10 orders a day, then to a private agent at 30+. Delivery windows drive your refund rate, and refund rate decides whether the store survives — so the question is never which supplier is cheapest, it is which one gets the parcel there before the customer opens a dispute. Do not buy custom packaging before you have sold 500 units of the same product.
| Supplier | Cost | US delivery | EU delivery | Custom packaging | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSers | Free (paid from $19.90/mo) | 8–20 days | 7–15 days | No | Validating your first product. Start here. |
| CJdropshipping | Free, pay per order | 5–12 days (2–5 from US stock) | 6–12 days (3–6 from DE stock) | Yes, low MOQ | The step after AliExpress, at 5–50 orders/day. |
| Zendrop | Free tier, Pro $79/mo | 5–12 days | 8–15 days | Yes, on Pro | Beginners who want branding without an agent. |
| Spocket | From $39.99/mo | 2–7 days | 2–7 days | Branded invoicing only | Fast shipping when margin allows a higher COGS. |
| AutoDS | From $9.90/mo | Depends on source | Depends on source | Via connected supplier | Automating fulfilment across several suppliers. |
| HyperSKU | Quote-based | 5–12 days | 5–10 days | Yes | 10+ orders/day with one proven product. |
| Private agent | Per-SKU quote | 4–9 days | 4–8 days | Yes, cheapest | 30+ orders/day. Best unit economics, highest risk. |
Supplier comparison, checked August 2026. Shipping windows are realistic averages outside Chinese New Year, not best-case marketing numbers.
Real shipping times, by line and by region
This is the table that decides your business. Everything else — product choice, ad creative, store design — sits downstream of how long the customer waits. Stores that state the window honestly run under 1% chargebacks. Stores that hide it run 3–8%, and payment processors start holding payouts at around 1%.
Per-market detail, including the tax rules that change what your customer pays on delivery:the USA,the UK,Germany,Canada andAustralia. If you need speed rather than reach, start withthe suppliers that ship 2–5 days inside the US. When warehouse stock runs dry mid-campaign — and it will —pause the ads within 24 hours. Further down the path: what the Spocket premium does to break-even ROAS, what custom packaging really commits you to, andhow to vet a sourcing agent once you are past 30 orders a day. Selling into Europe changes the shortlist —EU-held stock removes the customs step — and if you are considering buying a production run,Alibaba minimums start at 100-500 units and you will needsomewhere to put it.
| Shipping line | United States | Western Europe | Australia | Rest of world | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AliExpress Standard Shipping | 8–20 days | 7–15 days | 8–18 days | 15–40 days | $2–$6 |
| AliExpress Premium / Cainiao Expedited | 6–12 days | 5–10 days | 7–14 days | 12–25 days | $4–$9 |
| CJPacket | 5–12 days | 6–12 days | 7–14 days | 10–20 days | $3–$8 |
| CJ / Zendrop US or EU warehouse | 2–5 days | 3–6 days | n/a | n/a | $4–$10 |
| Agent line (YunExpress, 4PX, dedicated) | 4–9 days | 4–8 days | 5–10 days | 8–18 days | $3–$7 |
Delivery windows from order to doorstep, including 1–3 days of supplier processing. Averages for normal months; add 7–21 days for roughly six weeks around Chinese New Year.
DSers (AliExpress)
Start hereThe official AliExpress partner app and the correct first choice for everyone. Free up to 3,000 products, ten minutes to connect to Shopify, and access to a catalogue nothing else matches. You are buying optionality, not speed: 8–20 days to the US is the price of finding out whether anyone wants your product before you spend money on logistics.
- Cost
- Free (Advanced $19.90/mo)
- US delivery
- 8–20 days
- Custom packaging
- No
- Best at
- 0–10 orders/day
The free plan does everything a new store needs: bulk order placement, variant mapping, automatic tracking sync back to Shopify. The paid tiers add multi-store management and bundle mapping, which are problems you do not have yet.
The one skill worth learning here is supplier selection inside AliExpress. Two listings for the same product will differ by 4 days of shipping and a 2% dispute rate. Sort by orders, read the recent reviews with photos, message the supplier before you send them 20 orders a day, and always check whether they ship from a local warehouse.
What it does well
- Free, and the free tier is genuinely enough to run a store to $10k/mo.
- The widest catalogue in the industry — you can test three products in a week.
- Official AliExpress partner, so order sync and tracking updates are reliable.
- Buyer protection and dispute handling exist, unlike with a private agent.
What it costs you
- 8–20 day delivery to the US, and the customer sees a Chinese tracking page.
- No custom packaging and no branding. Some parcels arrive with the supplier’s invoice inside.
- Stock and price change without warning mid-campaign.
- Quality varies between listings for the identical product, so samples are mandatory.
The free plan covers up to 3,000 products — enough for a first store.
CJdropshipping
Best second stepFree to use, pay per order, and the practical upgrade once a product works. US and EU warehouses cut delivery from 12–20 days to 2–5 on the SKUs they stock, the sourcing team will quote products AliExpress does not carry, and custom packaging starts at low minimums. The trade is a clunkier interface and support that answers in hours rather than minutes.
- Cost
- Free, pay per order
- US delivery
- 5–12 days (2–5 from stock)
- Custom packaging
- Yes, low MOQ
- Best at
- 5–50 orders/day
The sourcing request is the underrated feature. You send a product URL, and within about 48 hours you get a quote with a landed cost per unit including shipping. That number is what you put into the break-even calculator — not the AliExpress item price, which excludes shipping and misleads everyone at least once. Every CJ cost line, including the ones it does not publish a rate card for, is inhow much CJdropshipping charges.
Check the landed cost carefully when you migrate. CJ unit prices are sometimes higher than AliExpress for the same item, and the win comes from shipping speed and fewer refunds rather than from a cheaper product. If the refund rate does not drop, the switch has not paid for itself.
What it does well
- US, EU and UK warehouses with 2–5 day delivery on stocked SKUs.
- Free sourcing requests answered in about 48 hours with a landed cost quote.
- Custom packaging, inserts and print-on-demand without holding inventory.
- Quality inspection and product photo/video services at reasonable prices.
What it costs you
- Interface is dense and the learning curve is a real afternoon.
- Unit prices can exceed AliExpress — compare landed cost, not item price.
- Warehouse stock runs out and silently reverts orders to China shipping.
- Support quality varies by agent, and responses take hours not minutes.
Free to join; you pay per order.
Zendrop
Branding without an agentA free tier plus Pro at $79/mo that buys custom packaging, branded inserts, faster US fulfilment and automatic order processing. It is the easiest path to a store that does not look like dropshipping, and the subscription only makes sense above roughly 60–80 orders a month.
- Cost
- Free tier, Pro $79/mo
- US delivery
- 5–12 days
- Custom packaging
- Yes, on Pro
- Breaks even at
- ~80 orders/mo
Zendrop's pitch is that it removes the parts of CJ that annoy people: the interface is clean, fulfilment is automatic, and branded inserts are a toggle rather than a negotiation. For an operator who wants to stop thinking about logistics, that is worth real money.
Run the arithmetic before subscribing. $79/mo across 80 orders is about $1 per order — fine. Across 20 orders it is $3.95 per order, which on a $35 gross profit product is 11% of your margin for convenience you do not yet need. The head-to-head against pay-per-order pricing is in Zendrop vs CJdropshipping.
What it does well
- Custom packaging and branded inserts without an agent relationship or a 500-unit MOQ.
- Automatic fulfilment, so you are not placing orders by hand at 20/day.
- US-based fulfilment on part of the catalogue, cutting delivery to 5–8 days.
- Clean interface — the fastest of these tools to actually learn.
What it costs you
- $79/mo before you have revenue if you want the features that matter.
- Catalogue is far smaller than AliExpress, so your product may simply not be there.
- Unit prices run above AliExpress for comparable items.
- Still 5–12 days on the China-fulfilled part of the catalogue.
Free tier available; Pro is $79/mo.
Spocket
Fast shipping, thinner marginUS and EU wholesalers with 2–7 day delivery, starting at $39.99/mo. You trade 20–40% higher cost of goods for a refund rate that behaves like a normal retailer. That maths works on products with $40+ of gross profit and fails badly on cheap items.
- Cost
- From $39.99/mo
- US delivery
- 2–7 days
- COGS premium
- +20–40%
- Best for
- Higher-ticket products
Spocket is the answer to "how do I dropship without 15-day shipping". It is a real answer, with a real cost. On a $79 product with a $22 landed cost, paying $28 instead for two-day delivery is obviously correct. On a $29 product it is the whole business.
Check where suppliers actually ship from before you build a store on them. A share of "US suppliers" on every platform of this type are themselves dropshipping from Asia, which reintroduces the delay you paid to remove.
What it does well
- 2–7 day delivery from US and EU stock, which changes the entire customer experience.
- Branded invoicing on higher plans.
- Refund and dispute rates behave like normal e-commerce, not like dropshipping.
- Product quality is more consistent than a random AliExpress listing.
What it costs you
- $39.99/mo minimum on top of a 20–40% higher unit cost.
- Catalogue is small. Finding a product with a real angle takes longer.
- Some "local" suppliers are re-shippers — verify the warehouse before committing.
- Margins rarely support paid ads on products under $40 retail.
Plans start at $39.99/mo after the trial.
AutoDS
Automation layerNot a supplier — an automation layer over several suppliers, from about $9.90/mo. It monitors price and stock changes, places orders automatically, and connects AliExpress, CJ, Alibaba and private suppliers to one dashboard. Worth it the moment manual order placement starts eating an hour a day.
- Cost
- From $9.90/mo
- Type
- Automation, multi-supplier
- Key feature
- Price & stock monitoring
- Best at
- 10+ orders/day
The feature that earns its keep is monitoring. When your supplier raises the price by $3 or goes out of stock at 2am, AutoDS catches it before you have spent another $200 selling a product you cannot fulfil at the price you assumed.
Automation still needs supervision. Auto-ordering will happily place 40 orders against a supplier who quietly switched to a slower shipping line, so check the fulfilment log daily for the first two weeks.
What it does well
- Price and stock monitoring across suppliers — the single best defence against a silent margin leak.
- Automatic order placement and tracking updates at volume.
- Works across AliExpress, CJ, Alibaba and your own private supplier.
- Cheap entry plan compared with the time it saves.
What it costs you
- Another monthly subscription on top of your supplier costs.
- Automation errors are silent and compound — daily log checks are not optional.
- The interface assumes you already know your fulfilment workflow.
- Does not fix slow shipping; it only manages it faster.
Trial pricing changes often — check the current offer.
HyperSKU
Agent, with a platformAn agent-style sourcing partner with a dashboard instead of a WhatsApp thread. 5–12 day delivery on dedicated lines, quote-based pricing, quality control and custom packaging. It wants volume: below roughly 10 orders a day the rates you are quoted will not beat CJ.
- Cost
- Quote-based
- US delivery
- 5–12 days
- Custom packaging
- Yes
- Best at
- 10–100+ orders/day
The value is the middle ground: better unit economics and faster lines than a marketplace, without the trust problem of wiring money to an individual you met in a Facebook group. You get an account manager, an invoice and a paper trail.
Ask three questions before you commit: what is the landed cost per unit at my current daily volume, which carrier line is used for each destination country, and what happens to my money if the parcel never arrives. Vague answers to the third question are the reason to walk away.
What it does well
- Dedicated shipping lines at 5–12 days without agent-level volume commitments.
- Quality control before dispatch, which cuts the returns you never hear about.
- Custom packaging and branding available as a standard service.
- Invoices and an account manager — accounting and disputes are cleaner than with an agent.
What it costs you
- Quote-based pricing: you cannot model costs until you have talked to them.
- Rates are unattractive below roughly 10 orders/day.
- Product catalogue is not browsable the way AliExpress is — you bring the product.
- Onboarding takes days, not the ten minutes DSers takes.
Pricing is quoted per SKU and per volume.
Private sourcing agents
Best economics, highest riskA person in Guangdong with a WeChat account and a warehouse relationship. 10–25% off your unit cost, 4–9 day shipping lines and $0.20 packaging inserts — and no escrow, no buyer protection and no platform to complain to. Correct at 30+ orders a day, dangerous before that.
- Cost
- Per-SKU quote
- US delivery
- 4–9 days
- Unit cost saving
- 10–25%
- Best at
- 30+ orders/day
Agents are how every store above $100k/mo actually operates. They hold stock for you, ship on dedicated lines, handle packaging, and quote a single landed cost per unit that makes your margin maths simple. You pay by bank transfer or Wise, usually in advance, with nothing between you and a bad outcome except the relationship.
Vet before you send money. Get the agent's references from two stores that use them, start with one week of orders rather than a month, and keep your DSers or CJ setup live as a fallback for the first month. Agents disappear, get overloaded, or quietly switch to a slower carrier when rates rise — and you find out from your customers.
What it does well
- 10–25% lower unit cost than marketplace pricing at the same volume.
- Dedicated 4–9 day lines to the US and EU, with tracking that looks domestic.
- Custom packaging at $0.20–$1.00 a unit instead of platform pricing.
- They will hold stock for you, which removes the restock delay entirely.
What it costs you
- No escrow and no buyer protection. A wire transfer is final.
- Quality control is whatever you inspect. Ask for pre-dispatch photos of every batch.
- Communication runs on WeChat or WhatsApp in a different timezone.
- Below 30 orders/day you are not interesting enough to get good rates or fast replies.
- Chinese New Year hits agents hardest — they are the ones who close.
What custom packaging actually costs
Every guide tells you branded packaging separates you from the competition. None of them mention the minimum order quantities, which is where the money goes. Here is the real pricing, and the order in which to buy it.
| Packaging | Cost per unit | MOQ | Lead time | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branded thank-you card (insert) | $0.05–$0.20/unit | 200–500 | 3–5 days | Yes. Cheapest brand signal there is, and it lifts review rates. |
| Custom poly mailer | $0.15–$0.45/unit | 500–1,000 | 7–12 days | Only after 500+ orders on the same product. |
| Printed box | $0.60–$2.50/unit | 500–1,000 | 10–18 days | Only for gift-intent products above $60 retail. |
| Logo on the product itself | $0.30–$1.50/unit | 500–2,000 | 15–25 days | Real defensibility, real inventory risk. Not before month four. |
| Custom scent, tissue, ribbon | $0.20–$0.80/unit | 500+ | 10–15 days | Rarely. Nobody has returned a product over missing tissue paper. |
Typical packaging costs through CJdropshipping, Zendrop Pro or an agent, checked August 2026. Lead times are on top of your normal fulfilment window.
When to switch suppliers
Switching costs you 3–7 days of fulfilment consistency and always surfaces a problem you did not predict. Do it on these triggers and nothing else.
DSers
Orders per day. You are still finding out whether the product sells. Free is the right price for that question.
CJdropshipping
The refund conversations start here. Move to warehoused stock and cut delivery to 2–5 days.
HyperSKU
You want agent economics with an invoice and an account manager instead of a WeChat thread.
Private agent
Volume justifies attention. Expect 10–25% off unit cost and packaging at $0.20 a unit.