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When you decide to dip a toe into the ecommerce waters, dropshipping is an attractive first-time option. Having suppliers fulfill your orders without needing to store, package, and send out stock can seem like a low-risk, easy approach, and there are many businesses out there thriving with this model.
The difficulties come when you try to make it profitable. A lot of people want to make a business out of dropshipping, and there is often little for them to compete on other than price.
So how do you compete and make decent profits? The key is choosing the best place to source products from. Finding a good dropshipper that delivers on time, has competitive prices, and that you are able to rely on can dramatically affect your chances of success.
I’m going to outline the different ways you can source dropshipping suppliers and I’ll list out some of the best dropshipping directories to help you get started.
View Top Product Sourcing ToolsWhat is dropshipping?
Before we wade in, let’s have a quick recap on what dropshipping actually is. Essentially, it’s a purchasing and fulfillment method where the online seller doesn’t have to stock, package, or send out their own products. Instead, when a customer makes a purchase, the order is sent to a dropshipping supplier who ships the goods directly to the customer.
The key thing to note is that, with this method, sellers don’t have to buy stock ahead of time, eliminating the risk of purchasing products that they can’t shift. Rather, they buy the products from suppliers only when a transaction takes place.
How do dropshipping directory sites work?
Dropshipping directories are databases of dropshipping suppliers, and they differ from each other in a number of ways. For example, some offer monthly research reports, some automatically create listings on marketplaces, and others let you integrate your own suppliers within their system.
The one thing they have in common is that they all allow you to search for suppliers and/or products. Within the directory, you’ll be able to see details about each supplier, sometimes including product images, pricing, and current stock levels. This helps you make comparisons and get a top-level overview.
The best dropshipping supplier directories
At a glance
| Name | # of suppliers | Cost | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SaleHoo
|
8,000 | $67 per year |
Market Research Labs Pre-vetted suppliers Easy searchable database |
|
Worldwide Brands
|
8,000 | $299 one-off |
Thoroughly vetted list of suppliers Detailed supplier information |
|
Doba
|
200 | $29+ per month |
Integration with major ecommerce platforms Data reports Inventory management system |
|
Inventory Source
|
180 | Limited free plan or $50-$150 per month |
Integration with major ecommerce platforms Export product descriptions and images Site building |
|
Wholesale2B
|
100 | Depends on ecommerce platform |
Integration with major ecommerce platforms Filter searches by niche Automatic stock syncing |
|
AliExpress
|
N/A | N/A |
Marketplace with huge range of products Test products for free High-quality product photos and descriptions |
SaleHoo
SaleHoo presents users with a detailed directory of more than 8,000 dropshipping suppliers and over 1.6 million products, all of which are pre-checked for quality.
On top of a searchable database of suppliers that you can quickly compare and contrast, you can also access the platform’s Market Research Labs. This is a product discovery tool that helps determine how well your chosen products will sell on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay using past sales data.
There is a yearly fee of $67 to access the SaleHoo directory, which makes it one of the cheapest in the market. If you want the SaleHoo team to build an online store for you as well, you pay an additional $27 per month.
The Market Research Lab is a huge selling point for SaleHoo thanks to its ability to quickly point out which products are going to reap higher profits. There’s also great customer support and a thriving community around the blog and forum.
On the cons side, there is no free trial – but they do offer a 60-day money back guarantee. On top of that, the training can be overwhelming for new dropshippers who simply want to find out the basics of the platform.
Find out more about Salehoo
Worldwide Brands
Worldwide Brands was founded in 1999, making it the oldest dropshipping suppliers directory here. It features more than 8,000 suppliers, all of which are vetted before being added to the site. The vetting process is quite interesting; staff meet the suppliers face-to-face at trade shows and visit their factories to find out whether they are legitimate.
As well as being the oldest, Worldwide Brands might also be the priciest. Although it only charges a one-off lifetime membership, the $299 price might be too costly for new dropshippers despite the total cost over time potentially being lower than directories charging a monthly fee.
When you use the search function, you get served detailed supplier information, like the website, full address, phone number, payment information, and ordering details.
Users pay a one-off upfront membership fee of $299.
There are more than 1.8 million goods listed on Worldwide Brands in all sorts of different niches, and it’s really simple interface makes it easy to get detailed supplier information and start making orders right away.
On the other hand, the large upfront cost almost makes it inaccessible for new dropshippers. On top of that, some listed suppliers have high minimum orders which can really cut into profits if you’re not buying a lot of products at once.
Find out more about Worldwide Brands
Doba
Doba is one of the biggest dropshipping directories in the world, acting as a middleman between you and suppliers. There are more than two million products listed in the directory which are shipped by around 200 different suppliers, and it integrates with all of the major ecommerce platforms.
