The 15 Best Dropshipping Suppliers and How to Pick the Right One for Your eCommerce Business (2024)
If you’re an aspiring eCommerce entrepreneur, dropshipping is an excellent avenue to scale your business. The right dropshipping company can provide a low-risk eCommerce retail option that pays huge dividends without major investments.
We’ve analyzed the best dropshipping suppliers for 2024, their associated costs and advantages. Read along as we introduce the key concepts to research a sustainable dropshipping service in the current eCommerce market.
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What Is Dropshipping?
Dropshipping is an order fulfillment business model for eCommerce stores. Dropshipping sellers purchase their store inventory from existing wholesalers and sell products online as intermediaries between the customer and manufacturer.
With a dropshipping business model, instead of storing and shipping products independently, you partner with a third-party dropshipping supplier that handles order logistics and assesses product manufacturing and shipping costs on your behalf.
In turn, we can put the typical blueprint of a dropshipping process into four concrete steps:
- 1. Customers buy products from your store at set retail prices
- 2. Orders are routed to the supplier and fulfilled at fixed wholesale prices
- 3. Supplier processes the orders and ships them directly to customers
- 4. The store receives revenue from the remaining retail price profit margins
Dropshipping vs Print on Demand
Print on Demand and Dropshipping are two sides of the same coin – a business relationship between a store and a product supplier. Both services offer an automatic order fulfillment and shipping service, but Print on Demand takes it a step further.
With Print on Demand, you create products with custom designs and visual features, while dropshipping is limited to only what the wholesale manufacturer produces.
Print-on-demand stores need a more hands-on approach with specialized print providers. Still, with a few clicks, you’ll have the potential to establish a vibrant brand identity with bespoke products for a niche you’re passionate about.
Dropshipping:
- Faster order fulfillment
- Higher profit margins
- Zero involvement in the production process
Print on Demand:
- Less competition
- Unique branding possibilities
- More control in the production process
Why Choose a POD Dropshipping Supplier?
Print on Demand adds a way to bring more value to your business and customers. Instead of selling factory blanks, use POD suppliers to emphasize your creative input more, producing custom item designs that build a legitimate business brand.
If you’re looking to create branded merchandise or designs for an existing niche, a dropshipping store just won’t fulfill your needs. The increased demand for customization has long since made personalized online shopping the norm among customers.
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Top 15 Dropshipping Suppliers for Starting an Online Business
Just like hiring a capable employee, linking with the right dropshipping vendors is crucial for a profitable business. Find an inventory source qualified for genuine wholesale pricing through our list of the best dropshipping companies in 2024.
We’ll outline each wholesale supplier, including product offers, shipping locations, and associated business costs. This can be a useful place to compare different wholesale suppliers and what you should consider when judging the merits of drop shipping worldwide.
1. Printify (Print on Demand)
Printify is the best choice for single business owners, companies, and online brands looking to sell personalized print-on-demand products for free. Create designs with hundreds of unique custom blanks – from t-shirts to mugs – with excellent quality prints and quick delivery.
Printify provides immediate integrations with top eCommerce platforms and marketplaces like Shopify, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, etc. Rely on a seasoned merchant support team to guide your dropshipping business with top-rated print providers worldwide.
The company has zero order minimums and a list of vetted suppliers for your business. It’s an all-in-one print-on-demand dropshipping platform with fully guided steps to choose, design, publish and sell a product in minutes.
- Products: Over 800 unique custom products for your designs via high-quality print techniques and no order minimums. Printify’s top-selling product categories include clothing and apparel, accessories, home decor, pet supplies, stickers, and more.
- Location: Offers international shipping options. Partnered with print providers with top-rated dropshipping services in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
- Costs: Printify is free with no upfront costs. You can get production discounts and other offers with a Printify Premium subscription at $24.99/month.
2. AliExpress (Dropshipping)
AliExpress is undoubtedly one of the most well-known and hotly sought-for retail marketplaces globally, with an average of over 400 million monthly visits throughout recent years. It’s an enormous eCommerce marketplace of online stores with up to 100 million products and hundreds of dropshipping suppliers available for hire.
What AliExpress suppliers lack in competitive edge is quickly compensated by their extensive list of products – the potential to find dropshipping suppliers that cater to any niche on the market at a fair rate.
It’s a good place to start when experimenting with your niche and researching potential competitors. Still, it can be difficult to manage since you have to find suppliers that cater to drop shipping independently.
- Products: Over 100 million products available for sale in any given category.
- Location: Global supplier options; however, most are shipped from China, increasing US and European delivery times and costs.
- Costs: Entirely free. You can find third-party platform subscriptions that offer AliExpress dropshipping services and eCommerce integrations separately.
3. Alibaba (Dropshipping)
Alibaba is the parent company of AliExpress and the largest eCommerce platform in the industry. The difference between the two is that Alibaba functions as a business-to-business eCommerce model, offering bulk ordering opportunities, no order minimums, brand labeling, and additional financing options.
Dropshipping might be a bit more tricky on Alibaba than AliExpress since it’s not made for single orders, but its international product sourcing has never been easier. Alibaba is ideal for finding direct manufacturers to produce an original design with consistent shipping times.
Use Alibaba to find dropshipping suppliers and integrate your products on AliExpress or any other eCommerce platform. Look for good deals from high-rated suppliers with the potential of bulk pricing options and affordable shipping.
- Products: Over 100 million products from a vast list of wholesalers and suppliers in any given category.
- Location: Global supplier options; however, most are shipped from China, increasing US and European delivery times and costs.
- Costs: Free, with no upfront costs. However, you need to contact suppliers directly to negotiate wholesale pricing rates.
4. SaleHoo (Dropshipping)
If you don’t want to look for suppliers independently – and risk potential let-downs – SaleHoo offers partnerships with over 8,000 vetted suppliers and an extensive list of products. It has a forthcoming user interface to track all supplier details and find dropshipping wholesalers with high-profit margins.
Filter product details with its free Market Research Lab and track items based on price, fulfillment location, shipping options, etc. Use SaleHoo’s all-in-one dashboard to monitor your orders, negotiate prices, and scale your business with a centralized platform of quality suppliers.
- Products: Over 2.5 million products with low or no order minimums.
- Location: Most SaleHoo suppliers ship internationally, and you can filter selections for specific wholesale suppliers organized in your region.
- Costs: Basic subscription at $27/month for 1-2 people, or Premium subscription at $97/month for teams.
5. Modalyst (Dropshipping & Print on Demand)
Modalyst is an eCommerce retailer and supplier service for dropshipping and print-on-demand items, with a custom selection of specialty products and an outsourced list of product suppliers from AliExpress and other marketplaces.
Modalyst aims to streamline the dropshipping process in an automated business-to-business model, connecting merchants with partnered suppliers all in one go. It offers direct integrations to eCommerce platforms and marketplaces like Shopify, Wix, and BigCommerce, and a comprehensive digital inventory for all your product updates.
- Products: Millions of everyday products and hundreds of specialty products from partnered dropshipping and print-on-demand suppliers.
- Location: International suppliers within the US and throughout the world.
- Costs: Free Hobby subscription with a 25-product limit. Startup subscription for up to 250 products at $35/month and Pro subscription for unlimited and premium suppliers at $90/month.
6. Doba (Dropshipping)
Doba is an excellent platform for finding dropshipping suppliers and products for any category and niche. It consistently offers discounts and sales on the wholesale price of seasonal items and bulk deals. The best part, Doba has immediate eCommerce marketplace and platform integrations, including Shopify, eBay, Amazon, etc.
Doba’s wholesale supplier directory is a great source for ideas when choosing a niche you want to target. It curates lists of top-performing suppliers, consistently offering high-quality products with an efficient fulfillment process.
- Products: Wholesale distributor with over 300,000 products in any given category with thousands of new releases coming each month.
- Location: Direct shipments from China and localized US warehouses for swift order fulfillment.
- Costs: Joining the marketplace is free, and you get a monthly export of 100 products. For more listings and full order synchronization, you may upgrade to Doba’s Business plan, starting at $39.99/month.
7. Megagoods (Dropshipping)
Megagoods is a reliable dropshipping supplier specializing in consumer electronics. They have a vast selection of brand-name electronics and offer custom private labeling.
The supplier is dedicated to maintaining efficient shipping and quality merchant support throughout the supply process with no minimum order requirements.
Megagoods is a uniquely transparent and veteran company founded in 2004 – a great option if you want to partner directly with a wholesale supplier and manage all orders from a specialized drop shipping fulfillment center.
- Products: Over 2,000 products in dozens of unique consumer electronics categories.
- Location: US fulfillment center in Santa Clarita, California, with international shipping options.
- Costs: $1.50 commission for every drop shipped product.
8. CJDropshipping (Dropshipping & Print on Demand)
CJDropshipping is another great wholesale supplier directory with a huge list of products and automatic listing integrations. Filter product recommendations for specific eCommerce marketplaces and a global list of suppliers.
CJDropshipping offers more than just suppliers. It’s an extensive service that manages platform integrations, order routing APIs and browser extensions, print-on-demand options, automated order synching, and customizable product shipping.
- Products: Over 400,000 products in 13 categories, from apparel, clothing, and decor to consumer electronics.
- Location: International fulfillment centers with warehouses in the US, China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Germany.
- Costs: Product shipping and warehousing fees are separately determined by location, product weight, and additional services.
9. Wholesale2B (Dropshipping)
Wholesale2B is another veteran of dropshipping services, with a huge selection of products and automated solutions for inventory management, order syncing, and tracking analytics. Integrate its very diverse list of products with over 100 select dropshipping suppliers.
With a single account, you can import up to 10,000 products. Wholesale2B offers dropshipping plans for eBay, Amazon, Shopify, BigCommerce, and multiple other platforms. It has educational courses for dropshipping beginners and a curated list of top-selling dropshipping favorites.
- Products: Over one million products with top categories in baby products, clothing, pet supplies, and consumer electronics.
- Location: Mainly includes US dropshipping suppliers and a few options from China; shipping internationally.
- Costs: Free account does not offer dropshipping order services. 17 different subscription plans for each separate eCommerce platform, starting at $29.99 and going up to $49.99 for an independent dropship website plan.
10. Wholesale Central (Dropshipping)
Wholesale Central prides itself as America’s leading B2B directory and is one of the oldest running companies on this list, connecting wholesale suppliers with online sellers. The platform boasts almost 100 US-based wholesale dropshipping suppliers that are fully screened and verified, with new options added frequently.
Explore all products for free, filter supplier types, product categories, and price points for a focused search, and contact all suppliers directly through profiles, websites, and direct contact information. There’s no registration required, and the website is easy to navigate.
- Products: More than 700,000 products with an A to Z list of top-selling categories, from clothing, health & beauty products, and electronics to specialized craft supplies and gimmicks.
- Location: All Wholesale Central warehousing is US-based. Shipping relies on each specific drop shipping business.
- Costs: Using the platform is entirely free; however, you will have to integrate your products manually or by using a third-party service.
11. Spocket (Dropshipping & Print on Demand)
Spocket is a well-rounded drop shipping service provider with a sleek user interface and all the options you need to create a quick dropshipping business in a few clicks. Browse thousands of products for free and follow a list of trending deals with high-profit estimates.
Spocket has integrations with most eCommerce platforms, partnership deals, and affiliate programs. The website has comprehensive help services, academy guides, and a dedicated online following of entrepreneurs, giving a run-down of the most trending products to sell from trusted drop shippers.
- Products: Thousands of top-selling products in multiple categories: women's clothing, beauty, garden, pet supplies, tech accessories, and more.
- Location: Pre-vetted, high-quality dropshipping for US and EU customers.
- Costs: Free browsing and AliExpress dropshipping. Starter subscription at $29.99/month for up to 25 product listings, and Pro subscription at $49.99/month for 250 listings, premium products, and other added features.
12. CROV (Dropshipping)
CROV is a trusted B2B sourcing platform with efficient dropshipping order processing and quality warehousing in the US. The platform offers direct access to global manufacturers covering a wide range of industries at a low minimum order quantity.
CROV’s retailer program makes sourcing quality Chinese producers for US retailers easy without inflated prices and full shipment tracking. It offers access to over 100,000 manufacturers for dropshipping and wholesale bulk purchases, including white labels and custom products for any business niche.
- Products: More than 35,000 products with trending categories in fitness, home & outdoor supplies, toys, consumer electronics, and more.
- Location: US-based warehousing from dropshipping manufacturers sourced in China.
- Costs: CRP Free subscription offers a zero-cost dropshipping program. Additional personalization, marketing, and discount options are available under CRP Premium at $1,495/year.
13. Worldwide Brands (Dropshipping)
Worldwide Brands is a wholesale sourcing platform with a large repository of dropshipping suppliers. It promotes legitimate services and fully authorized suppliers with no fees and third-party costs. The company offers direct contact with wholesalers and promotes competitive market prices.
Worldwide Brands caters to merchants looking to sell on Amazon, eBay, and their own online store. Despite its slightly outdated website interface, Worldwide Brands holds one of the largest directories of products in dropshipping – a great advantage for US sellers.
- Products: Over 16 million certified wholesale products in every major category: pet supplies, toys, clothing & jewelry, home supplies, electronics, and more.
- Location: The vast majority of drop shippers are US-based.
- Costs: Lifetime access for $299 (possible discount options).
14. Sunrise Wholesale (Dropshipping)
Sunrise Wholesale is a dropshipping service offering exclusive brand-label products for Amazon, eBay, and your website. It’s a membership program with a directory of top dropshipping companies in over 20 product categories.
A Sunrise Wholesale account provides automatic integrations and analysis tools for their eCommerce partners, including the Amazon Research Manager and eBay Listing Wizard and Research Tool. Or, if you want to sell on your own store, the service provides options for Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and other hosting domains.
- Products: Over 20,000 products, including wholesale electronics, apparel, gifts, home decor, and more.
- Location: US-based warehousing and shipping service.
- Costs: Free upfront, and a Recurring fee of $29.00/month. However, note that membership onboarding is currently disabled.
15. Inventory Source (Dropshipping)
Inventory Source is an inventory and order management dropshipping supplier directory with its own dropshipping software for clever product management and listing creation.
Manage your listings with full pricing and product syncing, and take advantage of their automated order tracking tools. Each supplier goes through a quality approval process, so you don’t have to screen them personally.
Inventory Source has a dedicated seller support network and additional dropshipping guides, fully detailed product descriptions, and lists of all costs and policies associated with each dropshipping supplier. Access their full supplier directory with a free account, or consider their fully automated subscription package to sell online with ease.
- Products: Over 10,000 brand-label products from more than 230 integrated suppliers, including categories in outdoor products, baby and pet supplies, fashion, apparel & jewelry, consumer electronics, and more.
- Location: Inventory Source works with national drop shippers through their US Direct program.
- Costs: Free dropshipping directory. Inventory automation subscriptions start at $99/month, which includes over 20 marketplace integrations. $199 monthly fee subscription option for fully automated order routing.
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How to Pick the Right Dropshipping Supplier for Your Online Store
In dropshipping, your responsibility as a seller is creating a storefront and marketable wholesale product listings that can scale your business. To do so, you must choose a dropshipping or print-on-demand supplier that excels in your market niche.
We’ll review some key factors you should consider when choosing the right supplier and whether your option can be trusted and fits your business structure and location.
1. Location of Dropshipping Supplier
If you’re looking to sell locally, you must find a supplier with local warehousing. Not only will local suppliers limit delivery times, but they will also drastically reduce any applicable shipping costs. You must also note whether the supplier is certified and reliable under local regulations.
For international dropshipping, you need a service that holds inventory in multiple regions, has low shipping rates, or provides localized fulfillment centers. Printify, for instance, has a wide network of global print providers that fulfill orders as close to the end customer as possible.
2. Supplier's Minimum Purchase Requirement
In the list above, we often mention purchase or order requirements when selling drop-shipped products. A high order minimum will make it extremely difficult to dropship without purchasing bulk inventory. Look for small or no order minimums to pass orders without worrying about increased expenses.
Additional listing fees can quickly accumulate and inflate your overheads, so check the policies of different dropshipping suppliers to find the right choice.
3. Product Variety
Product variety is crucial if you want to expand your market niche and have diverse product categories to grow your business and provide a well-rounded list of options. Be sure to browse product offers, even if the service offers thousands or millions of items, to ensure you don’t have to outsource from multiple platforms.
Additionally, note the number of products your account is allowed to list. The standard free dropshipping option usually offers 25 free listings, which is a good place to start but can quickly become too small of a selection for your store.
4. eCommerce Platform Integrations
One of the defining features you should look out for is eCommerce platform integrations. While some dropshipping companies have dedicated software that automatically integrates with your favorite marketplace, this is not a fixed ruling. Many platforms only act as repositories for dropshipping suppliers; you would still have to integrate your product manually.
Look for your specific platform integrations to centralize your operation and limit additional platform fees. There really is no escaping additional transactional and listing fees or hosting platform membership subscriptions, but synchronized integrations will drastically limit your workload.
5. Avoid Fake Dropshipping Wholesalers
Don’t trust every banner slogan or promotional newsletter. The dropshipping business is rife with easy money-making schemes that will ship fraudulent products or leave you completely empty-handed.
Always contact the product manufacturer or supplier to assess whether you’re communicating with a legitimate business. Research using search engines, looking for testimonials, competitor products, verified reviewers, scam detectors, and other resources that can help you pinpoint whether a website or wholesaler is legitimate.
Start Your Dropshipping Business With Printify
Create an account with Printify and enjoy a completely free and fully compatible print-on-demand dropshipping service that aims to get you selling without the hassle of contacting, locating, and managing dropshipping suppliers from different parts of the world.
Print-on-demand is an excellent choice if you want a branded business with your own inventory and added value that truly makes the production process unique from other services. Create custom designs with just a few clicks and enjoy all the advantages of online dropshipping with Printify.
1. Pick Your Product
Go to the Printify catalog, select a product category, and filter your selection based on print fulfillment location, product type, and printing technique.
Choose a product to view all its production and manufacturing details, printing locations, design features, wholesale pricing rates, and shipping costs.
Select from the available print providers in your target location and note the Printify community merchant rankings to select based on high product quality and a competitive production price range.
2. Customize
In the product screen, click Start designing on your selected dropshipping supplier (print provider) and go straight to the designing phase. You'll be directed to Printify’s state-of-the-art Mockup Generator.
Upload your design with the suggested image resolutions and file extension. Drag and drop the image to your preferred print location and use the preview tool to double-check how the final product will look. Click Save product to place the creation on your My Products page.
3. Preview and Order a Sample
After you’ve created a product, go to My Products. Click to preview or edit any necessary product details – description, price, size variants, tags, etc.
Once satisfied with the listing preview, go right ahead and order a sample on the same page to ensure that the product quality matches your standards.
4. Publish to Your Store
To publish your products, you need to integrate your Printify account with your eCommerce store. On your profile at the top dashboard of the screen, click Add new store, and select an option from our list of platform integrations.
It can take a second or a few minutes until the listing is processed, and you should be able to see a fully detailed product listing – preview photos included – in your store catalog. Contact the Printify Merchant Support team or go to the help center for advice during your dropshipping journey.
5. Profit
Start making sales and promoting your business. Sell as many print-on-demand products as you like with zero order minimums and consistent updates for new product releases just around the corner.
Ready to Open Your Dropshipping Store?
Pick the best wholesale and dropshipping platform that meets your needs and expectations. Start with a free plan and expand your business as you see fit.
Make sure to thoroughly research your options, starting with supplier location, available integrations, product variety, and minimum purchase requirements. Free dropshippers might require more work to start out.
Browse multiple dropshipping suppliers and eCommerce store owners for competitive rates, and never trust a promising deal without checking if the supplier is legitimate.
Start a print-on-demand store with Printify for a fully automated and creative approach to dropshipping. You can create a memorable brand that adds value to your customers and outshines even the smartest dropshipping companies with a completely free subscription.
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Written by
Janis Lazda
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