What makes a good dropshipping plugin?
Do you want to start an online dropshipping store using WooCommerce? If so, you can simplify the process by using the following dropshipping plugins. However, not all plugins offer the same features. Below are some of the features you should look out for when selecting a dropshipping plugin:
- Order fulfilment – Automating the fulfilment process saves you a lot of time by automatically sending order information to the supplier when their product is purchased through your store.
- Store management – A good dropshipping plugin will allow you to manage your store’s suppliers, assign inventory to suppliers and configure other settings. This helps to keep things tidy on the back-end as your store grows in size.
- Product importing – A dropshipping store is nothing without products. That’s why it is important that you have a way to easily import them. Most modern dropshipping tools will let you import products in a few clicks through wholesale websites like Aliexpress
You should also consider the following:
- Do I want to only dropship from AliExpress? A lot of the plugins below are made solely with AliExpress in mind. In a lot of cases, this is fine since AliEzpress has so many products to choose from. However, if you want to dropship from other sources, it is important that you use a plugin like Dropified or WooCommerce Dropshipping which has support for vendors outside of AliExpress.
- How many products will my store have? If you are planning on having a large dropshipping store with over 500 products, a pay-as-you-go solution may not be ideal. In these cases you will be better off picking a plugin with one-off costs, such as WooCommerce Dropshipping or AliDropship.
Contents:
The best dropshipping plugins for Aliexpress
1. WooCommerce Dropshipping
WooCommerce Dropshipping is a smart, stable and feature-rich dropshipping plugin. We’d recommend WooCommerce Dropshipping if you’re looking for:
- An all-round solution for dropshipping management that works well with all suppliers, not just Aliexpress.
- The ability to import products, either via .csv file or directly from Aliexpress via a Chrome extension. Images, descriptions and all other data are copied.
- Unlimited imports from AliExpress and other sites into WooCommerce
- Automatic fulfilment emails/packing slips sent to suppliers
- An easy to use supplier management system
WooCommerce Dropshipping is a great plugin because it covers all three of the features mentioned above and does them well. Where most other plugins on this list fall short is that they don’t include as many features and choose to focus on only one aspect of dropshipping (eg Aliexpress integration). WooCommerce Dropshipping offers Aliexpress integration, automatic fulfilment, store management and much more for a cheaper price than its competitors at $49.
It’s also worth mentioning that WooCommerce Dropshipping is WooCommerce’s official plugin and available directly through their store. This means that you will never struggle with getting support from the plugin’s developer.
Download WooCommerce Dropshipping
2. AliDropship
We’d recommend AliDropship if you’re looking for:
- A premium plugin which integrates well with Aliexpress
- A way to automatically update your store’s product information as it changes on Aliexpress
- The ability to manage your profit margins using a simple interface
AliDropship is one of the most popular AliExpress integration tools for WooCommerce. It offers several well-polished and regularly improved AliExpress-specific features. One of our favourite things about AliDropship is the intuitive dashboard which lets you see profits, pricing, traffic and more in one place. From beginners to experienced dropshippers, this plugin is designed to be helpful to everyone.
The plugin is also great value and only costs $89 one-time payment.
The only drawback is that the plugin does not work well with other integration. If you use services other than AliExpress, you may have issues, especially as your store expands in size.
3. Dropified
Dropified is a multi-purpose dropshipping plugin which works with WooCommerce, as well as several other e-commerce providers such as Shopify and BigCommerce. It has a higher price than the other plugins, but arguably the biggest range of features. Key features include:
- Support for 30+ vendors, not just AliExpress. Easily import products in a few clicks from other popular dropshipping sources such as eBay.
- A detailed dashboard of recent orders and important information
- Automatic updating of products imported
- Advanced product research – use filters to find the perfect product for your store
We’d recommend Dropified for businesses that want to take dropshipping seriously and don’t mind paying a higher price. Starting at $47/month and going up to $167/month, it is by no means a cheap plugin. However, the advanced product research features just might make it worth your investment.
4. Dropship.me
Dropship.me is one of the best plugins for sourcing high-quality dropshipping products. It allows you to quickly get a store up and running by importing from a list of over 50,000 curated products. Dropship.me is ideal if you are looking for:
- A pay-as-you-go solution. Since you pay by the number of products imported, you only have to spend what you need to spend.
- Free importing of up to 50 products. Perfect for starting your store.
- Professional and well-performing product pages straight out of the box
Although Dropship.me lacks several of the features included in the other plugins, we think it is a great solution for starting a store, identifying niches and finding well-performing products.
5. Spocket
Spocket is a great service for founding dropshipping suppliers outside of China. These suppliers are located around the USA and Europe. This means you can offer your customers much quicker shipping of products. Spocket’s WooCommerce plugin allows you to easily import these products into your store.
Spocket also offers the following features:
- Branded invoicing to personalise your invoices and make them seem more “authentic”.
- Product search and filters
- Easy import into WooCommerce
In Conclusion
When it comes to dropshipping, there are many different avenues you can take to achieve success. What’s important is that you have the right software for the job. There isn’t a “best” all-round dropshipping plugin, but there may be an ideal one that suits your store’s requirements more than the other.
For the best dropshipping experience, we recommend researching the features of each plugin and picking one that works best for your needs, budget and location.
Further Reading:
The Ultimate Guide to AliExpress Dropshipping with WooCommerce
4 Tips for Automating & Simplifying Dropshipping
Shopify vs WooCommerce for Dropshipping
