Head-to-head
AliExpress vs Shopify Collective
Same formula. Same 8 dimensions. No thumb on the scale. Here's how these two dropshipping suppliers stack up on SupplierSpy's transparency-weighted benchmark.
AliExpress
100M+ products. The dropshipping OG.
#8
80/100
Huge CatalogParent on NYSE
VS
Shopify Collective · winner
Dropship from other Shopify brands, for free.
#4
83/100
FreeShopify-NativeReal Brands
Overall winner
Shopify Collective takes it — #4 at 83/100 vs #8 at 80/100. That's a 3-point gap, with Shopify Collective winning 5 of 8 dimensions to AliExpress's 3. Dropship from real Shopify brands with zero extra subscription. Parent (Shopify Inc.) is on NYSE.
Key stats, side-by-side
💰 Pricing
AliExpress:
Free plan
Starts Per-product
No platform fee. Prices are retail-marked versions of wholesale.
Free plan
Starts Per-product
No platform fee. Prices are retail-marked versions of wholesale.
Shopify Collective:
Free plan
Starts $0 on top of Shopify
No separate subscription. Shopify plan required.
Free plan
Starts $0 on top of Shopify
No separate subscription. Shopify plan required.
🚚 Shipping origins
AliExpress:
China primarily
China primarily
Shopify Collective:
US primarily · Global varies by supplier
US primarily · Global varies by supplier
🏛️ Business disclosure
AliExpress:
Public via parent (Alibaba Group)
Public via parent (Alibaba Group)
Shopify Collective:
Public via parent (Shopify Inc., NYSE: SHOP)
Public via parent (Shopify Inc., NYSE: SHOP)
🌍 HQ country
AliExpress:
China
China
Shopify Collective:
Canada / Global
Canada / Global
Dimension-by-dimension
AliExpress
Shopify Collective
72
Pricing transparencyweight 18
92
✓
82
Business transparencyweight 16
85
✓
70
Shipping clarityweight 12
82
✓
80
Public reviewsweight 20
85
✓
100
✓
Product rangeweight 10
70
95
✓
Access & onboardingweight 10
90
65
Support track recordweight 8
80
✓
80
✓
Store integrationsweight 6
62
Higher score highlighted in cyan. Full methodology at /how-we-score.