Whenever you ask how to find a sourcing agent in China, Alibaba is the usual answer of either a budding importer or a veteran. When someone says China sourcing agents, Alibaba.com is a Chinese B2B platform with many product categories, suppliers, manufacturers, and trading companies. When an importer sitting in the USA wants to find a product, he won’t get disappointed if using Alibaba.com.
You must be wondering about the facts mentioned above and the blog’s title. The main purpose of jotting down our thoughts on this topic is to emphasize one thing: Don’t put all your eggs in the same basket.
Besides, there are always some downsides of something too good seemingly. Alibaba.com is no different, and there are many shady practices & things about Alibaba that bring us here to urge you to look into other alternatives as well.
Why Invest Time In Finding Alibaba Alternative?
Here are some of the most major reasons you should invest your time in finding Alibaba alternatives. We’ve jotted down the main points to not shift your focus from finding Alibaba alternative websites or sources.
- The biggest is not always the best. With increased business volume, the check & balance side of the platform seems to be ignored. There are a lot of shady suppliers and trading companies barging into the platform with low standards. How to find buyers on Alibaba that are good enough becomes the biggest question in this scenario.
- You can get better prices on other sourcing platforms and websites cheaper than Alibaba
- Alibaba.com is not an all-in-one solution from choosing a product to getting it in your warehouse.
- You can only win if you’ve a diversified product range or services in the modern business world. It can be a hard-to-find thing on Alibaba due to multiple suppliers offering the same products.
- You might be missing out on a lot of good businesses and China sourcing agents that haven’t listed themselves on Alibaba.com.
The reasons will transform into a never-ending list. Therefore, we will stop it here and suggest you some reliable Alibaba alternatives around the world you can try for product sourcing.
10 Reliable Companies Similar To Alibaba To Find Product Sourcing Agent
What can I use instead of Alibaba? Where can I source products other than Alibaba? Are there any alternatives to Alibaba that manufacture in the US? Is there an Indian version of Alibaba?
This part of the blog is going to answer all of your queries and doubts about alternatives for Alibaba.com sourcing. So let’s get into it.
1. Made In China
Made-in-China is one of the most reliable Alibaba alternatives for diversity, language support, and event hosting. With over 3600 product categories, 11 languages support, and a diverse pool of 6.1 million suppliers, you can find anything, even the needle lost in the hay. Another good thing about Made-in-China is their trade shows that bring an opportunity for the suppliers and importers to meet in person.
2. DH Gate
DHGate is a China-based B2B marketplace having a strong presence across countries like the UK and the US. When you first look at the outlay of the website, it looks like Alibaba with a different logo. Of all the good things to choose DHGate for, lower MOQ(minimum order quantity) is the one that attracts small businesses and small-volume buyers.
Besides, the Escrow service for secured payments and buyer protection is also a pro. However, the higher prices can be concerning as price difference can be as high as up to 25%.
3. 1688.com
1688.com is an Alibaba-owned B2B platform that is more like a business directory of China sourcing agents and suppliers. The suppliers on 1688.com are usually targeting the local retail businesses, trading agents, etc. therefore, chances are high for you to land a supplier with a lower price than Alibaba.com.
What are the pros and cons to keep in mind when considering 1688.com?
There are chances that you will find lower-quality products on 1688.com as China’s product standards are lower than European or American standards. Besides, a major representation of 1688’s suppliers does not have export licenses, which can become another problem in the future. And above all, the website has a Chinese interface and language support that can be a big barrier to communication.
4. Indiamart
Indiamart ranks among the top 3 largest B2B platforms in the country. For local and international buyers who want to source from India, Indiamart is the best Alibaba alternative. Founded in 1995, it’s called the Indian version of Alibaba.com for all the good reasons. You can find a wide variety of products from furniture to construction material, industrial supplies to raw materials, and consumer goods on the platform.
5. TradeIndia
TradeIndia is a second reliable source for the importers looking to source products from India instead of China. It’s the best choice for Indian textile importers as there is a diverse variety and range of professional suppliers in most cases. Besides, the DialB2B service the platform offers makes it more convenient and easier to get in touch with your selected supplier.
6. Aliexpress
Aliexpress is again an Alibaba-owned platform that is a consumer-focused platform.
Why can international importers rely on Aliexpress?
Most of the sellers on Aliexpress are selling the same products as on Alibaba with a lower MOQ. You can order as little as 1 unit of a product you want. Escrow service protection is also a good feature of Aliexpress. However, you often deal with middlemen or Chinese retail sellers who are oriented toward one-time buyers rather than building long-term business relationships. Prices can also be higher on Aliexpress.
7. JD(joybuy.com or global.Jo.com)
JD is also a B2C platform like Aliexpress. Lower MOQs, suppliers lists and product categories are the strongest aspect of JD. It’s a China-based company having a Chinese interface of their website. However, language can be a barrier, and you can shift to their global website with the English language to overcome this barrier.
8. ChinaBrands
Chinabrands has positioned itself as a dropshipping agent, and USA eCommerce store owners can capitalize on Chinabrands as their sourcing agent in China. The most applauded features of Chinabrands are the diversity with differentiation(fewer junk copies of the same product), similar pricing to Alibaba.com, and fast lead times.
9. FGMarket
If you’re finding a sourcing company based in the USA, the FG market is a Floral and Gift market for sourcing related products. You can select from the directory of USA-based suppliers and contact them about your requirements. The biggest upside of FGMarket for English buyers is that there is no communication gap, protection, and guarantees missing in across-border sellers, etc. however, FGMarket can be helpful only if you’re dealing in specific categories of products dealt on the platform.
10. Sourcing Companies & Agents
Besides the alternatives we’ve shared, Alibaba alternatives include sourcing companies. It’s a practice going on since Alibaba was not in the market. You can find the best sourcing company to take care of every step in China and ship the products to you. A sourcing company can save your time and money from finding suppliers, visiting the factory, and receiving samples to logistics optimization. Having a sourcing company is like having your associate in China perform everything you would be doing otherwise.
How Can GlobalTQM Help You?
At GlobalTQM, we have curated many solutions for eCommerce sellers and importers who want to buy or source products from China. With our 30 days sourcing from China service, you can have a hassle-free process of finding products to receive them. It includes finding the suppliers, sorting the best ones, communicating and correspondence with suppliers, and more. You can get started with us here:
Source from China in 30 Days Package
Final Words
We hope that you’ll find the Alibaba alternatives useful when finding products for your business. If you want to know more about different sourcing ways, China sourcing, and India sourcing, you might find these podcasts useful: