Aliexpress vs Wish: Which platform is better?

AliExpress or Wish?

Perhaps this is a difficult question that the majority of entrepreneurs have to encounter when deciding to select the suitable platforms for starting or developing their eCommerce business.

So, what is AliExpress?

What is Wish?

Why are they often compared and contrasted in terms of online marketplaces?

What are the similarities and differences between them?

All will be solved in this post!

Aliexpress Overview

Launched in 2010, AliExpress is one successful platform for eCommerce of Alibaba Group - a giant in eCommerce in both China and the world. This site is created to help merchants, especially hinese merchants have chances to connect with customers around the globe.

After 10 years developing, AliExpress has achieved certain results, ranked top platforms for eCommerce and become the competitor of such popular retail marketplaces like Amazon or eBay. Reaching more than 230 countries and regions, AliExpress possesses an enormous number of active users. In the third quarter of 2019, the quantity of people using this platform is 785 million and in Russia alone, it has over 700,000 users registered.

With more than 100 million products sold on AliExpress, people can find everything they need ranging from clothing, toys, electronics to jewelry, phones, sport equipment at reasonable prices. Moreover, there are numerous big brands on this platform which can be named as Toppies, Apple, Xiaomi, Realme, Poco, Adidas, Converse, Nike, etc. Although the majority of brands are from China, people can find various big brands of the world.

Wish Overview

Founded in the same year as AliExpress - 2010, Wish is the product of 2 former Google programmers who are Danny Zhang and Peter Szulczewski. It is a retail business in the eCommerce industry that owns a namesake online marketplace. On Wish, buyers are provided with over 150 million items from various categories like fashion, gadgets, accessories, hobbies, holdhouse suppliers, and more.

In the beginning, Wish worked as an affiliate website which empowers customers to purchase merchandise from the third-party sites. When desiring a or several products, buyers can create a wishlist that will then be sent to Wish and get the ones they want from a third-party seller, not Wish.

However, after a decade of development, Wish has changed itself to become an online marketplace serving customers from all over the world with millions of products at a low price. Up to now, there are over 100 million active users per month, and each day, approximately 1,8 million products are sold on Wish.

Aliexpress vs Wish: The similarities

Online marketplaces for retailing

As mentioned above, both AliExpress and Wish are online marketplaces which allow users to purchase products from a third party seller. Like other marketplaces, these two platforms don’t sell any items but create suitable places for sellers and buyers to contact each other and make transactions.

However, they don’t do it for free. With each successful transaction, sellers will have to pay a small amount of money called commission. In return, AliExpress and Wish offer them a variety of benefits to make sure that their transaction will happen fairly and transparently.

For customers, they are allowed to return the products and even get their money back in case there are some problems with the products like the quantity, quality, size, color, and so on. For sellers, they are given the opportunity to approach a huge number of potential customers with lower budgets, which is difficult if they only sell merchandise on their own platform.

Mobile applications

TThere are mobile applications available for AliExpress users and the Wish ones so that whatever devices you use, desktop, tablet, or mobile phones, logging in to these platforms is never a problem. With the advance of mobile devices, these platforms have been upgraded with multiple additional features, which are now even more useful and convenient than the traditional ones on the desktop.

In addition, the companies also provide various coupons, vouchers or discount programs for only mobile users. Although the value of these incentives is not considerable, it attracts plenty of people to install and get the vouchers. Perhaps with some people, installing these applications is not a great option, but in the future, they probably change their mind and get one for their devices. The reason for it is that eCommerce stores have a strong desire for the installation and they will introduce more and more discount programs to increase the rate of installation.

Asian sellers

The third common point between the two marketplaces is that the majority of their sellers are from Asia. In fact, Wish is pretty similar to eBay when it is headquartered in the United States and their main markets are America and Europe. Meanwhile, AliExpress is a product of Alibaba Group - a Chinese giant. Like Wish, they are liked by a plethora of American and European customers.

Nevertheless, both have many sellers coming from the world’s factory - China. Therefore, it will be not surprising that many items sold on these platforms are made in China. Actually, it is not wrong since China possesses a lot of advantages with lower labor costs so that products manufactured here tend to be cheaper. This also leads to the fact that AliExpress and Wish work with the same sellers so that there are sometimes no differences in quality between the items of these sites.

Reliable platforms

Eventually, they are safe places for both people to sell and shop the products they need. With their fame and scale of business, there are millions of loyal customers on AliExpress and Wish, which makes them become safe marketplaces for any virtual orders.

Perhaps, the cases of being scammed still occur on these two sites, but the rate is not significant. By a small research and check before making orders, customers completely determine whether the stores are scammers or not and protect themselves from being cheated.

What’s more, they don’t receive many negative reviews or complaints on popular review platforms. Also, the number of users on them increases continuously year by year, which indicates that more and more people are using and trusting these marketplaces. Compared to such Chinese eBay as DHgate, AliExpress, and Wish seem to be much safer.

Aliexpress vs Wish: The differences

Registration

• AliExpress: Visitors are allowed to browser products, choose the ones they like, and check their price before the registration.
• Wish: Visitors are required to register to use Wish like a normal marketplace and conduct the actions they want like browsing products, selecting items and checking prices, etc.

  Payment methods

• AliExpress: Users are given 13 ways to pay the bill which can be for both desktop and app version, and only app version. Especially, this marketplace provides customers the chance to pay when receiving the items:
  • All version: credit card/debit card, PayPal, wire transfer, Western Union, and other (cash on delivery)
  • Only app version: iDeal, Przelewy, WebMoney, mobile payment, QIWI, PayU, SOFORT bank, Bancontact
• Wish: Compared to AliExpress, the number of ways for payment on Wish is much lower, which are only 4 ways for all versions: credit card/ debit card, PayPal, Google wallet, and SOFORT bank.

Commissions

• AliExpress: 5%
• Wish: 10%

This is why with the same products from the same store, the price on Wish is higher than the one on AliExpress. However, Wish still possesses some advantages over AliExpress, making it more suitable for some sellers and buyers.

Customer support

• AliExpress: It can be said that there is no actual customer service to reply to customers’ questions or complaints. Instead, they create a section named “Dispute” that enables buyers to upload a dispute of their products, including reasons they are not satisfied with them and desire to return. If you want to get help from the AliExpress team, ask them anywhere, and the answer will be sent to you within 1 to 4 days. Otherwise, you can connect to the AI “Eva.” It will help you clarify all the problems related to refunds, payment, dispute, or not getting the items.

• Wish: Wish users can contact the customer support team via the number listed which are sent to active sellers who are willing to help customers and give them solutions for their issues. However, in some cases, these tickets are sent to ensure that the customers will have greater shopping experiences. With users’ queries, the reply will be automatically sent to them within 12 hours. Then, depending on the nature of the problems, they will receive the full resolution in 3 or 7 working days.

Incentives

• AliExpress: When purchasing products in bulk, buyers will be able to get lower prices than normal. Moreover, this platform has a free shipping program. This is a smart policy to attract many buyers since with buyers living far from the stores’ warehouse, the shipping fees are sometimes higher than the products’ price.
• Wish: With Wish users, they are not offered a discount for buying products in bulk. Instead, they receive points upon each order. These points can be converted to discounts, and they can apply it to the upcoming orders. Also, when logging in every day, users will receive a stamp, and with seven stamps, they can earn up to 50% discounts.

Products categories

With millions of products displayed on each platform, AliExpress and Wish provide users with almost everything they need. They can find all the necessary products for their life, from small things for their daily life like clothes, cups, pillows to expensive ones like a necklace, watch, and more.

Let’s have a look at the product categories in detail of these two marketplaces!

AliExpress:

• Women’s fashion:
  • Women’s Fashion: dresses, tees, blouses & shirts, hoodies & sweatshirts, etc.
  • Swimwear: bikini sets, cover-ups
  • Bottoms: leggings, skirts, shorts, jeans, pants & capris
  • Wedding & Events: wedding dresses, prom dresses, evening dresses, Africa clothing, cosplay costume
  • Women’s Underwear: pajama sets, bras, panties, women’s socks, bras & brief sets, shapewears
  • Accessories: hair accessories, sunglasses, blue light blocking glasses, baseball caps, etc.
• Men’s fashion:
  • Hot Sale: hoodies & sweatshirts, T-shirts, shirts, casual shorts, etc.
  • Bottom: Casual pants, cargo pants, sweatpants, etc.
  • Outerwear & Jackets: jackets, sweaters, casual faux jackets, etc.
  • Underwear & Loungewear: boxers, briefs, long johns, etc.
  • Accessories: scarves, skullies & beanies, belts, bomber hats, etc.
  • Novelty & Special Use: cosplay costume, stage & dance wear, exotic apparel
• Phone & telecommunication:
  • Mobile Phones: Android phones, iPhones, featured phones, etc.
  • Hot Brands: realme, OnePlus, HUAWEI, infinix, POCO, UMIDIGI
  • Mobile Phone Accessories: cases & covers, cables, chargers, power bank
  • Hot Cases & Covers: cases for iphone, cases for samsung, cases for huawei, etc.
  • Featured accessories: wireless chargers, car chargers, lenses, adapters & converters
  • Mobile Phone Parts: phone LCDs, phone batteries, housing & frames
  • Communication Equipments: walkie talkie, fiber optic equipment, communication antennas
• Computer, Office & Security:
  • Components & Peripherals: CPUs, motherboards, graphic cards, etc.
  • Laptops: gaming laptops, ultraslim laptops, tablets, etc.
  • Security & Protection: surveillance items, access control system, smoke detectors, etc.
  • Storage Devices: USB flash drives, memory cards, external hard drives, etc.
  • Office Electronics: 3D printers, 3D parts & accessories, printers, etc.
  • Computer Networking: wireless routers, network cards, 3G modems, etc.
• Consumer Electronics:
  • Accessories & Parts: cables & adapters, electronic cigarettes, batteries, etc.
  • Home Audio & Video: televisions, TV receivers, projectors, audio amplifiers boards, TV sticks
  • Camera & Photo: digital cameras, camcorders, camera drones, etc.
  • Portable Audio & Video: earphones & headphones, speakers, MP3 players, etc.
  • Smart Electronics: wearable devices, smart home appliances, smart accessories appliances, etc.
  • Video Games:handheld game players, game controllers, joysticks, stickers
• Jewelry & Watch:
  • Fine Jewelry: 925 silver jewelry, diamond jewelry, pearl jewelry, gemstones, etc.
  • Wedding & Engagement: bridal jewelry sets, engagement rings, wedding hair jewelry
  • Men’s Watches: mechanical watches, quartz watches, digital watches, etc.
  • Women’s Watches: women’s bracelet watches, elegant watches, romantic watches, etc.
  • Fashion Jewelry: necklaces & pendants, trendy rings, trendy earrings, etc.
  • Beads & DIY Jewelry: beads, jewelry findings & parts, jewelry packaging & displays
• Home, Pet & Appliances:
  • Art: scrapbook & stamping, fabric & sewing supplies, needle arts & craft, 5D DIY diamond painting
  • Pet Products: dog collars & leads, toys, fish & aquatic
  • Home Textiles: cushion, curtains, bed sets, beach towels
  • Celebrations: events & parties, artificial & dried flowers, gift bags & boxes
  • Household Items: umbrellas, bathroom scales, sweepers & mops
  • Home Storage: storage boxes & bins, laundry baskets, makeup organizers
  • Furniture: office furniture, home furniture
  • *Kitchen: backware, drinkware, kitchen tools & gadgets, kitchen knives & accessories
  • Home Decor: painting & calligraphy, wall stickers, figurines & miniatures, wall clocks
  • Garden Supplies: watering & irrigation kits, flower pots & planters, repellents, outdoor furniture
• Bags & Shoes:
  • Women’s Luggage & Bags: stylish backpacks, totes, shoulder bags, etc.
  • Women’s Shoes: women’s sandals, flats, high heels, etc.
  • Men’s Luggage & Bags: men’s backpack, crossbody bags, briefcases, etc.
  • Men’s Shoes: casual shoes, vulcanize sneakers, men’s sandals, etc.
  • Other Bags & Accessories: kids & baby bags, cosmetics bags & cases, wallets & card holders, etc.
  • Bestselling Shoes: wedge sandals, classic heels, large-sized flats, etc.
• Toys, Kids & Babies:
  • Mother & Baby items: thermometers, diaper bags, baby teething items, etc.
  • Baby Clothing & Shoes: baby rompers, clothing sets, outerwear & coats, etc.
  • Girls Clothing: dresses, clothing & sets, tops & tees, etc.
  • Boys Clothing: clothing sets, T-shirts, outerwear & coats, etc.
  • Shoes & Bags: sandals, sneakers, boots
  • Toys & Hobbies: remote control, outdoor activities, action & toy figures, etc.
  • Accessories: hats & caps, bibs & burp cloths
• Outdoor Funs & Sports:
  • Swimming: bikini sets, one-piece suits, two-piece suits, etc.
  • Cycling: bicycles, bicycle frames, bicycle lights, etc.
  • Sneakers: running shoes, hiking shoes, soccer shoes, etc.
  • Fishing: fishing reels, fishing lures, fishing lines, etc.
  • Sportswear: jerseys, hiking jackets, pants, etc.
  • Other Sport Equipment: camping & hiking, hunting, goft, etc.
• Beauty, Health & Hair:
  • Hair Weaves: bundles with closure, ¾ bundles, pre-coloured weaves, closures
  • Lace Wigs: lace front wages, full lace wigs, 360 lace wigs, 250% destiny lace wigs
  • Synthetic Hair: synthetic lace wigs, synthetic hair, synthetic extension, hair braids
  • Makeup: eyes, lips, face, makeup tools
  • Health Care: massage & relaxation, house hold health monitors, Chinese medicine, personal health care
  • Skin Care: eyes, faces, body, skin care tools
  • Nail Arts & Tools: gel nail polish, nail drills, nail dryers, nail glitters
  • Personal Care: health care & styling, shaving & hair removal, oral hygiene
  • Tattoo & Body Art: tattoo kits
  • Adult Items: condoms, lubricants, vibrators
• Automobiles & Motorcycles:
  • Auto Replacement Parts: car lights, interior parts, exterior parts, etc.
  • Tools, Maintenance & Care: code reader & scanning tools, diagnostic tools, car washing tools, etc.
  • Car Electronics: car multimedia players, DVR/dash cameras, alarm system & cameras, etc.
  • Exterior Accessories: car stickers, car covers, other exterior accessories
  • Motorcycle Accessories & Parts: body & frame parts, helmets & protective gear, lighting, etc.
  • Interior Accessories: seat covers, storage solutions, car key cases, etc.
• Health Improvement & Tools:
  • Tools: measurement & analysis tools, hand tools, power tools, etc.
  • Indoor Lighting: ceiling lights, pendant lights, downlights, etc.
  • Tools: welding equipment, welding & soldering supplies, machine tools & accessories, etc.
  • LED lighting: LED strips, LED downlights, LED panel lights, etc.
  • Home Improvement: electrical equipment & supplies, wall switches, hardwares, etc.
  • Outdoor Lighting: flashlights, solar lamps, floodlights, etc.

Wish:

• Fashion: shirts, jackets, pants, shorts, sleeveless T-shirts
• Gadgets: drones, cameras, smart phones, tools and accessories
• Accessories: masks, belts, bracelets, rings, socks
• Household Supplies: disposal units, garbage bags, kitchen supplies, batteries, man straps
• Home Decor: linen, bathroom fixtures, room fresheners, patio furniture, tables
• Wallets & Bags: leather wallets, tote bags, sling bags, laptop bags, backpacks
• Watches: luxury watches, analog watches, protectors, straps
• Tops: blouses, women’s tops, tunics
• Stationary: pens, pencils, papers, notebooks, office supplies, school supplies
• Kitchen: containers & storage jars, diner sets, utensils
• Automotive: accessories, stickers, covers, keychains, lighting and tools
• Shoes: casual, flats, boots, sports, pumps, high heels, shoes accessories and more
• Hobbies: coin collecting, stamp collecting, model kits, DIY arts and crafts
• Baby & Kids: diaper, baby clothes, accessories
• Phone & Upgrades: cases, phone accessories, protectors, tempered glass
• Tools: household tools, power tools, cables
• Pet Accessories: collars, leads, pet accessories
• Underwear: women’s underwear, men’s underwear
• Bottom: leggings, pants, jeans, skirts and shorts

  Shipment

In terms of shipment, Wish and AliExpress provides users with different ways and policies. Moreover, users are also allowed to track the shipping status on each platform.

So, what are the shipping methods and how to track the shipping status? Let’s explore!

AliExpress

Created by the giant Alibaba Group, AliExpress possesses a list full of essential services for delivering products like initial first line pickup, consolidation service, international line-haul service, custom clearance service, last-mile delivery service. With these services, not only the domestic market but also the international one can be easily satisfied. Additionally, they offer users the ability to track shipment, answer problems, and ensure that the platform works well.

In fact, there are three kinds of delivery service that users can select on AliExpress, which are:

• AliExpress Standard Shipping: it takes from 15 to 45 days to deliver the items. This method is not really cheap but in general, it is safe.
• AliExpress Premium Shipping: Compared to AliExpress Standard Shipping, the sole difference in this way is the time for shipping the package to final customers’ hands. In this method, the time for delivery is lower, which is around 7 - 15 working days. However, the price will be much higher, about 8 or 10 times more than the Standard Shipping. The rate for it will depend mostly on the destination of the packages.
• e-Package Shipping: Based on shippers locations and the destination, customers will have to wait from 20 to 40 days to get the products they purchased. In e-Package Shipping, buyers from the United States and entrepreneurs from Hong Kong are allowed to connect the inprocess scanning information and delivery confirmation. These can be simply checked in both Hong Kong and the United States through Hong Kong Post’s tracking system and USPS’s track and confirm (United States Postal Service).

WWhen the items are packaged and shipped to customer addresses, the system will automatically generate each package’s tracking number. The status information will be updated in real-time, enabling users to keep up with the latest news about the orders. To check it, users can open the My Orders section, select View Details, and the latest status is displayed under the part named Logistic Information.

Wish

While AliExpress offers users three shipping methods, there are five plans of shipping available for users on Wish. The price for each time shipping will depend on the value of the products as well as its features: whether it is easily spoiled or stable. More than that, it is also possible to hire a third party to deliver the products, some popular named in this field can be mentioned as h DHL, FedEx, or UPS. Of course, if selecting these delivery companies, the price will be more higher, and sometimes recipients have to present at the address to sign that they have already received the package.

• Standard Shipping: This is regarded as the best way to save money spent on shipping on Wish. Based on the size and weight of the items, or the destination, the cost for standard shipping can be lower than the average one. As a result, it is often chosen by retailers. In this plan, when the package is sent to the customer’s country, it will be handed over to the local carrier to ship the package to the recipient’s address.
• Wish Express: This is a fast shipping method of Wish. With qualified products, buyers will see a small orange truck icon next to the variant and “Wish Express”. Click on it if they want to use this way and it only takes 5 - 10 working days to deliver the package to buyers’ hands, when products are shipped on the Wish Express method. Users can be aware of the time they receive the package since Wish also estimates the time and displays it to them.
• 2 Day Delivery: As the name suggests, within two days since the order is confirmed, the buyers will get the items they want, which is even faster than the speed of Wish Express. If it is available, an orange truck icon with the phrase “ 2 day delivery” will be displayed in the shipment variant and customers can select it if they want. However, only merchants have the right to enable this type of shipping.
• Ship to Store: When selecting this option, the items will be shipped to a store near the customers’ addresses instead of their one. However, this option is only available with certain items, so you can check whether there is the option “Ship to Store” on the shipping variants.
• Pickup Now: With favourite products on Wish, people often send them to participating stores and store them. When an order of these products is placed, it is immediately available for picking up. This is also the reason why not all items have the “Pickup Now” option. Consequently, if there is an icon with the statement “Pickup Now”, you can select and will acquire your items soon. However, don’t forget that you will have to pay the non-refundable restocking fee unless you pick up the items, so think carefully before ordering.

Like AliExpress, Wish empowers users the ability to track their order through both website and mobile app. The process to track these two versions is also the same as each other. Firstly, visit www.wish.com (on desktop, laptop) or open Wish app on mobile devices and logging in your Wish account. Afterwards, select the section named Order History. There, all the information related to your order is displayed clearly and if you want to check an order, click on its image.

Aliexpress vs Wish: Which platform to choose?

In fact, it is not easy to decide which platform is better since each possesses different features, policies and advantages. However, it doesn’t mean it is impossible to decide. People can concentrate on the main aspect they are concerned about to know which one is more suitable.

As a result, in this article, we provide two case studies of the product price on AliExpress and Wish to figure out which one is cheaper when purchasing one or several products and when purchasing in bulk. In these case studies, we will compare and contrast the same product which is sold on these marketplaces via three criteria: prices, delivery time, and bulk order services.

Besides, please keep in mind that the shipping price will be changed with different distances and destinations.

Case 1

In this case, we select JBL Charge 3 Wireless Bluetooth Streaming Speaker to compare between two platforms. Since this example is used to focus on only retailing so the bulk service will be not mentioned.

	AliExpress	Wish
Price	$129.99 each product (no shipping fees)	$127 each product (including $12 for Wish Express shipping fees if it is shipped to local places and this rate will increase with international addresses)
Delivery time	Around 25 days	Within 6 days by Wish Express shipping service

As can be seen from the table, there is a small difference in price between AliExpress and Wish.

More than that, both marketplaces offer discount policies to allow buyers to get the items they want with lower price. On Wish, the rate will be based on the points you get in advance. These points are given according to the frequency that each user browses merchandise and places orders on Wish. On the other hand, AliExpress decides the discounted rate depending on the type of items and the number that will be bought.

Asa result, if the price is your biggest concern or you just want to purchase a small number of products, Wish will be a better option.

Case 2

The second case will be pay more attention to buy products in bulk on these two platforms and the product is chosen in this instance is SKMEI New S Shock Men Sports Watches Quartz Digital Watch For Men

	AliExpress	Wish
Price	$11.79 each product (no shipping fees)	$20.20 each product (including $5 for shipping fees)
Delivery time	25 days	About 14 days
Bulk order service	$515.20/ 50 products	$1010/ 50 products (including $250 for shipping fees)

From this case, it indicates that compared to Wish, AliExpress provides buyers with more affordable prices when purchasing items in bulk. So, if you are looking for a platform to buy products in large quantities, let’s have a look at AliExpress.

In terms of shipment, these two cases show that Wish has more advantages on delivery than AliExpress. While the ePacket on AliExpress takes 2 to 4 weeks to send goods to the United States, the time for shipment on Wish is shorter (in some cases, it is almost as soon as the order is confirmed). The root for this is that US sellers send products to Wish for the inventory in advance so there are always stocks available in the US warehouse of Wish.

On the other hand, with the same product, buyers will have to pay more money when buying on Wish.

But if you want rapid shipping service, Wish will be more suitable.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, possessing millions of sellers and buyers, AliExpress and Wish are two outstanding names in the field of online shopping. On these marketplaces, users are able to access a huge range of products from various categories, compare the price among shops as well as select the suitable prices and number to purchase.

Via Wish, users are given points for each time ordering which can then be collected and converted to discounts in an arbitrary purchase. Therefore, loyal customers can acquire any high-quality products with more cost-effective prices.

On the other hands, AliExpress users will be discounted when they purchase items in bulk. Along with the bulk order service, this platform also offers their customers free shipping policy which motivates more customers, particularly the one from remote areas.

It can be seen that while Wish is more beneficial for retail consumers, AliExpress is a great option for wholesalers.