Alibaba vs 1688: prices, MOQ, payment and when to use an agent

Sellers on 1688 expect domestic wholesale buyers who arrange their own logistics and do not need English-speaking sales staff. Many of the same factories list on both sites, with export prices on Alibaba covering those extra services.

Part of the gap disappears once you check what each price includes:

• Tax invoice: many 1688 prices exclude a Chinese VAT invoice, and sellers often add a few percent if you ask for one.
• Delivery: a 1688 price usually covers the goods at the seller's door or delivery inside China. Alibaba quotes are often FOB, which includes getting the goods on board at the port.
• Packaging: stock goods on 1688 often come in a plain polybag. Export sellers may include a color box and carton marks.
• Quantity: the first 1688 tier may start at 2 pieces. The price you can get at 500 is often lower again.

Add the agent fee and domestic freight to a 1688 price and the gap narrows. For simple stock goods it usually stays in 1688's favor. For custom goods from a factory that already exports, it can close completely.

Many factories and trading companies run a shop on each site, often with the same product photos. Run the Alibaba photo through 1688 image search and you will often find the domestic listing, with its own price tiers.

Compare the company names too. A trading company can sell a factory's product under its own name on either site. That is normal, and a good trading company can be worth its margin. You just want to know which one you are dealing with before you pay.

Stock goods on 1688 are made for the domestic market. The same design is often made by several workshops and sold by dozens of shops, so two listings with the same photo can ship different products. Quality can also drift between batches from one seller.

Before a bulk order, ask the seller for photos of the goods actually in stock. Read the listing's parameter table for the material, since the title often leaves it out. Then order one or two units and compare them with what the listing promised. On Alibaba the same advice holds for stock items, but custom orders there usually start from an approved sample anyway.

Alibaba sellers set their MOQs for export buyers, so the listed minimum is often higher and usually comes with tiered prices by quantity. Many 1688 listings are stock goods sold to domestic shops, and some accept an order of one or two units.

That low 1688 MOQ usually disappears once you ask for your logo or custom packaging. From that point both sites work the same way, and the MOQ is agreed in chat with the supplier.

On Alibaba you can pay through Trade Assurance on eligible orders. It gives you a dispute process if the goods arrive late or differ from the order. It only covers what the order says, so write the specs and dates into it.

1688 runs on Chinese payment methods and domestic buyer rules. A foreign buyer usually cannot pay a 1688 seller directly, and disputes are handled in Chinese under the platform's domestic rules.

Buying 1688 goods through us works differently. You pay Supplymo by bank transfer to our WorldFirst account. We then pay the supplier. You never pay a supplier directly, and that stays true on reorders.

Alibaba export sellers can quote FOB, CIF or DDP and hand the goods to your forwarder. 1688 sellers ship to an address in China. Goods from several 1688 sellers need a warehouse that receives and counts them before they go into one shipment.

Returns work differently too. Once goods leave China, sending a defect back to a 1688 seller is rarely worth the freight. So the check in China is the quality control that counts. We open and count the goods when they reach our partner warehouse and photograph them against the listing before they ship.

• You like the 1688 price but can't pay in RMB or read the chat.
• Your order comes from several 1688 sellers and should ship together.
• Someone has to check the goods before they leave China.
• You want one order made up of many low-MOQ products from Yiwu or 1688 sellers.

If you are buying one product from one Alibaba supplier who already exports, going direct can be simpler. Compare the landed cost both ways before deciding.

• You need a custom product from a factory used to export orders and English specs.
• You need certificates and test reports in English for your market.
• You want one supplier to handle export documents and deliver to your forwarder.
• Your order is large enough that the factory will quote FOB with a proper contract.

That route works with us too. Our follow-up rate for your own Alibaba supplier is 3% of the goods value, with a $49 minimum. You still pay us, never the supplier directly.

The unit price alone won't settle it. Take both options all the way to your door. For Alibaba, start from the price under its Incoterm. For 1688, add the agent fee and domestic freight to the listed price, then export handling on top.

Our sourcing fee is 5% of the goods value up to $5,000, then 4% up to $20,000 and 3% above that, with a $49 minimum. There is no markup on supplier prices, so the fee is the whole of what we earn on the goods.

AliExpress is Alibaba Group's retail site. It sells single units to consumers and small sellers, so that comparison is about unit price against convenience. We cover it in a separate guide.