Because the COVID-19 epidemic continues to have a big impact on how we work, live, and even shop, many of us are turning to the internet to get the products and services we need. Online shopping is swiftly getting popular as a convenient, safe, and hassle-free alternative to standard shopping, and with more companies and platforms setting up shop online than ever before, it’s easier than ever to get the greatest deals on the highest-quality items in every category.

With the penetration of Internet across the globe, the methods of shopping are changing. Market spaces have been revolutionized and digitized in the last decade. Be it small businesses or large corporations, every manufacturer wants to sell products online, increasing the pace of this digitization process.

Over the last 10 years, online shopping platforms like Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, AliExpress, Taobao, Wish and others have gained a lot of popularity across the globe. Be it B2B shopping or individual purchases, people are using these platforms for convenient and fast shopping where they can get products delivered to themselves without leaving their houses or offices.

We are going to discuss two of these platforms that have been widely used by individuals across the world i.e. AliExpress and Wish. We have done two case studies to help you determine which of these platforms is better.

Let’s find out more about AliExpress and Wish below.

AliExpress or Wish: A Fair Comparison

It is difficult to compare AliExpress and Wish as both the platforms have different online business structures and operate differently. While Wish has often been labeled as a drop-shipping platform it does offer some great deals that are worth looking into. AliExpress is a global e-Commerce company and is part of the e-Commerce giant Alibaba Group. It is one of the largest names in the e-Commerce space right now and is known for its influence in Asia.

Both the platforms have different modes of operation when it comes to listing of products, filters offered for browsing, payment methods and shipping services. Following section highlights the differences between AliExpress and Wish.

Read about: Best Products to BUY on Aliexpress

Differences between AliExpress and Wish

• AliExpress is a global e-Commerce site selling everything including clothes, jewelry, electronics, toys, sports products, etc. and most of the sellers and manufacturers registered on this site are based in China. Whereas, Wish is an online retail company evolved at California-based ContextLogic Inc. offering a wide range of products at discounted prices. Wish has sellers from all over the world but a majority of them are from Asia.
• Both Wish and AliExpress allow users to shop through their app as well as website. However Wish users cannot browse through the products unless they have signed-up or logged in to their accounts using registered email IDs. Whereas, on AliExpress, one can browse, use filters and get the prices of products without registering or logging in.
• Products on Wish can be fairly expensive than those on AliExpress as Wish charges 10% on the charges set by the sellers while AliExpress charges only 5% on the charges put up by the sellers and manufacturers.
• Wish sometimes offers discount coupons that can enable you to buy products at cheaper prices than AliExpress as the latter won’t have huge discounts.
• Wish shipping may take relatively less time than AliExpress. However, the packaging done by AliExpress is more secure and formal than that of Wish since products bought from Wish are delivered directly from the manufacturer.
• AliExpress provides a wide range of payment methods including debit cards, credit cards, online payment wallets like PayPal, Wire Transfer, American Express, Webmoney, Carte Bancaire (Carte Blue), Western Union, Yandex.Money, QIWI, Mercado Pago, DOKU, Boleto, TEF, Giropay, iDeal, Sofort Banking, Przelewy24, SMS Payment in Russia through MTC, TELE2, MegaFon or Beeline, Cash Payment (Euroset, Russian Post, Syvaony), and AliExpress Pocket. There payment methods may vary depending on whether your are buying products from AliExpress website or from app.
• Wish allows you to pay through Google Wallet, PayPal, credit and debit cards. It also integrated payments in partnership with a Swedish company named Klarna, regardless of whether you are shopping through the app or the website.

Wish vs Aliexpress Product Wise Price Comparison – Which is a Cheaper Option

We have conducted a case study to get a fair analysis of product prices on both the shopping platforms. For this we have chosen same products available on both the websites and compared the prices, shipping time and bulk order services available on both the websites.

The shipping prices mentioned below may vary depending on distance and international addresses.

Case Study 1

The first product chosen for comparison was JBL Charge 3 Wireless Bluetooth Streaming Speaker. The product was available on Wire for a price of 127 USD that is around 878.66 Chinese Yuans. This price also included 12 USD express shipping charge on local shipping address (where the seller is based) and increases with international addresses. Wish delivers this product within a weak with express shipping service.

On AliExpress, this same product was available for 129.99 USD i.e. equal to 899.35 Chinese Yuans with free shipping. However, it will deliver the product in 25 days. Both the platforms have competitive prices for this product and there is not much difference in the cost.

Coupons and points available on Wish can reduce the price of this product depending on how many points you have earned. The number of points earned depends on how often you browse products and shop from Wish. Whereas, discounts on AliExpress depend on the product and quantity you want to buy.

This case study reveals that Wish is the better option only by a marginal difference in prices.

Case Study 2

The second case study determines the price of bulk products for individuals who purchase these items for selling them further. For this case study we have chosen SKMEI New S Shock Men Sports Watches Quartz Digital Watch For Men. This product costs 20.20 USD i.e. 139.76 Chinese Yuans including 5 USD shipping charge on Wish. The same product costs 11.79 USD (free shipping) that is about 81.57 Chinese Yuans on AliExpress.

The delivery time taken by Wish is roughly 2 weeks, whereas, Ali Express takes 25 days to deliver the same product. The main point of this case study was to determine the cost of bulk purchases of the same product.

If you buy 50 pieces of this watch from Wish, your total expenditure will be 1010 USD i.e. 6787.79 Chinese Yuans including 250 USD shipping charge to India. The same number of watches purchased from AliExpress will cost 515.20 US i.e. 3564.46 Chinese Yuans after 44.80 USD seller discount on bulk purchase.

This case study clearly determines that AliExpress has more reasonable prices and great discounts for bulk orders as compared to Wish.

Therefore, AliExpress is better for business oriented individuals who want to make bulk purchases.

Check out: Best Aliexpress Watch Curation

Aliexpress vs Wish Shipping

If you do comparison, Aliexpress sellers do offer ePacket services which takes 2-4 weeks to reach US. Wish on the other hand offers a better shipment at times due to these US sellers hold inventory stock in US. However, prices for these products are usually higher than what is offered on Aliexpress. Well, sellers have to make a living. So if you want fast shipping, choose Wish.

Read about: Aliexpress Singles Day Guide

Comparison of Delivery Times

Because all AliExpress items are sent from China, shipping times vary depending on where you are in the country. AliExpress items typically take 15 to 25 days to arrive in Asia. It’s a similar tale on Wish. While Wish has vendors from all around the world, approximately 87 % of their businesses ship from China, thus delivery timeframes will be similar. However, AliExpress ships nearly everywhere in the world, whereas Wish still does not ship to a number of other countries.

In conclusion, AliExpress and Wish have about the same delivery times, depending on the merchant you order from.

Comparison of Shipping Costs

Shipping prices will always be determined by where the things are sent from, and as AliExpress and Wish both (usually) ship products from China, the costs will be similar. Wish does, however, offer some speedier, more expensive choices from US-based courier services like FedEx and DHL, so if you’re ready to pay extra for a greater level of delivery service, you may do so on that platform. Keep an eye out for Free Shipping certificates from AliExpress and Wish, which are dependent on factors like minimum order amounts, promotional events, and more.

To sum it up, AliExpress and Wish have roughly the same delivery costs, depending on the seller you buy from.

Comparison of Processing Times

If there is one thing AliExpress specializes at, it is customer service. AliExpress provides a simple and uncomplicated Dispute system that efficiently handles refunds and returns on behalf of its consumers, generally within 5 to 10 days. Wish, on the other side, has received a lot of criticism in this area, and while it guarantees refunds and returns in as little as 3 to 7 working days, having those issues fixed in the first place can be difficult.

To summarize, AliExpress is the apparent choice if you want customer issues resolved quickly and simply.

AliExpress and Wish Comparison of Payment Methods

AliExpress is an extremely large company, and its size and economy allow it to accept a considerably larger range of common payment methods, making it far more accessible than Wish. While Wish accepts the conventional safe payment methods such as debit/credit cards, PayPal, Google Wallet, and the famous Klarna platform, AliExpress does not. Users on AliExpress can select from a variety of secure and simple payment options. Wire transfers and Western Union are examples, as are a variety of mobile wallet apps such as QIWI, iDeal, Pzelrewy24, and others. Wish does not take Cash on Delivery, however AliExpress does. AliExpress and Wish are very identical in terms of overall payment security, however AliExpress adds an extra layer of security with their secure gateway.

When compared to Wish, AliExpress provides a lot more payment alternatives, however if you do use traditional ways like credit card and PayPal, it is available to both.

AliExpress and Wish Comparison of Buyer Protection

Both AliExpress and Wish are secure locations to purchase online, but AliExpress outperforms Wish when it comes to consumer protection. When you buy anything on Wish, you usually get what you pay for, but they’re also known for not responding to consumer demands as quickly as they should. On the other side, AliExpress provides an effective dispute mechanism, a strict consumer protection policy, and direct seller contact to safeguard you against frauds, fraudulently marketed items, missing vendors, and other issues that are common on online buying platforms.

Although AliExpress is a safer location to purchase than Wish, you can still trust Wish in buying your stuff online, due to the fact that both platforms can provide enough consumer protection.

Aliexpress vs Wish Contact Information for Sellers

Wish does not allow users to communicate directly with sellers. Instead, its in-house customer support team handles all disagreements and complaints. AliExpress, on the other hand, allows sellers to address their own disputes and complaints first, with AliExpress customer support present in the scenario that disagreements between buyers and sellers aren’t resolved immediately.

Therefore, AliExpress is the place to go if you want a clear connection with your seller. Wish handles all of its conflicts in-house.

Aliexpress vs Wish Comparison of App Support

Both AliExpress and Wish have a mobile app that is accessible for Android and iOS, and both have a simple user interface. Overall, the AliExpress app is a little more polished, and customers are more motivated to use it because it offers various payment alternatives that aren’t available on the web app.

To summarize, Wish and AliExpress both have simple smartphone apps that make purchasing much easier.

So which one is really better: AliExpress or Wish

Both AliExpress and Wish are established names in the online shopping domain and have millions of sellers and clients. Each platform has a lot of products to offer and you can choose based on the prices offered and the number of items you want to order.

Wish allows you to earn points with each purchase that you can use to get discounts. It also has great coupons for its regular clients that you can redeem and shop high quality brand products at cheaper prices. On the other hand, AliExpress has excellent seller discounts if you are planning to buy products in bulk. It also offers free shipping that makes it convenient for users who don’t want to spend extra dollars on shipping.

However, buying single items from AliExpress can be expensive sometimes as established in the first case study. This is where Wish can be advantageous as it has great offers on the best of brands. Overall, both the platforms are worth browsing as they have plethora of options and products sold by sellers from all over the world.

AliExpress has been in business for a lot longer than Wish, and its operations are more broader and more extensive. While Wish has its own unique collection of products that aren’t available on AliExpress, the Chinese platform has better prices and faster shipping. In terms of product quality, AliExpress and Wish are nearly identical, but when you consider AliExpress’ larger product range and easier customer experience, AliExpress emerges as the clear winner. However, if you’re seeking for the cheapest things, Wish comes out on top.

Read also:

Best things to buy on Aliexpress

Best things to buy on Alibaba