E-commerce & Retail · head to head
AliExpress vs Sellfy
AliExpress
E-commerce & Retail
Global retail marketplace for dropshipping
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Sellfy
E-commerce & Retail
Ecommerce platform for creators and entrepreneurs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: AliExpress aliExpress publishes no platform-wide pricing; each individual seller sets item price, shipping cost and return policy on the marketplace (archived homepage, 31 Dec 2023).; Sellfy every plan caps annual sales volume: $10k on Starter, $50k on Business and $200k on Premium
- They diverge on capability: AliExpress covers Product catalog, Sellfy covers Physical & digital products.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which AliExpress and Sellfy actually diverge.
| Attribute | AliExpress | Sellfy |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | transaction | subscription |
| Founded | 2010 | 2013 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-commerce & Retail).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in AliExpress
- Product catalog
- Supplier network
- Competitive pricing
- Quality control
- Dispute resolution
- Shipping options
- Payment methods
- Buyer protection
Only in Sellfy
- Physical & digital products
- Membership/subscription sales
- Email marketing
- Marketing automation
- Affiliate program
- Analytics
- Mobile app
- Multi-currency support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
AliExpress
No use cases recorded yet. See the AliExpress review.
Sellfy
- Selling digital downloads, subscriptions or print on demand goods from a hosted storefrontnot AliExpress
- Running a small creator store without building a sitenot AliExpress
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
AliExpress
- AliExpress publishes no platform-wide pricing; each individual seller sets item price, shipping cost and return policy on the marketplace (archived homepage, 31 Dec 2023).
Sellfy
- Every plan caps annual sales volume: $10k on Starter, $50k on Business and $200k on Premium
- Exceeding the cap forces a plan upgrade rather than an overage charge, so growth is a step change in cost
- Maximum file size per digital product is tied to the plan, at 10 GB, 15 GB and 20 GB
- Email marketing credits are metered per plan, from 2,000 to 50,000
- Cart abandonment, upselling and the affiliate programme all require the Business plan
- Payment processing fees from PayPal or Stripe are charged on top of the subscription
Pricing, plan by plan
AliExpress
Free- BuyerFree
- Browse products
- Purchase items
- Buyer protection
Sellfy
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited products
- Basic store
- Email support
- Pro$29/month
- All Free features
- Custom domain
- Email marketing
Which should you pick?
Choose AliExpress if
- You need product catalog.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want supplier network.
Choose Sellfy if
- You need physical & digital products.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want membership/subscription sales.
Questions people ask
- Is AliExpress or Sellfy better?
- Neither clearly leads. AliExpress starts at Free and Sellfy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, AliExpress or Sellfy?
- AliExpress starts at Free and Sellfy at Free.
- Does AliExpress or Sellfy run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use AliExpress for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What can AliExpress do that Sellfy cannot?
- AliExpress covers Product catalog, Supplier network, Competitive pricing, Quality control. Sellfy covers Physical & digital products, Membership/subscription sales, Email marketing, Marketing automation.