The dropshipping business model presents an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs to run an eCommerce store without handling stock or managing order fulfillment and shipping.
However…access to a reliable supply chain and good-quality products is imperative for dropshipping success. So to help you find exactly that, here weโll look at nine of the best dropshipping suppliers in Australia.
Hopefully, by the end of this review, youโll have a better idea of which suppliers best meet your ecommerce business's needs.
Let's dive in!
In this article:
- Is Dropshipping Legal in Australia?
- How to Start a Dropshipping Business in Australia
- What are the Best Dropshipping Companies in Australia for 2023?
Is Dropshipping Legal in Australia?
In case of any doubt, dropshipping is definitely legal in Australia. Not only is dropshipping completely legal but thereโs also every chance it can be lucrative, with the eCommerce Australian market expected to generate $38bn (USD) in revenue in 2023.
If your business is actually based in Australia. In that case, you must comply with the same retail laws all Australian companies must adhere to. This includes Australian Consumer Law and the Corporations Act.
Itโs worth bearing in mind that there may be restrictions on selling specific items, so itโs wise to check Australiaโs International Trade Administration website to ensure youโre not selling any prohibited items.
How to Start a Dropshipping Business in Australia
Launching any business means doing your homework. That said, here are our tips on how to start a dropshipping business in Australia:
- Youโll need to register for an Australian Business Number (ABN) via the Australian government website.
- Build your dropshipping store using a reputable eCommerce platform and ensure your chosen dropshipping supplier integrates with that platform.
- Order sample products to test your supplierโs wares before marketing them on your website.
- When browsing potential dropshipping products to sell, always have your target audience in mind, their pain points, ambitions, demographics, etc., and use these factors to fuel your product selection.
- Read our complete guide hereย for more information on creating a dropshipping business.ย
What are the Best Dropshipping Companies in Australia for 2023?
- DSers
- Oberlo
- Spocket
- Printful
- Printify
- Dropshipzone
- AliDropship
- Salehoo
- DHGate
- Doba
1. DSers
Often citedย as a viable Oberlo alternative, DSsers is AliExpressโs official dropshipping partner.ย
DSers started inย 2018ย and makes sifting through potential suppliers a breeze with its โFind Suppliersโ feature. Here, you can quickly access suppliers with a proven sales record and high ratings based on AliExpress and DSers data analysis.ย
Other notable features include:
- Access to thousands of products organized into various categories like fashion, electronics, and toys.
- The ability to place single and bulk orders
- Inventory updates
- Automatic pricing (you canย preset pricing rulesย to mark up your product price automatically)
- Automated order tracking
Lastly, itโs also worth mentioning that it's free to integrate with Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, and AliExpress.
Pricing
There are three sets of plans (prices based on USD):
Shopify:
- Basic: Free Forever
- Advanced: $15.90/mo paid annually
- Pro: $39.90/mo paid annually
- Enterprise: $399.00/mo paid annually
Wixย users can access a free plan with unlimited orders and automated order status syncing, but you can only list 1,000 products per account.
WooCommerceย store owners have access to three plans:ย
- Free Forever
- Standard: USD$1.99/mo paid annually
- Advanced:ย USD$15.90/mo paid annually
Pros ๐
- It integrates with Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce
- There are free accounts that are great for newbies
- Each paid-for plan offers a free 14-day trial with no credit card needed
- You have access to millions of products and thousands of suppliers
Cons ๐
- Limited features for Wix store owners
- Some users complainย about slow pricing updates and issues with supplier tracking.
2. Oberlo
Shopify acquired Oberlo in 2017. However, by May 2022, it was no longer listed on the Shopify app store. Oberlo merchants were given untilย June 15, 2022, to find another supplier. However, theย Oberlo websiteย still exists.
3. Printful
Printful is a popular print-on-demand platform with order fulfillmentย partnersย in Brisbane and Victoria. The platform also offers a small variety ofย productsย eligible for fast delivery and fulfillment in Australia, with an average shipping time of four days, depending on the destination.ย
The beauty of Printful is that choosing products to customize is easy, and its design editor is just as intuitive. You can add images, text, clip art, and upload your own designs. There are also pre-existing designs you can opt to use too.
Printfulย integratesย with a good selection of ecommerce platforms and marketplaces, including Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, WooCommerce, and Squarespace.
Pricing
Printful is free to sign up for; currently, there aren't any subscription plans.ย
Shipping prices depend on where youโre shipping to and from. Thereโs a handyย guideย on shipping rates. However, to give you some idea of shipping costs, shipping a hoodie or sweatshirt to Australia typically costs $15.40 (AUS). Itโs also worth noting that each product page shows estimated shipping costs and times.ย
Printful is due to introduce two paid membershipย plans, Printful Growth and Printful Business. At the time of writing, both promise unlimited stores per account and discounts on DTG (direct-to-garment) printing and other types of printing. If that interests you, you can provide your email address to get on the waitlist. Please note that pricing information for these plans wasnโt available at the time of writing.ย
Lastly, thereโs Printful Enterprise,ย a tailored ecommerce solution for larger POD businesses. For more info on pricing, youโll have to contact Printful directly for a custom quote.
Pros ๐
- Thereโs an excellent selection of ecommerce platforms and marketplace integrations.
- No monthly fees
- Its design editor is pretty intuitive
- Good choice of products (348+)
Cons ๐
- Products are on the expensive side; for example, Printfulโsย Unisex Premium Hoodieย costs $25.45, whereas something similar from Gelato, one of its competitors, is onlyย $18.38
- Some products arenโt shipped to Australia, such as canvases.
4. Spocket
Spocket prioritizes working with suppliers based in Europe, the USA, and Australia.ย
It integrates with Shopify, AliExpress, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Alibaba, Amazon, eBay, Wix, Square, and Squarespace.
Once youโve linked your eCommerce store with Spocket, you can quickly add high-quality products from a range of categories. Product categories include apparel, home and garden, footwear, toys, and tech accessories.
Spocket users that have upgraded to the more expensive plans can easily discover premium items and connect with suppliers via the Supplier Chat feature on their Spocket dashboard.
Pricing
Spocket is free to download, and a freemium account is available. After that, there are four paid plans, all of which come with a free 14-day trial with no credit card required (prices below are based on USD):
- Starter: $39.99/mo and can only be paid monthly
- Pro: $24/mo billed annually
- Empire: $57/mo billed annually
- Unicorn:ย $79/mo billed annually
Pros ๐
- A 14-day free trial is available
- You benefit from automatic order tracking
- Thereโs a good choice of eCommerce and online marketplace integrations
- Itโs easy to order product samples (however, these donโt appear to be discounted)
Cons ๐
- The free account only allows you to browse Spocketโs product catalog
- Some of Spocketโs best features are locked behind expensive paywalls.
5. Printify
Like Printful, Printify is another well-known POD solution. It offers 800+ quality products organized into categories like apparel, home and living, and accessories. At the time of writing, Printify is used by over four million sellers worldwide – so theyโre clearly doing something right!
Printify users enjoy access to an easy-to-use mock-up editor andย 85+ย print partners located around the world, including Australia.ย
The platformย integratesย with various eCommerce platforms and marketplaces, including Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce.ย
Each product page in Printifyโs catalog lists the productโs available print partners, prices, and locations. So, if youโre focused on Australia, look for an AUS flag next to the print partner before proceeding.
Pricing
Printify is free to sign up for. There are three account options (costs in USD):
- The Free plan
- Premium: $24.99/mo, paid annually
- Enterprise: custom pricing (youโll have to contact Printify directly for a bespoke quote).
Please note: Everyone can customize unlimited products, but only paid plan holders have access to product discounts.
Shipping prices depend on where youโre shipping to and from.ย
Pros ๐
- With over 800 POD products to choose from, thereโs an excellent choice of products.
- Having as many as 85+ print partners dotted around the world is impressive
- Its free plan is pretty generous
- Printifyโs design tool is easy to use
Cons ๐
- Some customers grumble about poor customer support and shipping times.
- Some usersย complain about product/print quality.
6. Dropshipzone
Dropshipzone launched inย 2012ย with Australian dropshippers in mind. It boasts 40,000+ products from Australian suppliers, including garden furniture, kitchen appliances, tools, and products for babies and children.ย
Itโs free to sign up with no upfront costs or subscription fees. The platform integrates with Shopifyย and has created a separateย Shopify appย calledย โSofortigโ that provides instant product and inventory syncing and an automatic shipping fee calculator.ย
It offers a 24-hour turnaround on orders, meaning once youโve purchased a product, it will be packed and shipped the next day.
Shippingย takes at least three days, with times varying depending on which part of Australia the customer is located in and what the product is.
Pricing
Signing up for Dropshipzone is free, and there are no subscription fees.
Shipping prices depend on your shipping partner and the item in question. Dropshipzone partners with various carriers, including Australia Post, Aramex, and Allied Express.ย
Pros ๐
- Itโs free to sign up with no subscription plans.
- All suppliers hold stock in Australia, which enables Dropshipzone to achieve average shipping times of three days and upwards depending on which part of Australia youโre shipping to.
- Users praiseย the excellent customer service.
Cons ๐
- It only ships toย Australia, so itโs not ideal if youโre running an international operation.
- It only integrates with Shopify, although it does have its own API, so you can create your own custom integrations (if you have the coding smarts)
7. AliDropship
AliDropship is an easy-to-install plugin fully compatible with WordPress andย WooCommerce.
It provides instant access to thousands of AliExpress products. You can easily find Australian dropshipping suppliers by selecting โAustraliaโ in the โShip fromโ field on AliExpress. Rest assured; there are plenty to choose from!
Once you find a product you want to sell, you can import it to your online store in just a click, including product images, descriptions, and variants.
AliDropship also offers webย hostingย and DIY site-building. Or, if you prefer, you can buy an alreadyย establishedย and operating ecommerce or POD store so that you donโt have to create a website from scratch.ย
AliDropship also has aย guideย for anyone in Australia considering dropshipping.
Pricing
If you want to use AliDropship to set up a store,ย hostingย starts at $69/year, whereas prices to build aย custom storeย start from $299 (one-time payment) (USD).
Alternatively, if you want to buy a pre-existing store, at the time of writing, there were six such stores for sale costing $300 (USD) a piece, and 20+ POD stores for purchase, with prices ranging between $890 to $5,990 each (USD).
To use the AliDropship plugins for WooCommerce and/or WordPress, you pay a one-off $89 a piece.ย
Pros ๐
- Itโs an all-in-one solution for those looking to kickstart their dropshipping venture
- There are lots of online resources on the AliDropship website, including marketing tips
- The plugins are packaged withย features, including automation, built-in themes, marketing tools, and more.
- It has 1.2m+ subscribers, which adds to its credibility.
- Free shipping worldwide
- 100m+ products to choose from 100,000+ suppliers
Cons ๐
- Thereโs no free trial available.
- The AliDropship plugins only seem to be available for WordPress and WooCommerce users, so if youโre not a fan of these platforms, youโll need to look elsewhere.
8. SaleHoo
SaleHoo is a New Zealand-based dropshipping service that connects users with 8,000+ suppliers and 2.5m+ products from AliExpress.
You have to connect your Shopify store via your SaleHoo dashboard to start browsing thousands of trending products to add to your store.
Anyone interested in working specifically with Australian suppliers would benefit from SaleHooโs guide to dropshipping in Australia. This tells us that 47 Australian suppliers across various niches (including jewelry, toys, and electronics) partner with SaleHoo.
Itโs also worth highlighting that well-known branded products are accessible via SaleHoo, including Disney, Adidas, and Sony.
Pricing
Pricing below is quoted in USD:
Thereโs a one-off lifetime $127 fee to access SaleHooโs product directory, or you can pay annually for $67 instead.
In addition, there are two dropshipping plans:
- Basic: USD$270 billed annually
- Premium: USD$970 billed annually
Lastly, for $47 a piece, you can invest in โDropshipping on Shopifyโ and โAmazon Product Launch.โ The former is a dropshipping program focusing on building a successful Shopify store, and the latter is a guide to launching your first products on Amazon.
Pros
- You can access at least 47 Australian-based suppliers.
- Thereโs a wide range of product categories, including branded products, available.
- Unlimited 1:1 support via live chat, email, phone, and Facebook
- Thereโs a generous 60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Plans are expensive
- It only integrates with Shopify, so you'll have to look elsewhere if youโre using an alternative eCommerce platform.
- You have to applyย to sell some branded products.
9. DHGate
Used by customers in 223 countries, DHGate is a China-basedย wholesale marketplaceย that you can use for dropshipping.
It offers 37 million products organized into various categories, including electronics, sports and outdoors, and apparel. You can filter product searches to find suppliers offering free shipping and 72-hour delivery.
You can also click on theย Superior Suppliersย tab on the DHGate homepage. However, itโs unclear why they or their products are classed as such. You can also click theย Best Sellersย category on the homepage to see whatโs popular and which suppliers have been reviewed by DHGate as giving reliable service.ย
You can see each supplier's rating when viewing the items youโre interested in. You can also click a chat icon to speak with suppliers directly.
DHGate integrates with Shopify, but through apps like Importify, Aliexpress Dropshipping & More, and ShopMaster Dropshipping, and is an open platform, meaning you have access to its API.
Pricing
Signing up for an account is free, and there are no subscription plans. However, the apps mentioned come with subscription fees, so be sure to factor that into your budget.
Product prices vary depending on what you hope to import to your store. Prices start as low as $0.01 (USD).
Shipping prices vary depending on the product youโre despatching and where from and to.ย
Pros ๐
- DHGateโs product catalog is huge
- It operates around the world, including Australia
- Product prices start from as little as USDย $0.01
- Itโs free to use
Cons ๐
- Poor customerย reviewsย complain about long shipping times and inadequate customer service, with aย 1.8-starย Trustpilot rating.
- Thereโs some suggestion that some of the products areย counterfeit. However, itsย websiteย states that quality control systems are in place to prevent counterfeit products from being uploaded onto the platform.
10. Doba
Youโll find plenty of product choices from hundreds of pre-vetted suppliers (most of which ship from the US) to sell to the Australian ecommerce market. Products are organized into various categories, including toys, apparel, outdoor, etc., some of which fall into Dobaโs premium supplier category.ย
The platform offers real-time inventory tracking, and you can use the product filter to check which products are shipped to and from Australia.
Doba integrates with Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, eBay, and many more online marketplaces and eCommerce solutions.ย
Pricingย
Thereโs a 30-day free trial, and after that, you need to sign up for one of three plans (prices are in USD):
- Start-Up: $24.99/mo
- Business: $49.99/mo
- Enterprise: $299.99/mo
Thereโs no discount if you pay annually. Shipping prices depend on where youโre shipping to and from and what the product is.
Each product page tells where an item is shipped from and the estimated shipping time and cost.ย
Pros ๐
- Customers praise Dobaย for its good quality products.
- Thereโs a generous free trial with no credit card required
- Three suppliers (at the time of writing) ship a combined total of 74 products from and to Australia
Cons ๐
- Thereโs no free plan
- Theย Better Business Bureauย shows it only has a 1.2-star out of five-star rating.
- Some users complainย about unreliable suppliers.
Are You Ready to Find the Best Dropshipping Suppliers in Australia?
Hopefully, my guide has given you enough information to help you decide on the best dropshipping suppliers in Australia for your business.
As always, I recommend taking advantage of any free plans, trials, and/or demos to familiarize yourself with the platform before parting with your hard-earned cash.
Thatโs all from me; let us know how you get on in the comments below!
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