Oberlo vs Doba?
Which dropshipping solution best fits your needs?
This article will cover exactly what both platforms are, what they offer, their pros and cons and my personal thoughts on the matter.
What is Oberlo
Oberlo is a dropshipping app for Shopify that is also owned by Shopify.
The platforms focus is on product import and order fulfillment.
While Oberlo is mainly used and known for being the default AliExpress dropshipping tool, the app also has its own built-in library with dropshipping suppliers.
So you can perfectly well use Oberlo, without AliExpress.
Oberlo comes with handy features such as one-click AliExpress product imports and order fulfillment at the click of a button.
Oberlo is also 100% free to use.
The platform does offer a premium ‘Boss’ plan of $29.90 per month for those with more than 50 orders a month.
So while the platform is free to start with, you’ll have to end up paying the monthly fee once your dropshipping store reaches success.
But hey, 50 orders a month should cover that, right?
The boss plan also comes with some helpful features that will automate your dropshipping business even more.
These features are:
- Bulk order fulfillment (you can fulfill all your daily orders at the click of a button)
- Order tracking (Oberlo withdraws tracking info from your suppliers and notifies your customers)
- Multiple Staff Accounts (in case you want to hire VAs)
- Access to all the dropshipping courses
And more!
Pros and Cons of Oberlo
Pros
- Free to use (until you hit 50 orders/month)
- Easy to use with Shopify, no technical skills required
- One-click product import
- Bulk order fulfillment (premium plan)
- Order tracking (premium plan)
- 24/7 support
- International shipping
Cons
- You can only use Oberlo with Shopify
What is Doba
Doba is a dropshipping directory that integrates with Shopify.
This means that you have access to tens of thousands of US suppliers that (most of the time) will have faster shipping than AliExpress.
Using Doba requires hefty monthly fees starting at $24.99 per month but is actually $49.99 per month if you want to have access to any of the integrations or automations.
They do come with a 30 day free-trial which is good for checking out their directory and the products they offer before you go ahead and make any kind of investment.
Yearly plans will also save you some money but aren’t recommended unless you’ve been with them for a while and you have a successful store.
The Doba directory consists out of US suppliers only and they do not offer international shipping.
So you’ll be stuck with just US countries in your targeting if you do opt for Doba instead of Oberlo.
Another side effect from US suppliers is that the prices will also be quite a bit higher, cutting into your profit margins.
Doba has been around for a while now and is a known dropshipping directory.
However, on youtube and review websites you will often find way more negative than positive reviews for this dropshipping directory.
Most of these negative reviews are regarding their unresponsive customer service and hefty fees.
Some are even claiming that Doba is a scam site with shady practices such as charging your card after cancelling the free trial, or using sales tactics to get you to sign up.
You can read some of the negative reviews here on sitejabber.
Or here on trustpilot.
The website also has many complaints on their page of Better Business Bureau.
Pros and Cons of Doba
Pros
- Free 30 day trial
- US suppliers
Cons
- Bad customer service
- Expensive monthly plans
- High product prices
- Many negative online reviews
- No international shipping
Oberlo vs Doba Comparison Chart
| Price | Free (up to 50 orders/month) then $29.90 per month | $29.99/mo for the regular plan without integrations or automations. $49.99/mo for the plan with integrations |
| Bulk order fulfillment | Yes | Yes |
| Order tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Product Pricing | Cheap (AliExpress) | Expensive (prices similar to products on Amazon) |
| International Shipping | Yes | No |
| Support | 24/7 | No |
| US Suppliers | No | yes |
| Customer Reviews | Trustpilot: 3.1/5 Shopify App Store: 4.2/5 | Trustpilot: 2.5/5 Sitejabber: 1.1/5 |
When To Use Oberlo (Instead of Doba)
If you’re looking for an AliExpress dropshipping solution, Oberlo is the place to be.
If you’re looking for an easy store-setup and management situation, Oberlo is also a great pick because it’s so snappy and easy to use.
If you want to sell to an international audience, go for Oberlo.
For high profit margins, dropship products form AliExpress through Oberlo.
When To Use Doba (Instead of Oberlo)
If you’re looking to use US suppliers that can offer shipping within 2 weeks, go for Doba.
My Thoughts on Oberlo vs Doba
I love Oberlo. I love AliExpress dropshipping for it’s low product prices and high profit margins on my end.
While I do like the idea of dropshipping directories, especially those with US suppliers, I find they are never a great fit for me.
Monthly prices are always very high and the product prices leave very little profit margins to work with.
If I want to use US suppliers, I’d rather go for a print on demand supplier like Printful than have to use an expensive Directory like Doba.
But that’s just my 2 cents of course.