8 top UK dropshipping suppliers for small businesses

1. DSers

DSers lets you alter the size, cost, and price of an item with just two clicks / Image source: dsers.com

• Best for: dropshippers who sell through Shopify
• Pricing range: $19.90 to $499 (around £15.80 to £397) per month, billed annually
• Ships to: International (depending on individual supplier)

DSers is a highly-rated dropshipping tool with access to over 150,000 merchants. It’s available across several market-leading ecommerce platforms, such as Wix. However, it works best with Shopify and has been since the app’s previous winner, Oberlo, shut down in 2022.

Once DSers is added to your Shopify store, you can use it to import products, edit listings, and then place orders individually or in bulk. After you record a sale, the product is purchased from the supplier and shipped directly to your customer. Shopify also has branded invoice and shipping label templates for that added professional touch.

What I like

My favourite feature is the DSers supplier optimiser, which allows you to find cheaper and better suppliers that sell the same products as your current partners to save money easily.

DSers is also ahead of the game when it comes to sourcing stock. If you use TikTok for dropshipping, DSers last year released an update to its ‘Product Research‘ feature, which allows users to investigate product videos that go viral on TikTok for inventory ideas.

What I dislike

Less positively, users have reported occasional processing delays. That said, DSers’ helpdesk is available 24/7 via live chat. All DSers plans also have automated order status updates to keep sellers updated and prepared for delay complaints.

2. Modalyst

Modalyst makes creating your own pricing rules simple for Wix users / Image source: support.wix.com

• Best for: fashion dropshippers who sell on Wix
• Pricing range: $35 (approx. £26.20) to $90 (approx. £67.37) per month (billed annually)
• Ships to: International (depending on individual supplier)

Modalyst is owned by Wix, our top-rated small business website builder, and it’s super easy to use the app to drop items into your Wix eCommerce store. Its speciality is women’s fashion and apparel, and it boasts partnerships with thousands of independent clothing brands.

What I like

Modalyst stands out for its pricing features. Sellers are able to automatically mark up items, with no limit on changing prices (whereas DSers Advanced only lets you do this 10 times per month). It also boasts a profit calculator, which I expect dropshippers will find helpful to calculate profit margins, a lengthy process that can feel stressful if you’re running your business part-time.

Last year, Modalyst’s CEO discussed supplier reputation with Designrush and this is something the brand obviously cares deeply about. It regularly monitors supplier response rates during vetting, and expects suppliers to respond to merchants about any order issues within one business day.

What I dislike

Unfortunately, you’ll only be able to access the company’s entire network of suppliers on its business tier, Modalyst Pro. Dropshippers that sign up for Modalyst’s lower-priced tier, Modalyst Start Up, must shop almost exclusively at the AliBaba marketplace, meaning orders may take up to four weeks to ship.

Compared to DSers Advanced, which costs around £9 less per month and permits 20,000 products, Modalyst Start Up also allows just 250 products to be added to your shop at a time, which automatically rules it out for those who are planning bigger dropshipping operations.

How much does it cost?

Modalyst has two paid-for tiers: Modalyst Start Up and Modalyst Pro.

• Start Up – $35 (around £27) per month, paid annually
• Pro – $90 (around £71.60) per month, paid annually

I would recommend Modalyst Start Up to very small businesses and side hustlers. Its small product limit means it’s just not an option for larger ventures. Serious dropshippers must upgrade to Modalyst Pro, which permits an unlimited number of products and allows access to the entire supplier directory.

Modalyst also charges a transaction fee of either 5%, 2%, or 1% on dropshipping sales, based on your plan type. That means the more you spend on a payment plan for Modalyst, the higher your profits can be.

3. AliExpress

The AliExpress seller summary dashboard gives sellers a quick breakdown of customer feedback / Image source: shopify.com

• Best for: agile dropshippers wanting to source trending products
• Pricing range: 5%-10% commission fee
• Ships to: 220 countries including South Korea, Russia, Brazil, Malaysia, Belarus, Israel, EU countries, US, Canada, Australia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, India

Operated by global online marketplace Alibaba, AliExpress offers over 100 million products and takes care of virtually everything you need to run a successful dropshipping site. It handles all of your shipping and tracking needs, and gives you access to millions of products to help you build an impressive product line for your customers.

What I like

AliExpress’s level of insight is great for dropshippers of all levels because it lets you find trending products, do market research, build relationships with vendors, and order wholesale. It also integrates directly with DSers and BigCommerce, and is available as an app for Shopify, allowing you to add its products directly to your online shop. You can then use the DSers app to automate order processing.

I’d recommend AliExpress if you’re not 100% sure what kind of dropshipping store you want to set up yet. Many sellers flip-flop between different product categories when they start dropshipping, and AliExpress lets hands-on sellers experiment and form their brand by giving access to the world’s largest inventory.

What I dislike

The downside is that nearly all of the products available ship from China. This means you may need to justify lengthy shipping times of around 15 to 45 business days to customers. If time is of the essence, we’d recommend going for a domestic dropshipping supplier instead.

How much does it cost?

Retailers don’t pay a monthly subscription fee to sell on AliExpress. Instead, it takes a 5% to 10% commission fee per sale, depending on your product list.

4. Avasam

Avasam’s clean back-end makes it easy to manage inventory, whether you’re selling lamps or telephones / Image credit: avasam.com

• Best for: seasonal businesses that need to focus on inventory management
• Pricing range: from £24.99 to £199.99 per month
• Countries shipped to: only within the UK

With over 100 suppliers based in the UK, Avasam offers a diverse catalogue boasting a staggering 200,000 products across 18 categories (although, like Modalyst, its cheapest plan only permits you to list 250 at a time).

What I like

Probably Avasam’s best feature is its ability to automate inventory synchronisation, which prevents you from selling products you don’t have and lets you keep a close eye on what is and isn’t selling for smart sales forecasting. Similarly, customers also get stock level updates for full buying transparency.

Because of this niche specialism, I recommend Avasam to dropshippers that want to sell seasonal items (for example, holiday decorations or summer clothing). Thanks to Avasam’s stock management tools, you can scale up or down easily without the burden of excess inventory or the risk of disappointing customers.

In April 2023, Avasan also announced a new integration with BigCommerce, meaning it is now partnered with three major ecommerce website builders: BigCommerce, Shopify, and WooCommerce.

What I dislike

Less positively, Avasam does not accept PayPal, although it plans to in the future. It’s also worth noting that, since it only hosts UK suppliers, Avasam products will likely cost more to list in comparison to markets like the US or China.

How much does it cost?

Avasam offers four different paid-for plans:

• Starter: £24.99 (+VAT) per month, billed monthly. 25 products limit
• Advanced: £49.99 (+VAT) per month when billed monthly, or £24.92 (+VAT) per month when billed annually. 250 product limit
• Business: £99.99 (+VAT) per month when billed monthly, or £49.92 (+VAT) per month when billed annually. 10,000 product limit
• Guru: £199.99 (+VAT) per month when billed monthly, or £74.92 (+VAT) per month when billed annually. 50,000 product limit

If you don’t want to commit to such a costly subscription, you can first try Avasam’s free plan, which lets you explore the Avasam supplier network for free to get a taster of what’s available.

5. SaleHoo

You can search for any supplier in the famous SaleHoo Directory on the platform’s dropshipping app / Image credit: Salehoo.com

• Best for: gaining access to large seller network and international markets
• Pricing range: $27 to $97 (around £22 to £78) per month
• Ships to: US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, South Africa, Asia

SaleHoo Dropship integrates with your ecommerce site to import products to your Shopify store, similar to Modalyst and DSers. But SaleHoo’s USP is the SaleHoo Directory. Paid via a one-off payment on top of your subscription, it allows sellers to access over 8,000 international and, crucially, vetted wholesalers.

What I like

You can choose to pay $67 (approx. £50.18) annually, or a one-off payment of $127 (approx. £95.12) to give you lifetime access. The latter is better value for money, but it’s worth trying out the directory to see if it suits you before committing long-term. Handily, there is a 60-day money-back guarantee if you change your mind within eight weeks.

This gives SaleHoo the edge over Avasam, because it doesn’t restrict you to certified UK-based suppliers. It should also give you a level of confidence for the future – if you have ambitious aims to grow your business, you’ll be able to diversify your supply chain and expand your product offering in the future.

What I dislike

Of course, there are downsides. SaleHoo doesn’t give you the option to check available stock before joining. Moreover, reviews report that many wholesalers listed on SaleHoo require a minimum order or charge a large amount for shipping, which could impact profit margins.

How much does SaleHoo Dropship cost?

There are two pricing plans available for SaleHoo Dropship:

• Basic – $27 (around £22) per month, billed monthly
• Premium – $97 (around £78) per month, billed monthly

The biggest difference between the two plans comes down to product allowance. The Basic plan allows you to import 500 high-profit AliExpress products, whereas the Premium plan permits an unlimited number. You’re also allowed three accounts with Premium, versus one with Basic.

6. CJ Dropshipping

CJ Dropshipping lets you make a customisation request for both your products and packaging / Image credit: CJdropshipping.com

• Best for: customisation and branding
• Pricing range: $15.99 (approx. £11.95) to $59.99 (approx. £44.84) per month
• Ships to: US, Canada, UK, Australia, EU countries, South America, Asia, Africa, Middle East

Like DSers, CJ Dropshipping also integrates with Shopify, as well as a number of well-known ecommerce platforms, including Woocommerce, TikTok for Business, Shein, Temu and eBay. This wide range of integration options makes it easy for dropshippers to manage products, automate order fulfilment, and sync inventory across multiple sales channels.

What I like

What makes CJ Dropshipping stand out the most is its customisation features, allowing users to create custom packaging, print their logo on products, add personalised inserts and offer fully tailored product bundles.

CJ Dropshipping is an ideal choice for dropshippers looking to build a brand, rather than just reselling products. Moreover, even its free plan offers a good range of perks, including free and unlimited listing, unlimited store authorisation and 24/7 customer support.

What I dislike

While CJ Dropshipping’s customisation features can be great for personal branding, making a customisation request can add extra days to the processing time. Additionally, I had trouble accessing its CJ Branding site, as when trying to log on, the page never loaded.

How much does it cost?

CJ Dropshipping offers three paid plans, which are:

• Plus ($15.99 per month): offers two $3 coupons for orders that exceed $10, 5 VIP products (products provided by its premium suppliers), 50% off on CJ Academy courses under $10 and 10 extra daily sourcing requests
• Prime ($19.99 per month): offers five $3 coupons for orders that exceed $10, 10 VIP products, 15 recommended products (product with large market opportunity), 50% off CJ Academy courses under $30 and 20 extra daily sourcing requests
• Advanced ($59.99 per month): offers ten $3 coupons for orders that exceed $10, 20 VIP products, 25 recommended products, 50% off CJ Academy courses under $100 and 50 extra daily sourcing requests

CJ Dropshipping’s paid plans are relatively cheap (the cheapest being under £12 per month). However, as mentioned above, its free plan offers a generous amount of features already, giving you plenty to start off with before you think about committing to more advanced tools.

7. Spocket

Spocket asks you what sort of products you want to sell during its automated product research process / Image credit: spocket.co

• Best for: good-quality products
• Pricing range: $39.99 (approx. £29.85) to $299.99 (approx. £223.93) per month
• Ships to: North America, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Asia, Africa, Australia, Brazil and more

Spocket is a good choice for its selection of high-quality products, primarily from US and Europe-based suppliers, which means much faster shipping times compared to other dropshipping platforms that rely heavily on Chinese suppliers.

What I like

Aside from its focus on product quality, Spocket also offers a range of AI and automation features. This includes its automated inventory management system, which helps keep your stock updated in real-time with an easy, user-friendly overview of the number of imports, orders and reviews. Its automated product research tool is also useful for helping with market research by analysing current trends and identifying products that are high in demand.

Plus, as well as its integration with several ecommerce platforms – including Shopify, Wix and Squarespace – Spocket offers its own AI store builder, offering the ability to create a professional-looking site quickly with custom themes and even product recommendations.

What I dislike

Spocket’s suite of AI tools isn’t easily accessible, and it doesn’t let you test the features for yourself, as you’re immediately taken to the checkout page. This can make it difficult for new users to evaluate whether the AI functionalities truly add value before committing financially.

How much does it cost?

Unlike most, Spocket doesn’t have a free plan. However, it offers a 14-day free trial of its features before you start paying. Its four main plans are:

• Starter ($39.99 per month): 0% transaction fees, 100+ million product catalogue, 25 unique products, AliExpress dropshipping, multiple store support, 24/7 customer support
• Professional ($59.99 per month): everything in Starter, plus winning products, contact with suppliers, branded invoices, VIP chat support
• Empire ($99.99 per month): everything in Starter and Pro, plus eBay and Amazon dropshipping, Spocket Academy courses, unlimited orders
• Unicorn ($299.99 per month): everything in the above plans, as well as bulk checkout

8. AutoDS

AutoDS’s Ad Spy Tool lets you track and analyse trending ads on platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram / Image credit: AutoDS.com

• Best for: competitor analysis
• Pricing range: $19.90 (approx. £14.88) to $119 (approx. £89)
• Ships to: UK, US, Canada, Australia, EU countries

As the name suggests, AutoDS is all about automation – handling the boring, repetitive tasks that usually come with dropshipping (e.g. stock levels, adjusting prices and processing orders). It also offers a suite of smart tools that help you discover trending products and optimise listings, cutting down the hours usually spent on market research.

What I like

AutoDS’s automation was something that really stood out among the others. Specifically, its Ad Spy tool helps dropshippers identify trending products and successful marketing strategies across major social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. Through its advanced filtering options, users can narrow down their search through specific filters (e.g. likes, impressions, CTA text and keywords) allowing them to dive deeper and pinpoint specific ads that are resonating the best with their target audience.

What I dislike

Similar to Spocket, it isn’t possible to access these features until you start paying for a plan. While it offers a 14-day trial for just $1, there’s no way to try and test these features beforehand to see if they could work for you.

How much it costs

AutoDS’s pricing depends on which ecommerce platform you sell on. However, for Shopify, Wix, Woocommerce and Etsy sellers specifically, the pricing plans include:

• Import ($19.90 per month): online store creation, 800+ million bestselling products, product and order management, business analytics, 200 product variations
• Starter ($29.90 per month): everything included in Import, plus custom sourcing, bulk product importation, title and description optimisation, automatic tracking updates, 500 product variations
• Advanced ($49.90 per month): everything included in Import and Starter, plus management of up to three stores, VIP customer support and 1,000 product variations
• Enterprise (from $79 per month): everything included in the above plans, and 2,000+ product variations