There are a number of challenges dropshippers may face at the start of the business venture. Finding a reliable and affordable dropshipping supplier is among them. Dishonest suppliers are a dime a dozen, and the genuine ones seem rarer to find. Your success as a dropshipper depends heavily on the suppliers you choose.
If you haven’t found your niche or product, you can use ZIK Analytics to search for trending products on eBay. ZIK Analytics allows you to carry out niche research, product research and competitor research all in the same tool.
You can either choose to dropship directly from retailers or wholesalers. Wholesale suppliers have a number of advantages over retailers, in terms of pricing, quality control, and delivery. But retail suppliers allow you a much wider range of products and access to trending products.
In this article, we will walk you through the process of finding dropshipping suppliers in your niche, list the 10 best dropshipping suppliers in 2025, and show you how to choose the best dropshipping suppliers for your store.
How to Find Dropshipping Suppliers
According to Torchbankz, 84% of retailers say finding a reliable supplier is one of the major challenges in starting up their business.
There are a lot of reliable suppliers out there. You just have to put in the time and effort into finding them. Finding a trustworthy supplier that no one else in your niche is using can be a great way to differentiate your store and product offerings.
Here are ways to find dropshipping suppliers for your store:
Google Search for suppliers in your niche.
Search for keywords such as “become a dealer dropshipping” or “become a seller dropshipping.” Or, search for anything similar. This will give broad results that aren’t niche-specific.
To find suppliers for your product category, specify your category in the search box. For example, “become a smartwatch dealer dropshipping.” Basically, the search term + your niche.
The next step is to make a list of suppliers you think are the right fit for your business from the search results. After that, find out more detailed information about them. Get in touch with the ones who really interest you. You can choose to contact the less interesting options to keep your options open.
It is recommended to conduct detailed research about a wholesaler before making an arrangement with them. You can then sign up on their webpage and get in touch with them. You may have to look past the first page of Google for this one
Trade Shows
Trade shows are periodic events held by participants in an industry to discuss and showcase recent developments. Trade shows can last for several days and often include exhibitions, networking events and workshops. Trade shows can be vital in finding wholesale suppliers and manufacturers. You can find great product offers and build lasting relationships with people in the same industry.
You can find upcoming trade shows by searching for them on Google. Wholesale Central also lists local trade shows on their website.
Supplier Directories
Supplier directories are a convenient way to find suppliers for your store. Wholesale dropshipping suppliers in a directory are usually arranged into different categories based on their niche, product type or market. The suppliers are vetted and checked to see if they meet the directory’s guidelines.
Some wholesale supplier directories are completely free to use while others charge you a monthly or annual fee to use. One of the emerging free supplier directories is Dropshipping.com Supplier Directory. They list 2000+ pre-vetted suppliers, with contact info and the essential supplier overview to help you make your decision. Wholesale supplier directory saves you a lot of time looking up and researching suppliers.
How to Find the Right Suppliers for Trending Products on eBay using ZIK Analytics
Instead of finding suppliers for a niche or product category, you can choose to find suppliers for specific products that are hot and trending with ZIK Analytics. This allows you to gauge demand and control inventory to prevent overstocking.
The following are the steps you need to take to find suppliers for trending products:
- Search for your product category on eBay
- Note the top-selling products and check out the retailers selling them.
- Open ZIK Analytics and click on “Competitor Research”
- Type in the Seller’s name
- You will find the store’s sell-through rate, active listings, overall sales earnings, and the brands that sell best on that store.
- You can search for wholesale suppliers for that product on Google
- Then, you can match the top sellers’ active listings with products from the suppliers.
10 Best Dropshipping Suppliers
The following are different dropshipping vendors from which you can source your store’s retail items. The list contains both wholesale and retail suppliers for you to choose from.
SaleHoo
The first company on this list is not really a vendor but a wholesale directory. Founded in 2005 and based in Christchurch, New Zealand, SaleHoo is one of the largest wholesale international directories on the Internet. SaleHoo serves over 100,000 retailers, mainly in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
SaleHoo’s wholesale directory lists more than 8,000 pre-vetted suppliers and about 2.5 million products. The suppliers are from all over the world, and there are no geographical restrictions. The large directory allows you to find products in different, popular niches and import them directly to your store.
If you are a retailer on eBay, you can give SaleHoo a try. It costs an annual fee of $67 to use and comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee. It does require you to contact suppliers and liaise with them directly and may be better suited for more experienced dropshippers.
AliExpress
AliExpress is an e-commerce platform owned by the Alibaba Group. AliExpress has millions of products that ship around the world. Most of the sellers on Aliexpress operate from China and source their items from manufacturers in the area.
AliExpress is completely free to use. There are millions of affordable products in different categories, from electronics to cosmetics.
The majority of merchants selling on AliExpress are based in China and source their products from the region. It is open to people around the world for free. AliExpress ships to over 200 countries. Delivery time varies and can range from two weeks to over a month.
AliExpress also allows you to order products directly without contacting the sellers, making the process easier and a lot smoother. The major disadvantage of AliExpress is that shipping can take a long time and this can serve as a drawback to retailers that have already picked up steam. That said, beginner dropshippers can find Aliexpress attractive because of its cheap prices and product diversity.
Alibaba
Alibaba.com is the largest B2B platform for wholesale trade worldwide and has over 100 monthly users. Similar to AliExpress, Alibaba.com is a subsidiary of the Alibaba Group. But, Alibaba is strictly a business-to-business (B2B) platform and is geared towards connecting you with the suppliers of the items you are after. Items are sold in bulk and orders can be fulfilled via dropshipping.
Alibaba’s mostly Chinese suppliers offer a wide range of different products. Products are sold at wholesale costs which can improve your profit margins. It is also possible to arrange for private-label or white-label products on Alibaba. Integrations with Shopify and other e-commerce platforms are also available.
Suppliers on Alibaba are strictly vetted but there is still the possibility of being defrauded. So, do apply due diligence while choosing a supplier. Alibaba is completely free to use but just like Aliexpress, shipping can run a little slow unless you are willing to pay for air freight.
Doba
The second supplier directory in this list, Doba was founded in 2002. Doba is based in the United States and charges you a service fee of $60 per month ($720 per year) to provide access to its curated list of suppliers.
Doba provides you with a convenient, centralized platform for finding suppliers, ordering items, and managing stock. Doba allows you to place orders and list items in your store directly from its interface. Integrations with Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Woocommerce, etc, are available.
Pricing is a bit on the high side, compared to other options. But if you’re looking for an easy-to-use platform and don’t mind paying a bit more, Doba is likely excellent for you.
Wholesale Central
Wholesale Central is a wholesale supplier and product directory that costs nothing to use. They instead charge suppliers for them to be listed. Suppliers are also vetted before being added to the directory. You can search the directory by product or supplier and the website will provide a list of results that match your search query.
The directory is open and free to access by anyone. However, it is somewhat limited for dropshipping and few of the vendors offer dropshipping services. You can also find upcoming tradeshows on the website. You can choose to sign up for the Wholesale Central Buyer’s Network (for free) and receive added benefits.
Wholesale Central does require you to deal directly with suppliers and offers no integrations or automation. It may be a better option for more advanced sellers who are comfortable doing everything manually.
Inventory Source
Inventory Source is an inventory and order management solution that provides you with a supplier directory of over 200 pre-integrated suppliers. It allows users to sync inventory with suppliers and upload products automatically to their retail stores.
Inventory Source is based in the US and offers a convenient and easy-to-use platform for dropshippers. Inventory Source not only provides you access to their supplier directory, they also allow you to add and manage your own suppliers.
Products are available from top brands in trending niches. Also, Inventory Source integrates with eBay, Amazon, and Walmart.
However, Inventory Source charges extra per supplier. The basic plan allows you to integrate with one supplier for $99 per month while the plus plan is charged at $149 per month for two integrations. The supplier directory is free to use.
Worldwide Brands
Worldwide Brands was established in 1999 and offers a large selection of authorized wholesale suppliers and wholesale manufacturers in their directory. They also provide training material for beginning dropshippers.
Worldwide Brands offers over 16 million products in various niches, from home decor to pet supplies. Worldwide Brands doesn’t require monthly or yearly subscription for access. Instead, one-time payment of $299 gets you access to the directory forever.
Wholesale Brands advertises that all the suppliers have been vetted and proven to meet its guidelines. This means that suppliers in the directory are reliable and can be trusted. However, user reviews say that the prices the suppliers charge are too expensive.
Wholesale2B
Wholesale2B is an inventory and order management system that provides you with a supplier directory. Wholesale2B provides you access to over 1 million dropship products. It is integrated with several e-commerce platforms and digital stores.
You can access the directory for free. But, dropshipping requires you to pay a service fee and Wholesale2B charges a different subscription fee per platform. Wholesale2B’s customer service isn’t the best and complaints can take over a day to get a response. Also, the prices from some suppliers can be quite steep and reduce your profit margin. That said, Wholesale2B may be a great way for you to get started with dropshipping.
National Dropshippers
National Dropshippers is a dropshipping service that is based in New Hampshire, US. The company partners with vendors around the country to make dropshipping faster and easier.
Shipping and delivery is quick, due to the company’s established network of suppliers. National Dropshippers allow you to test the service for 7 days free before paying. The membership plans are flexible, compared to other options and this allows you to choose the plan that fits you best. There are monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually and lifetime plans.
National Dropshippers however lacks the integrations provided by other services. Also, there are a limited number of products available to sell.
Sunrise Wholesale
Sunrise Wholesale offers over 15,000 products in different categories. Founded in 1999, Sunrise Wholesale has a large variety of product categories, including electronics, toys, gardening, etc.
The service is only available in the US and Canada and is integrated with several e-commerce platforms. They ship to customers within a week.
Sunrise Wholesale has a 7-day free trial. After which, membership costs $49 per month. However, inventory is a little limited compared to other options, and you can’t ship products outside the United States and Canada. If your store is based in the US or Canada, Sunrise Wholesale can be a great option.
Want to browse more dropshipping suppliers? Check out this guide by Wifi Hustlin
Conclusion
Whether you’re just starting out or you are an experienced dropshipper, carefully considering your supplier options can help you increase your profit margins and increase customer satisfaction. The right supplier can make all the difference in your dropshipping business. To ensure scalability as operations grow, it is also important that your supplier integrates with your ecommerce platform.
With the ZIK analytics tool, you can reduce the time and effort spent on research and find the wholesale suppliers that are the best fit for your niche and product type.
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Frequently Asked Questions on the Best Dropshipping Suppliers
Here are some frequently asked questions on the best dropshipping suppliers:
How Do You Spot Fake Dropshipping Wholesalers?
Fake wholesalers often sell directly to the public, refuse to provide product samples, act as middlemen between you and real suppliers, or lack complete contact information. Always check pricing, verify business credentials, and research their reputation before making any deals to avoid scams that could harm your business.
How do you Confirm if a Supplier is Genuine
Research the supplier through reviews, business directories, and manufacturer references. Request product samples to assess quality. Check their history for scam reports, verify their business license, and evaluate customer service responsiveness. Genuine suppliers are transparent, responsive, and willing to provide documentation or proof of their operations when asked.
How do Dropship Suppliers Handle Returns?
Dropship suppliers typically require a return merchandise authorization (RMA) before accepting a return. The process often involves the customer sending the item directly to the supplier, who then issues a refund to the store owner. Some suppliers may charge restocking fees or have strict return policies, so always verify terms.
Is International Dropshipping Profitable?
International shipments can quickly spiral out of control, and getting accurate quotes on shipping fees, customs, and duties for hundreds of countries can be a daunting task. To process an international order, dropshippers must deal with more paperwork. There are suppliers who will charge an additional fee, and then there are those who won’t. However, it might be profitable if you have done your due diligence with the supplier beforehand and considered your profit margin.