We have been covering a lot about dropshipping lately on Vault50. This is because during the pandemic I started my own dropship business.
I’ve also invited various contributors to write about their experiences dropshipping, and provide reviews on the platforms, software, and themes that they use. The results have been interesting, and really informative.
One debate that has come up during all of this is which dropship software to use. There are a few available. Oberlo has been around for a while now and is definitely popular. However, in 2021, Dropified is arguably making waves.
So which should you go for if you are looking to launch a dropshipping store, or take your current enterprise to a whole new level?
Let’s take a look.
Table of Contents
Oberlo vs Dropified: Bottom Line Summary
Dropified has been voted V50’s best dropship software service for 2021 for good reason. It combines an easy-to-use interface, with premium features and a large selection of products and suppliers.
Essentially, it is great for beginners but has enough under the hood to facilitate your business as it grows. This includes the ability to integrate with lots of sale platforms and high volume sales.
Oberlo differs in this way in that it is only really designed for use with Shopify. If your aim is to build a small Shopify dropship store with no real intention to scale, Oberlo will fit the bill. If you are looking to grow, I would recommend a Dropified plan from the start.
What is Oberlo
Oberlo is a dropship software service that helps merchants find suppliers and facilitates a smooth dropship process, maintaining an efficient flow of items between suppliers and shoppers.
It was launched in 2015 and quickly became one of the most popular SaaS solutions for dropshippers. This is in large part due to its integration with the behemoth that is Shopify.
In short, an entrepreneur could build a small eCommerce website using Shopify and then find suppliers and manage a dropshipping enterprise on that site using Oberlo.
To this day, it is highly recommended for this purpose.
Since its beginnings 6 years ago, Oberlo has moved into other areas of eCommerce and can now boast of having helped sell over 85 million items online.
How Oberlo Works
Much of Oberlo’s success comes from the fact it was one of the first services to really streamline the dropshipping pipeline.
Oberlo allows eCommerce store owners to discover products from suppliers across the globe, across a huge range of categories.
The software comes in the form of a Shopify plugin that once installed allows you to easily populate your store with the products that you have found via Oberlo.
It is important to understand that the sales process and front-end, i.e the website your customers visit is all hosted and dealt with through the Shopify platform.
Oberlo meanwhile, takes care of the dropship process. This includes allowing you to customize your imported products and prices via the Oberlo Global Pricing Rules feature.
The software also provides means to automate communication with customers, (notifications of shipments, tracking numbers, etc), as well as inventory updating and of course, notifying the supplier of the sale.
In short, Oberlo can be used to turn your Shopify store into a dropshipping business.
What is Dropified
Dropified is very similar to Oberlo. It too is a web-based dropshipping software tool that integrates with eCommerce sales platforms to help merchants find, research, import, and add products to online stores.
At the core of each of these services is the ability to facilitate the ordering of products online. Sales are automatically fulfilled without the merchant having to physically handle or ship products.
However, as we will see, there are some major differences between the two dropship tools in terms of features and levels of integration.
- Related Content: Dropshipping in Europe – The Ultimate Guide
The Major Differences Between Oberlo and Dropified
Before we start comparing the various aspects of Oberlo and Dropified, here is a summary of the most significant differences between the two dropship software tools.
OBERLO | DROPIFIED |
Oberlo is designed for integration with Shopify only | Dropified integrates with various eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCoomerce, CommerceHQ, and more |
Oberlo has a free package for starter dropshippers | Dropified’s only offers a 14-day free trial |
Oberlo focuses on simplicity and ultimate compatibility with the Shopify platform | Dropified has more advanced features and tools, including one-click imports with the likes of eBay and AliExpress |
Oberlo offers 24/7 customer support | Dropified offers support during company working hours only |
Oberlo has a Chrome Extension that can import products from AliExpress | Dropified has a Chrome Extension that can connect and import products from over 60 marketplaces |
Oberlo features standard messaging channels for merchants to contact customers | Dropified allows dropshippers to communicate with customers through phone calls via the CallFlex tool, (as well as standard messaging) |
Oberlo vs Dropified – Integrations & Marketplaces
As we have mentioned, the major difference between Oberlo and Dropified is the amount of platform integrations.
On the face of it, the fact Oberlo seamlessly integrates with Shopify and is easy to use is a real benefit.
If you plan on building an eCommerce store using Shopify, (or have already done so) being able to simply install a plugin and begin finding suppliers and products is great.
However, the flip side of this is that it does limit your options in the long run. Dropified also works seamlessly with Shopify, yet it allows for greater integration with other platforms too.
Not only that, but Dropified also offers more options when it comes to product market places too.
At the time of writing, Oberlo only allows complete automation and one-click product import with AliExpress.
Dropified meanwhile, will allow you to source products from over 60 marketplaces and platforms. You can connect and import products from AliExpress, Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and more.
When the success of a dropshipping store comes down to the products sold, the fact you have these many options cannot be ignored.
Winner: Dropified due to having more integrations and marketplace options available.
Oberlo vs Dropified – Other Core Features
Both software solutions provide a range of tools for enhancing your automation capabilities.
However, Dropified has thought outside of the box on some of the core features that they include.
A tool called Tube Hunt allows you to bolster your marketing by identifying relevant product videos on YouTube.
There is also the aforementioned Call Flex tool that allows merchants to use the phone to further engage with customers.
Dropified also includes Google Product Feeds integration, and multi-store selling; great options for merchants looking to scale. Order auditing and order risk levels form part of the advanced functionality too.
In comparison, Oberlo does feel slightly pedestrian in terms of core features. It does exactly what it needs to do in terms of streamlining the dropship pipeline for Shopify users.
Beyond this, there is little in the way of advanced features.
Winner: Dropified due to providing extras beyond the standard dropship administration and fulfillment options
Oberlo vs Dropified – Ease of Use
Ease of use is where Oberlo really shines. They also offer a permanently free starter package, which is a great way of starting your first dropship business.
Beginners can download the app directly from the Shopify app store. They will also have access to the Oberlo Chrome extension that is available free of charge too.
Oberlo works within a simple and intuitive web-based dashboard giving you access to features such as inventory syncing, product importing, and automated product pricing. Sales analytics are available too.
However, ease of use is not just the remit of Oberlo. Dropified also features a well-designed and user-friendly dashboard, (in many ways it is similar to Oberlo and the older app may well have influenced the developers at Dropified).
The Shopify version of the Dropified app is also available in the app store and is a one-click installation procedure.
That being said, the extra features and integration ability does mean there are more menu options to get to grips with.
The process of adding products is more convoluted too. Dropified doesn’t automatically display products on the dashboard, search is carried out via the Dropified Chrome Extension.
This is a minor gripe that doesn’t impair the product research workflow too much.
Winner: Oberlo for providing an easy-to-use, no-nonsense beginner package that works seamlessly with Shopify.
- Related Content: How to choose the best theme for your Dropship Store
Oberlo vs Dropified: Order Processing
Order fulfillment works very well on both Oberlo and Dropified. Essentially, this is the main purpose of the software, to automate the order processing pipeline for the merchant so that the supplier delivers directly to the customer, with little work on the part of the eCommerce store owner.
Both tools will automatically update inventory, while also tracking each shipment to give you accurate real-time info, some of which is made available to the customer via tracking pages and emails.
Dropified does differ in a few of the more advanced features it provides, however.
One of these is the intelligent Captcha Solver that will answer the captcha challenges that many of the product marketplaces now have installed.
This provides a seamless background ordering process from the likes of eBay and AliExpress, without your customer knowing that the products are being sourced from suppliers on those websites.
Dropified can also fulfill bundled products. This is a strategy I talked about here, that can help convert more sales. Customers like bundled offers with reduced shipping prices. Dropified makes this easy to manage.
The Dropified ordering process is also superior with the addition of ePacket ID for multiple countries, and the creation of custom notes to sellers where relevant.
Winner: Dropified for the extra features that enable more sophisticated order processing.
Oberlo vs Dropified – Pricing Structure
Both Oberlo and Dropified offer different pricing plans to cater to the varying needs of dropship merchants.
Let’s take a look at each in turn
Starter Package
This is a free package that includes everything you need to start dropshipping on Shopify. It also includes the Oberlo Chrome extension and allows for unlimited monthly orders. You are restricted to just 500 products, however.
Basic Package
The Oberlo Basic package costs $29.90 a month. Extras above the free package include real-time order tracking, a captcha solver, fulfillment monitoring, bulk orders, sales reports, and automated product pricing. Up to 10,000 products can be added to your Shopify store on this plan.
Pro Package
The pro package costs $79.90 a month and a host of extras plus up to 30,000 products.
While Dropified does not offer a free package, it does provide a 14 day free trial on any of the following plans.
Build Plan
The Builder package costs $19 per month ($228 if you decide to pay annually).
Compared to both the Oberlo free and starter packages, this plan is packed with most of the defining features we have discussed above.
The Build plan gives you access to the AliExpress Captcha Solver, full order fulfillment monitoring along 1-click auto fulfillment. The bulk editing of products is available as is in-app photo editing.
You can import product reviews from the Vendor, while also having the control to carry out full product customization. Product and inventory synchronization is included of course.
The Builder plan also provides dynamic Facebook feeds, product availability updates, as well as price change auto-updates.
Furthermore, you can create up to 2 user accounts, and place up to 500 orders per month. You can also import up to 1000 products to one store.
Grow Plan
The Premier package costs $47 per month ($564 annually).
This contains everything listed in the Build plan along with the TubeHunt feature, CallFlex, an advanced profit calculator dashboard and the ability to place unlimited orders.
You can also create 4 user accounts and import 10,000 products on up to 3 stores.
Dropified Black (Private Label)
Dropified black costs $97 per month and is designed for advanced dropshippers looking to private label products, (see more on the full Dropified review here).
Oberlo vs Dropified – Final Verdict
In my opinion, Dropified is the dropship software package to go for. Oberlo is great for the complete beginner that wants to test the waters of dropshipping. However, being limited to Shopify as a platform and far fewer supplier marketplaces, you could outgrow this quickly.
To run a viable dropship business on Oberlo you would need to subscribe to the Basic plan at $29.90 a month.
For $10 less the Dropified Build plan will provide you access to all the advanced features, more platforms, and marketplaces that I have discussed in this comparison.
To me, this makes Dropified the obvious choice.
Once you hit levels where your sales volumes are higher, the Dropified Grow plan is a winner too.
The Dropified private-label options for experienced dropshippers are also a big advantage. If you are already managing your dropship store using Dropified, it is an easy upgrade to begin private-labeling products.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. If you are looking to experiment with a Shopify dropship store, Oberlo works great.
If your aim is to build a successful eCommerce dropship store with the option to scale, Dropified is the software of choice in 2021.
- Related Content: Shopio Review – My Recent Experience Launching a Webstore
