Yes, you can use AliExpress to dropship on Shopify. It’s one of the most popular ways to start an online store with no upfront inventory. You list AliExpress products in your Shopify store, and when a customer buys, your supplier ships the item directly to them. A connector app handles the importing and order fulfillment automatically.
That’s the short version. Here’s what you actually need to know before you build a store around it in 2026.
How AliExpress dropshipping on Shopify works
The model is simple. You find a product on AliExpress, add it to your Shopify store at a marked-up price, and only buy it from the supplier after a customer orders. Your profit is the gap between the two prices. Because you never hold stock, your risk and startup costs stay low, which is why beginners and seasoned sellers alike keep using it.
AliExpress fits this model well because it carries over 100 million products across nearly every category and adds new ones constantly, so testing a niche or a trending item costs almost nothing.
How to connect AliExpress to Shopify
You don’t import products by hand. The standard tool is Aerodrop, the official AliExpress dropshipping partner for Shopify and the app that replaced the now-discontinued Oberlo. It’s free to start and installs straight from the Shopify App Store.
The setup is five steps:
- Create your Shopify store.
- Install Aerodrop from the Shopify App Store.
- Connect your AliExpress account.
- Import products to your store with one click.
- Set your pricing rules and turn on auto-fulfillment.
Once it’s running, DSers syncs prices and stock and pushes new orders to your supplier automatically. Other connectors like CJ Dropshipping, AutoDS, and Zendrop work similarly and are worth comparing as you grow.
The big 2026 change you can’t ignore: tariffs
This is the part most outdated guides skip. The US ended its de minimis exemption (the rule that let packages under $800 enter duty-free) for Chinese imports in 2025, with a full rollout across all countries by late 2025. For sellers shipping to US customers, that means every parcel from China is now taxed regardless of value, typically a flat per-item fee or a percentage-based duty.
In plain terms: the ultra-cheap economics that powered AliExpress dropshipping to US buyers no longer work the same way. If your audience is in the US, recalculate your margins before you commit, and consider AliExpress suppliers (or warehouses) located outside China for US-bound orders. If you’re selling into other markets, the impact is smaller but still worth checking against local import rules.
Shipping times: set expectations early
The number one complaint in AliExpress dropshipping is delivery speed. A typical AliExpress order to the US takes roughly 12 to 25 days, not the two-day delivery shoppers are used to. You can’t fully eliminate this, but you can manage it:
- State the delivery window clearly on every product page (e.g. “Ships from partner warehouse, arrives in 15–25 business days”).
- Move your bestsellers to a faster US or local warehouse through a supplier like CJ or Zendrop.
- Add a branded tracking page so customers can follow their order and stop emailing you.
Sellers who are upfront about shipping keep customers happy. Those who promise three days and deliver in three weeks rack up refunds and chargebacks.
Is AliExpress dropshipping on Shopify still worth it?
It can be, if you go in with realistic expectations. The advantages still hold: no inventory, low startup cost, and an enormous product catalog to test. The dropshipping market was valued around $351 billion in 2024 and is projected to pass $500 billion by 2027, so demand isn’t going anywhere.
The catch is that easy profits are gone. Winning now comes down to choosing strong products (look for 4.5+ star ratings and 300+ orders), pricing in your true landed cost including duties, being honest about shipping, and treating your store like a real brand rather than a quick flip.
Bottom line: AliExpress and Shopify still pair well for launching a dropshipping business in 2026, but the sellers who succeed are the ones who plan around tariffs, shipping times, and margins from day one.
