Why Oberlo Shutting Down?

Oberlo is no longer available on the Shopify AppStore from May 12th, 2022. It was a popular dropshipping app, however, due to some unavoidable reasons; they decided to get the sunset. Why Oberlo shutting down?

If you are curious about why Oberlo shut down and what are the best alternatives that you can use for your dropshipping business, this article is for you. To figure out what’s going on and the next steps, keep reading;

What is Oberlo?

Oberlo is a dropshipping app invented by a Lithuanian entrepreneur. In 2017 just after it developed, Oberlo was acquired by Shopify for $15M which was a massive figure. Oberlo gained trust and popularity among dropshippers globally within a very short.

Oberlo allows dropshipper to sell products from AliExpress using the Shopify platform. It lets dropshipper import products to their Shopify store, edit product listings, and place orders separately or in bulk easily.

Till May 2022, Oberlo was one of the most prominent dropshipping apps that allowed dropshippers straight from many Chinese suppliers. But from May 12, 2022, Oberlo was stopped from the Shopify app listing.

There is so much gossip about why Oberlo shut down. Briefly, Shopify feels that Oberlo is no longer necessary. It’s also due to Shopify getting their fulfillment network so they decided to stop Oberlo with them.

Let’s see what Oberlo says about their shutting down;

“Shopify mainly focused on their seller’s interest. Oberlo is the sun setting on June 15, 2022, and transitioning how Oberlo allows dropshipping to the best solution settled by a reliable Shopify partner, DSers.”

That said, “Oberlo deprecation, which is an unchanging incidence, is in search of offering sellers the best solutions to reach their clients anywhere they are.”

They also include, “The old-style way of dropshipping is dead. So it desires a change. Though, Oberlo is still working for many trades including AliExpress & Alibaba but not as easy as it should be. Moreover, it was getting its popularity less.”

Even if, Oberlo was the leading label allied with Shopify, however, it wasn’t the most popular app. Most of the members of the Shopify community stated that compared to Oberlo other apps provide greater performance.

The key reason for Oberlo’s “sunsetting” was likely the falling number of its users. Shopify already has its specific Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) which now admits stores fulfilling 3+ American or Canadian orders daily.

SFN’s items are not on their banned items list. Moreover, Shopify lately picked up Deliverr for $2.1B. It is a clear sign that Shopify is aiming at fulfilling orders themselves rather than depending on other platforms.

Here is Another Possibility Mentioned on Social Media

According to Reddit, one of the most popular social media, “most significant thing AliExpress is terrible to work with. They didn’t have an API until lately, and it’s very narrow and odd compared to other APIs.”

“Also, Oberlo didn’t use the API frequently. They depend on browser robotics using a Chrome Extension which is fully terrible. They always change things everywhere and display variations to only limited users. And overall needs plenty of care and things a big company like Shopify won’t do.”

“Oberlo uses automation only to gain affiliate income. They generate their income mostly from the AliExpress Affiliate program. So they didn’t change to the API.”

Whatever the reason, dropshipping is now not a trend like it used to be when Shopify picked up Oberlo. But now the scenario has changed and Shopify has no way to continue with Oberlo.

What Will Happen After Oberlo Shut Down?

Oberlo will be uninstalled from your Shopify store, and all of the data will be removed, and not be accessed again. Your store’s sales will be stopped till further action and you may choose orders to fulfill manually.

However, let’s see what Oberlo says;

“If you’re presently on a paid Oberlo pricing plan, then you can cancel it instantly. Then receive a refund or Shopify app credits subject to where you’re billed;

You will receive a refund if you’re billed on Oberlo.
You will receive Shopify app credits if you’re billed on Shopify.

They also stated that “On June 15, 2022, all remaining Oberlo subscription plans will be invalid. Affected Oberlo accounts will receive refunds or Shopify app credits for unused subscription days.”

Best Alternatives of Oberlo In 2024

Now let’s see some of the best alternatives to Oberlo that can be useful for dropshippers;

DSers

DSers is an ideal Oberlo alternative for AliExpress dropshipping. This app was also formally suggested by Oberlo due to it has all the features that dropshipper need to scale up their business.

Key Features

Lucrative free plan.
Chrome extension.
Bulk and multiple order management.

Ecommerce Platforms Supported

Shopify.
WooCommerce.

Pricing Plan

Basic– free.
Advanced– $19.9/month.
Pro– $49.9/month.
Enterprise– $499/month.

Dropified

Dropified is another great alternative to Oberlo. It allows dropshippers to find products from multiple different sources like Amazon, AliExpress, Alibaba, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, Wish, DHGate, etc.

Key Features

Wider scope to pick dropshipping supplier.
Niche product dashboards for diverse categories.
Single-click adding of product.
Integration with numerous platforms.
Preference to manage numerous online stores.

Ecommerce Platforms Supported

Shopify.
BigCommerce.
WooCommerce.
GrooveKart.
CommerceHQ.

Pricing Plan

A 14-day free trial to test the waters.
“Import” package for dropshippers who source products from AliExpress and eBay costs $17/month + 8% of the product cost.
“Private Label on Demand” package costs $197/month + 3% of the product cost.

NicheDropshipping

NicheDropshipping is another choice with warehouses in China and the USA to fulfill orders globally. You can be benefited from their wholesale order service if you have a constant number of orders daily. By doing so, you can save extra money.

Key Features

Automatic dropshipping.
No-cost wholesale inventory storage.
Fulfillment centres in China and the USA.
No-cost product sourcing service.
Buying and quality check of your items.
Exclusive dropshipping (private label & white label).
Numerous shipping methods.

Ecommerce Platforms Supported

Shopify.
WordPress + WooCommerce.
Other platforms (upload excel files or place orders manually.)

Pricing Plan

Free to sign up and use the app.
Custom pricing depends on the services required and the product sourced.
Small business-friendly.
Free product sourcing quote.
90-day free catalog storage in their warehouses.

Importify

Importify could be an incredible alternative to Oberlo. The most important feature of this platform is their great number of wholesale websites for product sourcing Amazon, AliExpress, Alibaba, CJDropshipping, Chinabrands, Costco, DHgate, Etsy, Taobao, Walmart, Wish, 1688, and more.

Key Features

Google Chrome extension.
Limitless import of products.
Inexpensive compare to Oberlo.
Semi-automatic order fulfillment.
Wide database of supplier websites available.

Ecommerce Platforms Supported

Shopify.
Jumpseller.
WooCommerce.

Pricing Plan

Basic– $14.95/month.
Premium– $27.95/month.
Gold– $37.95/month.

AliDropship

If you prefer WordPress+WooCommerce other than Shopify, AliDropship is the best option for you. It is the massive Oberlo alternative as it offers a free forever plan for importing 25 products.

Key Features

Automatic integration with AliExpress.
Best plugin for WordPress+WooCommerce stores.
Easy to edit product details.
Convenient to import products from AliExpress to your store.

Ecommerce Platforms Supported

WordPress + WooCommerce.

Pricing Plan

Free forever plans to import up to 25 products.
$35/month for up to 250 products imported.
$89 as a one-time payment for full access to all features.