Temu is sweeping the world, and many friends from overseas have been asking, “What’s the difference between Temu and AliExpress? Which one is better?”
In today’s blog, I’ll objectively compare Temu and AliExpress across the 7 key areas buyers care about most.
What are AliExpress and Temu?
AliExpress is China’s largest B2C cross-border e-commerce platform.
AliExpress is familiar to us, launched by Alibaba Group in 2010–connecting Chinese retailers with consumers worldwide. It’s now the 3rd-largest English-language online shopping site, after Amazon and eBay. AliExpress is available in 230 countries/regions and supports 18 languages, as shown in below screenshot.
Temu is a new Chinese cross-border shopping site-- "Shop Like a Billionaire."
Temu is a cross-border e-commerce platform launched by China-based PDD Holdings in September 2022, initially in the US. It focuses on unbeatable prices and social shopping.
Team Up, Price Down
By inviting 5 friends with your referral code, you’ll instantly earn $20. Plus, sharers and invitees can get cash, prizes, and discount coupons by sharing products. People started exchanging referral codes in varied social media platform comments, sending links to friends, “If you are my bro, give me a price cut!” There are also viral unboxing videos of $0 purchases.
Temu’s products are incredibly cheap, with many items under $1, making it like a new version of the online one-dollar store. You can find Bluetooth headphones, snow boots, shirts, handbags, and necklaces for just a few dollars, with some products priced at half or even less compared to Amazon.
temu vs amazon price
temu languages
As of now, TEMU has expanded to over 70 countries and regions across North America, Europe, and Asia, though it currently supports fewer than 10 languages.
Temu’s traffic share is greater than AliExpress in the U.S. and Japan. In France, the two platforms have similar traffic. However, in Brazil, Spain, and Russia, AliExpress holds a dominant market share.
Temu vs AliExpress in product options
Overall, AliExpress offers a wider selection of products and more seller stores than Temu. Temu currently has around 2-5 million SKUs, which is much less compared to AliExpress’s over 100 million products across all niches.
Both AliExpress and Temu focus on categories like clothing, bags, electronics, home and garden, kitchenware, beauty products, sports, toys, and pet supplies. Beyond regular everyday items, quirky and fun products are also very popular with consumers, such as native-style shoes, horned socks, pig-shaped mugs, and decorative glasses, as well as shirts in all sorts of unique shapes, which are a hit in the U.S.
BTW, our e-commerce clients often send us product images and links from Temu and AliExpress, inquiring about wholesale or custom prices.
Additionally, when it comes to displaying and sorting items, AliExpress and Temu are quite similar. Both platforms also have limited offerings for larger items like furniture or heavy industrial products like tractors.
Is Temu or AliExpress cheaper？
Both AliExpress and Temu are cheap based on well-established Chinese manufacturing and supply chains. But, research shows that Temu’s prices are around 10% lower than AliExpress.
Avg. price comparison. Source: Temu, AliExpress JP Morgan.
Why TEMU is so cheap?
Temu operates on a self-operated model, where the platform sells directly to consumers. Sellers only need to list their products, while Temu handles everything else—product selection, pricing, logistics, and customer service. To offer the best prices, Temu squeezes both its own and the sellers’ profit margins. Sellers are just product suppliers for Temu and don’t have their interests prioritized, as long as they can still make a profit.
Additionally, Temu introduced a price comparison system in March 2023 to push prices even lower. After selecting products, multiple sellers bid, and Temu chooses the lowest offer. This bidding happens weekly, so sellers have to constantly lower their costs. On top of that, Temu requires sellers to offer prices lower than other platforms, like 1688. For example, the price on Temu must be lower than the wholesale price for 100-500 pieces in 1688.
If sellers don’t lower their prices, they won’t get traffic and may not even be able to list their products, leaving them with unsold inventory. This forces sellers into an intense price war.
AliExpress has different business models.
AliExpress is a marketplace platform where sellers sell directly to consumers. Sellers can set their own prices and are responsible for marketing, as well as pre- and post-sales services. While AliExpress also values customer experience, its main focus is supporting sellers and helping them make more money.
Due to different business models, Temu naturally offers more affordable prices for consumers.
Temu vs AliExpress in shipping options, costs, and time.
Both platforms offer local shipping options. Here, we’re only focusing on shipping from China.
Temu delivers fast within oonly 2 shipping options.
TEMU shipping info.
Standard shipping
Free for all orders and usually takes 6-22 days. If shipping from China to Los Angeles, USA, it typically arrives in about a week.
Express shipping
4-11 days. Shipping from China to LA usually arrives within 7 days. Shipping is $12.9 for orders between $12.9 and $129. Orders over $129 are free.
In comparison, AliExpress offers multiple shipping options.
Here are the two most common shipping methods on AliExpress.
Standard shipping
Usually takes 10-40 days, with about 10 days for major U.S. regions and longer for remote areas.
AliExpress Premium shipping
Takes 7 to 15 days and requires an additional fee, but it’s generally cheaper than services like DHL, as it’s handled by Alibaba’s logistics company, Cainiao.
Overall, Temu has a slight edge in delivery speed, but the exact timing depends on the shipping method you choose. Currently, most cross-border e-commerce platforms use economical postal services, like the free shipping you see on AliExpress and Temu. This is ideal for small, lightweight, low-value packages. While the wait time can be longer, consumers generally expect this and are okay with it.
Temu vs AliExpress, which is better in quality?
Both platforms offer plenty of affordable products. Despite some people complaining about buying cheap, useless junk and calling it low-quality, more often you’ll hear others argue, “That’s what we call champagne taste on a beer budget.”
Many sellers operate on both Temu and AliExpress, often listing the same products across multiple platforms. The price might vary slightly between the two, but the quality is generally the same. Some shoppers who have bought from both platforms have shared their thoughts on Reddit, comparing the quality and prices.
In my opinion, the #1 rule when buying low-priced products is to set the right expectations. Be sure to read product descriptions and reviews carefully to choose a reliable seller.
Go in with that mindset, and have patience for the slow shipping, and you’ll be a happy shopper.
AliExpress vs Temu in buyer customer services
Both platforms offer good buyer protection. You can request a return or refund if:
- Your order doesn’t match the item descriptions or photos.
- Your item arrived damaged.
- Your item couldn’t be delivered, arrived late, or was lost in transit.
According to AliExpress’s buyer protection policy, you have a 15-day window for returns or refunds after receiving the order.
Temu, however, offers a better return policy. Almost all items are eligible for returns and refunds within 90 days from the purchase date. If you’re not satisfied with your item, you can even get a refund without returning the product.
While AliExpress also allows “refund only” options, Temu is more buyer-friendly with its “90-day satisfaction guarantee” on most products.
Additionally, Temu holds sellers to stricter standards compared to AliExpress. Sellers can face heavier penalties, up to 2-5 times the amount involved, for issues like product quality problems, shipping delays, or poor customer service. This is an added layer of buyer protection, as it motivates sellers to provide better products and services, reducing the risk of a bad purchase.
Both platforms also offer live customer service agent support. If there’s any issue with your order, you can chat with an agent to resolve it in real time.
Which platform is right for you?
Both platforms are affordable. If you’re buying for personal use, you can compare and choose the one that suits you best. However, if you’re looking to do dropshipping or place small wholesale orders under $100, AliExpress is the better choice—it’s more beginner-friendly. Temu doesn’t support dropshipping or wholesale orders.
Working with JingSourcing whenever your budget exceeds $1,000, either for wholesale or personal sourcing projects involving multiple types of products (e.g. home decorations).
As a leading sourcing company in China, they have served 4000+ happy buyers, most of whom are startups and small sellers on Amazon and other e-commerce platforms.
