Oberlo

What is Oberlo

Oberlo was a very popular dropshipping application designed exclusively for the Shopify ecommerce platform. Its main purpose was to make it easy for online store owners to find products from suppliers, like those on AliExpress, and add them directly to their Shopify store. The tool helped automate many parts of the dropshipping process, including product importing, order fulfillment, and inventory updates. Founded in 2015 in Lithuania, Oberlo was acquired by Shopify in 2017. It became a key tool for many entrepreneurs starting their online business journey. However, in 2022, Oberlo was officially shut down, and its services were discontinued. The Oberlo website now serves as a resource hub, offering articles, podcasts, and guides for entrepreneurs and dropshippers.

Oberlo Features

When it was active, Oberlo offered a range of features to simplify dropshipping:

• One-Click Product Importing: Users could browse products on supplier marketplaces like AliExpress and import them into their Shopify store with a single click, including images, descriptions, and variants.
• Automated Order Fulfillment: When a customer placed an order, all the details were automatically sent to the supplier. The store owner only needed to confirm the order and pay for the product.
• Inventory and Price Syncing: Oberlo automatically updated product inventory levels and prices in the Shopify store to match the supplier's stock. This helped prevent selling out-of-stock items.
• Product Customization: Before publishing, users could edit product titles, descriptions, images, and prices to better match their brand.
• Shipment Tracking: The tool provided tracking numbers for orders, which could be shared with customers to let them know the status of their delivery.
• Sales Dashboard: An integrated dashboard allowed users to monitor their sales, earnings, and overall business performance.
• ePacket Filter: This feature helped users find products with the fastest shipping options available, improving customer satisfaction.

Oberlo Pricing Plans

Oberlo had a tiered pricing structure to fit different business sizes. The plans were based on the number of products in your store and the volume of monthly orders.

• Starter Plan: This was a free plan designed for new entrepreneurs. It had limits on the number of products you could import and the number of orders you could process each month.
• Basic Plan: A paid plan for growing businesses, offering a higher product limit, more monthly orders, and access to features like shipment tracking and order fulfillment monitoring.
• Pro Plan: The top-tier plan was for established, high-volume stores. It allowed for a very large number of products, unlimited monthly orders, and supported multiple staff accounts.

Oberlo Free Plan

Oberlo offered a free "Starter" plan that was very popular with beginners. This plan allowed users to set up their dropshipping store and start selling without any initial investment in the tool. The free plan typically included the ability to import a certain number of products (e.g., up to 500) and process a limited number of orders per month. Core features like the Chrome extension for importing and automated product information were included. It was a great way to test a product idea before committing to a paid plan.

How to use Oberlo

Using Oberlo was a straightforward process when the service was active:

1. Install the App: First, you needed a Shopify store. From the Shopify App Store, you would search for and install the Oberlo application.
2. Find Products: Inside the Oberlo dashboard or using the Oberlo Chrome Extension, you could browse AliExpress to find products you wanted to sell.
3. Import to Your Store: With one click, you would add products to your "Import List" in Oberlo. Here, you could edit the product details, choose which variants to sell, and set your pricing.
4. Push to Shopify: Once customized, you would push the products from your import list to your live Shopify store, making them available for customers to purchase.
5. Fulfill Orders: When a customer bought a product, the order appeared in your Oberlo dashboard. You would simply click "Order Product," and Oberlo would automatically fill in the customer's shipping details on the supplier's checkout page. You just had to complete the payment to the supplier.

Pros and Cons of Oberlo

Pros:

• Seamless Shopify Integration: As a Shopify-owned app, it worked perfectly with the platform.
• User-Friendly Interface: The dashboard was clean and easy for beginners to navigate.
• Automation Features: It saved a lot of time by automating product imports and order fulfillment.
• Free Starter Plan: The free plan made it accessible for anyone to start a dropshipping business with a low budget.

Cons:

• Service Discontinued: The biggest con is that Oberlo is no longer operational. Users had to migrate to other platforms.
• Exclusive to Shopify: It could not be used with any other ecommerce platform like WooCommerce or BigCommerce.
• Limited to AliExpress: It primarily worked with AliExpress, limiting the variety of suppliers.
• Variable Shipping Times: Since most suppliers were based overseas, shipping times could be long and inconsistent.

Oberlo Integrations

Oberlo's primary and only integration was with Shopify. It was built as an exclusive application for the Shopify platform and could not be connected to other ecommerce systems. All of its features were designed to work directly within the Shopify admin dashboard, creating a unified experience for store owners.

Oberlo Alternatives

Since Oberlo is no longer available, users can choose from several excellent alternatives:

• DSers: This is the official recommended migration partner for former Oberlo users. It offers powerful bulk ordering features, works closely with AliExpress, and integrates seamlessly with Shopify.
• Spocket: Spocket focuses on suppliers based in the US and Europe, which allows for much faster shipping times. It offers a wider range of products and integrates with platforms beyond Shopify, including WooCommerce.
• SaleHoo: SaleHoo is both a supplier directory and a dropshipping automation tool. It vets all its suppliers, ensuring higher quality products and more reliable partners. It is a good choice for those who prioritize supplier quality.
• CJdropshipping: This platform offers a comprehensive solution that includes product sourcing, order processing, and shipping. It has warehouses in many countries, which can lead to faster delivery times than AliExpress.

Oberlo API

Oberlo does not provide a public API for developers. Since the service was discontinued in 2022, all developer tools and API access were also terminated. There is no longer a way to programmatically connect to or interact with the Oberlo platform.

Oberlo Affiliate Program

The Oberlo affiliate program is no longer active. When the main dropshipping service was shut down, its associated partnership and affiliate programs were also discontinued. It is not possible to sign up to promote Oberlo for commissions. Those interested in similar programs should look into the affiliate programs of active dropshipping tools like DSers or Spocket.