What Is 1688.com?
1688.com is a major business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platform, giving online businesses around the world access to a huge marketplace of wholesale trading opportunities in a convenient, secure environment.
1688 is the flagship domestic wholesale business of Alibaba Group, and it's the leading e-commerce platform for small businesses in China conducting both domestic and international trade.
What 1688 Covers
The platform spans more than 16 major industry categories — raw materials, industrial products, clothing and apparel, household goods, small commodities, and more — offering a full chain of supply services from raw material procurement through production and processing to spot wholesale. This breadth lets buyers select from a huge pool of hot new products and high-quality merchants for wholesale purchasing.
How 1688 Differs from AliExpress
- Language — Most dropshippers who don't speak Chinese rely almost exclusively on AliExpress, since 1688 (like Taobao) operates primarily in Chinese. This language barrier is one of the biggest practical differences between the two platforms.
- Business model — Visually and functionally, 1688's design, features, and overall experience closely resemble Alibaba and AliExpress. But where AliExpress is built for small-quantity retail and cross-border buyers, 1688 is built around domestic Chinese wholesale — meaning lower per-unit prices, since sellers aren't pricing in the extra cost of cross-border logistics and communication.
Why It Matters for Dropshippers
Because 1688 is priced for domestic wholesale rather than international retail, it consistently offers lower factory-direct prices than AliExpress or Alibaba.com for the same or similar products — but working across the language and logistics gap usually means using either a translation tool, a dropshipping agent, or a plugin built specifically to bridge cross-border payment and shipping for 1688 purchases. That's the gap that services like ZQ Dropshipping are built to close, letting international sellers tap into 1688's pricing without needing to navigate the platform in Chinese themselves.
Key Numbers About 1688.com
| Fact | Figure | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch year | 1999 | Alibaba Group corporate site (alibabagroup.com) | 2026-08-21 |
| Owner | Alibaba Group | alibabagroup.com | 2026-08-21 |
| Business model | Domestic Chinese B2B wholesale marketplace | 1688.com | 2026-08-21 |
| Site language | Chinese | 1688.com | 2026-08-21 |
| Industry categories | 16+ major categories, from raw materials to apparel | 1688.com | 2026-08-21 |
| International shipping | Not offered — delivery is domestic China only | 1688.com | 2026-08-21 |
1688 vs Alibaba.com vs AliExpress
All three are Alibaba Group marketplaces, but they are built for different buyers:
| Dimension | 1688.com | Alibaba.com | AliExpress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary market | Domestic China | International B2B | International retail |
| Language | Chinese | English and multilingual | English and multilingual |
| Typical order size | Small wholesale lots | Large wholesale and OEM orders | Single items |
| Price level | Lowest — domestic factory pricing | Low, negotiable by volume | Higher — retail markup included |
| Payment methods | Chinese methods (Alipay, domestic bank) | Trade Assurance, international wires | International cards |
| International shipping | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Lowest-cost sourcing via an agent | Volume importers with trade teams | Consumers and product testing |
The pattern to notice: the lower the price, the more of the cross-border burden sits on you. 1688 has the best factory prices but no international shipping, no English interface, and no international payment — which is exactly the gap sourcing agents and 1688-specific tools exist to close.
How to Start Buying from 1688 in 5 Steps
- Find products. Search 1688.com with translated keywords, or browse with a translation extension.
- Vet the supplier. Check shipping-speed ratings, certification labels, and repeat-purchase rates — not just photos.
- Solve payment. 1688 accepts Chinese payment methods; international buyers typically pay through an agent's consolidated invoice instead.
- Arrange the domestic leg. Goods ship to a Chinese warehouse — your own agent's or a freight forwarder's.
- Ship internationally. From the warehouse, orders go out on cross-border lines to your customers, or to US/EU overseas warehouses for local delivery.
Who 1688 Is For — and Who It Isn't
A good fit: cross-border e-commerce sellers who want factory-direct pricing; dropshippers who pair it with an agent or extension; brands sourcing custom packaging or white-label products at volume.
Probably not for you: buyers who need a single retail item delivered abroad (AliExpress is built for that); sellers unwilling to work through an agent, a translator, or a Chinese intermediary; businesses that need English-language contracts and dispute resolution as the default.
The Agent Ecosystem Around 1688
Because 1688 itself does not serve international retail buyers, an ecosystem of agents and tools has grown around it. ZQ Solution, for example, reports serving 300+ clients across 100+ countries and fulfilling tens of thousands of orders (zqsolution.com about-us, verified 2026-08-21), with per-item inspection and US and EU warehouses. 1688 purchase returns follow the listing, supplier terms and 1688 platform rules; many eligible products use the warehouse receipt date as the start of a 7-day return window. Support depends on account level: Enterprise accounts receive 24/7 coverage, Advanced accounts have a dedicated group generally staffed from 08:00 to 24:00 China Standard Time, and Basic requests are handled within 24 hours. International orders fulfilled and shipped through ZQ have a 30-day after-sales request window from delivery. Independent reviews of ZQ Solution are also publicly visible on Trustpilot (trustpilot.com, checked 2026-08-21). This agent layer is what makes 1688's domestic pricing accessible to sellers who don't operate in Chinese.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "1688" mean?
The number is widely read in Chinese as a homophone for "prosperity all the way" (一路发发), a lucky phrase in business culture — fitting for a wholesale marketplace.
Is 1688 legit?
Yes. 1688.com is Alibaba Group's flagship domestic wholesale platform, operating since 1999. The real risks are the same as any marketplace: individual suppliers vary in quality, so vet ratings and order samples before committing to volume.
Can foreigners buy directly from 1688?
Technically you can browse and register, but the practical barriers are real: the site is Chinese-only, payment requires Chinese methods such as Alipay, and sellers ship only within China. Most international buyers go through an agent or a dedicated tool that bridges payment and logistics.
Is 1688 the same as Alibaba?
No — same parent company, different platforms. Alibaba.com serves international B2B buyers in English with Trade Assurance; 1688.com serves the domestic Chinese market in Chinese at lower, domestic price points.
What can you buy on 1688?
Nearly everything physical at wholesale: apparel, electronics, home goods, beauty, packaging, raw materials, and industrial supplies across 16+ major categories — the same factory supply base that feeds much of global e-commerce.