Sourcing Alibaba has long been the standard for finding suppliers in China, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only resource for sourcing products for Business. Whether you are an FBA seller, a small retailer of even a major corporation, it is crucial that you explore all options for sourcing your products.



If you’re sourcing products, There are dozens of other websites that provide a searchable database of manufacturers and other suppliers throughout the world. With the current trade war and tariffs hitting China, many Amazon Sellers are starting to look elsewhere for sourcing products for Amazon. Vietnam is quickly becoming a good second choice for finding products. We created a list of Alibaba alternatives so that you can find suppliers in China as well as Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea and globally.

When looking for manufacturers, in China or outside of China, make sure you understand what type they are. There re three main types OEM, ODM, and contract manufacturers. You can check out our guide on the subject here, ODM vs OEM vs Contract Manufacturing // Complete Guide.



This guide will cover

Alibaba Alternative Vietnam

Alibaba Alternative India

Alibaba Alternative Thailand

Alibaba Alternative USA

Alibaba Alternative Taiwan

Alibaba Alternative Indonesia

Mainland China Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

China has long been the standard for sourcing products, but with the double whammy of the US-China Trade war, and now the CoronaVirus

DHgate is a good Alibaba alternative that differentiates itself from other platforms by having an online payment system that only pays the seller once the buyer has received the goods. Escrow systems like this are very well-liked by foreign buyers. The website also tends to have smaller MOQs (Minimum order quantities) than other platforms.

Made in China, like Alibaba is a platform in which suppliers can create a profile. However, it does not have as big of a selection and the quality control could be better.

OFweek focuses on Electronics, tech and other high tech goods. OFweek has a nice design that is easier to navigate than most Chinese websites. Almost all goods sold on this website are finished goods, however, you may be able to get in direct touch with the manufacturer to make some basic customization of your products.

AliExpress, founded in 2010 and like its big brother Alibaba, allows international buyers to buy directly from Chinese sellers. However, the big difference between the two is that Aliexpress is made up of small shops that sell much smaller quantities than on Alibaba. On AliExpress almost everyone you are dealing with is a Trading Company or a wholesaler and you are very rarely dealing with actual manufacturers. However many people prefer buying from AliExpress over Alibaba due to the smaller MOQs, and the fact payments and shipping are integrated into the platform.



AliExpress also has an affiliate marketing program that is very popular with Drop Shippers. If you are looking at starting a dropshipping business, or sourcing products for Dropshipping, I would recommend starting with AliExpress. We list a few other options later in this article.

Yet another website in Alibaba’s massive arsenal. 1688.com is a Chinese language site that is geared only towards the Chinese market. Regardless, it is one of the three sites (along with Alibaba and Global Sources) that we use for almost every project. Its main appeal is that the companies listed are of much higher quality and you’re much more likely to get in touch directly with a manufacturer than if you were using Alibaba. However, the website is only available in Mandarin Chinese with no English language options.

Seeks to be a more full-service sourcing provider than most and provide additional services such as logistics. They claim to focus on creating more long-term trade relationships than other platforms. While that claim isn’t fully realized I do appreciate the effort and the website does have several good resources beyond finding suppliers.

Yet another large Chinese directory. They claim that they have a more advanced search engine to find factories. Their revenue model is a pay per click business model in which the factory pays them every time you click on a link.

Started in 1996, EC Plaza has over 1,000,000 members and operates a B2B website, EDI service, and Trade Consulting, as well as offline services for SMEs.

Gong Chang specializes in heavy machinery and industrial equipment. If you are looking at setting up your own manufacturing then this is a good resource to use to get equipment.

Doba has several similarities to Alibaba but is specifically focused on drop-shipping. The way you find suppliers is basically the same as Alibaba or any other database, but what is different is the way the ordering works. Doba allows drop shippers to list products on your drop-shipping store, and when you make a sale, you order from the supplier with your customer’s information and Doba will handle the payments and shipping for you. Another cool feature is that Doba lets you keep the difference in price. It should be noted that Doba is a paid service with a very limited free trial.

This site is a popular option for Dropshipping. This website is not that popular, despite the fact they have many different categories. The biggest issue is that some categories are barely populated at all with suppliers. It also forces you to contact suppliers via a form instead of displaying contact information publicly on the website.

This is mainly a B2B website, in that it is made for manufacturers to source components and parts. If you are looking for mechanical parts and not fully finished products, then this is a great option. By sourcing components and parts independently and coordinating with your final manufacturer you can have greater options.

Vietnam Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

Vietnam export is a good Alibaba Alternative with a modern website that maintains a large database of verified factories in Vietnam. The website is endorsed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam. The website is much better than the others due to the quality and quantity of suppliers. In addition to the database, they provide a ton of industry-specific information for Vietnam. The website also promotes agricultural products such as coffee and lychee, which is uncommon among other websites.

Founded in 2009, Vietnam Manufacturers started as a trade journal to promote Vietnamese companies and business interests worldwide. They have since expanded and now provide a large searchable database, trade show promotions and industry-specific publications.

One of the best ways to connect with suppliers is through a sourcing company. Cosmo has been in Vietnam since 2014 and is probably the most experienced sourcing company in Vietnam. They can access databases that the public can’t so that you can get a much deeper search of suppliers. The team at Cosmo can also handle all parts of the procurement process overseas.



Vtown.vn is owned by the Japanese company Washin Engine Co. and is actually a database of Japanese companies that do business and manufacturing in Vietnam. Regardless, they maintain a very good database of Vietnamese based manufacturers and factories. The website is in English and easy to search. Since the factories in their database are largely Japanese Managed you tend to find manufacturers that have much higher quality control. I have used this database and found good suppers through them.

VietnamAZ is made for American Companies who are looking to buy and do business in Vietnam. They maintain a large database of suppliers that is searchable by categories. The layout is outdated and not as big as other resources out there.

VietnameseMade is another database of manufacturers that focus on the Vietnamese market. It is a B2B trade portal to help connect buyers around the world to sellers in Vietnam.

While the main focus on the website is to provide news to exporters in Vietnam they do maintain a directory of business in Vietnam. The directory is a little simple and organized by category so it’s not the easiest to use.



Global Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

Global sources are one of the 3 websites (along with Alibaba and 1688) that I would recommend you always use for every project. in my opinion, it is easily the best Alibaba Alternative. Global Sources is a Hong Kong-based company that provides a very well-vetted list of suppliers and puts on several trade shows. Global sources were started in 1960 and it’s first suppliers’ databases were published on CD-Roms. Global Sources also runs a sourcing trade show that runs in the gaps of the Canton Fair.



Global Source’s main draw is that they do a much better job with supplier quality control and the website is made for English speakers. The website is clean and is much easier to navigate and use than Alibaba. Global Sources also provide several tools to help you organize quotes.

Great for finding electronic components, but you need to have a full product designed and know your exact specifications of components. This site is Geared towards engineers and those with advanced technical knowledge. None the less we have used it to find suppliers for our clients. Octopart is based in the US and maintains a global database of manufacturers.

This website is poorly designed but is another option if you want to expand your sources of sourcing. Overall fairly crowded and not the best layout. This website can be a little frustrating to use.

Strives to be an extremely simple search engine to find factories. You simply put in the product you want and they will immediately create a list of 10 factories for you. It’s a fun tool but ultimately overly simplistic for actual use.

Based in Riyadh Saudi Arabia and founded in 2006, Tradekey is a large international Electronic Marketplace that connects buyers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and distributors in over 240 countries.

Go4WorldBusiness is a truly global online B2B marketplace to find manufacturers, exporters, suppliers and more. Go4WorldBusiness was founded in 2007 and does a great job of targeting smaller markets that are underserved by existing B2B marketplaces. This includes places like Sri Lanka, Bolivia and several other hard to source countries. Go4WorldBusiness is based in New Delhi, India and is a good place to start for Indian Manufacturers as well.

Founded in 2002. TradeBoss is an international focus B2B marketplace. The interface is incredibly outdated, and the database is much smaller than others, but it does have the ability to search by country and has several smaller countries listed. TradeBoss is a good resource if you are searching for a supplier in a small and underserved country.

One great thing that separates Quality Trade from the rest is that they ver and verify its manufacturers and suppliers on the site. All businesses listed are ISO Certified, which is a huge bonus for those looking for quality manufacturers. They offer a wide range of products, services, manufacturers and more.



This website is mostly China-centric, but there are many international suppliers listed. You can filter your search by country.



India Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

With many manufacturers moving away from China, it is starting to appear that Vietnam and India are the two best alternatives. India is a natural choice due to its massive population of well over 1 Billion citizens.

Exporters India and TradeIndia are my top two choices for Alibaba Alternatives in India sourcing. Exporters India is a B2B marketplace that only features Indian companies, suppliers and manufacturers. One downside is it does not have contact info forcing you to contact the suppliers through the website. Information is limited on a per supplier basis as well.

TradeIndia is another Alibaba alternative and marketplace that only has Indian suppliers and Indian manufacturers. It features a large selection of categories that are mostly filled up with a great selection of potential suppliers. Unfortunately, you have to message suppliers to learn the PRices and the MOQ.

This website features suppliers from both China and India, but it does allow you to filter your search by country. This website supplier services in addition to products and suppliers. By finding partners and services you can navigate the chaos of India better.

This website, which only features Indian business is best for finding industrial grade suppliers. IndiaMART is much more B2B focused than the others. There are some small household items but they are not nearly as common. In order to even browse you will need to register with your email.

Made in India is a lesser know B2B network, but is a decent tool for finding suppliers in India. Made in India is an Alibaba Alternative that appears to be more focused on serving the domestic market but does have a very wide selection of items. Much of the website is not in English, and you’ll need to talk to the suppliers directly to see if they are capable of exporting,



Taiwan Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

Taiwan’s government set up Taiwantrade in 2002 to be the official trade website for Taiwan. Taiwantrade is managed by Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs and operated by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council. Taiwan trade has over 60 offices worldwide and has a massive searchable database of Taiwanese manufacturers.

Is a large Taiwan based Database of Taiwanese suppliers. They have a similar layout to Alibaba but for Taiwanese manufacturers. If you are interested in Taiwan focused Alibaba alternative for sourcing products outside of Mainland China then I would recommend you check them out.

Ran by the same company as B2B Manufacturers, B2B China Source helps connect buyers with manufacturers in the Republic of China (aka Taiwan) as well as mainland China. They claim to get you Chinese prices with Taiwanese quality, which you can interpret how you like.



American Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

Maker’s Row is a Brooklyn, NY based database of American Manufacturers and product-based businesses. The company was originally made to connect buyers of fashion and leather goods with Makers in the US but has since expanded to a wide range of industries. They are probably one of the largest databases of American manufacturers and suppliers.

More focused on finding contract manufacturers and rental time on machine space than on finished products. Nonetheless, if you need to find a manufacturer with a CNC machine you can find one and contract with them. While they list manufacturers from all over the world, we estimate that over half of their suppliers are located in the United States. This site is focused mainly on American manufacturers so it’s a great resource for finding a US-based supplier. This is a great tool for those who have a total product design and want to hand the manufacturing themselves.

Thomas Net is a good tool that Includes Mexico and Canada. Thomas has been around for a staggering 120 years and started out as a B2B register to help buyers find suppliers. Thomas claims to have over 500,000 suppliers and over 1 million buyers that use their service. Thomas’s information is hidden behind a paywall but they do give a free trial.



FG market is a USA focus directory of suppliers, and they only list products that are made in the USA. The actual name is Floral and Gifts Market. The selection is limited but it is better than most others in the US. If you are an American based buyer then this is a great way to buy from America.

The is more on supplying industrial goods to other manufacturers and is mostly B2B focused. All suppliers listed are based in the USA or Canada. This is a great resource to use as well as the others.

Philippines Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

Fun fact: 92% of Filipinos speak English as a first or second language. As a result, it is extremely easy to communicate directly with suppliers.

Philippine COmpanies is a very directly named B2B platform that connects foreign and overseas buyers to Filipino companies. This website features much more than just manufacturers and offers services ranging from banking to real estate. It’s important that you filter out and use your judgment when connecting with manufacturers on this platform.



Like Philippine Companies above, this is more of a classifieds than a true B2B directory. They offer a wide range of service including Business outsourcing, so if you are looking to hire a remote team beyond manufacturing the Philippines are a great option.



This one is yet another business directly and not a true Alibaba alternative, but it does have the benefit of being completely free. This one features a wide range of businesses and services including manufacturing and suppliers.



Indonesia Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

Cosmo Sourcing has actually done a few projects in Indonesia and I believe that there are good options in the country for large industrial buyers. Unfortunately for small buyers and most FBA sellers, there are not many good options and it is difficult to search and find suppliers. Indonesia does have long term potential but they are about 5 years before it gets there. I am keeping my eye on it for an expansion of Cosmo sourcing services.

IndoTrading is a B2B marketplace that only has Indonesian manufacturers, factories, and suppliers. The website is mostly English, but random parts are in Bhasa. You also need to expect to use google translate to talk to most suppliers. The website is mostly focused on industrial goods, but there are a few consumer items in there as well



Thailand Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

Thailand, in my opinion, is just behind Vietnam and India in terms of having the potential to replace China for many clients. So it is surprising to me that there are not many lists of suppliers databases. ThaiTrade is pretty much the only option but it is a decent one for most people. If you are looking at Sourcing from Thailand then this is your best if only option.

SJN is an Alibaba Alternative that has several different websites for a few different countries. The interface is a little to simplistic but it does give some good options. If you are looking beyond Thailand, check out the Alibaba alternatives for other countries.



Hong Kong Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

This service is operated directly by Hong Kong’s Government and connects over 130,000 Hong Kong-based companies to international buyers. Even though Hong Kong does not have a large manufacturing base anymore, many mainland factories will have a corporate office in Hong Kong. This is a good alternative for those who want to take advantage of Chinese manufacturers but want the protection and legal environment of Hong Kong.

South Korea Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

EC21 was originally started as a way to connect international buyers to Korean companies. While Korea is still its main focus you can use EC21 to find a supplier in other countries as well. EC21 maintains the largest database of Korean Manufacturers in the world. EC21 is one of the world’s largest online B2B marketplaces, connecting millions of suppliers and buyers worldwide. Since 1997, EC21.com has been facilitating global trade opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and has over 2 million member companies, 7 million products, 3.5 million buyers in its database, and 3.5 million monthly visitors.

Even though this is a Korean focused supplier database there are actually other countries represented. This is a great Alibaba Alternative for sourcing in South Korea and you find wholesalers as well as industrial suppliers. tradeKorea is a great resource for all types of suppliers, manufacturers, and factories in South Korea.

Bangladesh Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

This is a good Alibaba alternative for Bangladesh. This website has an RFQ feature, similar to Alibaba where buyers and sellers can post requests and connect with each other. This allows you to fill out a form that is then sent to potential suppliers who can quote on your products. IF you want to skip the request you can go directly to their business directory and search supplier yourself.



This Alibaba alternative claims to focus on sustainable manufacturing in Bangladesh. This service allows you to connect directly with factories, and the suppliers are better vetted than on most platforms.

Malaysia Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

Officially called Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, this website is directly operated by the Malaysian Government to promote domestic Malaysian factories and businesses to global buyers and partners. This website has a huge directory of businesses and is free to use.

Averest is a good Alibaba alternative for Malaysia, that allows you to connect with suppliers and wholesalers in the country. This is more designed for pre-made products instead of connecting with contract manufacturers in Malaysia.



This website is more focused on manufacturers and industrial suppliers and is a great Alibaba alternative to connect with a factory for your product. In addition to manufacturing, they also connect you with Other services such as Freight Forwarding in Malaysia.

Malaysia Digital Enterprise Exchange, or MDEX, is another portal that allows you to buy goods from Malaysia. This one, like Aversest, is more focused on wholesalers instead of contract manufacturing. Nonetheless, if you are looking for wholesale goods in Malaysia then this is a good start.



Japan Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

Jetro is a Government operated website with the goal of promoting Japanese business to the Globe. I personally am a huge fan of Government portals like Jetro, MaTrade as the business listed is verified and the services are always free. This website promotes Japanese businesses of all types so you will need to know exactly what type of supplier you are looking for to find the best option.



This is a more typical Alibaba alternative for Japan and is a pretty stand B2B directory. This offers a range of products from Apparel to Agricultural, to car parts.



Sri Lanka Sourcing, suppliers lists, and manufacturers databases

Even though this is a newer site, that is still unfinished, it is probably the best Alibaba Alternative for Sri Lanka. It mainly provides a pretty direct list of factories and manufacturing in Sri Lanka and you will need to do most of the search and vetting yourself. It does provide the full contact info of the suppliers so you can reach out directly to factories.



FOB suppliers have several websites for many different countries, the one in Sri Lanka is still a work in progress. You also need to register an account just to do a basic search with them. I personally prefer using B2B.lk for searching in the country, or rely on databases if you have access to them



Dropshipping Sourcing and Suppliers databases

We’ve tried searching in the past, but there is frankly no good option outside of China for Dropshipping



China Vision is a dropshipping focused wholesaler and a good resource to find a wide variety of products. This only sells items directly and has a wide selection of items, particularly electronics. So if you are sourcing electronics wholesalers then give CHina vision a chance.

Deal extreme is another website that helps buyers source wholesalers. This also has a large electronics focus but also features watches and other items. DealExtreme is a good 0potion If you are looking to connect with suppliers for your dropshipping business.

Sourcing outside of China

I want this list to be as complete as possible and cover the best Alibaba alternatives globally. I’m particularly interested in finding more suppliers in India, the Philippines, and Latin America. So if you have any good websites or resources that are good Alibaba alternatives I should check out and add, please add them in the comments. Thanks for reading and I hope this was helpful.



Overall sourcing outside of China is a great option for many businesses and now is the best time to start looking. We tried to compile the best options, many of which we use ourselves for our own sourcing services.

