General
What Is Dropshipping & How Do You Get Started?
Understanding dropshipping and steps to launch your own online business
May 2, 2024
16 min read
More and more people have discovered dropshipping as a way to start their own businesses, earn extra money, or indulge their entrepreneurial spirit. Dropshipping has proven to be a reliable business model that requires a minimum upfront investment. But while it doesn’t take much money to get started, dropshipping does require a fair amount of research so that you offer products people are interested in at a competitive price. That’s where dropshipping product research comes in.
Several websites, apps, cloud platforms, and other services exist to facilitate the dropshipping product research process. The best dropshipping product research tools help you analyze trends, customer behaviors, and the latest hot products. The right product research tool can make the difference between a hobby and a thriving dropshipping business. But with so many options on the market, which tool should you choose?
This list covers the 11 best dropshipping product research tools available today. Keep reading to find the tool that can help you build a profitable dropshipping business.
So, what is dropshipping product research, exactly? And why is it so important?
Essentially, product research is the process of identifying products you believe will be profitable in your online dropshipping store. A thorough research process analyzes market trends, customer behaviors, and your competitors’ strategies to arrive at a list of products you can easily sell.
The best products for dropshipping are ones with high demand and low competition. But, as anyone with business experience knows, not all products will meet that description. Once those products are identified, you have to act fast before your competitors beat you to the market. And that’s just one of the challenges of dropshipping and product research.
You also have to ensure the products you choose are of significant quality. If your products don’t meet customer expectations, you can be inundated with costly returns. Identifying a product niche is often a path to profitability, but finding your niche can be difficult. You have to stay updated on current trends and learn to avoid product saturation.
The best dropshipping product research tools will address all these issues for you. A good product research tool will pull from a comprehensive database of products sourced from multiple suppliers and eCommerce platforms. A larger database means more products for you to research, but quality is often more important than quantity. You want to find those niche products that have a built-in customer base.
Most research tools will also show you sales metrics, such as order volume. This is crucial to help you identify products with upward sales trends. However, you also need to understand the competition. The best dropshipping research software will analyze the online stores of your competitors, giving you insight into their product offerings and pricing strategies. Other metrics research software might offer you include engagement metrics, such as likes and shares from social media. The number of comments on social sites and other online forums can also indicate a product’s popularity.
Some tools — typically only the best — integrate with suppliers to help automate the dropshipping process. With the right software, you can import products from supplier sites to your online store with just a few clicks. Inventory management features are helpful, too, as you can track stock levels to avoid overselling or your hottest products ending up out of stock.
Don’t forget the importance of an intuitive user interface. Ease of use can really distinguish one dropshipping product research tool from another. You also need to gauge the software vendor’s customer support when you run into issues. Responsive and helpful customer support can make the difference between dropshipping as a hobby and a successful business.
So, how do you find the right software package to meet all these needs? This guide provides a look at the 11 best dropshipping research tools to help you find the one that’s right for you.
Tradelle tops this list for providing a comprehensive dropshipping research and fulfillment tool. It covers everything from identifying trends and products to price guidance and order processing.
Key features: Tradelle includes multiple product research tools. The Product Picks feature custom recommendations, while a specially designed web crawler powers the Current Trends features. You can import products into your store with a single click as Tradelle automatically adds descriptions, pictures, videos, and more.
Tradelle suggests prices for each product you select to help ensure your store remains competitive in the global marketplace. If you run into any problems, Tradelle’s native English-speaking support team can answer questions and help you resolve issues.
Pros and cons: Tradelle offers an extensive product selection across many niches. Its seamless Shopify integration makes setting up a store and listing products easy. There’s no minimum order quantity when you purchase products, a significant advantage for new and smaller dropshipping operations. The curated product research suggestions provide a personal touch not typically available in dropshipping software.
Pricing: Tradelle offers a fully free plan. The paid plan starts at $29.99 per month, which can be reduced to $19.99 per month when you pay annually.
User ratings: Tradelle has received nearly universal praise among the dropshipping community for its ease of use, comprehensive feature set, and hassle-free order fulfillment process.
Minea is an all-in-one product research platform designed to help dropshippers uncover winning products and analyze effective marketing strategies through tools like Ad Spy, shop analysis, and influencer marketing insights.
Key features: Minea offers a wide range of tools, including Ad Spy for Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, which provide detailed ad metrics like engagement rates and targeting options. Its shop analysis tool allows you to gain insights into competitors’ websites, while the influencer marketing feature tracks campaigns from top influencers on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Additionally, Minea’s AliExpress product search simplifies finding in-demand products for your store.
Pros and cons: Minea stands out for its extensive database and unique features, such as being the only tool with Pinterest ad tracking. Its Ad Spy tools and influencer marketing features provide valuable insights into trends and strategies.
However, some users might find the platform overwhelming at first due to the sheer number of features. Additionally, accessing the full suite of tools requires a paid subscription.
Pricing: Minea offers multiple plans, starting at $49 per month for basic features, with higher-tier plans providing more advanced tools.
User ratings: Minea is highly rated among dropshippers for its comprehensive insights and ease of use, though some users note the learning curve when using its full feature set.
WinningHunter bills itself as the “all-in-one eCommerce spy tool” for its AI-powered competitor tracking and search features.
Key features: WinningHunter takes product research to the next level with a thorough analysis of Meta ads (Facebook and Instagram) and ads on TikTok. By analyzing factors such as total views, total likes, shares, comments, product niche, and dropshipping competitors, WinningHunter provides a comprehensive overview of current trending products. WinningHunter’s Magic AI feature allows you to generate a product search based on a plain language prompt.
Pros and cons: On the plus side, WinningHunter uses a comprehensive database to provide deep insights into the marketplace for any given product or niche. The AI features streamline some of the more challenging parts of product research.
On the other hand, some users might find that WinningHunter has a steep learning curve. Although the user interface is elegantly designed and the service is easy enough to use, learning how to get the most out of its vast feature set takes some time. However, the free trial period is only three days, which forces you to sign up for a paid plan or move on to another tool.
Pricing: WinningHunter offers three monthly subscription tiers: Basic, at €49 per month; Standard, at €79 per month; and Premium, at €249 per month.
User ratings: WinningHunter has an average rating of 3.7/5 on Trustpilot. User reviews tend to be mixed to positive, with most expressing appreciation for its vast feature set.
Sell The Trend uses AI to build a predictive dropshipping model to help you find winning products before the competition does. It’s more than a research tool, as it covers the entire dropshipping life cycle.
Key features: Sell The Trend features a vast database of product data compiled from Amazon, AliExpress, Shopify stores, and more. It can display product search results in 83 pre-defined dropshipping niche categories. The AI-powered NEXUS provides a robust product discovery algorithm, guiding you toward emerging trends based on multiple criteria — including sale price, product cost, profit margin, and more.
Pros and cons: Sell The Trend is one of the oldest dropshipping research tools still available today. It has added more functionality over the years, and the newer, AI-powered features have made it a fully comprehensive dropshipping solution.
However, there is no free plan, so you will have to pay for a subscription to see what Sell The Trend can truly do.
Pricing: Sell The Trend’s entry-level Essential plan costs $39.98 per month, while the Pro tier costs $79.98 per month.
User ratings: Sell The Trend mostly receives positive ratings, with users noting the comprehensive feature set and offering praise for the AI feature set. It has an average 4.7/5 rating on Trustpilot, one of the highest scores for a dropshipping research product.
Dropshipping Copilot is another research tool that uses AI to enhance its product search capabilities. The AI can also optimize product listings by generating SEO content.
Key features: Dropshipping Copilot aims to streamline the entire dropshipping experience, from product selection to creating Shopify stores and managing orders. It can even help with supplier management by finding alternate sources when your primary supplier is running low on a particular product.
Pros and cons: Dropshipping Copilot’s AI features are truly helpful, making it possible to run a nearly automated dropshipping business. The SEO and product management features save time and help your product listings stand out.
However, Dropshipping Copilot users do report two problems. First, the free version is fairly limited. Second, the checkout process when purchasing products sometimes fails due to inventory errors.
Pricing: Dropshipping Copilot offers a feature-limited free version. The standard plan costs $29.90 per month, while the full-featured professional plan is $59.90 per month.
User ratings: Dropshipping Copilot has a 3.3/5 overall rating on the Shopify App Store and receives mixed user reviews.
Shine Commerce, formerly known as Commerce Inspector, is a product research tool for Shopify store owners. It provides insights on other eCommerce stores to give you insights into your competitors’ inventory and pricing.
Key features: Shine Commerce gathers data from a broad range of Shopify stores and provides analytical reports on their activity. Some of the reports include new product launches, individual product sales, total shop sales, and more. The Shine Commerce Chrome extension can provide an alert when you visit a tracked store’s site, giving you a quick glimpse at product data without switching to Shine Commerce.
Pros and cons: Shine Commerce offers a lot of valuable data in a streamlined interface. The Chrome extension allows you to dig into competitors’ websites and get a detailed look at the most popular products.
But like many of the tools on this list, the free version of Shine Commerce is somewhat limited. To get the most out of the app, you’ll need a paid subscription, which can be a burdensome expense if your dropshipping business isn’t yet profitable.
Pricing: Shine Commerce’s Starter plan is $99 per month and allows you to track ten other Shopify stores. The next tier, Growth, takes that limit up to 25 shops and adds more features for $199 per month. The fully unlimited Pro plan is $499 per month.
User ratings: ShineCommerce has an average rating of 4/5 on Trustpilot and generally receives good reviews from its users.
Dropship.io is a dedicated platform for dropshippers, offering tools to identify winning products, track sales, and analyze competitors.
Key features: Dropship.io provides an extensive product database equipped with advanced filters to help users identify profitable products. The sales tracker and competitor research tools offer insights into market trends and pricing strategies. Additionally, the weekly portfolio feature delivers curated product recommendations tailored to current trends.
Pros and cons: Dropship.io stands out in its wide range of product research tools and features, making it a decent solution for experienced dropshippers. However, beginners may find the platform somewhat complex, and frequent data accuracy issues have been a point of concern among users.
There is no free plan, so you will need to pay for a trial and start a subscription to see what Dropship.io truly offers.
Pricing: Pricing starts at $39/month, with Standard and Premium plans available at $59/month and $99/month, respectively, offering additional advanced features.
User ratings: Dropship.io has mixed reviews and an average rating of 2.5/5 on Trustpilot. Users pointed out inaccuracies in sales figures and expressed doubts about the platform’s transparency.
As the name implies, FindNiche is a product research tool that helps you focus your dropshipping efforts on specific niches.
Key features: FindNiche’s main feature is the Niche Finder, which helps you identify trending product categories based on market analyses like demand, competition, and profit potential. The included research tools help you find reliable suppliers and optimize product listings with relevant keywords. It even offers some basic marketing tools to help you gain insight into consumer behaviors behind the top purchasing trends.
Pros and cons: FindNiche has an intuitive user interface, making locating specific niches easy. It searches many mainstream channels and aggregates their commodity data, providing a comprehensive and useful overview of niche trends.
However, FindNiche might seem a little expensive compared to similar tools, especially if you are just starting dropshipping and haven’t yet generated much revenue. To get all of the features, you have to opt for FindNiche’s highest-priced plan.
Pricing: FindNiche’s Basic plan costs $12 per month. The Elite plan costs $49 per month, while the Premium tier costs $99. The VIP Enterprise plan costs a minimum of $200 per month.
User ratings: FindNiche has a 4.8/5 rating on Capterra and generally receives good online reviews.
Dropship Spy is an online platform that searches products on eCommerce sites like AliExpress and eBay. It also offers social media searches to help you stay on top of product trends.
Key features: Dropship Spy’s interface features an app store so that you can get the features you want. All apps are free to install and help build your search scope. For example, you can install the Shopify Connect, Instagram Influencers, and Traffic Search apps to get a mix of eCommerce and social media sites in your searches and analyze their traffic.
Dropship Spy has an alert feature so you can receive notifications on specific products and buying trends. The official Chrome extension provides pricing from AliExpress and eBay for product features on any given web page, allowing you to expand your research past the Dropship Spy website.
Pros and cons: Dropship Spy has a friendly, dashboard-style interface. The app store allows you to tailor your search and analytics to meet your needs. The real-time trend alerts are helpful for full-time dropshippers who want to stay ahead of their competitors.
However, Dropship’s free plan is limited, so you have to pay for a subscription to really try it out. While the app store offers some customization, it might be challenging to find the right combination of apps to get the most out of the platform.
Pricing: Dropship Spy costs $39 per month or $119 per year. Choosing the annual payment can thus save you $349 per year compared to the monthly plan.
User ratings: Although there are limited reviews for Dropship Spy on the web, most users give it average ratings or higher.
Thieve.co is a web-based platform for product research and dropshipping.
Key features: Thieve.co groups products by niches, such as electronics, homeware, music, sports and outdoors, and clothing for men. It can search more than 200,000 dropshipping stores and rank product searches by sales or traffic. Thieve.co also has an affiliate program with AliExpress, which allows you to make direct purchases from the eCommerce giant on the platform.
With the included reverse image search, you can upload an image to Thieve.co and get a list of related products on AliExpress. Thieve.co provides keyword analytics with real-time stats on Google searches for eCommerce-related terms, which is useful for discovering trending products.
Pros and cons: Thieve.co offers a curated selection of products selected by experts in each niche. This vetting helps ensure the quality and relevance of each product you research. The Google search feature helps the platform highlight current trends so you can identify products with strong sales potential. The tight integration with AliExpress makes searching the millions of products on the site easy.
On the other hand, Thieve.co’s analytics features are limited compared to other dropshipping research tools. While Thieve.co can search many other platforms, its primary focus is on AliExpress, restricting the range of your research.
Pricing: Thieve.co offers a 14-day free trial. Its Dropship plan costs $19 per month, while the full-featured Dropship Pro tier costs $49 per month.
AliExpress Dropshipping Center is a free tool for discovering trending products on the popular eCommerce site AliExpress.
Key features: AliExpress is one of the largest eCommerce sites on the web and a favorite of many dropshippers. AliExpress Dropshipping Center ranks the current most popular products by various criteria, including sales volume, ratings, and sales performance.
Perhaps the most useful research feature of AliExpress Dropshipping Center is its detailed analytics for each product. Simply click on the Product Analysis tab, copy and paste the product URL into the provided box, and click the Analyze button. The app then delivers detailed analytics, such as sales performance, logistics performance and shipping details, number of orders, and whether the product is eligible for free shipping.
Pros and cons: AliExpress Dropshipping Center is a free app that works as a starting point for those new to dropshipping product research. AliExpress itself is a huge marketplace that offers millions of products, and the seamless integration between the site and Dropshipping Center is undoubtedly a plus.
On the downside, the tool is limited to sourcing data from AliExpress only. While AliExpress is one of the big names in global eCommerce, other tools pull from multiple sources. If you rely solely on AliExpress Dropshipping Center, your research will likely miss broader trends and popular products not available on AliExpress. While Dropshipping Center’s analytics are interesting for their insights into the sales trends on AliExpress, other tools can provide a more comprehensive look at the dropshipping market.
Pricing: AliExpress Dropshipping Center is completely free to use.
User ratings: There are relatively few reviews of AliExpress Dropshipping Center online. However, it seems to generally receive favorable ratings from dropshippers who understand its purpose and limitations.
Now that you’ve read about the 11 best dropshipping product research tools available today, it’s time to select the one that’s right for you. Follow these tips to choose the right tool for your business:
While some dropshipping product research tools can help with one or two of the above points, only Tradelle offers the complete package. That’s why Tradelle is the best product in this category. Instead of trying out multiple tools that each have some of what you need, you can just go straight to Tradelle, start your free trial period, and get started on the path to dropshipping success.
Out of all the product research tools considered here, only Tradelle offers multiple research tools, scalability, and industry-leading customer support. Tradelle helps you identify trending products with high demand and low competition, all available in a reliable supplier network. Tradelle’s automated fulfillment features can streamline your entire dropshipping business.
More importantly, Tradelle’s user-friendly interface and excellent customer support help ensure you get the most out of your dropshipping business. Tradelle is the only offering that is a product research tool, supplier, and store automator. To get started, sign up for a free 7-day trial today.
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