There’s no question that dropshipping has gained popularity in recent years. Dropshipping makes it easy to run an eCommerce business with very few overheads and other costs, which means just about anyone can become an online entrepreneur with this business model.
Sure, dropshipping is accessible, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Dropshipping can be a grind, and many tedious tasks can wear you down if you don’t have a streamlined process. That’s why savvy dropshippers use platforms and apps to make their daily tasks easier.
Shopify is one of the most popular platforms for dropshipping, not only because it’s easy to design and set up your website but because its Shopify app store offers thousands of apps to customize and optimize your store.
But where do you begin with so many options? Understand what to look for when selecting dropshipping apps for Shopify and explore our top 10 recommendations to boost your business.
What Do Shopify Dropshipping Apps Do?
Dropshipping apps streamline and automate the entire dropshipping process for an online business. The best Shopify apps perform a variety of functions, including:
✔️Product sourcing: These apps help retailers find and import products from various dropshipping suppliers globally at competitive prices.
✔️Inventory management: They sync product data between dropshipping suppliers and Shopify stores, which includes inventory levels, product details, prices, and more.
✔️Order management: When an order is placed, the app automatically forwards the order details to the supplier, who then ships the product directly to the customer.
✔️Shipping and tracking: Many popular dropshipping apps provide integrated shipping options and tracking information for orders, enhancing the customer experience.
By automating these functions, dropshipping apps reduce manual work, save time, and enable retailers to shift their focus to marketing and customer service, ultimately helping to grow their Shopify dropshipping business.
Things to Look for When Choosing an App for Your Shopify Dropshipping Store
Remember, the goal is to make your life easier, not more complicated. You’ll still have a learning curve with any Shopify apps for dropshipping, but simplicity is the ultimate goal.
Follow these basic guidelines to choose the right Shopify dropshipping apps for your business.
🔸Check the reviews: If you’re looking into apps that connect you with reliable suppliers, you’ll want to check out the ratings and reviews for those suppliers. This will help you hit the sweet spot between quality products and value.
🔸Calculate your profit margins: Research your store's average product cost and recommended pricing. Ensure that you can make a profit from the products available to you. After all, you don’t want to pay up the wazoo for an app if it’s cutting into your profits.
🔸Know your support options: What do you get for the money with your Shopify app? Do they offer phone support, live chat, or a portal for existing customers? If 24/7 phone support matters to you, factor this into your decision.
🔸Ask for samples: If you’re looking for a Shopify app that supplies dropshipping products, can you get product samples before selling them yourself? This is a good quality control measure, so always try samples before you start selling.
🔸Find their location: Where is the Shopify app’s HQ? If your business is in the U.S. and they’re in Japan, you’ll likely have longer wait times.
The 10 Best Apps for Shopify Dropshipping
You’re free to look for Shopify apps on your own, but we can give you a head start in your search. Here are our top 10 apps for smarter Shopify dropshipping.
1. Oberlo
This is one of the most popular apps in the Shopify marketplace and with good reason. Oberlo is an app that’s exclusive to Shopify—in fact, it’s automatically included when you set up your store. Oberlo offers a wide range of products and price points, allowing you to upload products to your Shopify store seamlessly.
A huge benefit to Oberlo is that you can see the number of stores selling each product and its order volume as you browse through their catalog. This information is useful because it can help you choose products that sell!
Top features
✅Extensive product marketplace: Oberlo offers several global products across various categories.
✅Easy product import: Users can easily import products to their Shopify store.
✅ePacket shipping filter: Helps users choose products with the quickest delivery times.
✅Chrome extension: Facilitates direct product imports from AliExpress to Shopify.
✅Customizable product information: Users can easily edit product titles, descriptions, images, and more to make their listings unique.
Cons
❌Shopify dropshipping app only: Works exclusively with Shopify.
❌Supplier quality: Supplier dependability can vary.
❌Product info: Sometimes suppliers provide inadequate or poorly written product descriptions and images.
❌No bulk orders: Each order must be processed individually.
❌Inventory management: Despite daily updates, products may sell out before you're notified.
2. Spocket
Spocket is very similar to Oberlo and offers many of the same benefits. However, some dropshippers say Spocket has higher-quality suppliers and products. Most of Sprocket’s suppliers are in Europe and the U.S., so this may be the app for you if your customer base is in these countries.
Spocket also offers competitive pricing. They have an average product discount of 45%, with some products being discounted up to 60% off. Translation: higher profit margins for you! Spocket also allows you to test its products before you commit, which is a huge benefit.
Top features
✅Wide range of products: A wide selection of global products, especially from the U.S. and Europe.
✅Quality suppliers: Only pre-vetted suppliers with high-grade products.
✅Fast shipping times: Reduced shipping times due to many U.S. and Europe-based suppliers.
✅Branding options: Enables personalized notes and branded invoicing.
✅Multi-platform integration: Compatible with platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Wix.
Cons
❌Pricing markups: Some products may have higher prices than other dropshipping apps, affecting profit margins.
❌Limited customization: Users note less flexibility in product listing customization.
❌Premium plan: Best features and products require a premium plan.
❌No bulk orders: Like Oberlo, each order must be processed individually.
❌Inventory updates: Occasional delays can lead to selling out-of-stock products.
3. Printful
Printful is an app that combines custom printing and dropshipping so you can offer “print on demand” products for your business. From posters to flip-flops to mugs, you can find anything you need in Printful’s huge product catalog.
The process is straightforward: connect your Shopify store, upload your design, choose your products, and start selling! There’s no subscription fee or upfront costs for you, so it’s great for new businesses just starting to dip their toes into the world of on-demand print.
Top features
✅Variety and customization: Offers numerous customizable items, known for its high-quality printing.
✅User-friendly: Easy-to-use design tools for product design and placement.
✅No minimum orders: On-demand printing; order only when a customer buys.
✅Global fulfillment services: Fast and cost-effective delivery with warehouses in North America and Europe.
Cons
❌Higher product costs: Higher product costs than similar dropshipping suppliers potentially affect profit margins.
❌Shipping costs: Varied shipping costs depending on the product and location can complicate customer pricing.
❌Limited customization: Fewer product variations compared to other print-on-demand services.
❌Returns: Only covers printing or shipping errors, not change of heart or wrong size orders.
4. Spark Shipping
Of course, we can’t list the best Shopify dropshipping apps without mentioning our own (it’s pretty awesome, after all).
Spark Shipping goes beyond just linking your suppliers to your Shopify store. We help you automate your entire process to improve efficiency and increase your profit margins.
Top features
✅Products: Automatically upload product data from your suppliers into your store. You simply select the products you want, and our platform does the rest.
✅Product data synchronization: Update product details like pricing, descriptions, and images in real-time across platforms.
✅Inventory updates: This is one app to update them all. Our platform keeps your product quantities in sync with your vendors in real time.
✅Order fulfillment: When you receive an order, we automatically route it to the best possible supplier with Intelligent Order Routing. Not only does our software look for suppliers who have the item in stock, but it also finds those who have it at the lowest price.
✅Tracking updates: Orders are automatically updated with tracking information in your dashboard and customer tracking updates.
✅Custom rules: Allows setting up of custom rules for pricing, shipping, and more, giving you better control over operations.
✅SKU mapping: Accurately matches vendor SKUs with your SKUs, avoiding confusion and mistakes.
✅Exceptional customer support: Prompt and helpful customer service to assist users with their queries and concerns.
Cons
❌Learning curve: While Spark Shipping is packed with features, it may take some time to understand and utilize them fully.
❌Pricing: The pricing structure may seem steep for small businesses, especially for the more advanced features and capabilities.
While the setup can be challenging and not the cheapest option, Spark Shipping is the perfect end-to-end automation solution for businesses that use multiple stores or suppliers. Get your sanity back with our smarter automation platform.
5. Candy Rack
Candy Rack is a marketing app that maximizes your conversions with one-click upsells and cross-sells. This Shopify app uses AI to create automatic upsell suggestions, which means you can offer relevant products to customers based on the Shopify algorithm.
With their mobile-responsive templates, you can easily offer options like gift wrapping, premium support, or product bundles through Candy Rack to increase cart totals and boost sales.
Top features
✅Simple setup: Easy, no-tech-skill-needed installation and initial offer creation.
✅Upselling pop-ups: Customizable upsell pop-ups for brand consistency.
✅Smart suggestions: AI-powered auto-upsells based on cart contents.
✅Analytics: Detailed metrics on upsell and cross-sell performance.
✅Integrations: Compatibility with popular Shopify apps.
✅Support: Round-the-clock customer assistance.
Cons
❌Shopify-only: Limited integration with Shopify platform.
❌Pricing: This could be more expensive for startups or small businesses than other apps.
❌Customization complexity: Some Shopify merchants find customization options a bit intricate.
❌Site speed: Potential minor slowdown due to app usage can affect customer experience.
❌No bulk edits: Lack of bulk offer editing feature.
6. Modalyst
If you want to sell products from more well-known suppliers, check out Modalyst’s offerings. With products from brands like Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, and Timberland, you can stock your store with name brands that people already recognize and trust.
Modalyst’s process is similar to Oberlo and Sprocket's. You just search their product catalog and add products to your online store with the click of a button. Some suppliers also offer free shipping to the U.S., which is a huge value-add to your customers!
Top features
✅Broad product selection: Wide variety of quality items from global suppliers.
✅Inventory updates: Real-time inventory status information.
✅Order automation: Streamlined order processing and tracking.
✅High-speed shipping: Fast shipping, particularly for U.S. products.
✅Multiple platform integration: Compatibility with Shopify and Wix.
Cons
❌Pricing: Premium features may be expensive for smaller businesses.
❌Limited customization: Limited options for product listing customization.
❌Supplier variability: The quality and reliability of suppliers can vary.
❌Product prices: Some items may have high base prices which affects profit margin.
❌No bulk order processing: Manual processing is needed for each order.
7. SMAR7 Express
SMAR7 Express is a comprehensive dropshipping app that automates product fulfillment. This Shopify dropshipping app integrates with AliExpress and offers a large variety of products. One unique feature of SMAR7 Express is that you can automate fulfillment by connecting your current store to the app.
With their one-click import, you can easily create listings with product descriptions, images, and product variants. SMAR7 also has an ePacket shipping option, which can help improve shipping times for items coming from Southeast Asia.
Top features
✅One-click ordering: Effortlessly places orders with suppliers.
✅Auto-fulfillment: Automatic order fulfillment for efficient operations.
✅Easy product import: Import products directly to your Shopify store.
✅Bulk import: Ability to import products in bulk.
✅Training resources: Access to helpful training resources and support.
Cons
❌Limited to Shopify: Only integrates with Shopify platform.
❌Occasional glitches: Some store owners report minor technical issues.
❌Limited supplier sources: Mainly focused on products from AliExpress.
❌No free plan: Lacks a completely free plan option.
❌Customer support: Some users have reported delays in getting support.
8. Trendsi
Trendsi is a robust dropshipping app that focuses on trendy clothing and accessories for women.
Are you selling to fashionistas across the globe? Trendsi helps dropshippers find high-quality (but affordable) fashion from its U.S.-based warehouses. It can be tough to find a trustworthy partner in the world of fashion, but Trendsi is definitely a quality provider.
Not only do they add new items to the platform daily, but they also specialize in Fair Trade Certified products. Here are the other top features of Trendsi.
Top features
✅Automated pricing: Provides rules for automatic price adjustments.
✅Exclusive access: Access to styles not widely available on other platforms.
✅In-app purchasing: Purchase products directly within the app.
✅Fast shipping: Trendsi can offer 2-10 day shipping.
✅Personalized packaging: Allows for custom labeling on packaging.
Cons
❌Limited product range: Primarily provides women's fashion items.
❌Limited to Shopify: Currently only integrates with Shopify.
❌Shipping limitations: International shipping options could be limited.
❌Pricing plans: It does not offer a free service tier.
9. Pillow Profits Fulfillment
Pillow Profits is a unique dropshipping app specializing in customizable products like shoes, pillows, and car seat covers. Like Printful, you can have your logo or custom design printed on a wide variety of products and ship them directly to your customers. You can even create digital mockups of their products with your custom designs for your website—without manufacturing a thing.
With Pillow Profits, you have complete control over the post-purchase supply chain. You can edit items like customer address or order quantity and cancel if needed.
Top features
✅Unique products: Offers customizable products not typically found in dropshipping.
✅Efficient shipping: Fast and free worldwide shipping for products.
✅Mock-up generator: Users can create product mock-ups for listings.
✅Auto-fulfillment: Automated order fulfillment for efficiency.
✅Large design library: Access to a library of premade designs.
Cons
❌Higher costs: The unique product range comes with a higher price point.
❌Limited to Shopify: Only integrates with the Shopify platform.
❌Learning curve: Some users report it takes time to learn the system.
❌Customer support: Some users have reported issues with customer service responsiveness.
10. Automizely Dropshipping
As a busy business owner, the less you have to think about, the better. Automizely is quickly becoming known for being one of the most popular dropshipping apps available.
They offer dozens of products and allow you to import them into your Shopify store with one click. You can easily automate your pricing strategy by setting your listing prices based on your preferred profit margin. They also provide trackable free shipping to the U.S.
You don’t have to worry about security and compliance with Automizely either since they’re ISO 27001 certified and GDPR compliant.
Top features
✅Comprehensive tool: Offers email marketing, push notifications, and chat functions.
✅User-friendly interface: It's easy to navigate and set up campaigns.
✅Integration: Seamless integration with Shopify and other platforms.
✅Design templates: Provides a variety of email and push notification templates.
✅A/B testing: Allows for A/B testing to optimize campaign performance.
Cons
❌Limited free plan: The free version is somewhat limited in features.
❌Glitches: Some users report occasional bugs or glitches.
❌Email limitations: The email editor could be more flexible and feature-rich.
❌Customer support: Some users mention slow response times from support.
The Bottom Line: The Best Dropshipping Apps
Okay, that was a lot of information! There are many apps out there for dropshipping businesses. The key to simplifying your dropshipping operations is to find the best apps for your business.
Consider your business size, goals, and where you want your dropshipping business to go. That will help you find the right mix of Shopify dropshipping apps to get you across the finish line.