AliExpress Dropshipping Profit Calculator
Advertising is bigger than the product.
Marketplace fee models change often, and several platforms in this set have altered theirs outright in recent years. These defaults are a starting point — your own seller terms are the authority.
Profit per order
$7.93
22.7% margin
Advertising is 32.9% of the selling price — on AliExpress dropshipping it is almost always the largest single cost, larger than the product. Long delivery times also push refund rates well above normal ecommerce, and a refund costs you the ad spend as well as the goods.
How the AliExpress Dropshipping Profit Calculator works
On AliExpress dropshipping the advertising is almost always the largest single cost — larger than the product, the shipping and the processing combined. Long delivery times also push refund rates well above normal ecommerce, and a refund costs you the ad spend as well as the goods.
Not financial advice. Marketplace fees change, and they vary by country, plan and seller status. Every rate here is an editable default, not a quoted price — check the platform's current fee schedule before you price a product against it. This is not tax or business advice.
Frequently asked questions
What margin do I need to dropship from AliExpress?
A 3× to 4× markup on landed supplier cost is the common rule, because advertising typically consumes 30% to 40% of the selling price. Anything thinner leaves nothing for refunds and testing.
Why are refund rates so high?
Delivery times of two to four weeks generate cancellations, chargebacks and not-received disputes at rates conventional ecommerce never sees. Setting expectations clearly at checkout reduces it but does not eliminate it.
What does a refund actually cost?
The goods, the shipping, the processing fee that is not returned, and the advertising that won the order. Since ad spend is often the largest cost, a refund is far worse than losing the margin.
Is AliExpress dropshipping still viable?
It works as a testing method — proving demand before committing capital. As a long-term model it struggles, because delivery times are uncompetitive and nothing stops a competitor selling the identical item.