1688 vs Taobao: Which platform is best for overseas buyers?
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1688 and Taobao are two of Mainland China’s largest e-commerce marketplaces. But which one is best to use as an overseas buyer?
The best platform for you largely depends on whether you’re a business or an individual. 1688 is typically used by business customers, as it offers wholesale goods at low unit prices. Meanwhile, Taobao provides a retail-style marketplace aimed at individual consumers.
In this article, we compare both platforms and offer a recommendation for which best suits your buying needs.
We also introduce you to WorldFirst’s World Account, which helps you make payments to Chinese suppliers – without needing a Chinese bank account. With a World Account you can hold and receive funds in CNH, directly integrate with both platforms and pay sellers in their preferred currencies.
We cover:
- 1688 vs Taobao: Quick comparison
- What is 1688 (and why should you use it)?
- What is Taobao (and why should you use it)?
- Why using WorldFirst makes Chinese supplier payments easier
Open a World Account for free today and collect and hold funds in 20+ currencies, including RMB, and simplify payments to Chinese suppliers.
1688 vs Taobao: Quick comparison
Here’s a brief comparison between the two Chinese e-commerce websites:
| 1688 | Taobao | |
|---|---|---|
| Target audience | Businesses looking for wholesalers and cheap bulk ordering | Consumers looking for a retail-style marketplace |
| Why use the platform? | Buying in bulk for resale, dropshipping, or stocking inventory at wholesale prices | Buying individual items, primarily for personal use |
| Main website language | Mandarin (Simplified Chinese) only | Main site in Mandarin, though there’s an official English interface |
| Pricing | Wholesale pricing, cheap for bulk orders | Retail pricing, often more expensive |
| Minimum order quantity (MOQ) | ✅ (Exact quantities vary by supplier) | ❌ |
| Shipping options | Domestic Chinese shipping only | International (especially APAC countries) |
| Payment methods | Alipay, World Account | Credit cards, debit cards, Alipay, WeChat Pay |
Disclaimer: all information presented here has been sourced from provider websites and is up-to-date at the time of writing (January 2026). Details may change as providers update their offerings.
What is 1688 (and why should you use it)?
1688 is a B2B (business-to-business) e-commerce platform owned by Alibaba Group that primarily serves Chinese businesses, offering wholesale products at highly competitive prices.
With over 10 million active sellers and 150 million product listings, the platform gives buyers access to a vast range of products, most of which are sold directly by manufacturers. However, finding good suppliers, negotiating, checking quality, arranging logistics and managing payments can take much more time (and research) than using Taobao or a local marketplace.
Most sellers set mandatory minimum order requirements, especially for customised goods, which means small or single-unit purchases are often not possible. Luckily, the cheapest per-unit prices come when you buy in bulk, and sellers will sometimes give you a volume discount if you order over a certain threshold.
If you want to place repeat orders, we recommend buying through the 1688 wholesale platform and contacting the sellers directly. By doing this, you can often receive lower prices than on the platform itself.
Read more: WorldFirst and 1688.com: All you need for wholesale sourcing in Singapore
Who is 1688 best for?
If you’re a retailer looking to place wholesale orders, then using 1688 is a great way to receive low per-unit prices. For this same reason, 1688 is also a great option if you’re a manufacturer sourcing raw materials or an e-commerce seller restocking your AliExpress, Pinduoduo or Amazon shops.
If you need private-label or heavily customised orders, sourcing directly from 1688 wholesalers gives you much greater flexibility and control over what your final product will look like. As a foreign importer, it’s best practice to have a reliable freight forwarder or agent in Singapore/China to handle shipping and customs for you.
Read more: Importing from China to Singapore: How to keep costs low and suppliers happy
Advantages vs disadvantages of 1688
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Pricing is generally lower than on Taobao | Only accepts Chinese bank cards or Alipay/WeChat Pay (unless you have a WorldFirst World Account) |
| Most sellers are the original manufacturers, which makes it easier to do custom orders, private labelling or negotiate better terms (if you’re serious about volume) | Some sellers have minimum order requirements. You might need to order more stock than you intended, or try to negotiate your supplier down to a lower amount |
| You can order product samples from most sellers before placing a large order | 1688 has no built-in Trade Assurance or strong buyer protection for overseas buyers |
| Users can leave detailed product reviews. | The vast majority of reviews are written in Mandarin, and there is no built-in translation tool on 1688’s mobile app or website so you’ll likely have to use Google Translate |
| (Efficiency in sourcing directly from factories) | You might need a sourcing agent for 1688, since 1688 will rarely provide English customer support |
| (Direct factory access) | 1688.com is designed for the domestic market so suppliers don’t offer international freight |
What is Taobao (and why should you use it)?
Taobao is a platform that operates on a C2C (consumer-to-consumer) retail model. It sells goods as single items and has no minimum order requirements, and it offers a wide product range with over a billion listings.
Many Taobao sellers source their inventory from 1688, as do sellers on Tmall and WeChat. As a result, most items on Taobao are resellings, which makes them more expensive per unit than buying straight from the manufacturer.
Delivery times vary by seller and can take anywhere from five days to one month, depending on the delivery method you choose.
Who is Taobao best for?
Taobao primarily targets individual buyers looking to source cheap, single-unit items for personal use. It also appeals to buyers that require flexible international payment options and don’t mind waiting one to two weeks for delivery.
Dropshippers can order single, customisable units, while larger retailers can use Taobao to test order a new product before committing to a bulk purchase from the 1688 manufacturer.
Advantages vs disadvantages of Taobao
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| International shipping, including direct shipment to Singapore. Plus, many sellers offer free shipping within China | Not all sellers support international delivery, so check shipping policies and fees carefully before purchasing. International shipping for heavy items like furniture or appliances can be costly and slow, with sea freight typically taking 10–25 days. |
| Accepts Alipay, overseas credit cards and e-wallets as payment methods, though it doesn’t accept international bank transfers | VISA or Mastercard cards will usually charge a 3% FX fee, and Alipay charges a 3% transaction fee for payments over ¥200 when using a foreign credit/debit card |
| Users can leave detailed product reviews | Photos may be AI‑generated or heavily edited, and you might encounter fake reviews |
| Has an official global website in English |
Read more: How to start sourcing products from China
Why using WorldFirst makes Chinese supplier payments easier
Both 1688 and Taobao are aimed at buyers from the Mainland Chinese market, which is why they primarily use local Chinese payment methods like Alipay and WeChat Pay.
Unfortunately for international buyers, these platforms charge an expensive 3% foreign exchange fee for any transaction over ¥200, which becomes especially costly if you’re placing bulk orders.
Luckily, there’s an easier and cheaper solution. WorldFirst is a cross-border payments platform that helps you pay suppliers in China without spending a fortune in fees. Since 2004, we’ve helped over 1.5 million businesses send more than US$500 billion across the world.
Our multi-currency World Account allows you to hold balances in 20+ currencies (including CNH, SGD and USD) and make payments in 150+. This lets you pay suppliers in their preferred currencies, something that can secure you discounted prices and stronger business relationships.
Here’s what you get when you sign up for a World Account:
Power your global growth with one account
Get local currency accounts, fast payments and competitive FX – all in one place.
Integrate with 1688 and 130+ marketplace platforms with World Pay
World Pay is a specialised payment solution that’s unique to WorldFirst. It allows you to pay directly in CNH (offshore RMB) from your World Account and have your payee receive CNY locally – just as if they were being paid by a domestic buyer in China.
It supports real-time CNH auto-debit, which means funds are deducted from your CNH balance immediately after you place an order. You’ll also benefit from better exchange rates, so you can top up on CNH in advance to help you stay in control of FX costs.
Additionally, you can integrate your World Account with 130+ other global marketplaces, which helps you centralise all your transactions into one place. One WorldFirst account can be linked to multiple 1688 accounts and up to 30 TaoWorld accounts, so it’s easy to separate your transactions, even if you source across several accounts or platforms.
Read more: How to send RMB payments to China: The best options
Benefit from low, transparent FX rates when converting between SGD, CNH and 100+ other currencies
You’re able to make payments in 100+ currencies from your World Account, which means you have the ability to pay in your supplier’s preferred currency, no matter if that’s USD or CNH.
We mark up the mid-market exchange rate by a maximum of 0.5% for major currencies, and for all other currencies (including CNY), our conversion fee will never exceed 0.75%.
And if you’re concerned about fluctuating exchange rates, you can lock in today’s rate for up to 24 months using a forward contract. A currency forward is an agreement to convert currency in the future at an agreed upon exchange rate. It’s useful if you want cost certainty for a large upcoming supplier payment.
You can also set up rate alerts to be notified when the rate hits your target, or place firm orders so WorldFirst executes the conversion on your behalf.
Read more: FX international payments: How to affordably send money overseas
Create up to 25 World Cards to help keep track of your spending
If you’re buying from multiple vendors across multiple platforms, then your payment records might be scattered all over the place. For example, how do you know which supplier an Alipay charge belongs to?
To help you keep track of all your expenses, WorldFirst lets you create up to 25 World Cards. You can set spending controls for each one and even assign cards to specific vendors, expenses, budgets or currencies.
Your entire transaction history is also visible from your World Account dashboard, where you can manually search for a specific transaction. Alternatively, you can integrate your World Account with third-party accounting software like Xero or NetSuite to make reconciliation even easier.
You’ll also get up to 1.2% unlimited cashback on all business spending when using your World Card.
Read more: Business virtual cards: 4 options for smarter expense management
Choose WorldFirst and start ordering from China within minutes
In this article, we’ve covered the main differences between 1688 and Taobao for both Singaporean businesses and consumers.
Whichever you choose, WorldFirst makes payments on these platforms easier, simpler and cheaper. For example, with a World Account, you can:
- Use World Pay to pay Chinese suppliers straight from your account balance
- Integrate directly with 130+ global e-commerce platforms
- Pay low and transparent FX conversion fees
- Create up to 25 virtual World Cards to help separate your balances and expenses
Ready to get started with WorldFirst? Sign up for a World Account today.
FAQs:
What is the main difference between Taobao and 1688 for sourcing products?
The main difference between Taobao and 1688 is their business model.
Taobao is a platform where consumers can place small orders at retail prices, while 1688 is a B2B platform designed for wholesale and factory sourcing. 1688 offers much lower unit prices but usually requires you to purchase products at a minimum order quantity, especially for customised orders.
Do I need a Chinese bank account to use 1688 or Taobao?
For Taobao, you can often use Alipay with an international credit/debit card to pay without a Chinese bank account, though you may need to verify your identity in Alipay first. With 1688, however, most suppliers expect you to provide Chinese payment details linked to a Chinese bank card.
Luckily, you can use fintech solutions like WorldFirst’s World Account to get around this. You can directly integrate your World Account with both platforms to pay straight from your account balances.
Can foreigners easily buy from 1688 or Taobao?
Foreigners can buy from both 1688 and Taobao, but it’s much easier on Taobao because it accepts international cards and payment options. Plus, some sellers support international shipping (including Singapore), though exact shipping costs and times vary by seller.
With 1688 however, payment and verification hurdles often make it tricky for overseas buyers. Unless you use workarounds like WorldFirst’s cross-border payment services or a sourcing agent, you’ll likely need a Chinese bank account to complete a payment.
Joan Poon leads marketing across Southeast Asia at WorldFirst, driving growth and brand leadership in key markets including Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Joan Poon
Author
Head of Marketing SEA, WorldFirst Singapore
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