Written by: Raj Vardhman
Updated: September, 10, 2024
If you’re looking for free dropshipping sites, you are sure to come across EPROLO. This exciting platform is free to install and use. Further, it integrates with many of the leading ecommerce sites and online store platforms. In this EPROLO review, I look at all its key features.
Highlights
EPROLO is a free drop-shipping company that supports online stores like Shopify and WooCommerce. It purchases high-quality products from trusted suppliers in China.
After its 2011 founding in Shenzhen, EPROLO became an easy way for western retailers to source products from overseas. These are easily sold on web stores without the owners handling stock.
EPROLO handles all the product sourcing, shipping, and tracking. Furthermore, it can even accommodate custom packaging for branding purposes.
Now.
Let’s first discuss the elephant in the room.
Yes, it’s a free dropshipping company – both at the point of installation and there are no subscription fees. EPROLO makes its money by bulk buying from Chinese suppliers. Dropshipping products through them, means you pay a higher price. But, in turn, you make a profit by charging your customers an even higher price. The system works by bridging the gap between Chinese manufacturers and international consumers.
EPROLO is a platform that connects you with suppliers it already has a relationship with. You then source products to sell on sites like eBay and Amazon. Similarly, you can sell directly on your own store via integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce.
EPROLO products cover 10 main categories and 107 sub-categories. This includes most unbranded mass consumer products. Moreover, there’re over one million individual items to choose from. EPROLO catalogs these from its trusted wholesale suppliers.
Money only changes hands when you make a sale. So, you won’t ever be out of pocket. I.e. you don’t have to buy in bulk and risk not selling your stock.
EPROLO provides quality control, checking items on arrival at their own warehouses. Then it checks again upon shipping orders out for you. Furthermore, if you reach a certain volume of sales, you can unlock extra perks like custom tape and boxes to build your own brand.
The apps for Shopify and WooCommerce are straightforward. Firstly, you can browse the dropshipping inventory and import the product information into your store. Secondly, you can add any customizations to the descriptions and photos. Customers won’t be able to distinguish them from any other product available on your website. Then, EPROLO fulfills any orders on your behalf.
You can get the platform up and running before providing payment details. The customer pays you directly. Then, before fulfillment, you must pay EPROLO by PayPal or credit card.
I carried out EPROLO reviews of all the key features. Let’s take a closer look:
You can find viable products even if you don’t know what to sell by browsing the wholesaler categories. EPROLO stores these in its own warehouses after sourcing them affordably within China.
This includes everything from electronics to clothing. You won’t find top-flight brands. In fact, most items are unbranded or unknown to western shoppers. This, however, provides the opportunity to add value and stand out via your own custom branding.
Because you don’t handle any of the stock yourself, you also do not have to worry about inventory management. That means no storage and no moving things around. If a particular item is running low, this will sync with your Shopify or WooCommerce listings.
In short, inventory is on autopilot. Your job is just to curate what items you wish to sell.
EPROLO helps dropshipping store owners to build their brands. It offers a custom packaging service without MOQ required. There are multiple options on Customized tags, scotch tape, packing bags, packing boxes, etc. for you. Furthermore, you can insert a business style card called a ‘Gift card’ with your branding or advertising.
The invoice and packing slip are presented from your store, even before you reach any of these sales milestones. Your customers will never see a confusing paper trail between suppliers and EPROLO, as is sometimes the case in dropshipping.
The company does not limit your customer base, allowing you to sell worldwide. It is up to you which localized method you choose and how you account for EPROLO shipping costs in your store’s pricing. The easiest way is to charge customers for shipping at the exact amount EPROLO itself charges for each option.
The company has developed an EPROLO express shipping option. It is available in countries like the US, CA, AU, UK, Japan, and throughout Europe. This could see items from China arrive to your customers between 5-12 days. It’s the most cost-effective option.
Shopify is one of the leading ecommerce solutions on the market. You can connect your Shopify store with EPROLO via a free app on the official Shopify app store. Here it has a great 4.7 out of 5 rating.
Key features include a one-click import process, where you can add products from the EPROLO catalog and the AliExpress website. Tailoring the product’s description and photos is then the same as editing any other product in your Shopify store.
The EPROLO Shopify app handles stock levels in real-time, so you don’t have to worry about overselling. This is based on the actual warehouse availability.
You can create an apparel and merchandise store with your custom designs via EPROLO’s print-on-demand feature. A special EPROLO Print on Demand (POD) app is required, which the official Shopify app store lists.
Products available via POD include t-shirts, hoodies, bags, mugs, pillows, and even home décor items. The number of different items available surprised me, so you’ll easily find something that suits your customers.
Product colors and sizes are easy to customize. Also, images and logos can be uploaded and then manipulated to your liking. The dashboard lets you add more text.
All you have to do is hit ‘Import to Shopify’ to set up the sales page.
Partner Factories in the US and Australia print the products, not just China. For US customers, this means a good turnaround time.
Another EPROLO dropship option is Amazon, though it doesn’t integrate as well as other platforms. You will need to add products manually and use your EPROLO.com dashboard to process orders.
This is made slightly easier if you use the Shopify EPROLO app in conjunction with the Shopify Amazon app.
If your preferred webstore solution is WordPress-based WooCommerce, it too has an EPROLO plug-in.
You can easily find and import products within WooCommerce’s own dashboard. Firstly, browse the categories or use the search functions. Secondly, check all the products you wish to add to your store and they’re automatically brought over.
As with any WooCommerce product page, items imported from EPROLO suppliers can be modified to read and look more professional. Furthermore, stock levels change based on your sales and the availability at EPROLO warehouses.
A secondary option for locating products is to use the EPROLO extension for Chrome. This kicks into gear when you browse products on the Chinese marketplace AliExpress. It contains most items EPROLO itself stocks.
Now, every product will have a green icon you can click to import it into one of your integrated stores.
When an order is made, you have the option to process it via AliExpress at the price shown and rely on that seller to fulfill the rest. Or you can click ‘Ask for quote’, at which point EPROLO will check its own stock or source products, and fulfill the order the traditional way.
I found the extension most useful for products EPROLO doesn’t already have in its catalog. Furthermore, even if they don’t currently carry them, you can share the URL via EPROLO. Staff will seek out the supplier and add it to their catalog.
Dropshipping is all about automation and EPROLO does a good job at doing all the leg work. Regardless of how you’re integrated, all orders are processed with a few clicks and can be managed from the dashboard.
When a customer makes a payment, all the fulfillment is done for you. Both you and your customer will receive a tracking number when it’s available based on the EPROLO shipping method chosen.
If one of your customer’s orders goes missing during shipping EPROLO will issue a full refund. Under normal circumstances, an item is considered missing after 30 days and 40 days during peak seasons. I.e. Christmas, Black Friday, etc.
Average EPROLO shipping times vary by method, but EPROLO Express is expected within 12 days.
If a customer asks for a refund, a full refund will be issued if the item is:
Users are encouraged to ask their customers for photographic proof of their claim, which you can then pass on to EPROLO.
You can find more information about EPROLO on the website’s help center and FAQ. The customer support team is also available 24/7 via live chat for more direct queries.
The platform is ‘forever free’. This means that there’s no upfront cost for the platform or monthly EPROLO fees.
While you could source similar or even the same products cheaper yourself, EPROLO automates the process and handles logistics. The suppliers and products are already there, you don’t have to go building relationships or storing stock.
EPROLO and CJ Dropshipping are similar services. I put them head to head so you can see where each excels.
Each platform has over a million products available via the Chinese market, though they are sourced differently. EPROLO uses a group of trusted suppliers, whereas CJ Dropshipping will connect you with any supplier. This might be via AliExpress, Taobao, etc. EPROLO does not support Taobao through its Chrome extension.
Ultimately, CJ provides a wider selection of goods though you may need to be a bit more discerning about the suppliers you choose.
Both CJ and EPROLO are free to install with no monthly subscription charge. However, while EPROLO is technically free throughout the entire process, CJ includes processing fees. Each sale incurs this fee based on weight, in addition to the usual shipping fees.
It’s hard to determine which service is truly the cheapest. This is because EPROLO is likely passing on similar costs within the wholesale price itself. Nonetheless, it’s this simplicity that gives EPROLO the edge. There’s less math involved.
Customers always want their orders as fast as possible. EPROLO shipping time for US orders is usually within 12 days. It guarantees arrival within 30-40 days before offering a replacement or refund.
CJ uses its own ‘CJPacket’ method and also says US orders should arrive within 12 days. If 45 days go by, the refund process can begin.
In this case, EPROLO is a bit more on the ball in terms of refunds for missing items.
CJ will replace an item or issue a full or partial refund based on certain circumstances. E.g. Partial damage will only result in a partial refund. EPROLO protection is a bit higher. Any damaged or ‘not as described’ item can be refunded in full.
Checking other CJ and EPROLO reviews gives us some more insight into how the platforms are viewed.
On the Shopify App Store, EPROLO has earned a 4.7/5 rating from 976 users. Meanwhile, CJ Dropshipping is slightly higher at 4.9/5 from 1330 users.
Therefore, CJ is the more popular platform and seems to have more users, though this is not a significant difference.
EPROLO vs CJ Dropshipping is a close battle in the war of free dropshipping suppliers, but the edge goes to EPROLO. It doesn’t confuse store owners with extra fees, while its shipping and refund options are more favorable.
To conclude this EPROLO review, let’s highlight some of the key benefits.
It is an outstanding free dropshipping solution. It combines well with your existing Shopify or WooCommerce store. Real-world inventory syncs with sales, while every level of order fulfillment is handled for you.
Multiple EPROLO shipping options are available, including a faster Express choice. There are also clear refund policies that benefit everyone.
Furthermore, it can accommodate custom branded packaging without MOQ. This, however, is reserved for higher-volume sellers.
Is EPROLO good? Overall, it’s one of the top free dropship suppliers on the web.