How do I calculate AliExpress dropshipping profit?

Subtract all costs from your selling price: Net Profit = Selling Price − Product Cost (AliExpress price) − Shipping − Platform Fees − Ad Spend. Enter each value into the calculator above. Don't forget to include ad spend — it's the largest cost for most dropshippers.

What is a good profit margin for AliExpress dropshipping?

Target 25–35% net margin for standard dropshipping. Below 15% is risky — one return or ad cost increase eliminates profit. Above 40% is excellent but usually requires direct factory sourcing or private labeling rather than standard AliExpress dropshipping.

How much should I mark up AliExpress products?

A 2.5x to 3x markup is standard. On a $10 AliExpress product, sell at $25–$30. This gives a gross margin of 60–67%, which after fees (3%), shipping ($0–$3), and ads (20–25%) leaves a net margin of 25–40%. Less than 2x markup leaves insufficient room for ads and returns.

Does AliExpress charge fees to dropshippers?

If you sell on your own store (Shopify, WooCommerce), you pay no fees to AliExpress — you simply buy products at the listed price. If you sell on the AliExpress platform as a seller, the commission is 5–8% per sale.

How do I handle long AliExpress shipping times?

Use AliExpress Premium Shipping (Cainiao) for 5–12 day delivery at $3–$8/unit. Alternatively, order inventory in bulk to your own warehouse and ship domestically (1–3 day delivery). The latter increases margins but requires upfront inventory investment.

What are the best products for AliExpress dropshipping?

Home decor, beauty tools, phone accessories, pet products, and novelty items. Avoid electronics (high return rates), branded goods (counterfeit risk), and heavy items (expensive shipping). Look for products with visual appeal that perform well in video ads. - Dropshipping Profit Calculator - Temu Seller Calculator - Shopify Profit Calculator - eBay Profit Calculator - TikTok Shop Fee Calculator

AliExpress Profit Calculator: Dropshipping Profit After All Costs

AliExpress dropshipping profit is the margin between your selling price and the AliExpress product cost, minus shipping, platform fees, and ad spend. On a $35 product sourced at $12 from AliExpress, with $3 shipping, $2 in fees, and $5 in ads, your net profit is $13 — a 37.1% margin. This calculator reveals your true per-unit profitability, accounting for every cost that eats into your dropshipping margin.

What AliExpress Profit Really Means
The Profit Formula
How to Use the Calculator
Worked Examples
AliExpress Sourcing Strategy
Shipping & Returns Impact
Frequently Asked Questions

What AliExpress Profit Really Means

AliExpress dropshipping profit is the money you keep after buying the product from an AliExpress supplier, paying for shipping to your customer, covering platform fees (if selling on a marketplace), and funding your advertising. Many dropshippers calculate profit as simply "selling price minus AliExpress cost" — which dramatically overstates profitability.

A $35 selling price with a $12 AliExpress cost looks like $23 profit (65.7% margin). But after $3 shipping, $2 in platform fees, and $5 in ads, the real profit is $13 (37.1%). And that's before returns, chargebacks, and customer service costs.

The Profit Formula

Net Profit = Selling Price − Product Cost − Shipping − Fees − Ad Spend

Where:

Selling Price = The price you charge your customer
Product Cost = The AliExpress supplier price (including any AliExpress shipping to your customer)
Shipping = Any additional shipping or handling costs not included in the AliExpress price
Fees = Platform fees if selling on Shopify (2.9% + $0.30), eBay, Amazon, etc.
Ad Spend = Facebook Ads, Google Ads, TikTok Ads cost per sale (total ad spend ÷ number of sales)

Profit Margin = (Net Profit ÷ Selling Price) × 100

How to Use the Calculator

Enter your Selling Price — the price customers pay on your store
Enter Product Cost — the AliExpress supplier price per unit
Enter Shipping — any shipping costs not included in the AliExpress price
Enter Fees — platform/payment processing fees per sale
Enter Ad Spend — your advertising cost per sale
Click Calculate AliExpress Profit to see your net profit and margin

The result shows your net profit in dollars and your profit margin as a percentage.

Worked Examples

Example 1: Phone Case ($15 selling, $4 AliExpress cost)

Component	Amount	% of Revenue
Selling Price	$15.00	100%
Product Cost (AliExpress)	$4.00	26.7%
Shipping (ePacket)	$0.00	0% (included)
Platform Fees (Shopify)	$0.74	4.9%
Ad Spend	$3.00	20.0%
Net Profit	$7.26	48.4%

Phone cases are a classic AliExpress dropshipping product — low cost, low shipping, decent margins. The main cost is ads (20% of revenue).

Example 2: LED Strip Light ($45 selling, $18 AliExpress cost)

Component	Amount	% of Revenue
Selling Price	$45.00	100%
Product Cost (AliExpress)	$18.00	40.0%
Shipping	$2.00	4.4%
Platform Fees (Shopify)	$1.61	3.6%
Ad Spend	$12.00	26.7%
Net Profit	$11.39	25.3%

Higher-ticket items have lower margins due to higher product cost percentage. The $12 ad spend (26.7% of revenue) is borderline — if CPCs rise, this product becomes unprofitable.

Example 3: Watch ($80 selling, $25 AliExpress cost)

Component	Amount	% of Revenue
Selling Price	$80.00	100%
Product Cost (AliExpress)	$25.00	31.3%
Shipping (Premium)	$5.00	6.3%
Platform Fees (Shopify)	$2.62	3.3%
Ad Spend	$20.00	25.0%
Net Profit	$27.38	34.2%

Higher-priced items can absorb more ad spend while maintaining 30%+ margins. The key is ensuring the AliExpress supplier provides quality products at the $25 price point.

AliExpress Sourcing Strategy

Strategy	Typical Margin	Risk Level	Best For
Standard AliExpress dropshipping	20–40%	Medium	Beginners testing products
AliExpress bulk order (10–50 units)	30–50%	Low-Medium	Validated products
Direct factory sourcing (Alibaba)	40–60%	Medium-High	Scaling sellers
Private label (custom branding)	50–70%	High	Established brands

Tips for maximizing AliExpress margins:

Choose suppliers with 95%+ positive ratings and 1,000+ orders
Negotiate bulk pricing for 10+ unit orders via AliExpress message
Use AliExpress Premium Shipping (Cainiao) for faster delivery
Source products with visual differentiation (color, bundle, packaging)
Avoid electronics with high return rates; favor home, beauty, and accessories

Shipping & Returns Impact

Shipping Method	Delivery Time	Cost	Return Rate
Standard (ePacket)	15–30 days	Free–$2	3–5%
Cainiao Super Economy	20–40 days	Free–$1	5–8%
AliExpress Premium	5–12 days	$3–$8	2–3%
DHL/FedEx Express	3–7 days	$15–$30	1–2%

Returns reality: Long shipping times (15–30 days standard) lead to 3–5% return rates. Customers file "item not received" disputes after 30 days. Budget for 3–5% of revenue in return/chargeback losses. Using Premium Shipping (5–12 days) can reduce returns to 2% but adds $3–$8 per unit in shipping cost.