Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Oberlo VS Substack

Compare Oberlo VS Substack and see what are their differences

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Oberlo logo Oberlo

A dropshipping marketplace for entrepreneurs

Substack logo Substack

With Substack, anyone can start a publication that combines a personal website, blog, and email newsletter or podcast. It's quick and simple.
  • Oberlo Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-31
  • Substack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-26

Oberlo features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Oberlo provides an intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to find, import, and manage products from AliExpress into their Shopify stores.
  • Product Automation
    Oberlo automates various processes such as order fulfillment and tracking updates, reducing manual tasks and saving time for the store owner.
  • Wide Product Selection
    Through its integration with AliExpress, Oberlo gives users access to a vast array of products in various niches, allowing for extensive product variety.
  • Inventory and Price Updates
    Oberlo automatically syncs with suppliers to keep inventory levels and prices up to date, ensuring that the store reflects the most current information.
  • Educational Resources
    Oberlo provides a wealth of tutorials, guides, and articles to help users maximize their dropshipping success and navigate the platform effectively.

Possible disadvantages of Oberlo

  • Dependence on AliExpress
    Because Oberlo primarily relies on AliExpress for sourcing products, users are limited to the product quality, shipping times, and supplier reliability associated with AliExpress.
  • Cost
    While Oberlo offers a free plan, its more advanced features and higher product limits come with a monthly subscription fee, which may be a constraint for some new businesses.
  • Shipping Times
    Since most suppliers on AliExpress are based in China, shipping times to other parts of the world can be significantly long, impacting customer satisfaction.
  • Product Quality Variability
    Products listed on AliExpress can vary greatly in quality, and it's often challenging for store owners to verify the quality before shipping them to customers.
  • Customer Support
    Some users have reported that Oberlo's customer support can be slow to respond and may not always provide the most helpful solutions.

Substack features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Substack offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for writers to publish and monetize their newsletters.
  • Built-in Monetization
    Writers can easily charge readers for subscriptions, allowing for straightforward monetization.
  • Direct Audience Connection
    Substack allows writers to build a direct relationship with their audience via email, which can lead to a more engaged readership.
  • Discovery and Community
    Features like staff picks and recommendations help writers get discovered by new readers.
  • No Upfront Costs
    Substack does not charge upfront fees; instead, it takes a percentage of subscription revenues, making it easier to start.
  • Content Ownership
    Writers retain full ownership of their content, giving them more control over their work.

Possible disadvantages of Substack

  • Revenue Share
    Substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenues, which can add up for writers with a large subscriber base.
  • Limited Customization
    The platform has limited customization options compared to building a custom website or using more flexible CMS options.
  • Dependency on Platform
    Relying on Substack means depending on its policies and infrastructure, which could pose risks if the platform changes its terms or features.
  • Competition
    As more writers join Substack, it can become challenging to stand out amidst the growing competition.
  • Email Deliverability
    Writers may face issues with email deliverability, as some newsletters may end up in spam folders.
  • Payment Processing Fees
    Besides Substack's fee, payment processors like Stripe also take a percentage, further reducing net earnings for writers.

Analysis of Oberlo

Overall verdict

  • Oberlo was generally well-regarded among its users for simplifying the process of sourcing products and managing a dropshipping business. However, as of June 2022, Oberlo was officially shut down, and the platform is no longer available to new or existing users. Former users and new entrepreneurs are encouraged to explore alternative platforms and solutions like DSers, which offers similar functionalities.

Why this product is good

  • Oberlo was a popular dropshipping app that allowed e-commerce entrepreneurs to easily find and import products from suppliers into their Shopify stores. It was favored for its user-friendly interface, automated order fulfillment, and vast product selection. This made it a convenient tool for individuals looking to start and manage a dropshipping business efficiently.

Recommended for

  • E-commerce entrepreneurs starting a dropshipping business
  • Shopify store owners wanting to streamline product sourcing and order fulfillment
  • Individuals interested in low-risk online retail businesses without large inventory concerns

Analysis of Substack

Overall verdict

  • Substack is a good choice for writers seeking autonomy and a straightforward way to monetize their content. However, it may not be the best fit for those who prefer working within the framework of a larger publication or those unfamiliar with the challenges of building and maintaining a subscriber base.

Why this product is good

  • Substack is a platform that allows writers, journalists, and content creators to publish and monetize their newsletters. It is praised for its ease of use, built-in subscription system, and direct-to-consumer model which enables writers to retain control over their audience and content. The platform has attracted both independent writers and established journalists seeking the freedom to monetize their work without traditional media constraints.

Recommended for

  • Independent writers and journalists
  • Content creators looking to monetize their work
  • Individuals seeking a direct relationship with their audience
  • Those who appreciate simplicity in publishing

Oberlo videos

Oberlo Review (2019): Super Dropshipping, the Way it Should Be

More videos:

  • Review - Dropified Vs Oberlo - Which Is Better? - Review
  • Review - Oberlo Shopify App Honest Review

Substack videos

Monetizing Podcasts and Newsletters - Chris Best of Substack and Jonathan Gill of Backtracks

More videos:

  • Review - E1016 Substack CEO Chris Best empowers writers via email newsletter platform, raised $15M from a16z
  • Review - Why EVERYONE should be on Substack | What it is, How it Works, $$$
  • Review - Beehiiv vs Substack (2024) - Which is Better?
  • Review - My Experience with SUBSTACK: An Honest Review of Substack

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Oberlo and Substack)
eCommerce
100 100%
0% 0
Blogging
0 0%
100% 100
Shipping and Tracking
100 100%
0% 0
CMS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Oberlo and Substack. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Oberlo and Substack

Oberlo Reviews

Importify vs Oberlo โ€“ Which Dropshipping tool is the best?
Almost the same thing with Oberlo. You donโ€™t have to order products from scratch every time you receive a new order. Since Oberlo already stored the details of the products you import from Aliexpress, you can simply click on the order button and your orders will be fulfilled.
15 Best Oberlo Alternatives in 2022 (After the Shutdown)
Luckily, there are plenty of great Oberlo alternatives out there that you can use now that Oberlo is gone. In this article, we will cover 15 of the best Oberlo alternatives for dropshippers to use in 2022!
DSers vs. Oberlo: An Ultimate Comparison to Find the Best Dropshipping Solution
Presently, Oberlo offers two paid plans โ€“ Basic and Pro that would cost $29.90 and $79.90 per month. Most of the premium features discussed above are only available in the Pro plan of Oberlo. You can also explore Oberlo for free with its Starter plan. Though, after completing its 30-day free trial, you have to upgrade to a paid plan to continue using its services.
Source: www.dsers.com
ShopMaster Alternatives: 5 Best Dropshipping Tools
1) Not free of charge: Oberloโ€™s Starter plan offers all main Oberlo features completely free of charge and allows clients to set up a small online shop with 500 products. However, you can only have a limited amount of monthly orders. Only the paid plan gives access to an unlimited number of monthly orders and allow multiple online stores.
Source: www.dsers.com
Oberlo Alternatives
Oberlo lets you create an account for free. With a free Oberlo account, you can import up to 500 products to your Shopify store. If you need advanced offerings like higher product limits, bulk orders, tracking of shipments, multiple staff accounts, or affiliate programs โ€“ you need to upgrade to one of its paid plans.

Substack Reviews

25+ Medium Alternative Platforms for Publishing Articles
Substack offers writers of all experience levels the ability to write an email newsletter thatโ€™s profitable through subscriptions. Substack provides purpose-built web and newsletter publishing tools to enable writers to monetize their newsletters. It is a service often favoured by readers because itโ€™s a convenient all-in-one solution for writing a successful podcast that...
Source: forgefusion.io
10 Best Medium Alternatives for Reading and Publishing
What sะตts Substack apart is its sะตamlะตss intะตgration of contะตnt crะตation and subscription-basะตd monะตtization. Substackโ€™s usะตr-friะตndly intะตrfacะต, distribution tools, and support for various contะตnt formats make it a popular choice for indะตpะตndะตnt crะตators looking to connะตct dirะตctly with thะตir audiะตncะต and turn thะตir passion into a sustainablะต incomะต strะตam.
9 Best Medium Alternatives for Making Money With Your Writing in 2023
Substack and Medium differ primarily in their monetization methods. Medium pays creators based on reader engagement, while Substack enables writers to monetize directly through paid subscriptions to their newsletters. This business model allows Substack users to build a direct relationship with their readers via their email inboxes, whereas Medium interactions primarily...
11 Patreon Alternatives for Audience Monetization in 2023
Like a few of the other platforms weโ€™ve looked at, Substack takes a cut of your earnings rather than charging a 10% platform fee.
Source: www.uscreen.tv
Any good Mailchimp alternatives?
My question for you is, what is keeping you from making $31 per month from your list? Are you using any feature that Substack (free until you get paid) can't handle?

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Substack seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 101 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Oberlo mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Oberlo yet. Tracking of Oberlo recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Substack mentions (101)

  • Ask HN: What are your favorite blogs not about AI?
    Https://substack.com/@yelluwcomedy. - Source: Hacker News / 3 days ago
  • Kids (With Phones) Are Alright
    Sure there was basically a cartel in social media. You saw coordinated censorship campaigns to ban the former president of the United States for example. But I wouldn't discount the amount of political interference there as well. The last administration admitted to flagging individual posts for the social media companies. But it's also true there is a lot of coordinated censorship even without state interference.... - Source: Hacker News / 12 days ago
  • Financing the AI boom: from cash flows to debt [pdf]
    Manhattan Project: $36B, 5 years โ–ซ Apollo Program: $257B, 14 years โ–ซ Interstate Highway System: $620B, 37 years โ–ซ AI data centers: $930B, 6 years and still accelerating From: https://substack.com/@rubendominguez/note/c-244929068. - Source: Hacker News / 8 days ago
  • SpaceX to buy Cursor AI coding agent operator Anysphere for $60B
    The thing is, even the center of the road academics who refrain from such comparisons are noting the similarity. The MAGA movement meets the traditional defining characteristics of fascio. We can be rigid and say that only Mussoliniโ€˜s political movement can be properly be called fascist. But if we call Hitler and the Nazis fascists as well, then we open the door to any movement that meets the criteria. And Trump... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • AMA: I'm Eric Ries (The Lean Startup) & Author of New Bestseller Incorruptible
    Yes, it's much different in other countries. See https://substack.com/@doks/p-198191751. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Oberlo and Substack, you can also consider the following products

Spocket - We're the biggest dropshipping suppliers, wholesalers & distributors of high quality US/EU products to facilitate dropshipping across the globe. We are top rated in dropshipping websites and companies for Shopify dropshipping.

Ghost - Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.

Easyship - Easyship, the #1 global cloud-based shipping software, is a technology platform that helps eCommerce and crowdfunding merchants ship worldwide.

Medium - Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

ShipStation - Seamless eCommerce shipping fulfillment software. Wherever you sell, however you ship, ShipStation can help. Auto order import, batch label print, & more!

MailChimp - MailChimp is the best way to design, send, and share email newsletters.