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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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The verdict on

Alibaba.com

55
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Alibaba.com offers a vast selection of products at competitive prices, making it attractive for business owners and individual buyers, but users frequently encounter issues with scams, high shipping costs, poor customer service, and an app that demands constant updates.

4.7★ lifetime (55,353) Free to download since 2012 by Hangzhou Alibaba International Information Technology Co., Ltd. updated 0.1 mo ago recent negative 53% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Scams & Fraud Customer Service & Refunds App Updates & Performance Shipping Costs Notifications & Spam Product Selection & Pricing
5★348
4★50
3★45
2★66
1★441
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.7★ lifetime average

Alibaba.com is a popular platform for sourcing products, praised for its wide selection and good prices, especially for business owners R5R59. However, recent user reviews highlight significant problems including numerous scam sellers, inadequate buyer protection, and frustrating app performance due to frequent updates and glitches R13R38R110R184.

What users like

  • Wide selection of products availableR5
  • Competitive pricing for many itemsR3R5R58
  • Good for business owners and entrepreneursR5R59
  • Positive experiences with product quality controlR17

What users complain about

  • Frequent and intrusive app updates are annoying and disruptiveR110R123R148R162
  • High prevalence of scam sellers and fake productsR13R16R35R38
  • Poor customer service and inadequate buyer protection, especially for refunds and disputesR2R14R18R22
  • High and inconsistent shipping costsR6R48R50R74
  • App has glitches, crashes, and performance issuesR10R11R219R573
  • Excessive and unwanted notificationsR16R47R63R78
  • Difficulty with ordering, inquiries, and navigation for some usersR28R36R50R62
  • Some suppliers are unresponsive or rudeR470R507R642
  • Issues with currency display and payment processingR122R25R579
  • Lack of dark mode and poor iPad optimizationR80R359R659R849

Latest update · v26.23.1

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

Includes bug fixes and performance improvements.

Recurring themes

Scams & Fraud negative
Many users report encountering scam sellers, receiving wrong or fake products, or not receiving items at all. The platform's buyer protection is often criticized for failing to resolve these issues or provide refunds.R13R16R23R35
Customer Service & Refunds negative
A significant number of reviews highlight horrible customer service, with Alibaba.com often siding with sellers or finding 'insufficient evidence' for disputes. Users struggle to get refunds, even for damaged or undelivered items, despite 'money back protection' claims.R2R14R18R22
App Updates & Performance negative
Users are highly frustrated by the constant, frequent, and often mandatory app updates, sometimes multiple times a week, which they feel offer no noticeable improvements and disrupt their workflow. Some also report the app crashing or not opening. The developer's notes mention 'bug fixes and performance improvements,' but recent reviews contradict this, indicating ongoing issues.R10R11R110R123
Shipping Costs negative
Many users complain about extremely high, inconsistent, or misleading shipping costs, often finding the shipping price to be more expensive than the product itself. Some report issues with shipping options not being clear or additional charges being requested after an order.R6R48R50R74
Notifications & Spam negative
Users are annoyed by an excessive number of notifications and emails, describing them as 'out of control' and 'spam.' Many find it difficult to unsubscribe or manage these alerts.R16R47R63R78
Product Selection & Pricing positive
Despite the issues, many users appreciate the large selection of products and the good prices offered on the platform. It is often recommended for vendors and those looking for high-quality items.R3R5R41R58

Who it's for

Alibaba.com is for business owners and vendors looking for a wide selection of products at potentially good prices, especially if they are experienced in sourcing from China and understand how to vet suppliers R5R59. It is not for casual buyers who expect straightforward consumer-level buyer protection, easy returns, or a seamless app experience R2R22.

Evidence note: The recent review sample skews significantly negative, with 53.4% negative reviews. This contrasts sharply with the lifetime rating of 4.7, suggesting a recent downward trajectory in user satisfaction, particularly regarding app performance, scam prevalence, and customer service. While positive reviews exist, they are less detailed and less frequent in the recent sample. The developer's notes on bug fixes are directly contradicted by numerous recent complaints about app updates and glitches.

Frequently asked

Is Alibaba.com reliable for purchases?
While some users have positive experiences with good products and prices, many recent reviews indicate significant reliability issues, including a high prevalence of scam sellers, unreceived orders, and difficulty obtaining refunds R13R14R38R56.
Are shipping costs high on Alibaba.com?
Yes, many users report that shipping costs on Alibaba.com are very high, often exceeding the price of the product itself, and can be inconsistent or unclear R6R48R74R83.
Does the Alibaba.com app have frequent updates?
Yes, a common complaint among recent users is the excessive frequency of app updates, with some reporting daily or weekly updates that are mandatory and disruptive R110R123R184R266.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R5] 5/5 · US Really awesome shopping experience: Fully enjoying my experience with Alibaba. Excellent prices. Extremely large selections I highly recommend if you are a vendor or someone just looking to buy some high-quality items shop Alibaba.
  2. [R3] 5/5 · US Cam am spyder: Look good good price
  3. [R58] 5/5 · US CEO Retail: A Great Market Place to save money and get what you need.
  4. [R59] 5/5 · US The best: Perfect for entrepreneurs & business owners .
  5. [R17] 4/5 · US Product: Very good on quality control
  6. [R110] 3/5 · US To many updates: I like the app but if the updates don’t stop being so frequent I will stop using. To invasive doesn’t seem secure
  7. [R123] 3/5 · US Constant updates: I swear this app is constantly asking me to download a new update. How much of my information are you trying to steal?
  8. [R148] 3/5 · US To much updates: To many updates with no differences ,
  9. [R162] 3/5 · US Disturbing: Using the Alibaba app is good but frequently updates are really annoying
  10. [R13] 1/5 · US Buyer: Too many scams. Seems to just be a waste of time.
  11. [R16] 3/5 · US Notifications are out of control and occasional scams: WAYYY too many bs notifications and be careful what you buy because you’ll receive a something else
  12. [R35] 1/5 · US Fraud: You now have thousands of fake suppliers on your platform committing fraud and trying to scam people. Pleas fix that issue.
  13. [R38] 1/5 · US Scam: There is too many scammers on this app I lost more than 3000 dollars and I said whatever I try to buy from other sellers and still the same bull.. and then if you ask for help it hard they don’t help you they just make you lose your money and time
  14. [R2] 1/5 · US Platform siding with STEALING Suppliers: I have been dealing with an return/refund issue since APRIL, where the seller was at fault. Mind you the return has been done and refund is nowhere in sight, they want to do a fraction of agreed refund! Seller refused to make it right, I went through the platform and they have been ZERO help even after all evidence has been sent to them!
  15. [R14] 1/5 · US Horrible experience: I had multiple orders where I never received what I ordered. Either wrong product was sent or it was lost after I paid and never left the country. It also took multiple attempts to get a refund. I ended up ordering the product elsewhere as I lost faith and each time I had to buy it again because of a previous error I had to select a different store at a higher price to get
  16. [R18] 1/5 · US Scam seller and Alibaba automatically closed my dispute: Scam seller never sent my package. After four months of not receiving items I opened a case and Alibaba automatically closed it after providing the tracking evidence they asked for. Terrible customer service that does not stand behind their platform.
  17. [R22] 1/5 · US Horrible customer service: Horrible customer service and very greedy about money. Even if the product says “Easy Return” and “Money back protection” you will not get your money back and the return process isn’t easy. Don’t expect to get your money back if something is wrong with the product.
  18. [R6] 1/5 · US Shipping prices are very high: the prices are not real. And they are slow to respond. · translated
  19. [R48] 1/5 · US Shipping: Shipping fees are very high and exaggerated. · translated
  20. [R50] 2/5 · US Orders/Shipping: Problem with understanding how to order with clarity. Shipping options not available or inconsistent shipping cost applied.
  21. [R74] 3/5 · US High price protection: Not good
  22. [R10] 1/5 · US El App no abre: La aplicación no quiere abrir
  23. [R11] 5/5 · US App: After the last update, the app just shuts down after loading in
  24. [R219] 3/5 · US Alibaba website just does not load so very slow if any products shown: I have been a fan and repeat customer since the inception of Alibaba and AliExpress, Alibaba website just does not load or show images and is just so, frustrating so I have to order and use AliExpress which unfortunately has too many games waste time-my history diamond. Client wiped out purchases Wish List et cetera so mixed
  25. [R573] 3/5 · CA Bug: You have issues with sounds playing. Normal when using flutter apps.
  26. [R47] 1/5 · US Screwed up marketing agency: Worst kind of marketing, ignores requests to unsubscribe. How can I block them?
  27. [R63] 1/5 · US Worst spam ever: Can’t unsubscribe. Avoid ever signing up with alibaba spam scam
  28. [R78] 1/5 · US Annoying: This app sends way too many notifications!
  29. [R28] 1/5 · US only cause i cant put no stars.: I’ve been trying to get price and scaling on this and I don’t get answers or anywhere at all.
  30. [R36] 2/5 · US Input Window❓: I want to buy a specific item. I could not find a blank field to search for it.
  31. [R62] 4/5 · US User friendly?: The site is somewhat confusing to navigate.
  32. [R470] 3/5 · GB EXTREMELY RUDE SUPPLIER: On the first Friday of may 2024 I was asking numerous suppliers for a quote,all were fine but one by the name of wu zehan called me poor wretch and also swore at me for asking for a single item.I contacted alibaba but got no response.I did purchase from another supplier but was shocked at the shipping cost
  33. [R507] 3/5 · CA Skid steer: No one answered the request
  34. [R642] 3/5 · CA Mr: Lots of products but low response rate on inquiries.
  35. [R122] 3/5 · US Great app for clothing: It’s a good app for shirts, hoodies, shorts, and pants but my card keeps declining with Apple Pay please fix that error
  36. [R25] 1/5 · US Refund: I placed an order for $129.90 the company initiated a refund because they did not charge me enough for shipping. Their refund was for $121.40. When I asked wth with the difference in amount. I was told it was the transaction fee. So I am paying for this mistake of yours? Way to make money off of people. Wow so if I do the math right….. $8.50 x how ever many people you do this to = a good p
  37. [R579] 3/5 · CA Currency is not correct: Says I am in CAD currency, but every supplier sends you in U.S so very hard to order items and know what you are actually paying.
  38. [R80] 3/5 · US Add dark mode: Definitely needs a dark mode
  39. [R359] 3/5 · GB Not bad but could be better: No dark mode also too hard to purchase knives delivered to the uk
  40. [R659] 3/5 · CA it does not support ipad horizontal screen…: I do not use it on ipad as it does turn horizontally on IPAD…
  41. [R849] 3/5 · AU Terrible iPad optimisation: Terrible iPad optimisation, the app is so bad on iPad
  42. [R23] 5/5 · US Bike scam: Every E Bike I try to buy the seller is wanting me to pay on another site this is bad for Business
  43. [R41] 5/5 · US Crazy good deals: Good products
  44. [R56] 1/5 · US Lots of scammers: I tried to purchase a car part. I was sent the wrong part. The buyer then said for 2 weeks that He was going to send the correct part but never did. I then asked for a refund and he said he was going to give me a refund but also never did that. I have screenshots of all of this. And I brought all of this to Alibaba attention and they refused to give me my refund. I was scammed an
  45. [R83] 2/5 · US Shipping cost: Shipping to high. Cost of product less than shipping
  46. [R184] 3/5 · US Too frequent need update: Every single time I enter my Alibaba it requires an update at least two times a week
  47. [R266] 3/5 · GB Keeps updating all the time now and forcing app updates: I have had this app for 3 years and it’s generally pretty good but I am starting to get really annoyed that it keeps updating every week. Every time I go to use it (everyday) you have to update it and several times there hasn’t been an update available but yet on the app it forces the update. I have 16 factories I work with and it’s just ver

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store