Side-by-side trust check · Online stores
Temu vs AliExpress: which is safer?
In our AI checks of 28 October 2026, Temu, whose terms name Whaleco Technology Limited and which is part of PDD Holdings, scored 75/100 (high trust), while AliExpress, which presents itself as part of Alibaba Group and whose operator our AI could not confirm, scored 63/100 (medium trust). On both you buy from independent sellers, but Temu states a 90-day return window for almost all items while AliExpress documents a 15-day dispute window; the scores are an indication, not a verdict.
Checked on by AnyFact's AI Business Check · We compare facts and show the scores; we do not pick a winner.
AliExpress
aliexpress.com
Platform score: you buy from independent sellers.
Full trust reportBusiness Check · October 28, 2026
Temu and AliExpress, criterion by criterion
Criteria shown
- Who runs it
- Temu:
Our AI could not confirm this for Temu automatically.
AliExpress:AliExpress presents itself as part of Alibaba Group. Our AI could not confirm automatically who runs the site or a matching company register entry.
Sources:aliexpress.comaliexpress.com
- Difference: Temu's terms name a contracting company and a parent, while for AliExpress our AI could confirm only the group it names itself under.
- Registry or known organisation
- Temu:
Positive signal: Known organisation: Temu (Wikidata), founded 2022, part of PDD Holdings
Source:wikidata.org
AliExpress:Information: Our AI could not confirm a matching entry in the registers we can check automatically (country not confirmed); no company identifier is shown on the pages read
- Domain age
- AliExpress:
Positive signal: Domain aliexpress.com registered 20.5 years ago (2006-04-16)
Source:rdap.org
- Popularity
- Temu:
Positive signal: Widely used site: temu.com is ranked 431 in the Tranco list of the most visited sites, list of 2026-10-27
Source:tranco-list.eu
AliExpress:Positive signal: Widely used site: aliexpress.com is ranked 497 in the Tranco list of the most visited sites, list of 2026-10-27
Source:tranco-list.eu
- Buyer protection
- Temu:
Temu's support pages describe a Purchase Protection Program, with refunds for items that do not arrive, arrive damaged or are not as described.
AliExpress:AliExpress names Buyer Protection and says all orders placed on its platform are covered. It offers a refund if an item does not arrive, is damaged or is not as described.
Sources:a.aliexpress.comaliexpress.com
- Difference: Both name a programme tied to orders on their own platform, under different names, and both cover non-arrival, damage and items not as described.
- Who you buy from
- Temu:
Temu is described as a marketplace hosting third-party sellers and manufacturers, and its contact page points to the merchandise partner.
Sources:pandasecurity.comtemu.com
AliExpress:AliExpress is described as having an open seller model, and users can report sellers they think broke its trading rules. Our sources do not describe how sellers are vetted.
Sources:f-secure.comaliexpress.com
- Difference: On both you buy from independent sellers, and our sources do not describe seller vetting on either.
- Refunds and returns
- Temu:
Temu says almost all items can be returned within 90 days of purchase. Refunds can take 5 to 14 business days, up to 30, to reach the original payment account.
AliExpress:Our AI could not confirm this for AliExpress automatically.
- Difference: Temu states a 90-day return window for most items, while AliExpress documents 15-day dispute and Free Return windows.
- Warning signs and complaints
- Temu:
Our AI could not confirm this for Temu automatically.
AliExpress:Sources describe a Reddit user receiving scam texts after orders, phishing emails posing as AliExpress and a fake site pushing a browser extension. Reviewers report broken items and refund difficulties; BBB lists 1,495 complaints in 3 years.
Registry, domain age and popularity come straight from the two reports; the other rows restate the sources linked under each cell. Scores are indications built from public signals, not verdicts.
From their own terms and the sources
When to choose Temu, when to choose AliExpress
When Temu fits
You want a long return window
Temu says almost all items are eligible for return and refund within 90 days of purchase. Some electronics have shorter windows, so check the item first.
Sources:temu.comconsumeraffairs.com
You want a named contracting company
Temu's terms name Whaleco Technology Limited, an Irish company, and its privacy policy identifies the data controller.
You want warnings on the site itself
Temu's own pages warn about scam emails leading to lookalike sites and about merchants asking for payment outside Temu.
When AliExpress fits
You want a documented dispute process
AliExpress documents how to open a dispute and the refund process in its help center. Disputes are opened within 15 days of delivery or after the confirmation period.
You want a rule against sellers refusing returns
On participating products, AliExpress rules say the seller cannot unilaterally refuse the 15-day return without cause.
Source:helpcenter.aliexpress.com
You want fees and complaint routes shown
AliExpress discloses import fees for shipments from outside the EU and links a complaints portal usable without logging in.
Sources:fr.aliexpress.comaliexpress.com
Temu or AliExpress: questions
Is Temu safer than AliExpress?
We do not give a verdict. In our checks Temu scored 75/100 (high trust) and AliExpress 63/100 (medium trust), partly because our AI could not confirm who runs AliExpress. Both are marketplaces of independent sellers, and both draw complaints. The scores are an indication.
Sources:wikidata.orgf-secure.com
Who owns Temu and AliExpress?
Wikidata lists Temu as part of PDD Holdings, and its terms name Whaleco Technology Limited. AliExpress presents itself as part of Alibaba Group, but our AI could not confirm automatically who runs the site.
What protects buyers on each?
Temu names a Purchase Protection Program in its support pages. AliExpress names Buyer Protection and says orders placed on its platform are covered. Both mention refunds for items that do not arrive, arrive damaged or are not as described.
Sources:temu.coma.aliexpress.com
Do you buy from Temu or AliExpress themselves?
On both you buy from independent sellers. Temu is described as hosting third-party sellers and manufacturers, and AliExpress as having an open seller model. Our sources do not describe how sellers are vetted on either.
Sources:pandasecurity.comf-secure.com
How long do return windows last on Temu and AliExpress?
Temu's support page says almost all items can be returned within 90 days of the purchase date, though a ConsumerAffairs article notes some electronics have 45 or 60 day limits. AliExpress's Buyer Protection page mentions a Free Return service within 15 days of receipt, and its help center describes a dispute window of up to 15 days after delivery.
Sources:temu.comconsumeraffairs.comaliexpress.comservice.aliexpress.com
How old are the Temu and AliExpress domains, and how widely used are they?
A domain lookup shows temu.com was registered on 29 April 2003, while aliexpress.com dates from 16 April 2006. In the Tranco list of 27 October 2026, Temu ranks 431 and AliExpress 497 among the most visited sites. These are public signals only and do not describe how either handles orders.
Sources:rdap.orgrdap.orgtranco-list.eu
Read more
- Is Temu legit? The full trust report
- Is AliExpress legit? The full trust report
- Who owns Temu?
- All trust reports and comparisons
How this was made: both sites went through the same AnyFact Business Check on the dates shown (company registers, Wikidata, domain age, popularity, Google Safe Browsing, regulator warning lists, web reputation and an AI review whose findings quote their evidence). The comparison restates those reports and the pages they cite. How the Business Check works.
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Comparing a site we have not covered? Paste it: a trust score from 0 to 100, who runs it, and every check with its source.
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