Temu vs AliExpress: Which Is Actually Cheaper After Customs?

Temu and AliExpress are the two giants of direct-from-China shopping, and on the surface their prices look interchangeable — a phone case is $4 on both, a gadget is $19 on both. But the price you see is not the price you pay, and the two platforms handle the invisible costs (shipping, VAT, customs) differently enough that the real landed cost can diverge by 10-20% on the same item. Let’s settle which is actually cheaper.

The three things that differ

The headline price is often identical. What differs is everything around it:

1. Shipping model — Temu leans heavily on “free shipping” thresholds; AliExpress offers tiered options (Choice/Standard/Premium) with different speeds and costs.
2. VAT collection — both use IOSS in the EU/UK for small orders, but their thresholds and how they display tax differ.
3. Customs behavior on larger orders — above de minimis, both leave you exposed to courier-collected duty + VAT, but the trigger points and typical parcel values differ.

Same item, both platforms: a $25 order to Germany

Item price:     $25 (≈ €23) on both
Shipping:       Temu free / AliExpress Standard ~$3 (≈ €2.80)
VAT (19%, IOSS): collected at checkout, both

Temu landed:        €23 + €4.37 VAT       ≈ €27.37
AliExpress landed:  €25.80 + €4.90 VAT    ≈ €30.70

On this order Temu wins by ~€3, almost entirely because of free shipping. But flip the scenario: if you need fast delivery, AliExpress Premium might be worth the premium, and if Temu’s free shipping requires a higher minimum cart you don’t want, the advantage evaporates.

Where each one wins

Temu tends to be cheaper when:

• The item qualifies for genuinely free shipping
• You’re buying small, light items
• You don’t need speed

AliExpress tends to be cheaper/better when:

• You want shipping method choice (sometimes a cheaper slow option beats Temu)
• You’re buying from a specific seller with bulk discounts
• You need tracked/express options Temu doesn’t offer

The customs wildcard (both platforms)

For orders over your country’s de minimis threshold, neither platform protects you — duty and VAT get collected at the border, often with a courier handling fee of $5-15. This affects both equally, so it’s not a differentiator, but it’s the single biggest source of “why did my cheap order cost so much” complaints for both.

In the US specifically (currently $800 de minimis), most orders on both platforms are duty-free — but watch the 2026 legislative review that could lower that threshold for both.

How to actually compare

Don’t trust the headline. For any order over ~$30, run both through the calculators with your real destination:

• Temu True Landed Cost
• AliExpress Real Cost

Plug in the same item price and your country, set shipping for each as the platform actually offers it, and compare the bottom-line landed cost. The winner changes by item, by country, and by shipping method — there’s no universal answer, only the answer for your specific order.

The takeaway

Temu usually edges out AliExpress on small, free-shipping-eligible items thanks to aggressive shipping subsidies. AliExpress wins on shipping flexibility, seller variety, and larger or time-sensitive orders. After customs and VAT — which hit both platforms identically above de minimis — the practical difference comes down to shipping. Run both calculators side by side for anything over $30 and let the real numbers decide.

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Platform shipping and tax handling change. We keep both calculators current — verify before a large purchase. Email [email protected] with corrections.