Yes, anyone can buy from Alibaba. Whether you're an individual or a company that wants to import from China, you can order for products directly from manufacturers on Alibaba. The website essentially serves as an Internet directory where anyone can contact and buy directly from manufacturers.

Founded in 1999 as an online B2B wholesaler, Alibaba Group has been China's irrefutable e-commerce king over the past two decades. The company's tech empire stretches across B2B, B2C, and C2C e-commerce, cloud computing, local service, logistics, and financial services.

Alibaba is a wholesale marketplace for buyers looking to purchase large quantities of products at the lowest price. You can use Alibaba to negotiate directly with manufacturers, order custom products, add branding to private label products, and achieve significant cost savings by negotiating repeat orders.

Alibaba is primarily designed for businesses looking to source products in large quantities. Aliexpress is geared toward individuals looking to buy products in smaller quantities. On Alibaba, buyers and sellers negotiate prices, place orders, and handle logistics.