I have been in the dropshipping industry for many years and have now tested most of the tool available.

And I have concluded that the best alternative to PPSPy is our tool, Dropship.IO. Although it may sound a bit leaning in our favor, there are several reasons why I said this, which I will explain in detail later. 

As an overview, Dropship.IO has tools, systems, and calculators that are superior to PPSpy.

Speaking of alternatives, there are others you can try. Today, I will discuss the following things:

• The best PPSpy alternatives
• Tips to properly use a spy tool 
• Benefits of a spy tool

The key takeaways are: 

• Dropship.IO is the most useful and best alternative to PPSpy
• Not all spy tools have the same goal; some focus on ads
• Free is not always the best; you  must pay to get the best value out of these spy tools

If you are ready, let us start!

The 9 best PPSpy alternatives are:

• Dropship.IO – best overall alternative to PPSPY
• Ecomhunt – best for instant data
• Dropship Spy – for advertising analysis
• Big Spy – best for spying on ads
• Thieve.Co – best for finding trending products
• Commerce Inspector – best for tracking big brands on Shopify
• AliShark – best for AliExpress product hunting
• Intelligynce – best for keyword research
• Koala Inspector – best free alternative

The Nine Best PPSPY Alternatives

1. Dropship.IO – best overall alternative to PPSPY

Dropship.IO is the ultimate product-hunting Tool that offers more than PPSPY. Like our competitor, we also have a Chrome extension that makes store tracking a breeze. On top of that, we have several other features that PPSPY does not have, or we at least do better than them.

Dropship.IO Features

• Product Database – our product database tool is what you need to browse through all products listed in the Shopify universe. All it takes is a keyword, and we will do the rest. The product database allows you to see the sales performance of various products that match your keyword search and the stores that sell them. 
• Sales Tracker – if you want to track stores and their sales performance, use our sales tracker. This Tool will give you insights into a store’s daily, weekly, and monthly sales. To use it, enter the URL of the store you want to track, and we will update the report for your every day. Our graphs or charts also give you a better visual representation of sales performance, trends, and units sold. 
• Competitor Research – a good dropshipping business always starts with competitor research. This Tool makes it easy to see who your competitors are and what they are doing to succeed. With this search tool, you will immediately get a bird’s eye view of what you are dealing against and then use that information to outsmart your competition.
• Chrome Extension – our Chrome extension is a fully functional spy tool that automatically appears if you are browsing a potential competitor. Keep yourself logged in, and it takes only one click to command the extension to start tracking the store you are looking at. 

Dropship.IO Pros

• Lots of features you can use to manage your business
• More affordable rates compared to all dropship spy tools
• Access to Facebook Ads library 
• Direct link to a list of potential suppliers from AliExpress
• Direct links to Amazon sellers for the product you are searching about

Dropship.IO Cons

• We only measure stats for Shopify stores right now. 

Our Tool is overflowing with features that words are insufficient to highlight everything here. The best thing I suggest you do is take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer. Create an account and experiment with some searches. Only then will you truly appreciate what our Tool can do for your business. 

In addition, you will have access to free tools that will do the heavy number-crunching for you. We have tools you can use to calculate your returns on advertising, BEROAS, and so much more. To put the icing on the cake, we also have a supplier database you can review to find the best possible suppliers for the product you decide to sell.

At this point, I strongly encourage you to try our tool now. There is no commitment, and all it takes is to sign up for our 7-day free trial!

2. Ecomhunt – best for instant data

Ecomhunt is one of the most popular spy tools in the market, but it is not available to all countries. Its main target consumer, or business user, is a dropshipper who lives in the United States. You cannot use the Tool if you live in a country they do not serve.

Ecomhunt has tools that show you product data about the following: 

• Profits
• Trends and analytics
• Engagement
• FB ads
• Videos 
• Targeting
• Retail Price 
• Relevant links

Essentially, it is a tool that provides quick analysis or a snapshot of critical information you want to find from products and competitors. 

Ecomhunt Features

• Ecomhunt Live is a product trend list showing you the most trending products in the last 30 days. The list shows you the product engagement rate and where the product sells the most. 
• Ecomhunt Lucky – this Tool randomly chooses a winning product you may be interested in selling. With a free account, you can only view a trending product. If you are in a paid plan, you can “tell” the system to show you a product with a high-profit margin. 
• Ecomhunt Courses – the system has a dropshipping course that takes you from start to finish. They also have a special course for product hunting and landing your first sale. 

Ecomhunt Pros

• The Tool shows you the saturation level of a product (or how competitive it is)
• You will have access to import AliExpress reviews
• You can import products quickly from Ecomhunt to your Shopify store

Ecomhunt Cons

• The free account is impractical—there is almost nothing you can do with it, as many features are “locked.”
• Too expensive – the less you pay, the less value you get

I can say that Ecomhunt is a tool you can use if you want quick and easy analytical results for your efforts. What makes Ecomhunt attractive is the saturation meter. Many dropshippers fail because they are selling products that everyone else is selling. 

With Ecomhunt, you can avoid being another cookie-cutter store because you can choose products that almost nobody else sells. In addition, you can automatically import a product you like from Ecomhunt to your store. If it sells, good for you. If it doesn’t, you can always look for another product. 

3. Dropship Spy – for advertising analysis

The key strength of Dropship Spy lies in its analysis of advertisements. Many dropshippers give up because they never made a sale despite spending so much on ads. Dropship Spy can help you fix that problem, along with other things. 

Dropship Spy Features

• Social Proof Ads – the Tool does not only analyze ads from Facebook but also from other platforms like TikTok and Instagram. If you use this analysis tool, you will see what ads performed. You will also see the engagement rate on the ad and the number of likes, comments, shares, and views.
• Amazon Analysis – there are many dropshippers on Amazon. Dropship Spy analyzes the rank of products in different Amazon sub-domains, such as the US, UK, Germany, and France. Knowing which products rank the highest gives you an idea of which ones are in demand. 
• Supplier List – the Tool can connect you with the most popular supplier databases, such as AliExpress and CJDropshipping. Not that you cannot do it yourself, but Dropship Spy makes it easier to find a supplier for a winning product you decided to sell. 
• Influencer List – you will have access to all the influencers on Instagram for your chosen products. The good news is that this list also comes with the price the influencer charges for modeling or endorsing your product. 

Dropship Spy Pros

• You can view the key metrics of ads for specific products
• The Tool shows product rankings on Amazon
• You can use the Tool to make a video from product images
• The agency writes copy for your ads

Dropship Spy Cons

• There is no free account.

I recommend Dropship Spy if your goal is to make an ad. It is a useful tool if you plan to launch a single product dropshipping store. Use the video and ad copy makers to launch an ad. Buying a video editing tool or hiring a marketing agency is unnecessary.

My main issue is that the product data you see is sales from AliExpress. As you know, this is not too helpful. 

An AliExpress product may show that it sold thousands of units. It does not tell you that these sales may have come from China. These are not orders of dropshippers. As such, you would think it is a winning product, but it is not.

4. Big Spy – best for spying on ads

While Dropship Spy is best for analyzing and making ads, Big Spy takes the crown in spying on ads. The platform can show you ads from several sites like: 

• Facebook
• AdMob
• TikTok
• Instagram
• YouTube

You can view ads on Pinterest, Yahoo!, and even the Unity game engine. Big Spy is not a tool for finding winning products but rather a tool for finding the ads with the most engagements. 

Big Spy Features

• Search Database – the company has a massive database of ads that you can explore. You can use filtering options to narrow your search for an ad. For example, you can look for ads based on platform, industry, CTA, date, etc. In addition, they have over 1 billion ads in their database. 
• Major Platforms – while many dropshippers focus on TikTok and Facebook, there are other places where you can find customers, such as AdMob and games. Big Spy gives you access to ads on these platforms that perform well. As such, you can consider advertising on these platforms, too. 
• Ad Download – surely, there are ads you want to see repeatedly because these ads inspire you. With Big Spy, you can download these ads to your desktop and keep them forever. 

Big Spy Pros

• You can track ads and how they are performing to see if the advertised product is worth looking into
• You will get new trending ads in your feed
• You will have access to nine major advertising networks

Big Spy Cons

• Spying on ads only shows engagement, but you will never get real conversion data.

My verdict is to use Big Spy in conjunction with our product database. The way it would work for you is like this: 

• Look for a top-performing ad on Big Spy
• Now, validate the sales metrics of that product in our Tool 

It does not make sense to use Big Spy on its own. Advertisements may have thousands of likes. But remember, likes are free. Likes on social media do not mean sales. People on social media are trigger-happy when liking, but they are not trigger-happy when purchasing. 

Likes, comments, and shares can only give you the pulse of the masses. However, these are not hard-line sales statistics. The data we provide at Dropship.IO is far more valuable than advertising engagement stats.

5. Thieve.Co – best for finding trending products

The old method of finding trending products is typing your search term on Google Trends. This process takes a lot of work, a problem that Thieve.Co solves.

Thieve.Co gives you a list of trending products daily. The value you get is you have a guarantee that the items you want to sell are in demand—you will not rely on guesswork and lose money on ads for products that nobody is buying. 

Thieve.Co Features

• Supplier Finder – the system analyzes sellers on the AliExpress platform. You can use the results of this analysis to find the best supplier for your chosen product. You can do this manually, but you will waste time weeding off bad sellers individually with Thieve.Co, you only get to see the best among the best AliExpress suppliers.
• Product Content Generator – there is an AI that can write product descriptions for you. Sometimes, the product descriptions of the supplies are not exciting. This Tool can help you increase product page engagement and also improve sales. 
• Reverse Image Search – sometimes, you have a product’s image but do not know what it is. Take that image and run it in the Tool. Then, the device will show you the suppliers in AliExpress that sell the same product. Now, you can order the product from this supplier to test if it is worth selling. 
• Magic Image Tool – use this Tool to remove logos and other product marks from images. It is useful if you want to use a picture with a brand name. It is useful if your supplier puts Chinese brand names on the photos of the products in their listings. 

Thieve.Co Pros

• There is an extension for Google Chrome
• You can use this Tool to find a supplier
• The Tool allows you to get the best images to market your products. 
• You can use the product content AI to write product descriptions for you. 

Thieve.Co Cons

• They are not transparent with their pricing.

Thieve.Co is all about trends and sales. One thing you will like about their website is their Swipe feature. It is like Tinder, where you get to see an image. Instead of a person, you see a picture of a product. You could click X or the “love” button. The former dismisses the product, while the latter adds the product to your list, which you can review later. 

6. Commerce Inspector – best for tracking big brands on Shopify

There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, the best approach to success in dropshipping is copying what the big brands do. Although you cannot copy everything, you can still get inspiration from them, and it is where Commerce Inspector comes in. 

Commerce Inspector tracks more than 800,000 brands on Shopify. These big brands may be in the same niche as you are, so you can use the analysis in Commerce Inspector to learn more about what is driving the success of these brands. 

Commerce Inspector Features

• Top Stores – you can track a store’s traffic, the units sold, and how much revenue they earned. You can also view their ads. These are for top stores only; you can use this information to learn from what these big brands do. 
• Real-Time Sales – the Tool gives you access to the sales data of thousands of stores. You can also use this Tool to see which stores are on the rise regarding revenue.
• Traffic Source – if you are curious about where big brands get their traffic, you can dig deeper and see the spread of their traffic sources. For example, you can see if the traffic comes from paid ads, organic searches, email link clicks, social media, etc. Knowing this lets you take appropriate actions to drive traffic to your website.
• Killer App – if there is a successful store you want to follow, you can also investigate what apps they use. You can benefit from this by understanding how they manage data, collect leads, etc. 

Commerce Inspector Pros

• There is a free Chrome extension you can use 
• It takes only a few clicks to view the best-selling product of a store
• You can track the traffic data of stores
• You get free data about premium brands

Commerce Inspector Cons

• Branded goods are of high quality; you cannot sell these products.

The biggest benefit you get from this platform is the extent of data you get from big brands. However, you cannot expect to sell the same product or compete against them. 

Take Kylie Jenner, for example. She has a store in Shopify. So, while her business can inspire you, you can never create lipstick like hers. As such, Commerce Inspector is best for borrowing best practices from giant brands but not for finding winning products you can sell now.

7. AliShark – best for AliExpress product hunting

AliShark is one of the pioneers of product spy tools. You can call it a search engine for products, but only on the AliExpress and Banggood platforms. There are over 4 million products you can review or study from this database. Nice to know that, but AliShark is not free. The monthly subscription is $20. 

AliShark Features

• Filters – you can use many filters to narrow your product hunting options. For example, you can search products based on product categories, top countries, shipping types, etc. You can also select a price range. This filter is highly useful if you are looking for specific product and supplier characteristics. 
• Analytics – the analytics portion appears on each product. You will see sales count, reviews, all-time trends, and more stats. This data will show you the trend of the product and understand if there is still a demand for it.  
• Import – you can import the products to your Shopify store. Right now, you can only do this on Shopify. If you are dropshipping on the WooCommerce platform, you must find an alternative way to import the product. 
• Video Generator – this button appears in all products. Click it, and the system will convert the product images into videos. You can use this video in your ads. 

AliShark Pros

• It has an extensive database of products
• There is an analytics portion in the search results 
• You can use a video generator to create videos you can use for your ads 

AliShark Cons

• You cannot use it without spending money, not even for free. 

While it is true that you can sign up for a free AliShark account, there is nothing you can do with a free account except log in and look at an empty dashboard. Any attempt to do research will result in a prompt that asks you to pay. 

There is an activation fee of $1. This process makes AliShark seem predatory. They will earn money from you no matter what you do—and you cannot even see what it does before you pay. Only use AliShark if you are sure about using AliExpress and Banggood as your product supplier sources. Otherwise, you are better off using our Tool.

Do not use AliShark if you want to see competitor data. It does not track Shopify store performance. Instead, it spies on the sales of suppliers. Of course, you can do this manually, but then you will waste time.

8. Intelligynce – best for keyword research

Intelligynce is a tool that uses AliInspector Version 2.0. It is primarily a keyword research tool in AliExpress, similar to Amazon’s keyword tools, but only in AliExpress.

What this Tool essentially does for you show you the keywords mostly searched on the AliExpress platform. You will know the search volume for these keywords, which tells you if there is a demand for them. 

Intelligynce Features

• Product Import – unlike other dropship spy/dropship tools, there is no limit to the number of products you can import from AliExpress to your store. In addition, you can also import products to WooCommerce, not just Shopify.
• Sales Data – the Tool shows you how units a seller sold in the past week for a particular product, the revenue, and other stats you need to know about a product and a seller.
• Product Database – the system monitors more than 2 million products listed on AliExpress. You can use filters or tell the system to search only for particular product categories to narrow your results. 
• Price Check Tool – surely, some people are selling the product you want to sell. This Tool can show you how much your competitors are pricing the same items on eBay and Amazon. This data should give you leverage to price your articles in the same range.
• Shopify Spying – you can use the Store Inspector to spy on Shopify stores. The Tool will show you what ads a Shopify operator runs, their apps on the Shopify store, and their top-selling products. 

Intelligynce Pros

• The Tool is useful for targeting products that have a high search volume
• You can view dozens of data based on your search filter 
• You can import products to your store

Intelligynce Cons

• The system is not intuitive; it is best for people who want to see rows upon rows of numbers.

Intelligynce, as the name implies, also requires a high degree of statistical understanding. Technically, it is one of the best alternatives to PPSpy but fails massively in user-friendliness. 

If you like working with data presented in spreadsheets, then use this Tool. The system uses a UI/UX that seems to have returned from the 1990s. Undoubtedly, It is useful, but anyone who has seen more modern data presentation methods will have difficulty transitioning to this Tool. 

9. Koala Inspector – best free alternative to PPSPY

While Kola Inspector has a product tool, its main purpose is to show you what apps other Shopify stores use. This Tool will help you see how a competitor’s website works and what apps they use to improve the functionality of their store. 

For example, if you need an autoresponder email, you would take time deciding which one to use because there are so many out there. If you know that your competitor is using, say, MailChimp, you might also use MailChimp. 

Koala Inspector Features

• Retailers – the system has links you can click that will help you find suppliers for the winning products you are eyeing. This system saves you time instead of going to AliExpress and typing keywords yourself. 
• Site Traffic – you can analyze the site traffic of a store and see where the store visits are coming from. If you know that they are paying for ads, you might as well plan the same approach. 
• Ads Guidance – you can view ad insights from your Koala Inspector dashboard once you run ads. Your account type determines how many ad insights you can see monthly. One ad insight should be enough to start an ad likely to convert cold traffic.

Koala Inspector Pros

• You can use it for free, but with extreme limitations
• You can analyze the traffic data of an online store
• You can get actionable insights on what to do with your ads 
• The Tool offers a way to find retailers or suppliers for winning products 

Koala Inspector Cons

There are severe limitations unless you upgrade to the top-tier plan

Even the CSV file is download has limitation 

Koala Inspector is great if you want to spy on what apps a Shopify store uses. This same feature, if I may add, is also available in our Tool. 

I can say that Koala Inspector is useful if you want to see actionable insights about ads. Too often, we launch ads that do not yield any return. We get flustered by the inadequacy of our ads. The sad thing is that we have no one to turn to analyze what is wrong with our ads. 

With Koala Inspector, you will see recommendations on creating ads likely to result in conversions. If you use it, you may see an improvement in your ad clicks or sales. However, this is never a guarantee. You still have to analyze your advertising metrics separately.

Why Do You Need a Spy Tool | Benefits of a Spy Tool

Here are the main benefits of using a spy tool like Dropship.IO: 

• Learn what products have a demand
• Understand what apps your competitors use
• See where your competitors’ traffic is coming from
• View the sales performance of a product or a store

Spy tools are not magic tools that make your store succeed. However, they surely will give you the information you need. If you have data, you can make informed decisions—the right ones—to run your business. 

Best Practices When Using a Dropship Spy Tool

Here are a few high-level tips for a dropship spy tool. 

• Use the free or most affordable plan when starting 
• Always visit the site competitor’s website and see what they are doing well
• Track a store if you can do it—visit the stats daily and see what is happening
• Explore the dropship spy tool—click all links as you will certainly find golden nuggets of information

FAQ: PPSPY Alternatives

How do I spy on my Shopify competitors?

Spying on them has many ways, but the best tool is ours. Dropship.IO not only shows you who you are competing against, but we also show you hardcore sales stats. 

How does PPSpy work?

PPSpy is a Chrome extension that tracks store and product performance. You must install it on your Google Chrome to see it in action. 

What is Shopify Spy?

Shopify Spy is also a spy tool but only a Google Chrome extension. It does not provide as extensive data as PPSpy, or we do. 

What does Koala Inspector do?

Koala Inspector is also a Chrome extension that exposes the apps a particular Shopify website uses. It also shows you the monthly traffic of a website plus a list of bestsellers. 

Summary

The next step now is to try Dropship.IO for free. Our 7-day free trial should open new possibilities for you, especially if you already have a store and are having sales issues. 

The best alternative to PPSpy is Dropship.IO because we offer more than what they do. In addition, we even drop winning products in your mailbox regularly. Test it now and see a big difference!