If you are sourcing from 1688 to overseas (US, UK, EU, AU, JP, KR), you have 5 main buying agents to pick from: BuckyDrop, Supplyia, Superbuy, CSSBuy, Oopbuy. Each one prices, stores, photos, and supports differently. This article compares all 5 on 5 axes: service fee tier, free storage days, photo/QC fees, customer support hours, and best-fit order size. All data is from each agent's official pricing page (2026-09 verified).
1. Service fee: four of the five charge 0% on 1688
Four of the five platforms charge 0% on 1688: BuckyDrop, Superbuy, Oopbuy and CSSBuy. BuckyDrop adds a flat ¥9.9 order-fulfilment fee per parcel — that is its entire take on a standard 1688 order. Superbuy and Oopbuy add nothing. Supplyia is the only percentage-based agent: an 11-rung ladder that starts at 10% (under $500) and slides to 5% above $30,000, with a platform minimum that floors small orders. CSSBuy documentation contradicts itself on whether 1688 carries a service fee, so the extension shows its fee as unconfirmed rather than picking a number. A $400 order therefore costs about ¥9.9 at BuckyDrop, nothing at Superbuy and Oopbuy, and $40 at Supplyia on the first rung. The ladder only starts rewarding you past $30,000 — below that, the flat and zero-fee agents win.
2. Free storage: 30 days to 180 days
CSSBuy publishes the longest free window — 180 days, from its official storage help page. Superbuy gives 90 days free, then ¥0.1 per item per day up to a 180-day hard cap. Oopbuy also gives 90 days, extendable at ¥10 per 30 days. BuckyDrop gives 30 days. Supplyia offers a limited free volume and then charges $5 per cubic metre per month, so it suits buyers who ship fast rather than stockpile. On every platform the overage is charged per item, not per parcel. Always check your sourcing window before placing the first 1688 order.
3. Photo / QC fees: ¥0 vs ¥2
Photo QC is billed per item. Supplyia and Oopbuy include the standard inspection free. CSSBuy charges ¥1.5 per item. BuckyDrop and Superbuy charge ¥2 per item for a standard photo set — verified against their official fee pages, 2026-09. The ¥5–¥15 tiers you see quoted elsewhere are the premium services (model try-on, video, multi-angle detail shoots) that most dropshippers never need. Full QC — colour, size and defect scan — sits above the standard tier on every platform. Dropshipping blind saves you time but accepts a 5–15% defect rate on cheap goods.
4. Support response time and language coverage
BuckyDrop and Supplyia reply on WeChat / email within 1–4 hours during Beijing business hours (09:00–18:00 CST). They are CN-first — English support exists but is slower. Superbuy and CSSBuy run 24/7 English / Chinese support on their website chat, response typically under 30 minutes. Oopbuy have leaner support: usually email / Telegram, response within 4–12 hours. If your order has a time-sensitive issue (customs hold, missing parcel), Superbuy and CSSBuy give you the fastest escalation path. If you can plan around Beijing business hours, BuckyDrop and Supplyia offer the deepest 1688 sourcing expertise.
5. Counter-intuitive: cheapest fee is not always best
A new buyer looks at the fee ladder, sees Supplyia at 5%, picks it, and ships $200 of goods. The 5% rate does not apply — a $200 order sits on the 10% rung (under $500). Real fee: $20, and the platform minimum can floor it higher. The same goods via BuckyDrop: a flat ¥9.9 order fulfilment fee, no percentage at all. Via Superbuy or Oopbuy: no service fee either. This is the counter-intuitive part — once four of the five charge nothing on 1688, the platform with the best headline percentage is the only one actually charging a percentage at all. The discount tiers only start helping Supplyia at $500, $1k, $3k. If you are not sourcing at those volumes, a flat-fee agent like BuckyDrop or a zero-fee agent like Superbuy is simpler and cheaper.