Both are ultra-fast fashion e-commerce platforms offering extremely low prices, but Shein focuses on clothing and fashion with 500K+ SKUs while Temu is a diversified marketplace with 100M+ products across categories. Shein has stronger brand recognition and a 10-year operating history, while Temu achieved faster user growth (150M+ users in 2 years) through aggressive expansion.
Temu vs Shein — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Ultra-low-cost marketplace offering flash sales and bulk purchasing across toys, gadgets, home goods, and fashion.
Fast-fashion e-commerce platform specializing in affordable clothing and accessories with rapid inventory turnover.
Primary Product Focus. Estimated SKU Count. User Base (2024). Time to Scale (to 100M users). Average Order Value. Shipping Time (US). Regional Market Maturity
Choose Temu if you want variety across multiple product categories, enjoy discovering gadgets and unique items, and don't mind slightly longer shipping times for the absolute lowest prices. Choose Shein if you're specifically shopping for trendy fashion and apparel, prefer faster delivery to the US, and value an established platform with better inventory predictability for clothing sizing.
Temu: Variable (2-4 stars) | Shein: Consistent (3.5-4.5 stars)
Temu: Minimal oversight | Shein: Upgraded industrial machinery with automated controls
Temu: Electronics, gadgets, home goods | Shein: Fashion, clothing, accessories
Temu: Often free | Shein: Standard return window
Temu: 12+ main categories | Shein: Shein
Temu: Free (optional coins) | Shein: N/A
Temu: Limited oversight, mostly China-based | Shein: N/A
Average Product Price Index (baseline=100)
Temu: FTC Investigation (2024) | Shein: N/A
Temu: 14-day dispute window with store credit only | Shein: N/A
Temu: Non-compliant, Chinese data collection | Shein: N/A
Temu: 60-65% positive reviews | Shein: N/A
Temu: 22.5 days (15-30 range) | Shein: 17.5 days (10-25 range)
Temu: 35+ major categories | Shein: 12+ major categories (fashion-focused)
Temu: Ongoing (flagged 2024) | Shein: Ongoing (flagged 2023)
Temu: $4.50 average | Shein: $15 average
Temu: 28 days average | Shein: 10 days average
Temu: 2.4 stars (based on 1.8M reviews) | Shein: 3.2 stars (based on 2.1M reviews)
Temu: 7 days (severely limited; most items non-returnable) | Shein: 30 days
Temu: 2 years (founded 2022) | Shein: 16 years (founded 2008)
Temu: 8+ categories (fashion, electronics, home, beauty, sports, gadgets, pets, food) | Shein: 3 main categories (clothing, shoes, accessories)
Estimated Price Savings vs Traditional Retail
Temu: 70-90% cheaper | Shein: 40-60% cheaper
Temu: No limit (typically $100+) | Shein: N/A
Temu: 30-50% dispute win rate | Shein: N/A
Temu: 3/10 (data harvesting concerns) | Shein: N/A
Temu: ~3 years (major expansion) | Shein: 10+ years
Temu: 20+ categories | Shein: 5-8 categories (fashion-focused)
Temu: 72% (all categories) | Shein: 85% (apparel category)
Temu: Electronics, toys, home goods, apparel, gadgets (20+ categories) | Shein: Apparel, shoes, accessories (80% focus)
Temu: 30-60% vs traditional retail | Shein: 20-30% vs traditional retail
Temu: N/A | Shein: Minimal transparency; direct manufacturer
Temu: N/A | Shein: 40-60% below traditional retail
Temu: N/A | Shein: Daily new styles (trend-focused)
Temu: N/A | Shein: 40+ subcategories (fashion-heavy)
Temu: N/A | Shein: $0 first return, $3-15 after
Temu: N/A | Shein: Runs small (60% report fit issues)
Temu: N/A | Shein: Estimated 15-18% (fashion-specific)
Temu: N/A | Shein: Lower - fewer quality controls on reviews
Temu: N/A | Shein: 2.8/5 (highly variable)
Temu: N/A | Shein: 35-42% of reviews mention fit issues
Temu: N/A | Shein: Optional paid protection plan
Temu vs Shein — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Temu vs Shein. Contains 112 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Temu vs Shein — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Temu vs Shein.
Which platform has cheaper prices overall?
Temu typically offers lower prices with an average order value of $15-25 vs Shein's $20-35 range. However, Shein's fashion items are more predictable in quality, while Temu's lowest prices often come from non-apparel categories (electronics, gadgets). On comparable fashion items, Shein is 10-15% cheaper per unit but higher quality, while Temu offers more extreme discounts with variable quality.
Both platforms are legitimate but have specific concerns. Temu faces US regulatory scrutiny regarding data privacy due to ByteDance ownership and user tracking practices. Shein has faced criticism for labor practices and environmental impact from high-volume, fast-fashion model. Both collect user data; review their privacy policies. Product safety: 27% of Temu reviews cite quality/durability issues vs 31% of Shein returns citing sizing problems—neither is problem-free.
How long does shipping take and can I track orders?
Temu ships in 10-20 days from warehouses primarily in Asia; standard shipping is included. Shein ships in 7-15 days with faster fulfillment from more distributed warehouses; US-based inventory is available on some items. Both offer tracking numbers via integrated carriers. Shein's shorter timeline makes it better for time-sensitive purchases, while Temu's longer shipping is worth the lower prices for non-urgent items.
What's the return and refund policy difference?
Temu: 30-day returns with free return shipping for most items; refunds processed 3-5 days after return received. Shein: 30-day returns but return shipping is customer-paid ($2-8 depending on weight); refunds take 5-7 days. Temu's free returns make it lower-risk; Shein's return costs reduce incentive for small items. Both process return claims through app/website, though customer service response times average 2-3 days for both.
Which platform is better for fashion shopping specifically?
Shein is superior for fashion shopping with 500K+ dedicated fashion SKUs, daily trend updates (500+ new styles daily), and fashion-specific expertise. Sizing charts are more detailed. However, Shein has a 31% return rate for sizing issues. Temu's fashion selection (50K-100K items) exists but is secondary to its multi-category focus. For clothing specifically, Shein wins; for budget-conscious variety shoppers, Temu is better.
Primary Product Focus: Temu has Multi-category marketplace (electronics, home, fashion, gadgets), while Shein has Fashion-focused (clothing, accessories, beauty).
Estimated SKU Count: Temu has 100M+ products, while Shein has 500K-1M products.
User Base (2024): Temu has 150M+ monthly active users, while Shein has 100M+ monthly active users.
Time to Scale (to 100M users): Temu has ~2 years, while Shein has ~5 years.
Average Order Value: Temu has $15-25, while Shein has $20-35.
Shipping Time (US): Temu has 10-20 days, while Shein has 7-15 days.
Regional Market Maturity: Temu has Growing in US, dominant in Asia-Pacific, while Shein has Established in US, strong in Europe.