AliExpress vs Alibaba.com

Privacy compared: the newest public version of each, scored by the same six rules. Alibaba.com scores 70 and AliExpress 57, so Alibaba.com is 13 points ahead.

57of 100

AliExpresscom.alibaba.aliexpresshd

version 8.177.3

70of 100

Alibaba.comcom.alibaba.intl.android.apps.poseidon

version 26.34.0 ahead by 13

Who is ahead on what

The longer bar is the better one on every axis; a score is the mean of its six axes. The arithmetic behind each is on the app's own card.

Axes: Alibaba.com leads on 4 axes, AliExpress on none; 2 axes are level.
Trackers: AliExpress carries 6 trackers, Alibaba.com 4 trackers; fewer is better.
Dangerous permissions: AliExpress may ask for 9 permissions, Alibaba.com for 6 permissions.

The six axes

Each axis is one short rule applied to both apps, with the one thing that decided its number underneath.

Security Alibaba.com +30

AliExpress 70 1 security problem found.

Alibaba.com 100 No security problem found.

Tracking Alibaba.com +18

AliExpress 26 6 tracking tools found.

Alibaba.com 44 4 tracking tools found.

Build hygiene Alibaba.com +7

AliExpress 62 The app passes 8 of 13 checks of how well it was built.

Alibaba.com 69 The app passes 9 of 13 checks of how well it was built.

Packaging level

AliExpress 100 The phone can use everything in the app.

Alibaba.com 100 Unpacked, the base APK is 61 MB; 114 KB of it is unused files.

Access Alibaba.com +22

AliExpress 6 Asks for 8 of 11 kinds of permission; 2 kinds of special access.

Alibaba.com 28 Asks for 6 of 11 kinds of permission; 2 kinds of special access.

Background level

AliExpress 78 Runs no background service, but starts by itself after a restart.

Alibaba.com 78 Runs no background service, but starts by itself after a restart.

TrackersAliExpress 6 · Alibaba.com 4

The advertising, analytics and attribution SDKs recognised in each app. What only one of them carries is what sets it apart.

Only in AliExpress

Huawei AdsHuawei Mobile Services (HMS) CorePangle

In both

Facebook SDKFacebook ShareFirebase Analytics

Only in Alibaba.com

Google AdMob

Dangerous permissionsAliExpress 9 · Alibaba.com 6

The permissions Android asks the user about at run time: the camera, the microphone, the location, the contacts and the like. An app may need one for what it does; asking is not the same as using.

Only in AliExpress

READ_CALENDARREAD_PHONE_STATEWRITE_CALENDAR

In both

ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATIONACCESS_FINE_LOCATIONCAMERAREAD_EXTERNAL_STORAGERECORD_AUDIOWRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

Only in Alibaba.com

none

Where this comes from

Both are the apps' public cards: what anyone may know of an app, from its newest public version - one Google Play installed, and out in the world. Each card has the score's lines and the earlier versions: AliExpress, Alibaba.com.