App Speed Report · Updated February 2026
Does Oberlo Slow Down Your Shopify Store?
Speed impact analysis of Oberlo (Dropshipping) — how much it affects your page load time, what scripts it loads, and how to mitigate the performance cost.
Oberlo Speed Impact Summary
1
Scripts Loaded
30KB
Total Script Size
50-100ms
Avg. Load Time Impact
App Name
Oberlo
Category
Dropshipping
Impact Level
Low
How Oberlo Affects Your Store Speed
Oberlo (now part of Shopify's native dropshipping tools) was primarily a backend product sourcing app. Its storefront impact is minimal since most functionality runs in the admin.
When a visitor lands on your store, Oberlo loads 1 JavaScript file totaling approximately 30KB. These scripts need to be downloaded, parsed, and executed by the browser — all of which takes time and competes with your core page content for network bandwidth and CPU resources.
The measured impact is 50-100ms of additional page load time. To put that in perspective: Google research shows that each additional 100ms of load time reduces conversion rates by up to 7%. If Oberlo adds 50-100ms to your page load, that's a measurable impact on your bottom line.
Oberlo has a relatively low speed impact compared to other Shopify apps. If you're looking to improve speed, focus on higher-impact apps first before optimizing Oberlo.
What These Scripts Do
Oberlo's scripts handle its core dropshipping functionality on your storefront. This typically includes:
- • Core functionality script — The main JavaScript bundle that powers Oberlo's features on your pages
The problem isn't that these scripts exist — it's that they often load synchronously and on every page, even pages where Oberlo's functionality isn't needed. A visitor browsing your blog doesn't need Oberlo's full dropshipping scripts loading and executing.
How to Reduce Oberlo's Speed Impact
You don't have to choose between Oberlo's functionality and a fast store. Here's how to minimize its performance impact while keeping the features you need:
Oberlo has minimal storefront impact — focus optimization efforts on other apps first
Verify Oberlo isn't injecting any storefront scripts by checking your theme's script tags
If you've migrated away from Oberlo, ensure you've fully uninstalled it — residual scripts can linger
Focus on optimizing the product images sourced through Oberlo — dropshipping images are often unoptimized
Compress AliExpress product images to WebP format after importing — they're typically oversized PNGs or JPEGs
🔍 SEO impact: Reducing Oberlo's speed impact helps your store pass Core Web Vitals — Google's official ranking signal since 2021. Better speed = higher rankings = more organic traffic.
The Bigger Picture: App Bloat on Shopify
Oberlo is just one app on your store. The average Shopify store has 15-25 apps installed, and each one adds its own JavaScript and CSS to your storefront. The cumulative effect is what really kills your speed score.
Think about it: if Oberlo adds 50-100ms and you have 10+ other apps each adding 100-400ms, your total third-party script overhead could be 2-5 seconds. That's the difference between a store that converts and one that loses visitors before the page even loads.
Manually optimizing each app's loading behavior is time-consuming and requires technical knowledge. You'd need to edit theme files, understand JavaScript loading patterns, and constantly monitor for regressions when apps update their scripts.
This is exactly the problem Thunder was built to solve. Thunder automatically scans every app on your store, measures each one's actual speed impact (including Oberlo), and optimizes how they all load — deferring non-essential scripts, reducing blocking time, and ensuring your critical page content loads first.
⚡ See How Oberlo Affects Your Store
Thunder scans your installed apps — including Oberlo — and shows you exactly how much each one impacts your speed. Then it fixes them automatically.
Install Thunder Free →Free plan available · Scans all your apps · No code changes required
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Oberlo slow down Shopify stores?
Oberlo has a low speed impact on Shopify stores, typically adding 50-100ms to page load time. It loads 1 script totaling approximately 30KB. While this isn't negligible, you can mitigate the impact by deferring its scripts, limiting which pages it loads on, and using a speed optimization app like Thunder to manage its loading behavior.
How much does Oberlo affect my PageSpeed score?
Oberlo typically reduces your PageSpeed Insights mobile score by 3-5 points depending on your store's baseline performance and other installed apps. The 30KB of JavaScript it loads contributes to longer Time to Interactive (TTI) and potentially affects Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) if scripts block rendering. The actual impact varies — stores with fewer apps will notice it more.
Should I uninstall Oberlo to improve speed?
Not necessarily. Oberlo provides valuable functionality (dropshipping) that likely benefits your store. Instead of uninstalling, optimize how it loads: defer non-critical scripts, limit it to pages where it's needed, and use Thunder to automatically manage its loading priority. Only uninstall if you're not actively using the app or if the speed cost outweighs the business value.
Can I use Oberlo and still have a fast Shopify store?
Yes. Many high-performing Shopify stores use Oberlo successfully. The key is optimization: don't load Oberlo's scripts on pages where they're not needed, compress your images to offset the script overhead, and use a tool like Thunder to defer Oberlo's JavaScript until after your critical content has loaded. A well-optimized store with Oberlo can still score 80+ on PageSpeed mobile.
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