Alibaba sourcing question: manufacturer vs trading company

Hi everyone, I’m looking to expand my manufacturing sourcing through Alibaba and I’m a bit confused when checking out suppliers.

I noticed there are both trading companies and manufacturers listed. Does this mean the trading companies are basically middlemen between me and the actual factories? Or do they sometimes also manufacture some of the products themselves?

I’m trying to understand if it’s better to always go directly with manufacturers for better pricing and control, or if trading companies can still be useful for things like smaller MOQs, communication, or mixed product sourcing.

Would really appreciate any advice or experiences from people who’ve dealt with both. What should I watch out for when choosing between them?