Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise: The Battle Between The Titans

If you are searching for a powerful, scalable platform to launch and scale up your eCommerce store, we bet you’ve heard of Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise. On par with enterprise-grade solutions like Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce Enterprise vs Shopify Plus are designed for ‘big fish’ who want to build bespoke eCommerce experiences. 

With that being said, each platform has its own pricing structure, pros & cons, etc. So, make sure you choose the one that fits you the most. And we are here to help. In this article, we will compare all the ins and outs of Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise to help you make a more educated decision.

1. A glance at Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise

	Shopify Plus	BigCommerce Enterprise
Definition	As a Shopify Plus user, you unlock access to 10,000 apps on the Shopify App Store and Shopify Plus Certified App Partners.	Like Shopify Plus, BigCommerce Enterprise (a.k.a BigCommerce) is the custom plan BigCommerce offers for large-sized businesses.
Pricing	Starting from $2,500 to $40,000 per month.	Starting from $1,000 to $15,000 per month.
Target audience	Large online stores that want a robust platform with advanced eCommerce features, custom integration, and stable performance.	Same with Shopify Plus. However, FYI: BigCommerce has pricing caps for standard plans.  If your sales exceed $400,000/year, you’re forced to upgrade to BigCommerce Enterprise.
Design and customization	Shopify Plus themes are diverse, sleek, and highly customizable. Though not as customizable as BigCommerce, you have more control over your checkout page.	BigCommerce Enterprise is famous for its deep customization on almost any page.
eCommerce features	Shopify Plus defeats BigCommerce with its automation and seamlessly integrated POS system.	BigCommerce Enterprise beats Shopify Plus with its native sales & B2B functionalities.
Marketing suite	Comes with lots of built-in marketing features like Shopify Flow, Shopify Email, etc.	Robust marketing features but largely thanks to third-party integrations with apps and platforms.
SEO features	Basic SEO capabilities like the ability to edit meta tags, meta titles, auto-redirect, etc.	More advanced SEO configurations like the ability to edit URL structure, modify robot.txt files, etc
App and integrations	As a Shopify Plus user, you unlock access to 10,000 apps on Shopify App Store and Shopify Plus Certified App Partners.	Though falling behind in number, BigCommerce APIs are faster than Shopify APIs.
Global expansion	Shopify has Shopify Markets that allow you to sell globally smoothly.	BigCommerce supports international selling, but, again, it needs third-party integrations.
Support	Shopify Plus support team is one-of-a-kind. They are fast and super competent.	BigCommerce Enterprise support is out-of-the-world as well.

Read more: Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which is Your Perfect Match?

2. Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise: Which comes out on top?

2.1. Pricing

Of course, as the highest pricing tier, Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise cost is high. However, how pricey the cost of Shopify Plus and BigCommerce Enterprise can get? 

Here is the pricing information for the two platforms we’ve wrapped up for you. 

❗ Disclaimer: The pricing listed below is in the US as of writing this article and should be used for reference only. For real-time accuracy, we recommend you to reach out to the sales rep of Shopify and BigCommrce.

	Shopify Plus	BigCommerce Enterprise
Licensing fee	From $2,500 to $40,000 per month.  If your store’s monthly transaction fees are higher than $2,500, you will then be charged on a percentage of that month’s transactions – which are: ● 0.25% for B2C transactions ● 0.18% for B2B transactions For instance: if your March B2C revenue is $3 million, your transaction fee would be $7,500. Because $7,500 > $2,500, you pay $7,500 in March.	From $1,000 to $15,000 per month. Unlike Shopify Plus, BigCommerce’s pricing for their Enterprise plan is disclosed.  Instead, you’ll have to schedule a call or meeting with BigCommerce Sales Reps for a case-by-case quote. However, BigCommerce Enterprise fees are known to be more affordable than Shopify Plus.
Online credit card processing fees	2.15% + 30¢	2.05% + 49¢
Additional transaction fees	If you don’t use Shopify Payments, you’ll have to pay an additional 0.15% per transaction.	BigCommerce doesn’t charge extra transaction fees.
Themes	$140 – $380 per one-time purchase	$100 – $350 per one-time purchase

📢 Final verdict: BigCommerce Enterprise is more affordable than Shopify Plus. 
Shopify Plus is more expensive than BigCommerce Enterprise in almost every crucial cost. Hence, if you want a budget-friendly option, BigCommerce Enterprise is the way to go.

2.2. Design and customization

Your store doesn’t deserve a cookie-cutter template. Hence, the next thing we’ll examine in this Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce comparison is the design and customization the two platforms offer.

Regarding website templates, both BigCommerce Theme Store and Shopify Theme Store have various template options for businesses of all niches and sizes. Still, BigCommerce has 188 themes, slightly higher than the 183 themes that Shopify offers.

 

Personally, we like the looks and feels of Shopify’s pre-designed themes more. However, when talking about customization, we believe BigCommerce is on the winning side because:

• BigCommerce allows access to the core code of their themes, granting complete control over design and functionality. With Shopify Plus, pre-designed themes limit your ability to make fundamental changes.

• BigCommerce’s headless architecture decouples the storefront from the back-end, allowing you to build custom UIs using any front-end framework. Shopify Plus also offers headless options with frameworks like Hydrogen and Oxygen, but these might not offer the same level of flexibility as building from scratch with BigCommerce.

With that being said, it doesn’t mean you cannot achieve the same level of customization with Shopify Plus. With over 10,000 apps on the Shopify App Store, 300+ Shopify Plus Partners, 80+ Shopify Plus Certified Apps, anything is possible (we’ll discuss this later below). 

Another worth-noting point is that though BigCommerce is more customizable than Shopify Plus, Shopify Plus gives you more control over the checkout page’s logic and custom fields through Shopify Scripts.  

While BigCommerce allows you to adjust branding and layout elements, it doesn’t offer the same level of granular control over the checkout functionality as Shopify Plus.

 

📢 Final verdict: BigCommerce slightly wins. But it’s super close.
BigCommerce gives you more room for customization without the need for third-party integrations. However, for the checkout page, Shopify Plus offers you more freedom.

2.3. eCommerce features

Let’s continue our Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise comparison under a key aspect– eCommerce features.

Features	Shopify Plus	BigCommerce	Which one is better?
Product and inventory management	Advanced inventory management with demand forecasting and inventory tracking across multiple locations.	Robust product management, native support for complex catalogs (up to 600 variants/product), and inventory management for high-volume businesses.	BigCommerce Enterprise has better catalog management, with 600 variants per product compared to 125 of Shopify Plus. And with the help of apps, this number is unlimited.
Sales features	Extensive discounting options, personalized checkout experiences, and international selling capabilities.	Comprehensive promotional tools, built-in discounting, and pricing segmentation without the need for scripting.	It’s a tie.
B2B and wholesale	Separate wholesale channel with customizable pricing, bulk discounts, and a dedicated B2B storefront.	Native B2B features are built into the core platform, including bulk pricing, quote-to-order workflows, and custom price lists.	BigCommerce for integrated B2B features.
Automation	Shopify Flow for creating custom workflow automation across various aspects of the business.	Simplified automation for marketing and customer segmentation, though not as extensive as Shopify Flow.	Shopify for its advanced automation tool.
Multi-store management	Capabilities for running multiple stores with Shopify’s expansion stores for different regions or brands.	Easier management of multiple stores with shared inventory and a unified backend system.	BigCommerce for centralized management.
POS	Integrated POS system, allowing for consistent customer experiences across online and offline channels.	Partnerships with multiple POS providers, offering flexibility but potentially less integration compared to Shopify.	Shopify for its fully integrated POS system.

The battle is fierce! Shopify Plus shines with its advanced automation capabilities and a cohesive POS system. Meanwhile, BigCommerce Enterprise takes the upper hand with more advanced built-in sales and B2B features, as well as more centralized control if you manage multiple storefronts.

📢 Final verdict: It’s a tough tie.
Both platforms offer fantastic eCommerce features. So, it really boils down to your main focus. If you need pro, native sales & B2B functionalities, BigCommerce Enterprise is your hero. But if you want advanced automation and a seamlessly integrated POS system, Shopify Plus can make all the difference.

💡 Learn more: Shop Pay vs Afterpay (2024): What’s the Difference? 

2.4. Marketing suite

Without a well-thought-out marketing plan, your effort in building and customizing your web store might just go in vain. Hence, let’s see the marketing suite that BigCommerce vs Shopify Plus provides us with.

When it comes to native marketing features within Shopify Plus and BigCommerce Enterprise, Shopify Plus takes the lead, especially for businesses looking for a comprehensive, integrated marketing suite right out of the box. 

Shopify Plus excels with its built-in tools, such as Shopify Email, which allows you to create, send, and track email marketing campaigns directly from the Shopify dashboard. Shopify Email even provides you with lots of pre-built automation flows.

 

Additionally, Shopify Flow enables automation that can significantly enhance the personalization of the customer journey, allowing for actions like tagging customers based on their behavior, sending personalized emails, or automating loyalty rewards.

On the other hand, BigCommerce Enterprise, while offering a strong platform for building and scaling your eCommerce business, leans more heavily on third-party integrations for its marketing suite. 

Although it supports advanced customer segmentation and has robust promotions and discount capabilities, much of this functionality achieves its full potential only when used in conjunction with external tools.

📢 Final verdict: Shopify Plus has better native marketing features.
Shopify Plus provides a more streamlined, integrated marketing experience right out of the box, making it a better option than BigCommerce Enterprise.

2.5. SEO 

BigCommerce Enterprise shines in its SEO capabilities. The platform grants extensive control over store optimization. With BigCommerce, you’re in charge of URL structures, allowing changes across various pages without any imposed directory constraints. It also enables modifications to the robots.txt file and the use of directories in URLs.

 

Moreover, BigCommerce simplifies the management of canonical URLs, hreflang tags, structured data, and more. It further bolsters SEO through support for accelerated mobile pages and efficient redirect management.

On the other hand, Shopify Plus SEO features are rather more basic. One notable SEO feature of Shopify Plus is that you can edit meta tags and optimize your products and pages easily. Also, with Shopify auto-redirect, if you change a page URL, Shopify Plus will automatically create a redirect for you. 

However, it’s limited in some areas: you can’t easily change technical SEO settings, alter your site’s URL structure, or host your store in a sub-directory. So, Shopify Plus might feel a bit rigid if you need advanced SEO control.

 

The platform automatically creates redirects if you alter a page’s URL name. Nonetheless, Shopify Plus restricts certain technical SEO adjustments, such as modifying URL structure and hierarchy, and tweaking caching headers. 

Additionally, it’s not feasible to host a Shopify Plus store in a sub-directory. In essence, Shopify Plus offers limited flexibility in terms of SEO.

📢 Final verdict: BigCommerce wins regarding the SEO aspect.
BigCommerce Enterprise offers a more comprehensive set of SEO tools compared to Shopify Plus, making it a better choice if SEO is a priority for your store.

2.6. App and integrations

Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise both give you a wide range of sales and marketing features. However, from our experience, that will never be enough, as you’ll need to add more features when your store grows. So, let’s examine Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise app and integrations.

Shopify Plus stands out with its expansive App Store, hosting over 10,000 apps covering a wide range of functionalities, from marketing and SEO to inventory management. This number completely overshadows the BigCommerce App Store, which has only 1,000 apps.

Not to mention that when on Shopify Plus, you get to partner with 300+ Shopify Plus Partners and unlock access to 80+ superb Plus-exclusive solutions from leading eCommerce solutions like Avalara, AdRoll, etc.

 

Besides the apps on their respective app store, one of the biggest perks of Shopify Plus and BigCommerce Enterprise is that you’ll unlock access to unlimited API calls. This can be extremely helpful if you want to connect your store with CRM or ERP platforms.

When it comes to API performance, we noticed BigCommerce APIs are a bit faster than Shopify’s. This can be a big plus if you’re looking into heavy custom development, as it allows for quicker data handling and integration with external systems.

📢 Final verdict: Shopify Plus claims the throne.
While BigCommerce Enterprise has its strengths, especially in API speed, Shopify Plus still wins convincingly with its extensive and accessible range of apps and integrations.

2.7. Global expansion

If you’re a big, growing store that is already selling internationally or plans to move your business globally soon, ensure the platform you choose has robust global expansion tools. And that’s the next thing we’ll look into in this Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce review.

From our experience, Shopify has more outstanding localization features, largely powered by Shopify Markets. With Shopify Markets, you can easily set up your store to handle multiple currencies and adapt to local pricing strategies dynamically.

Plus, with the help of a translation tool, Shopify Markets even empowers you to translate your store into different languages. What’s more? You can even adjust your product prices for different markets to better optimize your profit margins.

 

Shopify Markets also auto-calculates your duties and import taxes, providing your customers with total cost transparency at checkout, improving your global conversions.

While BigCommerce’s built-in features allow for the sale and management of products in multiple currencies and the basic translation of storefronts to match the comprehensive and integrated experience of Shopify Markets, you might find yourself exploring additional plugins and apps.

📢 Final verdict: Shopify Plus overshadows BigCommerce Enterprise.
Shopify Plus offers a more streamlined and powerful localization toolkit that is built directly and seamlessly into Shopify Markets.

2.8. Support

If you’re deciding between Shopify Plus and BigCommerce Enterprise, knowing you’ll get good help when you need it is super important. Both options have great support teams ready to help you anytime, day or night. They offer help through calls, emails, and even videos, and they do this in many languages.

But, if you think you might need extra special help with tricky tech stuff, Shopify Plus could be a better fit for you. They give you your own account manager. This person is like your go-to guide for everything Shopify Plus. They can give you tips, help you solve problems quickly, and make sure you’re getting the most out of all the cool features Shopify Plus offers.

📢 Final verdict: Shopify Plus beats BigCommerce regarding customer support.
While both Shopify Plus and BigCommerce Enterprise will have your back, Shopify Plus takes it up a notch if you’re looking for that extra bit of personal attention and expert advice.

💡 Read more: Shopify vs Odoo: A Detailed Comparison Review

3. Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce: Which one to choose? 

3.1. Pros and cons of Shopify Plus 

Pros	Cons
✅ Shopify Plus inherits the ease of use from Shopify ✅ Easily handles high volume, traffic, and complex operations. ✅ Strong multi-currency and multi-language support through Shopify Markets. ✅ Includes built-in features like Shopify Email, Shopify Flow for automation, and advanced analytics. ✅ 10,000 apps available on Shopify App Store and Plus-exclusive apps on Shopify Plus Certified Partners	❌ Higher monthly fees and transaction costs compared to BigCommerce ❌ While flexible, there might be limitations compared to fully customizable platforms. ❌ Some advanced features may still require third-party apps, adding to costs.

Choose Shopify Plus if you’re seeking a scalable, global eCommerce platform with robust features, dedicated support, and seamless multi-currency and multi-language capabilities.

3.2. Pros and cons of BigCommerce

Pros	Cons
✅ Offers extensive control over SEO settings ✅ Can handle large traffic spikes and transaction volumes like Shopify Plus ✅ Provides deep customization capabilities, including the ability to alter HTML/CSS directly ✅ Offers powerful APIs for custom integrations ✅ Better for stores with complex catalogs	❌ Might rely on third-party apps for many enterprise features like global selling, marketing, etc. ❌ BigCommerce Enterprise’s learning curve is steeper than Shopify Plus ❌ POS features are not as robust as Shopify Plus’s

Choose BigCommerce if you need advanced customization, comprehensive SEO tools, fast APIs, and most importantly, an affordable solution for enterprises. 

While Shopify Plus and BigCommerce are popular choices, considering alternatives can be beneficial for large stores. Check out ‘Shopify vs competitors‘ resources to discover a wide range of platforms like Magento and OpenCart that cater specifically to larger businesses.

4. Final thoughts

Now that our Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise has come to an end, have you found the platform that better suits you yet? (eComStart hopes you do)

Feel like neither Shopify Plus nor BigCommerce Enterprise is your go-to choice? Feel free to explore our in-depth eCommerce platform comparison articles. Also, don’t forget to check out eComStart.io for all the latest eCommerce insights.

5. FAQs