Shopify vs BigCommerce: The Ecommerce Platforms Showdown

As an owner of an online business, you have undoubtedly heard of Shopify and BigCommerce, the two major eCommerce platforms in the industry. But which one should you choose?

Shopify is the Giant of eCommerce systems, with over 2 million daily users. BigCommerce is closely trailing it, with almost one million users in total.

Choosing one over the other is difficult, partly because both are excellent platforms that support hundreds of prosperous eCommerce companies.

Thus, we have created this thorough comparison of Shopify vs BigCommerce. We’ll examine the pricing structures and many features to assist you in finding the difference between Shopify and BigCommerce.

1. Shopify vs BigCommerce: Overview & Key Differences

You can create an online store with the help of BigCommerce and Shopify, which are both easy to use.

Since both are browser-based, “hosted” solutions, you can access and manage your shop from any location with an internet connection. You also won’t need to purchase or install additional software to utilize them.

Both solutions try to make it possible for you to create an internet store without knowing any coding. It is also a great idea to use Shopify vs Bigcommerce for dropshipping.

Shopify makes it simple for users to plan, develop, and run online stores. In other words, Shopify gives users all the resources they need to create, run, and maintain their online storefronts easily.

Additionally, you can easily create your online presence without worrying about servers or code. You may begin processing payments, handling orders, and closing deals using Shopify with only a few mouse clicks.

Similar to Shopify, BigCommerce assists online retailers in setting up and running their businesses. The platform gives you the tools to set up and manage an online business. It also provides rich eCommerce capabilities like order fulfillment, payment processing, product administration, marketing tools, and more.

	Shopify	BigCommerce	The Verdict
Shopify vs BigCommerce pricing	Monthly subscriptions start at $29 (if you pay yearly) + extra fees	Monthly subscriptions start at $29 (if you pay yearly) + extra fees (no transaction costs)	🏆BigCommerce
Design & customization	– More comprehensive range of premium themes – High level of customizability	– A few premium and free themes – Features and customization choices are often more constrained	🏆 Shopify
Ease of use	Simple to set up and use	Simple to set up and use	Tie
eCommerce features	The features are outstanding and diverse	Great features but fewer options for customization	🏆 Shopify
Marketing and SEO	Many apps for different functions, but still a bit behind Shopify	– Solid marketing and SEO tools – Easy to apply for your marketing campaigns	Tie
Apps & integrations	One of the biggest app stores in the market	– A more comprehensive range of premium themes – High level of customizability	🏆 Shopify
Customer Support	Best support service and available in many languages	Great support but fewer language options	🏆 Shopify

2. Shopify vs BigCommerce: A Deep Dive Comparison

Shopify and BigCommerce are two of the most popular eCommerce companies. Both provide robust systems that let you upload your items, set up your store, and start selling quickly and simply.

But what is the difference between Shopify and BigCommerce? To assist you in making a decision, we carefully compare Shopify and BigCommerce below.

2.1. Shopify vs BigCommerce pricing

2.1.1. Subscription fees

BigCommerce offers 4 pricing plans. A free trial is also available, and if you pay in full for a year, you may save 25% on the “Standard,” “Plus,” and “Pro” plans as follows:

• BigCommerce Standard: $29 per month
• BigCommerce Plus: $79 per month
• BigCommerce Pro: $299 per month
• BigCommerce Enterprise: varies depending on requirements

Shopify offers 4 pricing plans. If you pay for your Shopify subscription yearly, you may get a 25% discount as follows:

• Basic: $29 per month
• Shopify: $79 per month
• Advanced: $299 per month
• Plus: custom pricing, but starting at $2,300 per month.

The Starter plan costs $5/month but doesn’t allow you to build an online store.

Additionally, a free 3-day Shopify trial is available. Upon initial examination, this appears relatively short compared to the BigCommerce trial period (and those provided by Shopify’s rivals generally).

Nonetheless, Shopify provides a $1 monthly promotion for your first month of service on specific plans, giving you a lengthy opportunity to test the platform for free.

2.1.2. Transaction fees

BigCommerce triumphs in this case as all of its plans have no transaction costs.

Shopify charges no transaction costs on all plans except for the “Starter” one, but only if you process card payments through its own “Shopify Payments” system.

That means transaction costs will apply if you choose not to utilize Shopify Payments, and they change based on your plan: 1% for “Shopify,” 0.6% for “Advanced Shopify,” and 2% for “Basic Shopify.”

If you use Shopify Payments or a third-party payment processor, the Shopify Starter plan still entails 5% transaction costs.

The main point regarding Shopify Payments that has to be noted is that it is limited to usage in specific nations. So, you will be required to utilize an external payment gateway and pay transaction fees if you do not reside in one of these.

2.1.3. Credit card processing fees

You should take credit card costs into account in addition to transaction fees. These are the costs imposed by the software provider to handle credit card payments from your clients.

The fees will be determined by the third-party payment gateway provider you select.

However, as already said, BigCommerce and Shopify provide “out-of-the-box” payment processors, which can lower these costs.

Depending on the plan, US users of Shopify Payments should anticipate paying between 2.5% and 2.9% + 30c per transaction (the rates in other countries are frequently substantially lower).

PayPal, powered by Braintree, is the credit card processing partner that BigCommerce recommends. For this service, credit card rates in the US are 2.05% — 2.59% + 49c, depending on the plan.

The verdict: When it comes to pricing & cost, Bigcommerce has an advantage over Shopify

2.2. Design & customization

Both platforms have an easy-to-use theme editor.

The primary distinction is that Shopify offers a far more comprehensive range of premium themes. BigCommerce, on the other hand, has a few premium and free themes, albeit the features and customization choices are often more constrained.

Additionally, Shopify provides more functionality, customization options for your store’s appearance and feel, and third-party connections.

Shopify	BigCommerce
• 105 mobile responsive themes (also called templates), 11 of which are free. • Drag-and-drop interface to help you manipulate the content of pages more efficiently. • Add in more types of content blocks, including signup forms, contact forms, and blog strips.  • Edit the HTML or CSS code	• 286 mobile responsive themes, with 15 of them being free. • Drag-and-drop editors. • Edit the HTML or CSS code

The verdict: While BigCommerce’s design is more adaptable, Shopify’s overall design is superior since it supports a broader variety of online stores due to its superior usability and more aesthetically pleasing template selection.

2.3. Ease of use

Shopify is an ideal platform for new users as nearly all its features are explained with info tips, which are a small explanation window.

BigCommerce is a little more challenging, but it frequently pays off by giving you greater control over various shop features.

Overall, creating your site is similar whether you choose Shopify or BigCommerce. They are a no-brainer!

After completing a few multiple-choice questions on the homepage, you sign up and receive a personalized set-up guide that helps you with theme selection, custom domain name addition, and creating your first product page. In one day, your business will be primed and ready to go.

The verdict: It’s a tie! Both are beginner-friendly and easy to start, use, or edit.

💡 Learn more: The 2024 Shopify vs Big Cartel Comparison: Choose Your Winner!

2.4. eCommerce features

Regarding eCommerce functionalities, Shopify and BigCommerce are both respectable and trustworthy platforms. Both provide you with everything you may need.

	Shopify	BigCommerce
Sales channels	• List your goods for sale on Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon. • You can sell your items on Google Shopping with free integrations. • Shopify has the ability to collect payments in person, which is useful if you periodically take your small business to markets.	• Advertise your goods on Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon. • Free Google Shopping integrations for your product sales. • Make sales on eBay and Pinterest. • You’ll need to purchase the hardware from a third party to accept payments in person, such as PayPal Zettle, Square, or Hike.
Selling internationally	• With Shopify Markets, you can create “markets” based on individual nations or groupings of countries.  • For these markets, manage payment processors, local domains, currencies, and languages all in one location. • Shopify’s “Markets” feature has built-in capabilities for selling in several languages.  • Except for the “Starter” plan, you may translate your website into 20 languages for free. • You can even host a translated store in a foreign domain.	• With Shopify Markets, you can create “markets” based on individual nations or groupings of countries.  • For these markets, manage payment processors, local domains, currencies, and languages in one location. • Shopify’s “Markets” feature has built-in capabilities for selling in several languages.  • Except for the “Starter” plan, you may translate your website into 20 languages for free. • You can even host a translated store in a foreign domain.
Inventory management	• Organize your inventory across several places and monitor what has to be removed from where on your dashboard.	• To manage your stock, you’d need to buy a third-party app.
POS Solutions	• Starts at $29/month. • Works with a variety of hardware devices. • Supports credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more. • A wide range of customizable templates and themes. • A large app marketplace with many integrations. • Advanced inventory management features, including product variants and stock management. • Detailed sales reporting and analytics	• Starts at $29.95/month. • Works with a variety of hardware devices. • Supports credit cards, PayPal, Amazon Pay, and more. • Allows for more advanced customization through APIs and webhooks. • A smaller app marketplace with fewer integrations. • Advanced inventory management features, including product options and low-stock alerts. • Detailed sales reporting and analytics
Shipping	• Live shipping charges can only be generated through a third party and only if you have an Advanced Shopify or Plus plan. • Using Shopify, you can print shipping labels from various carriers directly, including UPS, DHS, and the US Postal Service.	• A free tool for producing instantaneous shipping estimates to showcase on your online store. • From your control panel, you can create, buy, and print USPS labels for orders.
Abandoned cart recovery	• Available for as little as $39 per month if you choose Shopify’s Basic plan or above to access this essential feature. • Shopify gives you additional control over the circumstances under which your abandoned cart emails are delivered, making updating them easier. • You may define if/then rules for your reminders using editable workflows.	• This essential feature is available for as little as $39 per month if you choose Shopify’s Basic plan or above. • Shopify gives you additional control over the circumstances under which your abandoned cart emails are delivered, making updating them easier. • You may define if/then rules for your reminders using editable workflows.
Analytics and reporting	• Numerous reporting options are available with Shopify, including finance, marketing, customer, search data, and abandoned cart reports. Only the “Advanced Shopify” and “Shopify Plus” plans on Shopify enable you to generate custom reports.  • You may install Google Analytics, utilize goals to track conversions, and generate custom reports.	• Numerous reporting options are available with Shopify, including finance, marketing, customer, search data, and abandoned cart reports. Only the “Advanced Shopify” and “Shopify Plus” plans on Shopify enable you to generate custom reports.  • You may install Google Analytics, utilize goals to track conversions and generate custom reports.

The verdict: Even while BigCommerce has many great capabilities, Shopify’s sales tools are more adaptable, customizable, and diverse, which makes it superior for most users. That’s why Shopify wins!

2.5. Marketing and SEO

You can easily find a number of marketing and SEO capabilities on the BigCommerce and Shopify platforms. Both provide all-inclusive eCommerce solutions that may accommodate various company requirements and tastes.

	Shopify	BigCommerce
Email Marketing	• Free plugin for essential email marketing processes, such as welcome emails, upsells on initial purchases, and reminders about abandoned carts. • Use banners to automatically produce discounts, coupons, and promotions. • Analytics dashboards monitor the outcomes of any advertisements you put on other websites.	• While third-party email services like MailChimp, Constant Contact, or Omnisend may be readily integrated with BigCommerce, the platform does not offer an integrated email marketing capability. • Banners are available to automatically produce discounts, coupons, and promotions. • Analytics dashboards manage the outcomes of any advertisements you put on other websites.
Blogging features	• Shopify offers a blogging feature that is on the lower end of the range. • The kind of blog posts and inbound marketing initiatives that drive visitors to a website can still be produced.	• BigCommerce does not support version history or autosave; instead, it only allows you to utilize tags. This means that you cannot use blog categories.
SEO tools	• Alter webpage elements that are critical to search engine optimization, such as meta descriptions and title tags. • If the URL for any kind of page changes, Shopify will automatically ask you to establish page redirects and will even build the redirect for you. • Free SSL certification • AMP format will speed up your website and provide measurements so you can keep an eye on its overall speed.	• Completely modify your URLs since no prefixes are added before them. • BigCommerce makes it easier to create automated redirects for articles and goods, but not for static web pages. • Free SSL certificate

The verdict: It’s another tie! Both Shopify and BigCommerce are outstanding eCommerce systems that understand the value of marketing for online retailers. They also offer excellent tools to assist draw visitors to your website.

2.6. App & Integrations

Shopify’s App Store is the largest and most diverse eCommerce platform available. You can upgrade your website to whatever you like without the need for professionals. The 8,000+ plugins will cover everything from marketing to upselling and customer support.

The app library for BigCommerce is smaller, with a little over 1,300 plugins available. BigCommerce has counterparts for some of Shopify’s most well-liked applications, so you won’t have to give up features that are often asked for, like SMS marketing or live chat customer service. If you wish to try out more cutting-edge features, though, you can lose out.

The verdict: Shopify is the winner here as its app store has a little bit more choices overall. 

2.7. Customer support

BigCommerce offers live chat, email, and phone assistance around the clock. Notably, you can quickly obtain phone numbers by just clicking on the “help” page on your BigCommerce dashboard, unlike many rival solutions.

Shopify also offers round-the-clock customer service with different methods (phone, email, live chat). Shopify has a callback system for phone help; you provide them with your number, and they will call you back when they can assist.

But one thing to remember is that Shopify offers help in 21 languages, and BigCommerce only offers support in 7 languages (English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Mexican Spanish). 

The verdict: The last win belongs to Shopify. Both platforms offer 24/7 support, but Shopify is in the lead thanks to its multiple languages support.

3. Shopify vs BigCommerce: Who Holds the Winning Hand?

“Is BigCommerce better than Shopify?” 

Since Shopify prevails in most rounds, Shopify is the better eCommerce platform out of the two. However, there are a few noteworthy cases where BigCommerce might suit you better than Shopify, so let’s review.

Use Shopify if you:

• Desire greater control over your website’s visual elements 
• Look for the greatest selection of third-party apps.
• Want to use multichannel selling to accelerate your growth

Use BigCommerce if you:

• Demand integrated features without having to deal with installing or purchasing them separately.
• Wish to improve your SEO skills

BigCommerce is a good choice, but why settle for just one option? Take control and explore the vast landscape of eCommerce platforms. Dive into the best Shopify alternatives and discover a universe of possibilities. Find the perfect fit that caters to your specific needs and lets you build the online store you’ve always envisioned.

4. Conclusion

In conclusion, reliable eCommerce solutions are available with both Shopify vs BigCommerce for companies of all sizes. Every platform, however, has certain qualities and functions that could be more appropriate for the requirements of different companies.

In our opinion, choosing BigCommerce over Shopify will not much affect the success of your online business. Instead, it relies on how effectively you comprehend and react to your customers’ demands.

Thus, make every effort to satisfy them and seize any opportunity to close a deal.

We hope this article helps! If you want to compare Shopify with other platforms before making the move, check out our other eCommerce platform comparison articles.