Shopify Vs. BigCommerce: Which eCommerce giant suits you the most?

Tony Pham Jul 13 2024

Both Shopify and BigCommerce are the top competitors when it comes to creating high-quality eCommmerce platforms. Both are high-regarded by professionals so it can be hard for one to make a decision between them.

In this concise comparison, we'll delve into the key aspects of these platforms, including features, pricing, ease of use, and scalability, empowering you to make an informed decision.

Buckle up, as we uncover the true king of the eCommmerce arena.

Shopify vs. BigCommerce: At a Glance

Launched in 2006 by Tobi Lütke, Shopify is a subscription-based eCommmerce platform that allows users to create websites and online stores, sell digital and physical products, generate shipping labels, and manage social media posts. It is renowned for its user-friendly interface, extensive app store with over 8,000 third-party apps, and appealing themes. Shopify is ideal for small business owners with no coding experience but charges transaction fees for using external payment gateways.

BigCommerce is a SaaS eCommmerce platform that serves businesses of all sizes. It offers a straightforward content management system with a modern dashboard, advanced inventory management, multi-language, and currency support. BigCommerce provides powerful, scalable features suitable for businesses with significant growth plans. However, it can be more challenging to use and requires a steeper learning curve compared to Shopify.

Shopify vs. BigCommerce: Which is right for your business?

Shopify is the best for business:

Ideal for businesses with both online and offline sales due to its robust point-of-sale system.
Suitable for those wanting control over subscription upgrades and have small eCommmerce teams.
Offers customizable themes and apps for tailored online stores.
Provides various pricing plans and features like Shopify Payments to eliminate transaction fees.
Offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone.

BigCommerce is the best for business:

Best for businesses focused solely on online sales, especially those with multiple storefronts.
Ideal for large teams with advanced collaboration needs.
Preferred by high-risk industries due to its multiple payment gateway integrations.
Offers support options, including a 10-minute phone call post-free trial and dedicated assistance for enterprise-level plans.

Ultimately, the choice depends on your business's sales channels, team size, industry, and support preferences.

Shopify or BigCommerce: Quick Comparison

Feature	Shopify	BigCommerce
Pricing & Costs	Starts at $19/month, with additional transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments	Starts at $29/month, no transactin fees
Ease of Use	User-friendly interface, intuitive setup, and management	Slightly steeper learning curve, powerful features
Themes & Design	Over 190 free and paid themes, highly customizable	Around 200 free and paid themes, limited customization without coding
Apps & Scalability	Over 6,000 apps available, excellent for small to medium-sized businesses	Around 1000 apps, better for large businesses and high-volume sales
Payment Gateways	Supports 100+ payment gateways including PayPal and Apple Pay	Supports 65+ payment gateways, no additional transaction fees
eCommerce Dropshipping	Wide range of dropshipping apps, easy integration	Fewer dropshipping apps, still effective integration
Sales Features	Strong sales features including abandoned cart recovery and discounts	Extensive built-in sales tools and features
Inventory Management	Robust inventory management, easy to use	Advanced inventory features, better for large inventories
Sales Channels	Integrates with Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Instagram	Integrates with Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Instagram
Point-of-Sale (POS)	Shopify POS integrates seamlessly with an online store	BigCommerce does not have its own POS, integrates with third-party POS systems
Marketing Features	Built-in SEO, email marketing, and social media integration	Excellent SEO tools, integrated marketing features
Security	PCI DSS Level 1 compliant, SSL certificates included	PCI DSS Level 1 compliant, advanced security features included
Customer Support	24/7 support via phone, chat, and email	24/7 support via phone, chat, and email

Shopify is an excellent choice for small to medium-sized businesses due to its user-friendly interface, extensive theme and app options, and seamless POS integration. It offers great flexibility with numerous payment gateways and a wide range of dropshipping apps.

BigCommerce, on the other hand, is better suited for larger businesses or those with high-volume sales, thanks to its superior scalability, extensive built-in sales tools, and advanced inventory management. It also has strong marketing and SEO features but comes with a steeper learning curve.

Ultimately, your choice between Shopify and BigCommerce will depend on your business size, technical expertise, and specific needs regarding customization, scalability, and sales features.

Shopify or BigCommerce: Detailed Comparison

Pricing & Costs

Feature	Shopify	BigCommerce
Starting Price	$25/month (Basic Shopify Plan)	$39/month (Standard Plan)
Higher Plans	$65/month (Shopify Plan), $399/month (Advanced Shopify Plan)	$105/month (Plus Plan), $399/month (Pro Plan)
Transaction Fees	2.9% + 30¢ per transaction (Basic Plan) without Shopify Payments	None
Additional Costs	Apps and premium themes can add to overall costs	Apps and premium themes can add to overall costs

Shopify offers a cheaper starting plan than Big Commerce, but Shopify charges transaction fees if you don’t use Shopify Payments. BigCommerce has no additional transaction fees, which can be a significant cost-saving for high-volume sellers. However, the total cost for either platform can increase with the addition of apps and premium themes, so consider your specific needs and usage when comparing overall pricing.

Ease of Use: Shopify Wins

Shopify and BigCommerce offer contrasting user experiences.

Shopify prioritizes simplicity and accessibility, featuring an intuitive interface, guided setup process, and a drag-and-drop editor, making it ideal for beginners without coding skills. Its short learning curve and extensive support enhance usability. There is even a throurough Shopify tutorial when you first set up a store on Shopify.

In contrast, BigCommerce caters to experienced users seeking advanced customization with its more complex interface and setup process.

While Shopify excels in ease of use, BigCommerce provides greater control over customization, appealing to tech-savvy users. Overall, Shopify is the superior choice for beginners.

Themes & Design - Shopify Wins

Shopify offers over 190 professionally designed themes that are fully responsive and easily customizable with drag-and-drop functionality, ideal for users without technical skills.

BigCommerce provides fewer themes, which are also responsive but often require coding skills for advanced customization. Both platforms offer a limited number of free themes, with Shopify having 13 and BigCommerce 12. Premium templates range from $140 to $400 for Shopify and $100 to $400 for BigCommerce.

In conclusion, Shopify is superior for ease of design and customization, making it the better choice for users seeking a visually appealing store with minimal technical expertise.

Selling Feature - Close Win for Shopify

Shopify offers advanced features like Shopify Magic for AI-generated product descriptions and integrates with Amazon Prime, enhancing convenience for Amazon sellers. BigCommerce provides comparable features tailored for small to medium-sized businesses, offering a comprehensive eCommerce solution.

Feature	Shopify	BigCommerce
Apps & Scalability	Over 6,000 third-party integrations, vast ecosystem.	Hundreds of apps are sufficient for most needs.
Payment Gateways	Supports 100+ methods, including Shopify Payments.	Provides 65+ gateways without transaction fees.
Sales Channels - POS	Broad integrations, comprehensive POS system. (POS Lite and POS Pro)	Major channels supported, POS via third-party.
Shipping	Shopify Shipping with discounts, and seamless integrations.	Provides shipping integrations.

Shopify offers a wider range of third-party integrations, a comprehensive POS system, and discounted shipping options through Shopify Shipping. However, BigCommerce provides ample payment gateway options without transaction fees and a sufficient app selection.

It's close, but Shopify has a slight advantage over BigCommerce.

eCommerce Dropshipping - Shopify Wins

Shopify's dropshipping capabilities shine with its partnerships with Dsers and Dropified, offering a wide selection of goods at wholesale prices and a highly rated app marketplace.

BigCommerce also supports dropshipping through third-party integrations, but its app marketplace varies in quality and lacks some of the comprehensive features found in Shopify. Overall, Shopify provides slight advantages for dropshipping due to its strong supplier relationships and specialized apps.

Inventory Management - BigCommerce Wins

Inventory management is crucial for eCommerce platforms. Shopify offers built-in tools and excels in dropshipping with strong partnerships and a highly-rated app marketplace. In contrast, BigCommerce provides advanced inventory management features and supports dropshipping through third-party integrations, making it more suitable for businesses with complex inventory needs.

Marketing Features - It's a tie

Feature	Shopify	BigCommerce
Email Marketing	Built-in email tools with ready-made templates, easy management, and analysis.	No built-in email marketing; integrates with third-party platforms like MailChimp, Constant Contact, and Omnisend.
SEO	Good on-page SEO with custom title tag and meta description configuration. The SEO checklist is available.	Advanced SEO with full control over URLs, built-in SEO tools, and automatic 301 redirects.
Blogs	Built-in blog feature.	Built-in blog feature.
Discounts & Coupons	Easy to create automatic discounts, coupons, and promotions via banners.	Easy to create automatic discounts, coupons, and promotions via banners.
Analytics	Robust analytics dashboard for managing and analyzing marketing activities.	Comprehensive analytics dashboard for tracking marketing activities.
WordPress Integration	Integration available with an extra fee allows adding a 'buy now' button to the WordPress blog.	Free WordPress integration with more extensive site interlinking capabilities.

Shopify is user-friendly with excellent built-in marketing tools, making it ideal for ease of use. BigCommerce provides more advanced SEO capabilities and greater flexibility, suitable for businesses needing advanced marketing features.

Security - It's a tie

Both Shopify and BigCommerce prioritize security for their users. Shopify ensures security through SSL encryption, fraud analysis tools, and compliance with PCI DSS standards.

BigCommerce also implements SSL encryption and PCI compliance, along with additional security measures like regular security updates and protection against DDoS attacks. Overall, both platforms offer robust security features to protect customer data and transactions, providing peace of mind for businesses and their customers alike.

Customer Support - Close Win for Shopify

Access to technical support is essential for any business, as you never know what problems might arise.

Shopify has a robust support center, including social media support and a knowledge page linked to the editor, which helps users resolve issues quickly, especially when editing their online store.

BigCommerce offers customer support via a 10-minute call after you sign up for a trial, allowing them to understand your business and provide accurate advice. For enterprise plans, BigCommerce offers expert support from experienced staff.

Both platforms offer reliable support, but Shopify has the edge in terms of clarity and in-app instructions.

=>> Please see more:

Shopify vs WooCommerce: Which Ecommerce Platform is Better?
Shopify vs Big Cartel Comparison: Which Is Best For You 2024?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which platform is better for beginners, Shopify or BigCommerce?

Both platforms are user-friendly and offer intuitive interfaces. However, Shopify is often considered slightly easier for beginners due to its simpler setup process and more straightforward navigation.

Can I use Shopify or BigCommerce for selling physical products only?

Yes, both Shopify and BigCommerce are well-suited for selling physical products online. They offer features such as inventory management, shipping integrations, and order tracking to help businesses streamline their online sales operations.

Do Shopify and BigCommerce offer support for mobile commerce?

Yes, both platforms support mobile commerce by providing responsive themes and mobile-friendly checkout experiences. This ensures that customers can easily browse and make purchases from your online store using smartphones or tablets.

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Tony Pham

Hello! I'm Tony Pham, a full-stack Shopify, Magento, and WordPress developer with over 12 years of experience in both front-end and back-end development.

Since 2016, I have been proudly working at Nextsky as the Tech Lead, where I continue to enhance my skills and contribute to exciting projects. One of my proudest works is the Agile theme, which passed Shopify's high standard and is currently available on Shopify Theme Store.

I am passionate about researching new technologies and staying updated with the latest trends in the industry. It not only makes my life more fulfilling and exciting but also allows me to bring better service to clients.

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