BigCommerce vs Shopify: Comparison 2024
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Right here, I will walk you through a side-by-side comparison between them, offering a detailed look at what each platform excels in and where they might fall short. Then, the article will end with my suggestions. Let's dive in!
BigCommerce vs Shopify: Overview
Before getting straight into a head-to-head battle between them, let's learn about each one a bit, shall we?
Shopify
Shopify is typically hailed as the king of eCommerce website builders and for good reasons.? By 2023, it has become the platform of choice for over 4 million active websites.
Nestlé, Netflix Merch Store, Minecraft, PepsiCo, Penguin Books, PepsiCo Heinz, Lakers Store, and many more world's biggest brands choose Shopify for success.
How does Shopify work? It has many handy features and a plugin library that includes more than enough to build and manage a thriving online store. Start-up costs are also relatively low and won't strain the budgets of budding startups.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce stands out as one of the leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms for building and managing eCommerce stores. It offers a rich set of features while maintaining competitive pricing.
With over 50,000 stores running on its platform, BigCommerce boasts an impressive user base, though it’s smaller compared to Shopify's. Some of the famous companies and organizations that rely on BigCommerce include Procter & Gamble, the State of Wyoming, GE Appliances, Olay, Wired Italia, and One Kings Lane.
Bigcommerce vs. Shopify: Key Differences
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1. Initial setup
The process of creating a website is the same with both Bigcommerce vs Shopify.
All you need to do is simply register on the homepage, answer a few multiple-choice questions, and get a personalized setup guide to choose a theme, add a custom domain, and create your first product page. Then there's no need to wait for ages - your store will be ready quickly.
If there's anything different, it's that Shopify's signup is a bit easier to use, but BigCommerce offers free additional staff accounts.
2. Ease of use
Beginners may probably have more sympathy for Shopify. Almost every one of its features comes with a tooltip, which is a small information box that appears when you hover over it. That way, every feature is explained easily and thoughtfully. Shopify's UI looks more beautiful, I think.
BigCommerce, on the other hand, is a bit harder to use but gives you more control over various aspects of your store. Adding a product to a BigCommerce store takes longer than in Shopify because it involves dozens of fields. But at the end of the day, you can achieve better customization on how customers view your product.
For example, BigCommerce lets you add options for gift wrapping, set a minimum purchase order, and offer unlimited product variants. In comparison, Shopify restricts you to only three product variants.
When it comes to designing your website, both platforms keep it straightforward but quite restrictive. Neither uses a drag-and-drop editor, so you can't freely move elements around. Instead, they employ a section-based editor, allowing you to stack design elements like image carousels and contact forms vertically.
3. Platform trial
Both Bigcommerce vs Shopify offer free trials so you can test each platform to find the best fit for your company. Better yet, neither requires card details for the free trial sign-up.
Still, their trial periods are different from each other. BigCommerce provides a 15-day free trial, whereas Shopify offers just 3 days for free before charging $1 for the first month.
The 15-day trial with Bigcommerce is great, and I think it provides business owners plenty of time to get acquainted with the builder before subscribing. On the other hand, Shopify's 3-day trial, followed by a $1-charged first month, is still a good deal.
Quick rundown: Shopify excels in usability, while BigCommerce provides a longer trial period and allows for more extensive customization.
Features
4. Themes
Shopify offers 94 paid and 11 free mobile responsive themes on its own Shopify Theme? store, while BigCommerce provides 286 mobile responsive themes, with 15 being free. Bigcommerce may sound like it brings a lot to the table, but it's not really as diverse as it seems since? some themes are quite similar, differing only in color.
Both platforms allow you to customize themes to your heart's content. You can edit the HTML or CSS code yourself if you're a techie or hire someone if you're not. However, Shopify’s builder offers more content blocks than BigCommerce’s, including signup forms, contact forms, and blog strips.
5. Apps and integrations
In terms of variety, Shopify’s App Store gives larger room to play with. With up to 13,000+ apps covering marketing, upselling, and customer service, not only Bigcommerce but no other e-commerce platform can beat Shopify.
Bigcommerce has about 1,300 apps available. It includes apps that are equivalent to Shopify's most popular apps, meaning you'll still get essential functionalities like SMS marketing and live chat customer support. So you should be fine to go with it unless you want to play with more innovative features.
On the flip side, BigCommerce pays you back with many built-in features without needing apps like Shopify. These features include adding product reviews, generating real-time shipping quotes, and creating unlimited staff accounts. Having more in-built features is a big advantage since relying on many apps can slow down your site, more or less.
Besides, Shopify doesn't provide free apps. This means you might pay up to several hundred dollars per month for features that you could use for free with Bigcommerce. So, once again, BigCommerce scores brownie points with those who prioritize saving money over having a full-bells-and-whistles online shop.
Quick rundown: If you are willing to pay for a fully featured store, Shopify is your best bet. However, if you're budget-conscious and content with a simpler site, BigCommerce is a strong choice.
Marketing and sales
6. Marketing
Another important thing to take into account is Email marketing, which consistently delivers one of the highest returns on investment (ROI) among digital marketing channels.
Shopify provides a free app for essential email marketing flows, including welcome messages, first purchase upsells, and abandoned cart reminders, all at no cost. BigCommerce lacks a built-in email marketing feature, but you can easily integrate third-party software like Constant Contact, MailChimp, Omnisend, or similar options.
Regarding similarities, both Bigcommerce vs Shopify enable you to create automatic discounts, coupons, and promotions, such as banners. They also offer analytics dashboards to track the performance of ads you're running on other platforms.
7. Shopify vs Bigcommerce SEO
Considering that over 70% of search engine users focus solely on organic results, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) makes it a key factor to consider.. A well-optimized SEO platform will be more searchable in search engines, leading to reduced overall marketing costs.
Both BigCommerce vs Shopify give you full control over essential SEO elements, allowing you to optimize for better search engine visibility. However, it’s important to consider how these platforms compare to others, such as WordPress vs Shopify . WordPress, widely known for its flexibility and extensive plugins, may offer more customization options, but Shopify provides an easier, all-in-one solution for those focusing specifically on eCommerce.
Both platforms allow customization of title tags, meta descriptions, and URLs, but Shopify’s simplicity often wins out for those prioritizing ease of use.
But, and this is a big “but,” BigCommerce provides the flexibility to fully customize your URLs, allowing you to create clean, descriptive, and keyword-rich URLs. This helps search engines understand and index your content better, thereby potentially improving your search engine rankings and making it easier for users to find your pages.
Meanwhile, Shopify automatically includes '/products,' '/collections', or '/pages' in your URLs. Although this structure does not severely impact SEO, the inability to fully customize URLs might be a limitation for those who prefer shorter, more descriptive URLs.
8. Sales channels
Both help you sell products across multiple channels like Facebook, Amazon and Google Shopping with no any extra buck. Unique to BigCommerce is the ability to allow you to sell products on Pinterest and eBay.
Both also offer solutions for accepting payments in physical locations. This is really beneficial if you plan to take your small business to markets or pop-up shops.
But to accept payments in person, you’ll need a device. If you go with Bigcommerce, you'll need to purchase POS hardware from third-party providers like PayPal, Zettle, Hike, Square, etc. Meanwhile, Shopify provides its own POS hardware.
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Quick rundown: Comparing Bigcommerce vs Shopify SEO, Shopify offers simpler, built-in email marketing options, while Bigcommerce is better set up for those who prioritize flexibility and advanced SEO capabilities.
Pricing and Payments
9. Bigcommerce vs Shopify Price
When it comes to Shopify vs Bigcommerce pricing, both offer a couple of plants:
Newcomers on Bigcommerce get to enjoy a 15-day trial period without needing credit card details at signup. On the flip side, newbie entrepreneurs can try out builders on Shopify for free within three days or get their first month at only one dollar, regardless of their chosen plan - not bad at all. For the majority of small to mid-sized e-commerce retailers, the entry-level plan on either platform will offer all the features you need.
BigCommerce requires you to upgrade to the Plus plan once your revenue exceeds $50,000 per year. Shopify doesn’t link their plans to store income, upgrading from the Basic plan to the Standard plan will unlock additional features, including detailed analytics reports and the ability to have up to five staff accounts.
10. Payment options
While Bigcommerce only has 65 payment methods, Shopify has up to 100 payment methods available. The difference is significant, but it may not be a major concern for many users since both platforms include all the common payment options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and debit card payments.
But here's the thing: Shopify charges transaction fees ranging from 1% to 3% on each purchase unless you use Shopify Payments, its own payment portal, which is not available in all countries. In contrast, BigCommerce doesn't impose any transaction fees at all.
Quick rundown: BigCommerce is a cheaper option since it has lower plugin costs and no transaction fees, not to mention that it offers a longer free trial. As for Shopify, its advantages include a wider range of payment methods, a $1 initial charge for all plans, and no transaction fees when using its own payment gateway.
Support
11. Support:
Both Bigcommerce vs Shopify provide user support through a couple of main channels:
BigCommerce offers a help center packed with useful information, making self-help straightforward. Shopify provides interactive prompts within the dashboard that guide you to relevant pages. Anyway, both have solutions so users can quickly find support without contacting customer service.
12. Comprehensive Documentation and Resources:
Shopify holds a competitive edge with its collection of video courses, which is accessible even if you don't end up choosing it. It covers every aspect of ecommerce success, such as platform-specific how-tos, managing finances as an entrepreneur, etc.
For BigCommerce, you need to pay for similar content through BigCommerce Academy. But they do offer a collection of recorded webinars and podcasts for free as well.
13. Community and Expert Support:
For enterprise-level users, both provide priority support in the form of a dedicated support agent for Shopify (Plus plan) or an onboarding consultant for BigCommerce (Enterprise plan).
Pros and Cons?Comparison
Bigcommerce
Pros
Cons
Shopify
Pros
Cons
BigCommerce or Shopify: Which is Better?
Both are great options, and you can't go wrong with either one. Shopify tends to edge out as the superior option overall, and it is even the best eCommerce website builder available. But to determine if Shopify is the right fit for your needs, there are a few key considerations you need to keep in mind.
Right off the bat, Shopify boasts an impressive library of over 10,000+ apps compared to BigCommerce’s 1,346 apps and plugins. Shopify also supports more payment methods and offers a simple learning curve, making it a strong contender for beginners.
While this article focuses on Shopify and BigCommerce, it's worth noting that Shopify vs Magento is another common comparison in the eCommerce world, with Magento often appealing to developers who need more advanced customization. Shopify, however, stands out for its ease of use and wide range of app integrations, making it accessible to a broader audience.
However, over half of Shopify’s apps and tools require payment. It also imposes transaction fees if you opt not to use its proprietary payment gateway. These factors can lead to a significant increase in overall expenses, but this is ok for giants like Nestlé, Netflix Merch Store, PepsiCo, Minecraft, Penguin Books, PepsiCo Heinz - the biggest Shopify users
BigCommerce eliminates transaction fees entirely and comes with more built-in features right from the start, making it a more cost-effective option in the long run. It is also a longer free trial, giving entrepreneurs and small businesses more time to explore and get comfortable with it before committing to a plan.
Wrap-up
Both Bigcommerce vs Shopify allow beginners to build a beautiful online store. Shopify is easier to use, making it an ideal choice for those just starting out. Meanwhile BigCommerce offers powerful built-in tools that require a learning curve.
Shopify's extensive app ecosystem allows for almost limitless expansion, but more than half of these apps require payment. As for Bigcommerce users, they benefit from the absence of transaction fees and fewer monthly app payments.
After all, both platforms offer free trials, so take advantage of these to experiment and see which one best suits your company's needs.
FAQs
How Do BigCommerce And Shopify Differ?
To be brief, the differences between Bigcommerce vs Shopify are:
Which Platform Has A Larger User Base, Shopify Or Bigcommerce?
Shopify has a significantly larger user base than BigCommerce. As of January 2023, Shopify powers 4.4 million e-commerce stores, while BigCommerce supports fewer than 50,000 stores.
What’s The Best Ecommerce Platform?
When it comes to popularity, Shopify takes the lead. It's the go-to e-commerce platform, hosting around 29% of online stores in the United States. However, the best platform for your eCommerce business depends on your specific needs and requirements.
Should I Switch From Bigcommerce To Shopify?
Yes, as long as you're comfortable with the extra costs for add-ons and transaction fees. However, many plugins are available for free, and you can avoid additional fees by using Shopify Payments.
In fact, many businesses are making the switch from BigCommerce to Shopify, drawn by its advanced features, superior user experience, and comprehensive eCommerce solutions.