BigCommerce vs. Shopify: A Comprehensive Comparison

When choosing an eCommerce platform, businesses often compare BigCommerce vs Shopify, two of the industry’s heavyweights. This article explores the key features, benefits, and differences between these platforms to help you make an informed decision.

Platform Overview

• BigCommerce is a powerful, cloud-based eCommerce solution designed to serve a wide range of businesses, emphasizing scalability and comprehensive features. It’s well-suited for businesses aiming for rapid growth and expansion.
• Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface and quick setup process, making it a popular choice among small to medium-sized businesses. It offers a streamlined approach to online store creation and management.

Customization and Flexibility

Both BigCommerce and Shopify provide users with a range of customization options through themes and apps. However, their approaches to flexibility and customization vary:

• BigCommerce offers extensive built-in features and customization options, catering to businesses with complex needs without requiring a plethora of third-party apps.
• Shopify boasts a vast app marketplace, allowing users to easily extend the functionality of their stores. While Shopify’s themes are customizable, some advanced customizations might require knowledge of Shopify’s own templating language, Liquid.

Ease of Use

One of the main reasons for Shopify’s popularity is its focus on simplicity and ease of use:

• Shopify offers an intuitive setup process and user-friendly dashboard that simplifies the management of an online store, making it accessible for users with limited technical expertise.
• BigCommerce, while offering a robust set of features, has a steeper learning curve compared to Shopify. However, it remains accessible to those without a technical background, thanks to its well-designed user interface.

Features and Scalability

Both platforms are feature-rich and built to support the growth of your business, but there are distinctions in their offerings:

• BigCommerce comes with more out-of-the-box features than Shopify, including advanced SEO tools, multi-channel selling, and better options for B2B businesses.
• Shopify excels with its seamless integrations and a large app store, providing businesses with the flexibility to add features as needed. Its scalability is backed by Shopify Plus, an enterprise solution for high-volume merchants.

Pricing

Understanding the cost associated with each platform is crucial:

• BigCommerce offers transparent pricing tiers that scale with the size of your business. Unlike Shopify, it doesn’t charge additional transaction fees if you choose to use third-party payment gateways.
• Shopify provides several pricing plans to fit different business sizes. However, Shopify charges transaction fees if you do not use Shopify Payments.

Conclusion

Choosing between BigCommerce and Shopify depends on your business needs, technical expertise, and growth plans. If you prioritize ease of use and a vast app ecosystem, Shopify might be the way to go. On the other hand, BigCommerce could be your choice if you need a platform with extensive built-in features and scalability without worrying about transaction fees. Consider your long-term business goals and technical requirements carefully before making a decision.