Shopify vs BigCommerce: Pros, Real Cons, Real Answers

Every online store needs a reliable eCommerce platform to grow on. Luckily, today’s stores have many incredible options when it comes to eCommerce. Two frontrunners are Shopify and BigCommerce. Both were founded in the late 2000s and have gone on to dominate the space.

However, they’re not the same. The Shopify vs BigCommerce debate still rages, with both sides offering something unique. Any up-and-coming online store must carefully weigh up these two heavyweights to find the one that’s right for them - the one that can help them secure more revenue and sustainable growth.

In this guide, we’re going to help you make that big decision. We’re comparing the two eCommerce giants’ features, strengths, weaknesses, use cases, and more. We’ll even go over Shopify vs BigCommerce pricing so you can budget more effectively.

Check out our handy Shopify vs BigCommerce comparison table below for a quick overview!

Quick Overview: Shopify vs BigCommerce at a Glance

Core Philosophy and Target Users

Shopify - from the beginning, Shopify has aimed to create an easy, no-fuss platform where beginners can thrive in eCommerce. Its goal is to provide a highly intuitive setup, as well as a vast app ecosystem, to make it as easy as possible for smaller businesses to create the online store of their dreams. With that in mind, Shopify is a n excellent place for small-to-medium-sized businesses to sell online.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce focuses more on eCommerce for larger brands. Not only does it have more capabilities built-in (rather than needing external apps), it also provides greater customization on themes with broad HTML/CSS/JS capabilities. This makes it perfect for businesses with in-house engineers who really know what they’re doing. BigCommerce is especially appealing to B2B, multi-store, or high-volume sellers.

Pricing Structures and Hidden Costs

Shopify - Shopify offers four main plans ranging from $29/mo to $2,300/mo for Plus. You can pay monthly, or yearly (and receive a 25% discount).

Aside from that, there are a few more or less unavoidable “hidden costs” to take into account. These include transaction fees (when not using Shopify payments) and app subscriptions. You might also have to pay for premium themes, too.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce also offers four plans. Just like Shopify, the lowest starts at $29/mo. Their “Pro” plan costs $299/mo, but they also offer a higher tier with custom pricing. Users can pay annually (cheaper) or monthly.

BigCommerce doesn’t have too many unavoidable hidden costs. However, you’ll still have to pay for any apps you use, plus transaction fees from third-party gateways (like PayPal).

Design and Customization

Your website’s appearance is paramount. It has to both reflect your brand’s personality, but also effortlessly guide users to purchase. That’s no mean feat, but the right website builder can make all the difference.

Let’s see how design and customization compare on Shopify vs BigCommerce:

Shopify Themes vs BigCommerce Themes

Shopify - Shopify comes out strong with around 900 fantastic themes. However, only some of these are free. That said, all of them, paid and unpaid, are well-designed and made to be extremely mobile-responsive. Plus, they’re often optimized for conversions.

BigCommerce - there are technically over 250 BigCommerce themes. However, note that many of these are simply variations on a handful of styles.

All of BigCommerce’s themes are flexible and modern. What sets them apart is the HTML/CSS/JS customization capabilities, plus the fact they’re optimized for complex product catalogs.

Ease of Customization Without Code

Shopify - Shopify’s whole offering is based on providing no-hassle online store setup for smaller businesses. With that in mind, it focuses on strictly no-code customization and an ultra-simple drag-and-drop editor. It’s incredibly easy for beginners to adjust layouts, colors, fonts, and other elements.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce uses a visual editor, which is great for full-on customization. This is where its lack of theme variation balances out. It’s ideal for merchants who are comfortable/experienced tweaking settings to get their site just right. However, it certainly requires a bit more learning than Shopify.

Developer Flexibility and Code Access

Shopify - there’s plenty of customization flexibility on Shopify, with full access to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. However, Shopify developers work primarily with Liquid, Shopify’s own templating language.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce uses Handlebars.js for customization and development. Generally, there’s more room for deeper customization in BigCommerce. Plus, it doesn’t rely on third-party apps to extend the site (unlike Shopify).

Built-In Features vs Reliance on Apps

When it comes to extending and customizing your site exactly as you’d like it, apps are a key consideration. Will you need to install an array of (potentially costly) third-party apps to use all the features you need? Which apps are even available?

Let’s compare:

What Shopify Leaves to Apps (That BigCommerce Offers Natively)

One of Shopify’s standout strengths is its app ecosystem (which has over 15,000 apps!). However, this also means that many advanced, or even semi-advanced, features don’t come as standard and need to be added via apps. That includes things like:

• Advanced SEO tools
• Multi-storefront management
• B2B functionality
• Robust product filtering

BigCommerce, on the other hand, prefers to include these aspects natively. You can enjoy many advanced features out of the box, which reduces dependency on external tools.

App Store Ecosystem: Quantity vs Quality

App options are one of the biggest differences between Shopify and BigCommerce. So, it’s worth carefully considering your needs.

Shopify’s App Store is vast. It offers thousands of apps, covering nearly any need you can possibly think of, including:

• Loyalty programs
• Visual product reviews
• Email marketing
• Address validation
• Order management
• Affiliate marketing

This, in short, means incredible flexibility (at a cost).

BigCommerce has a much smaller app store. However, its apps are more carefully curated. Plus, the platform’s native functionality reduces the need for a large app library in the first place.

Additional Costs Through Third-Party Integrations

Because Shopify relies more heavily on apps, businesses may face rising costs as they scale. That could be from app subscriptions or potential performance trade-offs. BigCommerce might minimize such expenses by bundling advanced features directly into its core platform. In the long run, this could mean lower total cost, especially for brands with complex needs.

However, it all depends on your site’s needs. If you’re going to need many extra features to scale, Shopify could cost more. If you don’t, it might not work out any more expensive.

SEO and Marketing Tools

Every online store needs top-tier SEO and marketing to draw new customers in and get noticed on SERPs. Generally, the more SEO and marketing tools the eCommerce platform offers, the better (not that you should necessarily use them all!)

Here’s where Shopify and BigCommerce currently stand:

Native SEO Features Compared

Shopify - Shopify covers SEO basics well. You’ll need external apps for advanced control, but it has strong native features that cover:

• Editable meta tags
• Sitemaps
• Alt text

BigCommerce - BigCommerce offers impressive native SEO functionality without the need for apps. Built right in, you can expect:

• Customizable URLs
• Automatic sitemaps
• AMP support
• Structured data for products

Blog Capabilities and Limitations

Shopify - Shopify includes a basic blogging engine. It’s relatively straightforward to use; easy to publish content and manage the blog from your Shopify admin. However, its native blogging function clearly lacks advanced features like categories or SEO-rich formatting. For that, you’ll need an app.

BigCommerce - Like Shopify, BigCommerce offers built-in blogs. However, it’s quite limited in terms of customization and SEO. That’s why many users pair it with an external CMS like WordPress.

Built-In Tools for Email, Discounts, and Promotions

Both Shopify and BigCommerce provide the basic, built-in eCommerce features you’d expect, like:

• Discounting
• Coupon codes
• Abandoned cart recovery

This makes certain promotional aspects incredibly easy in both cases. However, differences emerge when we look at email marketing.

Shopify typically relies on integrations like Shopify Email or third-party providers for robust email campaigns, whereas BigCommerce offers fairly advanced native email marketing capabilities.

Third-Party Marketing App Compatibility

If you’re looking for advanced marketing apps, neither platform will disappoint. However, for different reasons.

Shopify leans on offering a huge app ecosystem which gives merchants access to thousands of marketing apps for:

• Social media
• Email automation
• Loyalty programs
• Retargeting

BigCommerce supports fewer third-party apps, but it integrates well with major marketing platforms and often requires fewer add-ons thanks to stronger native tools.

Sales and Checkout Functionality

Where and how you’re selling is, of course, a crucial factor in choosing your eCommerce platform. For businesses planning to sell internationally, for example, will need multi-currency support. You’ll also want to understand which gateways platforms offer and how much they charge you per transaction.

Here’s everything you need to know about Shopify vs BigCommerce checkout functionality:

Multichannel Selling (Amazon, eBay, Instagram, etc.)

Shopify - Shopify aims to help brands expand reach very quickly. So, it integrates easily and seamlessly with almost all major sales channels, like:

• Amazon
• eBay
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

BigCommerce - BigCommerce also supports multichannel selling. You’ll find plenty of great tools for managing listings and inventory across multiple marketplaces. Note that BigCommerce also provides deep B2B and wholesale channel options, which Shopify might lack.

POS Capabilities and Limitations

Shopify - Shopify really stands out here. It offers not just any POS system, but one of the best POS systems among eCommerce platforms anywhere. With this, businesses can enjoy:

• Hardware
• Mobile checkout
• Tight integration between online and offline sales

BigCommerce - BigCommerce doesn’t have its own POS solution, which could be disappointing. Instead, it relies on third-party integrations. However, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily limited - you’ll just need an app.

Checkout Customization and Transaction Fees

Shopify - Shopify really shines with its sleek, conversion-optimized Shop Pay checkout. Shop Pay is great. However, if you want deeper customization for any reason, you’re out of luck - unless you’re using Shopify Plus. Transaction fees also apply unless using Shopify Payments. These are:

• “Basic” plan - 2.9% + $0.30 for every online credit card purchase, 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions, 2% third-party provider fee.
• “Grow” plan - 2.7% + $0.30 for credit cards, 2.5% + $0.10 for in-person transactions, 1% third-party provider fee.
• “Advanced” plan - 2.5% + $0.30 for credit card transactions, 2.4% + $0.10 for in-person, 0.6% third-party provider fee.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce offers a single-page checkout option with native checkout customization, which is great for those who want to “personalize” their checkout experience. Another major plus is that it doesn’t charge any transaction fees. However, standard payment processing fees may still apply with third-party providers.

International Sales and Multi-Currency Support

Shopify - supports international selling with both multi-currency options and translations. However, advanced features will require apps (or an upgrade to Shopify Plus).

BigCommerce - BigCommerce has more built-in functionality when it comes to international selling, including:

• Multi-currency options
• Multi-language
• Regional shipping options

Performance, Speed, and Scalability

Almost half of all shoppers will leave a site if it takes too long (more than 3 seconds) to load. Your site performance is therefore paramount. Shoppers expect a fast, reliable browsing experience that doesn’t get in the way of their experience - and works reliably wherever they are and whatever device they're using.

Hosting, Uptime, and CDN

Shopify and BigCommerce are leaders for a reason: they both offer extremely impressive performance on the whole. In fact, the two platforms are comparable here. Both offer:

• Full hosting
• Security management
• Automatic updates

Likewise, both offer great, enterprise-grade uptime:

• Shopify - 99.9%-99.99%
• BigCommerce - 99.99%

How Each Platform Handles Traffic Spikes

Shopify - Shopify is known for being able to handle flash sales and high-volume traffic with ease. That’s especially true with its global infrastructure and Shopify Plus scaling options. Overall, if you’re introducing a sale and expect big numbers, you shouldn’t have any issues.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce is also built to perform well with heavy loads. Plus, it has automatic scaling built into the platform to support spikes without requiring additional configuration.

Suitability for Enterprise-Level Operations

Shopify - although Shopify is often positioned as a beginner-friendly platform, its scalability shouldn’t be overlooked. Fast-scaling DTC brands can also gain a lot from using Shopify. The platform excels at:

• Advanced automation
• Dedicated account management
• Integration support

BigCommerce - BigCommerce leans more toward larger or B2B-focused enterprises from the start. That means you can expect enterprise-level scalability built right in. To facilitate this, they offer (without extra apps):

• Multi-storefront
• Advanced catalog management
• Internationalization features

Payment Gateways and Fees

A seamless payment gateway experience is essential for converting. If the slightest thing inconveniences a user, they’re likely to click away.

Luckily, these two platforms both offer superior payment gateways, each with their own fee structures.

Available Payment Processors

Shopify - you have plenty of options when it comes to your preferred payment gateway on Shopify. The platform supports over 100 different options worldwide! Its own built-in processor, Shopify Payments, is the easiest to use (and cheaper), but it may not necessarily be the best for your needs.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce has slightly fewer, but still more than enough, gateway options. Around 65, to be precise. That includes all the major payment options like PayPal and Stripe, too - all without extra platform restrictions!

Extra Fees for Using Third-Party Gateways

Shopify - Shopify charges users up to 2% to use a third-party payment processor instead of Shopify Payments. This may not sound a lot, but it can add up with high sales volumes.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees. Whichever processor you use, you won’t incur any extra charges from BigCommerce. However, you may still be charged by the provider itself.

Currency and Tax Handling Capabilities

Shopify - Shopify lags behind slightly with multiple currencies and tax rules. It does offer basic functionality, like multi-currency and tax calculations, but some more advanced features require apps or Shopify Plus.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce is hard to beat when it comes to currency and tax handling. It offers more advanced features built in, like:

• Automatic currency conversion
• Regional tax settings
• VAT support for international sales

Customer Support and Resources

Sometimes, things go wrong. When they do, you need fast and efficient customer support you can rely on to solve the problem before it impacts your sales.

Shopify and BigCommerce both provide attentive support, but it differs in key ways. Here’s a breakdown:

Support Channels and Responsiveness

Shopify - on its three main plans, Basic, Grow, and Advanced, Shopify offers 24/7 chat support and “enhanced” chat support. However, priority phone support is restricted to Shopify Plus.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce stands out here as it offers 24/7 support across phone, chat, and email on all of their plans. If you’re facing an immediate issue, this could give BigCommerce the edge.

Community, Forums, and Developer Help

Shopify - Shopify has a simply massive global community which might make it easier to get help should you need it. That’s in part down to the fact it has a much bigger user base than BigCommerce, with almost 700m monthly users. This means there are plenty of forums to browse and Shopify experts to hire - and even in-person meetups.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce can’t boast the user numbers Shopify has (around 40,000 live sites), but that doesn’t mean you’re in the dark. BigCommerce’s community is also incredibly developer-friendly, with strong documentation and partner networks geared toward more technical merchants.

Learning Resources and Onboarding Experience

Shopify - Shopify makes it easy to sign up and get started straight away. It provides an extensive library of tutorials and webinars (check out the Shopify Academy) aimed very much at beginners and growing brands.

BigCommerce - BigCommerce provides decent onboarding assistance, with plenty of detailed documentation and a strong knowledge base. However, overall, it’s more appealing for mid-market and enterprise businesses with complex setups.

Major Pros of Shopify

There are several reasons Shopify is the household name it’s become. Let’s see where the platform really shines:

What It Excels At (Especially for Beginners)

Shopify positions itself as the go-to eCommerce platform for beginners and small businesses. It delivers.

The standout aspect of Shopify has got to be its ease of use. Its intuitive setup makes it incredibly easy for even the most inexperienced user to build an online store, and its simple drag-and-drop editor makes customization a breeze.

Plus, it has plenty of built-in tools for broad, simple eCommerce management, including:

• Product management
• Inventory tracking
• Abandoned cart recovery

Ecosystem and Developer Community

Shopify is perhaps the gold-standard eCommerce ecosystem. Not only does it boast tens of thousands of apps for just about every need, there’s also a helpful community of certified Shopify Experts and developers around every corner.

This makes it easy to extend functionality and integrate with virtually any marketing or logistics platform as and when you need.

Ideal Scenarios to Choose Shopify

Shopify should be at the top of the list for:

• Entrepreneurs launching their first online store
• DTC brands that prioritize speed to market
• Retailers who want seamless multichannel sales

Major Pros of BigCommerce

BigCommerce may not be as well-known as Shopify on the whole, but it succeeds in many areas Shopify lags behind.

What It Offers Without Needing Extra Apps

What many users love about BigCommerce is that you don’t need endless third-party apps to build the online store you want. You can cut extra costs while minimizing performance issues with everything BigCommerce gives you right out the box. That means many advanced native features, including:

• Custom product filtering
• Multi-currency support
• Real-time shipping rates
• Advanced SEO tools

Scalability and B2B-Friendly Features

BigCommerce is a standout choice for both B2B brands and high-volume sellers. It has a range of built-in features that make it extremely attractive for wholesalers and enterprise brands that have to manage complex catalogs and international operations. They include:

• Multi-storefront management
• Bulk pricing
• Customer groups
• API integrations

Ideal Scenarios to Choose BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a top contender for:

• Mid-market and enterprise merchants selling B2B or managing multiple storefronts
• High-volume retailers who want advanced functionality without dozens of third-party apps

Real Cons You Won’t Hear on Official Pages

Before you sign up to either Shopify or BigCommerce, you should be aware of any potential drawbacks.

Here’s an honest look at both platforms’ main pitfalls:

Shopify’s Reliance on Paid Apps for Basic Functions

Shopify’s vast app store is one of its biggest selling points. It opens the doors to almost endless functionality. However, it also opens the doors to multiple hidden costs. There are many advanced features any growing eCommerce brand need, like:

• Advanced SEO controls
• Product filtering
• Detailed reporting

However, with Shopify, you’ll need paid apps for any of these functions. Over time, this can make scaling more expensive than initially expected.

BigCommerce’s Steeper Learning Curve

BigCommerce is famous for being incredibly comprehensive straight out of the box, with a huge range of functions built right in (no need for expensive apps). However, this can also mean that BigCommerce is less beginner-friendly.

New merchants sometimes say the dashboard and customization tools can be overwhelming, especially for those who aren’t experienced in technical eCommerce development.

Limitations You’ll Likely Face After Launch

New online stores can expect limitations to emerge with whatever platform they’re using. It’s unavoidable. This is the case with both Shopify and BigCommerce - although their limitations may be different. For example:

• Shopify - without upgrading to the pricey Shopify Plus, you won’t be able to fully customize your checkout experience.
• BigCommerce - you could get stuck with fewer third-party apps for niche needs as you grow.

Which Platform Wins for Specific Use Cases?

This is where we’d recommend using either Shopify of BigCommerce for best results:

Best for New Startups and First-Time Store Owners

Our vote goes to Shopify. Its intuitive interface and ready-made themes are second to none and make it a very easy platform to pick up. Users can get a good eCommerce store up and running virtually overnight with no technical skills needed whatsoever.

Best for Scaling Brands and High SKU Stores

Here, BigCommerce has it. It’s the go-to choice for merchants managing large catalogs and complex pricing structures. Plus, its built-in functions, like bulk pricing and product filtering, make handling larger volumes very easy without the need for extra apps.

Best for International Expansion and Wholesale

BigCommerce leads. Several native features make the platform perfect for large-scale international selling, like:

• Multi-currency
• VAT handling
• Customer groups
• Multi-storefront

To be clear: Shopify can match these features. The difference is you’ll need third-party apps in most cases. BigCommerce does it natively.

Best for Developers and Agencies

Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer solid customization capabilities, but BigCommerce clinches it for us. It’s generally more flexible for technical teams, offering:

• Strong APIs
• More customization
• Fewer “walled garden” restrictions

Shopify is a great pick, too. It just has tighter limits on core checkout and backend customization.

Shopify or BigCommerce: Final Verdict

Here’s our final take on which use cases suit Shopify vs BigCommerce:

Our Recommendation Based on Your Goals

The first step should always be to consider what your business goals truly are. Only then can you decide on the eCommerce platform that’s right for you.

This should help you decide:

Choose Shopify if:

• You’re an eCommerce first-timer
• You’re a fast-scaling DTC brand
• You’re a retailer looking for sleek themes and easy navigation
• You need a big app ecosystem

Choose BigCommerce if:

• You’re managing a complex product catalog
• You’re selling B2B or wholesale
• You’re planning international expansion
• You want built-in functionality without apps

The One Thing You Should Know Before Deciding

Let’s be clear: both Shopify and BigCommerce are at the top of the eCommerce game. Both offer impressive experiences with benefits that far outweigh their drawbacks. However, they do things a little differently.

Shopify is built for beginners. With that in mind, it relies on simplicity and extensibility through apps. BigCommerce offers a more refined experience for larger, B2B businesses, with a strong focus on native functionality and scalability. The right choice, then, depends on your brand.

Influize has a team of expert developers waiting to help your eCommerce brand reach new heights. You can talk to us about your eCommerce platform needs at any time during a consultation. Don’t just start an online store - start a long-term business.