Shopify vs. BigCommerce
Compare how Shopify and BigCommerce differ to learn which ecommerce platform is better suited for your online store.
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In the world of online retail, choosing the right ecommerce platform is crucial for the success of your business. This guide will help you compare Shopify and BigCommerce, focusing on the essentials that will impact the performance and scalability of your online store. Discover which platform offers the simplicity, functionalities, and pricing best suited to your ecommerce goals.
Identify Your Ecommerce Needs
Before diving into the specifics of Shopify and BigCommerce, it's important to outline your ecommerce requirements. Are you just looking for a minimalistic platform to quickly launch your online store, or do you need a comprehensive solution that can handle a variety of areas such as inventory management, taxing, and selling subscriptions? Understanding your objectives will guide you in determining which features are critical for your business.
Each ecommerce platform, whether Shopify or BigCommerce, comes with its unique set of capabilities. Knowing exactly what you need will save you time and resources to ensure you're not paying for unnecessary features or lacking critical functionality.
To help you not miss out on any key considerations, we've compiled a list of the most important aspects to evaluate when choosing an ecommerce platform for your unique requirements.
Key Areas to Evaluate and Consider
- Features: Most ecommerce platforms offer similar basic features. However, if you go one step further and look at more comprehensive core functions in online retail, you will quickly notice significant differences. Ask yourself how important functionalities such as inventory and returns management are, how many products you want to sell in the long term, and how many people need access to your online store.
- Technical Specifications: If you want to launch your online store as quickly as possible with minimal technical effort, pay attention to what is included. Not all platforms come with hosting and an integrated CDN. However, if you want to control these things yourself, you may want to look for a platform that doesn’t include these.
- International Selling: For the case that you’re planning to sell your products outside of your country, consider the availability of offering different currencies and creating different language versions of your store. Also, evaluate the importance of automated localization and taxation. It ensures that customers land on the correct version for their country and that taxes are automatically calculated according to their country of origin.
- Pricing: It’s not all about the monthly or annual subscription costs, but also about what’s included in the price (features, hosting, etc.), which additional fees come with it such as for transactions, and costs for third-party apps or extensions. You must understand the total cost of ownership and how it scales with your business growth. As for growth, remember that the more sales you make, the more important lower transaction costs become.
- Ease of Use: The platform's overall user experience can significantly impact your ability to manage your online store efficiently. If it is important to you to find a simple solution, look at the ease of use score we give at the top as a reference for the learning curve you can expect. Keep in mind that some providers can have a lower score due to a larger range of functionalities which naturally makes them more complex.
- Security: Online security is paramount, not only for protecting your business data but also for safeguarding your customers' information. Check which security precautions a provider should have out of the box and which you can take care of yourself or do without.
- Integrations: The ability to integrate with other software and services can extend the functionality of your ecommerce platform and streamline your business processes. Check for integrations with your primary social media channels, email marketing software, marketplaces, and apps that can greatly simplify your work.
- Support: The level and quality of customer support provided by a platform can make a big difference, especially when you encounter issues or have questions. As a reference for the scope and quality of the providers' support, you can find their support score at the top.
Before you start comparing in detail, take a moment to rank these areas according to their importance to you. Ideally, also write down which specific functionalities you absolutely need. It will help you to make an informed decision without being subjectively influenced.
Making Your Decision
Weigh the pros and cons of Shopify and BigCommerce against your ecommerce requirements. The right choice should not only offer a competitive price but also align with your needs by providing the necessary features and tools to deliver a great shopping experience and make it easy to manage your online store.
If you're still undecided after the comparison, consider taking advantage of any free plans and trials. Experiencing the platforms firsthand can offer valuable insights into which platform is more intuitive and better suited to your ecommerce needs.
For more options to consider, explore our Best Picks for Ecommerce Platforms to see the top-rated solutions across the market.
You prefer a personalized recommendation based on your specific situation? Then head over to our Finder Tool, which will help you identify the right ecommerce platform for your needs.
FAQs
Can I migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify?
Can I migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify?
Yes, you can migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify. The process is straightforward with the right tools and approach. Here's the step-by-step process:
- Export Your Data from BigCommerce: Start by backing up all your BigCommerce data. Then, download this data as CSV files directly from your BigCommerce admin panel.
- Create a Shopify Account: Choose a plan, then set up a theme that matches your brand.
- Transfer Your Data: Use Shopify's import tools or migration apps to transfer your data. Shopify offers several migration apps in its app store that can automate much of this process. These tools typically handle products, customers, orders, and even some SEO settings. The migration usually takes a few hours to a few days, depending on your store size. Consider hiring a Shopify Expert if you have a complex store.
- Test Your New Store: After migration, double-check your product listings, test the checkout process, and set up your payment gateways. Don't forget to redirect your old URLs to maintain your SEO rankings. Most businesses complete their migration without any major disruptions to their sales.
BigCommerce vs. Shopify Plus - what's the difference?
BigCommerce vs. Shopify Plus - what's the difference?
Both BigCommerce and Shopify Plus are designed to help growing brands scale, but they take different approaches. Understanding those differences is key to choosing the right platform for your business.
Shopify Plus is the enterprise version of Shopify, built for high-growth brands, especially direct-to-consumer (DTC) businesses. It’s known for its scalability and ease of use, offering support for up to 10,000 transactions per minute, unlimited staff accounts, and tools like Shopify Flow, Launchpad, and advanced analytics.
Shopify Plus plans start at $2,000 per month, and once your store surpasses $800,000 in monthly sales, Shopify also charges an additional 0.25% revenue share. Many of Shopify’s most powerful apps, such as for subscriptions, loyalty programs, and B2B portals, also come with extra monthly costs.
BigCommerce Enterprise targets a wider range of use cases, including B2C, B2B, and hybrid models. It offers a more inclusive pricing model. While exact pricing depends on your sales volume and needs, most merchants pay between $1,000 and $2,000 per month.
BigCommerce doesn't charge any revenue share, and many features that Shopify treats as add-ons, like multi-storefront support and advanced catalog management, are included at no extra cost.
Where Shopify excels is in its speed to launch, marketing features, and app ecosystem. It’s a favorite among brands that want to move fast and extend their functionality with minimal developer involvement.
BigCommerce shines in scenarios where complexity is the norm. It handles large product catalogs, custom pricing rules, and B2B requirements like purchase orders and net payment terms far better out of the box.
So, which one is right for you? If you’re building a fast-growing brand and want a sleek customer experience with strong marketing support, Shopify Plus may be your best bet. If you’re dealing with complex operations, multiple storefronts, or wholesale customers, BigCommerce Enterprise offers better long-term value and flexibility.
BigCommerce Enterprise vs. Shopify Plus - what's the difference?
BigCommerce Enterprise vs. Shopify Plus - what's the difference?
Both BigCommerce Enterprise and Shopify Plus are powerful, scalable platforms, but they take very different approaches to customization, integrations, and developer workflows.
BigCommerce Enterprise is built from the ground up with developers in mind. It’s API-first, meaning it’s ideal for custom integrations with ERPs, CRMs, PIMs, and other backend systems. It offers unlimited API calls, robust documentation, and flexible software development kits that allow teams to customize nearly every aspect of the store, including checkout. This makes BigCommerce particularly appealing for businesses with custom logic, specialized product rules, or heavy backend requirements.
Shopify Plus, in contrast, offers strong tools for front-end customization and marketing automation, but with less customizability. Checkout customization is possible through Shopify Scripts and Checkout Extensibility, but those features require learning Shopify’s proprietary Liquid language or adapting to their new development frameworks. While Shopify offers powerful tools like Flow, Launchpad, and access to exclusive apps, teams with complex needs may find the environment more restrictive.
Another key difference lies in how each platform handles multi-storefront management. BigCommerce supports true multi-store architecture from a single backend, allowing you to manage multiple brands, regions, or customer segments efficiently. Shopify Plus supports multiple storefronts, but each one is treated as a separate instance, with an extra monthly charge of $250 after the first nine. This can increase both cost and complexity for global or multi-brand businesses.
From a performance and infrastructure standpoint, both platforms deliver enterprise-grade reliability. Shopify leverages its global infrastructure and CDN through Cloudflare, while BigCommerce is hosted on Google Cloud, which offers fast speeds and scalable uptime. Both include PCI-compliant security and 24/7 support.
Cost is another area where these two platforms differ. BigCommerce Enterprise provides flat-rate pricing with no transaction fees, regardless of the payment gateway you use. Shopify Plus, on the other hand, charges a revenue share above a certain sales threshold and often requires additional paid apps to match BigCommerce’s out-of-the-box functionality.
Shopify Plus is a great choice if your team values speed-to-market, ecosystem support, and polished direct-to-consumer features. If you’re building a complex or hybrid operation that requires deep integrations, flexible checkout, or robust B2B tools, BigCommerce Enterprise is the more adaptable and developer-friendly solution.