Trisha Dhera
With the ever-growing popularity of e-commerce, choosing between BigCommerce or Shopify becomes a vital decision. These two leading e-commerce platforms, BigCommerce or Shopify, offer robust solutions to help businesses build and manage their online stores. In this blog, we will compare and contrast the key features, pricing models, design flexibility, and integrations offered by BigCommerce and Shopify. By the end, you’ll have a clearer understanding of which platform, BigCommerce or Shopify, suits your business requirements best.
1. BigCommerce – Power and Customization:
BigCommerce is a well-established e-commerce platform that offers a comprehensive set of features for businesses of all sizes. One of its main advantages is its scalability and power. BigCommerce can handle high-volume stores with ease, making it an excellent choice for growing businesses or those with a large product catalog.
Customization is another strong suit of BigCommerce. It provides a wide array of pre-designed templates, along with a flexible theme editor, allowing users to create unique and visually appealing online stores. Moreover, BigCommerce offers advanced customization options, such as full access to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, enabling developers to tailor the store’s appearance and functionality to their specific needs.
2. Shopify: Simplicity and App Ecosystem:
Compared to Shopify, which has a simple interface and is known for its easy use. It is an ideal choice for entrepreneurs and small businesses seeking a straightforward setup process. Shopify’s drag-and-drop store builder, along with its intuitive dashboard, makes it simple for users to manage inventory, process orders, and handle customer support without extensive technical knowledge.
While Shopify provides a decent range of themes and customization options, it may not offer the same level of flexibility as BigCommerce. However, Shopify makes up for this with its vast app ecosystem. The Shopify App Store offers thousands of integrations and add-ons that enhance functionality and expand the platform’s capabilities. Whether you need advanced analytics, marketing tools, or shipping solutions, Shopify’s app ecosystem has you covered.
3. Pricing and Transaction Fees:
Pricing is a critical factor when choosing an e-commerce platform. BigCommerce and Shopify have different pricing models that cater to various business needs.
- BigCommerce offers three main pricing plans: Standard, Plus, and Pro. The Standard plan starts at $29.95 per month, while the Plus and Pro plans are more suitable for growing businesses and enterprises, with prices starting at $79.95 and $299.95 per month, respectively. BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees, regardless of the pricing plan.
- Shopify provides three main plans: Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify. The Basic Shopify plan starts at $29 per month, with the other plans priced at $79 and $299 per month, respectively. However, Shopify does charge transaction fees for using external payment gateways, which can range from 0.5% to 2% depending on the plan. To avoid transaction fees, users can opt for Shopify Payments.
4. SEO and Marketing Capabilities:
Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer built-in SEO features to optimize your online store for search engines. However, Shopify has an edge in terms of marketing capabilities. It provides robust marketing tools, including discount code generators, abandoned cart recovery, email marketing integrations, and social media integrations. Shopify’s marketing features make it easier to promote your products and engage with customers, ultimately driving more sales.
5. Payment Gateways and International Sales:
Both platforms support a wide range of payment gateways, including major providers like PayPal, Stripe, and Square. However, BigCommerce supports more payment gateways out of the box, which can be advantageous if you have specific payment provider requirements. When it comes to international sales, Shopify has a slight advantage. It offers multi-currency support, allowing customers to shop in their preferred currency, which can help improve conversions for international buyers.
(To know more about sales with Shopify, tap on this link)
6. Customer Support:
Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer customer support, but the quality and accessibility may differ. Shopify provides 24/7 customer support through multiple channels, including live chat, phone, and email. They also have a vast knowledge base and an active community forum. BigCommerce offers support during business hours, with priority support available for higher-tier plans. While both platforms have reliable support, Shopify’s round-the-clock availability can be beneficial for urgent issues that may arise.
7. Mobile Responsiveness and Apps:
With the increasing use of mobile devices for online shopping, it is crucial for your e-commerce store to be mobile-responsive. Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer responsive themes and templates, ensuring your store looks great on any device. However, Shopify’s app ecosystem provides a wider range of mobile apps designed specifically for mobile commerce. These apps can help optimize the mobile shopping experience, improve conversions, and provide additional mobile marketing tools.
Consider your business needs, budget, and long-term goals when making your decision. BigCommerce or Shopify? Evaluate factors such as power, customization, pricing, marketing capabilities, payment gateways, international sales, customer support, and mobile responsiveness. Ultimately, the right choice between BigCommerce or Shopify will depend on which platform aligns best with your unique business requirements and growth aspirations.