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Shopify vs BigCommerce – 20 Pros & Cons

Updated on 27 Mar 2025

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 4.6

(Reviews: 123.5K)

Est. users: 3M

Price Ranges: $29 - $79 - $299

 4.5

(Reviews: 1.3K)

Est. users: 60K

Price Ranges: $29.95 - $79.95 - $299.95

Shopify vs BigCommerce

Shopify and BigCommerce are both powerful e-commerce platforms, but they cater to slightly different needs. Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface and extensive app ecosystem, making it ideal for beginners and small to medium-sized businesses. BigCommerce, on the other hand, offers more built-in features and greater scalability, which can be advantageous for larger businesses or those expecting rapid growth.

Shopify

  1. User-friendly for beginners
  2. Extensive app ecosystem
  3. Wide range of themes
  4. Scales with business growth
  5. Built-in SEO features
  6. 24/7 customer support
  7. Integrates easily with social media

BigCommerce

  1. No transaction fees
  2. Advanced SEO tools
  3. Highly customizable
  4. Integrated analytics
  5. Robust B2B capabilities
  6. Multi-channel selling
  7. Supports multiple currencies
  8. Flexible product options

Key Differences

  1. Ease of Use

    Shopify provides a very intuitive interface that is beginner-friendly and easy to navigate, making it simple to set up an online store. BigCommerce also offers a user-friendly experience but has more complex features that may require a steeper learning curve.

    Winner: Shopify

  2. Customization

    Shopify offers a wide range of themes and customization options, allowing users to build a unique online store. BigCommerce provides powerful customization tools as well, but it might require technical knowledge to take full advantage of them.

    Winner: Its a tie

  3. Payment Options

    Shopify supports a comprehensive list of payment gateways, but it charges additional transaction fees if you don't use Shopify Payments. BigCommerce also supports numerous payment gateways and does not charge additional transaction fees.

    Winner: BigCommerce

  4. Pricing

    Shopify offers various pricing plans, but additional costs can add up due to transaction fees and the need for third-party apps. BigCommerce offers more inclusive pricing that covers essential features without additional costs for using third-party services.

    Winner: BigCommerce

  5. SEO Capabilities

    Both platforms offer robust SEO features, including customizable URLs and meta tags. However, BigCommerce provides more built-in SEO tools, making it easier to optimize your store for search engines.

    Winner: BigCommerce

  6. Scalability

    Shopify is highly scalable and suited for businesses of all sizes, with capabilities to support large enterprises. BigCommerce is equally scalable, offering a wide range of features that grow with your business needs.

    Winner: Its a tie

  7. Customer Support

    Shopify offers 24/7 customer support through various channels, including chat, email, and phone. BigCommerce also provides 24/7 support but is known for slightly slower response times compared to Shopify.

    Winner: Shopify

Distinct Features

ShopifyBigCommerce
Shopify POS (Point of Sale) SystemStencil theme engine for advanced customizations
Shopify Plus specialized enterprise solutionMulti-Storefront management from a single dashboard
Shopify Email marketing toolStaging environment for testing changes before going live
Custom storefront tools with Hydrogen and OxygenAdvanced SEO features (customizable robots.txt, etc.)
Built-in payment gateway (Shopify Payments)Complex product catalog with unlimited options and variants
Shopify Fulfillment NetworkB2B functionality such as customer groups and pricing

Pricing Overview

Shopify

View Pricing Plans  

  1. Basic Shopify ($29) - Ideal for new businesses
  2. Shopify ($79) - Best for growing businesses
  3. Advanced Shopify ($299) - For businesses that are scaling up

Basic Shopify

$29 / Monthly

Everything you need to get started

  • Online Store

  • Unlimited Products

Shopify

$79 / Monthly

Everything in Basic Shopify, and more

  • Gift Cards

  • Professional Reports

Advanced Shopify

$299 / Monthly

Advanced features for scaling your business

  • Advanced Report Builder

  • Third-party Calculated Shipping Rates

BigCommerce

View Pricing Plans  

  1. Standard Plan ($29.95) - Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses
  2. Plus Plan ($79.95) - Recommended for established businesses
  3. Pro Plan ($299.95) - Tailored for enterprises and large businesses

Standard Plan

$29.95 / per month

Perfect for growing businesses

  • Unlimited Products

  • Unlimited File Storage

  • 24/7 Live Agent Support

Plus Plan

$79.95 / per month

Best for scaling your business

  • Abandoned Cart Saver

  • Customer Groups and Segmentation

Pro Plan

$299.95 / per month

Designed for high-volume businesses

  • Google Customer Reviews

  • Product Filtering (by price, category, etc.)

Indepth Overview

ShopifyBigCommerce
eCommerce
Customization ★4.5 - Highly customizable themes and templates ★3.8 - Moderately customizable themes
App Market ★4.8 - Huge app store with various plugins and extensions ★4.6 - Good variety of apps and plugins
Product Limit ★4.6 - Unlimited products ★4.6 - Unlimited products
Payment Gateway ★4.7 - Over 100 integrated payment gateways ★4.7 - Over 65 integrated payment gateways
Abandoned Cart Recovery ★4.7 - Built-in feature to recover abandoned carts ★4.6 - Built-in feature to recover abandoned carts
Multichannel Selling ★4.7 - Seamless integration with social media platforms ★4.7 - Seamless integration with social media platforms
Marketing
SEO Tools ★4.7 - Comprehensive SEO features ★4.2 - Good SEO optimization options
Discounts & Coupons ★4.5 - Flexible discount and coupon options ★4.6 - Flexible discount and coupon options
Email Marketing Integration ★4.7 - Integration with popular email marketing platforms ★4.7 - Integration with popular email marketing platforms
Social Media Integration ★4.6 - Easy integration with social media channels ★4.7 - Easy integration with social media channels
Blog ★4.3 - Built-in blogging platform ★4.2 - Built-in blogging platform
Business Management
Inventory Management ★4.6 - Advanced inventory tracking features ★4.6 - Advanced inventory tracking features
Order Management ★4.7 - Efficient order management system ★4.7 - Efficient order management system
Shipping Options ★4.7 - Multiple shipping options with integrated carriers ★4.7 - Multiple shipping options with integrated carriers
Analytics & Reporting ★4.8 - Detailed analytics and reporting tools ★4.6 - Extensive analytics and reporting capabilities
Customer Support ★4.7 - 24/7 customer support ★4.7 - 24/7 customer support

Comparision Reviews

Alice Johnson

Portland, OR

Both Shopify and BigCommerce excel in e-commerce solutions, but Shopify stands out for its user-friendly interface and extensive app marketplace. However, BigCommerce offers more built-in features, which can be more cost-effective in the long run.

Shopify 4.7

BigCommerce 4.3

John Smith

Austin, TX

Shopify is great for beginners due to its clean and intuitive design, while BigCommerce is more suited for larger enterprises thanks to its scalability and built-in features. Despite Shopify's ease of use, BigCommerce wins in terms of functionality.

Shopify 4.5

BigCommerce 4.6

Emily Thompson

Chicago, IL

Both platforms offer strong support, but Shopify's customer service is slightly superior, resolving issues faster. On the other hand, BigCommerce provides a more comprehensive suite of tools directly out of the box, making it a solid choice for growing businesses.

Shopify 4.4

BigCommerce 4.5

Mike Brown

New York, NY

Shopify excels in design flexibility thanks to its vast template collection, whereas BigCommerce provides better value for money with its built-in marketing features. For those who prioritize aesthetics, Shopify is the way to go.

Shopify 4.6

BigCommerce 4.2

Sarah Davis

Los Angeles, CA

Both Shopify and BigCommerce have robust capabilities, but Shopify edges out when it comes to third-party integrations and ease of customization. BigCommerce, however, offers more powerful SEO tools out-of-the-box, which could be a deciding factor for some businesses.

Shopify 4.5

BigCommerce 4.4

Comments

JohnDoe123
Guys, have you ever considered the pros and cons of Shopify vs BigCommerce? I'm thinking of starting an online store.
MikeB
Hey JohnDoe123! I used Shopify for my business. It's super user-friendly. But the fees can get steep.
Sarah_L
Totally agree with MikeB. Shopify is great for non-techies, but you might cry when you see your monthly bill 😂
AlexJ
BigCommerce is also solid. Less intuitive than Shopify but more robust, especially if you're aiming to scale.
Techie_Tom
BigCommerce has better SEO features out of the box. If you care about that, it might be worth the extra effort to learn!
Jane Smith
SEO is crucial these days. But I've heard BigCommerce can be slow sometimes. Is that true, AlexJ?
AlexJ
Yeah, Jane Smith, it can be, especially if you don't optimize your images and scripts properly. Gotta stay on top of that.
JohnDoe123
So it sounds like both have their quirks. Do any of them integrate well with social media platforms?
MikeB
Oh definitely, JohnDoe123! Shopify has some slick integrations with Facebook and Instagram. Makes it easy to sell directly there.
Sarah_L
BigCommerce isn't bad either. You can do similar integrations, but there's generally more setup involved.

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