BigCommerce vs. Shopify 2024: Which eCommerce Platform is Right for You?

A Head-to-Head Comparison of Pricing, Performance, UX & UI

If you are looking for an e-commerce platform to start or grow your online store, you might have come across two popular options: BigCommerce and Shopify. Both platforms offer a range of features and tools to help you create and manage your online business, but which one is right for you?

In this blog post, we will compare BigCommerce and Shopify on a number of factors, including pricing, design, functionality, security, support, and more. By the end of this post, you should have a good understanding of the pros and cons of each platform, and be able to decide which one is the best fit for your needs.

BigCommerce vs. Shopify: A Basic Comparison of the Two Leading Ecommerce Platforms

Shopify and BigCommerce may seem similar, but they have different business models. Shopify provides various services like payment processing, shipping, fulfilment, email marketing, and being an ecommerce platform. On the other hand, BigCommerce focuses solely on its ecommerce platform, striving to offer the best cloud-based ecommerce solution in the industry. It’s “Open SaaS” approach combines the benefits of a software-as-a-service platform with flexibility for customizations and integrations while also handling site maintenance and updates. This allows merchants to concentrate on growing their business.

Features

Both offer a wide range of features, including:

• Product management: Both platforms make it easy to create, manage, and sell products. You can add product descriptions, images, and videos, and you can set up product variations and options.
• Shipping: Both platforms offer a variety of shipping options, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL. You can also set up shipping rates based on weight, location, and other factors.
• Payment processing: Both platforms integrate with a variety of payment processors, including PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net. You can also set up custom payment gateways.
• Marketing: Both have options, including email marketing, social media marketing, and abandoned cart recovery on both platforms.
• Reporting: Both platforms offer detailed reporting tools that allow you to track sales, traffic, and other metrics.

Customization

BigCommerce offers a remarkable advantage over Shopify regarding customization. While both platforms allow you to modify the appearance and functionality of your store, BigCommerce provides greater flexibility, allowing you to tailor your online store to align perfectly with your brand’s unique identity and requirements.

Scalability

BigCommerce surpasses Shopify in terms of scalability. While both platforms offer the ability to start small and expand as your business grows, BigCommerce is widely regarded as the more scalable option. It provides robust infrastructure and advanced features that can accommodate the needs of growing businesses, ensuring a smooth and seamless transition as your customer base and sales volume increase.

Support

BigCommerce offers excellent customer support on par with Shopify. With access to live chat, email, and phone support, BigCommerce ensures that you receive prompt assistance whenever you encounter any issues or have questions regarding your online store. Their dedicated support team is readily available to provide you with the guidance and solutions you need for a successful e-commerce experience.

BigCommerce Usage Statistics: How Popular is This Ecommerce Platform?

BigCommerce is one of the market’s largest ecommerce systems, with over 150,000 merchants using the platform to sell their items online. BigCommerce is a well-liked option for companies of all sizes, from little startups to massive corporations.

• BigCommerce is the 13th most popular ecommerce platform in the United States, according to BuiltWith Trends.
• BigCommerce is the 7th most popular ecommerce platform in the world, according to W3Techs.
• BigCommerce has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on G2 Crowd, making it one of the highest-rated ecommerce platforms on the market.
• BigCommerce has been featured in publications such as The New York Times Forbes, and Inc.

Shopify vs. BigCommerce Pricing Plans: Which Platform is More Affordable?

While BigCommerce and Shopify may appear similar in terms of their pricing plans at first glance, there are notable differences between the two. Shopify offers a Basic plan for $39 per month, a Shopify plan for $105 per month, and an Advanced plan for $399 per month. Similarly, BigCommerce provides a Standard plan for $39 per month, a Plus plan for $105 per month, and a Pro plan for $399 per month.

BigCommerce & Shopify Monthly Pricing Plans Comparison

Note: Both offer 25% Savings on Yearly Plan.

Source: BigCommerce Plans  & Shopify Plans

Free Trial Plan: BigCommerce or Shopify

When choosing an ecommerce platform, it’s essential to consider factors like free trial plans and special offers. Let’s compare the offerings of BigCommerce and Shopify in these areas. BigCommerce offers a free trial plan, allowing businesses to test the platform’s capabilities and features before committing. The free trial period provided by BigCommerce is 15 days, giving users substantial time to explore and evaluate the platform.

On the other hand, Shopify also provides a free trial plan, enabling users to experience the platform’s functionality. However, Shopify offers a shorter free trial period, lasting for three days. While this may be sufficient for some businesses to glimpse the platform, others may find the limited duration restrictive in thoroughly assessing Shopify’s potential.

Source: BigCommerce Free Trial Plan  & Shopify Free Trial Plan

Special Offer Plan: BigCommerce or Shopify

BigCommerce does not offer a unique offer plan, meaning there are no specific promotions or discounts beyond its standard pricing structure.

In contrast, Shopify provides a special offer plan with a specific benefits period. Users can take advantage of a particular offer period, typically three months. This can be an appealing opportunity for businesses looking for additional value and cost savings during their initial months of using the platform.

Source: Shopify Special OfferPlan

Ultimately, when choosing between BigCommerce and Shopify, it’s essential to consider factors such as the length of the free trial period and the availability of special offers. Both platforms offer free trial plans, but BigCommerce provides a more extensive trial period, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation. On the other hand, Shopify offers a unique offer plan that includes specific benefits for a limited time. Assessing your business’s needs and priorities will help determine which platform aligns best with your goals and budget.

Which Platform is Best for SEO: BigCommerce or Shopify?

Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer good SEO features but BigCommerce is generally considered better for SEO. BigCommerce offers more control over your SEO settings and has a built-in SEO tool that can help you improve your SEO ranking.

What Sales Features Do BigCommerce and Shopify Offer?

Common features of BigCommerce and Shopify. Both platforms offer a variety of sales features to help merchants boost their sales and conversions

• Discounts and coupons: You can generate discounts and coupons to lure new consumers and encourage repeat purchases.
• Gift cards: You can sell gift cards to your customers, which can be a great way to boost sales during the holidays or other special events.
• Upselling and cross-selling: You can recommend related products to your customers, which can help you increase your average order value.
• Abandoned cart recovery: You can email customers who have abandoned their carts, which can help you recover sales.

BigCommerce’s Native Sales Features Give It an Advantage Over Shopify

• Native Sales Features Comparison: While comparing BigCommerce and Shopify, it becomes apparent that while both platforms offer essential sales features like basic shipping tools, multichannel selling, and customizable checkouts, BigCommerce has a distinct advantage. Many of the sales features that are native to BigCommerce require a third-party app to be added to Shopify.
• BigCommerce: Comprehensive Native Features: One of the significant benefits of BigCommerce is that it includes all these features right from the start, without the need for downloading multiple apps to enable core store functionality.
• BigCommerce boasts several native features such as support for up to 600 SKUs per product, multiple display option types, custom fields, manually specified prices in various currencies, price lists, quantity-based price breaks, wish lists, and persistent carts. These features are readily available without the necessity of relying on additional apps.
• In addition, BigCommerce caters to the needs of B2B customers by offering robust sales features, including integrations with point-of-sale (POS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Furthermore, BigCommerce partners with B2B-specific payment providers to ensure reliability and optimal performance.
• Shopify: App Dependency for Sales Features: In contrast, Shopify requires a third-party app to achieve similar functionality to the native features provided by BigCommerce. While Shopify offers basic shipping tools, multichannel selling, and customizable checkouts, many of the more advanced sales features are only accessible through third-party apps.
• BigCommerce’s Advantage While both BigCommerce and Shopify provide fundamental sales features, BigCommerce stands out by offering these features natively, eliminating the need for numerous app installations. The platform’s extensive range of functionalities, including B2B-specific capabilities, positions BigCommerce as a compelling choice for merchants seeking a comprehensive and seamless e-commerce experience.

Which Platform is Better for Designing: BigCommerce or Shopify?

Both Shopify and BigCommerce have a number of themes and layouts, allowing you to develop a store that looks exactly how you want it to. However, BigCommerce is generally considered to be better for design. BigCommerce has additional design versatility and includes a drag-and-drop editor that makes it simple to develop unique designs. For a modern and responsive BigCommerce website you may hire the leading BigCommerce store designing agency.

Support and Security: How Do Shopify and BigCommerce Compare?

Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer excellent customer support. You can get help through live chat, email, and phone support.

Shopify and BigCommerce also offer high levels of security. Both platforms use SSL encryption to protect your customers’ data and offer fraud protection to help you prevent fraudulent transactions.

Which Platform is Easy-to-Use?: A Comparison of Shopify and BigCommerce?

Both Shopify and BigCommerce are easy to use, but Shopify is generally considered easier to use. Shopify has a more user-friendly interface and offers more step-by-step tutorials to help you get started.

Tradelink’s Success Story: Why BigCommerce Excels Over Shopify

Introduction: Tradelink, Australia’s oldest plumbing merchant with over 150 years of experience, embarked on a mission to modernise its ecommerce presence and expand its reach. Dissatisfied with their previous platform, Tradelink sought a solution that offered scalability, ease of use, and essential ecommerce features. The choice was clear – they turned to BigCommerce, and the results were exceptional.

The Challenge: Tradelink’s previous ecommerce platform fell short in speed, functionality, and user-friendliness. With the need to cater to a large traffic volume and provide customers with a seamless shopping experience, a new solution was imperative.

The Solution: Enter BigCommerce – a cloud-based platform renowned for scalability, flexibility, and ease of use.

“According to Luke Naish, Executive General Manager at TradeLink, they had specific requirements: “We needed speed. We needed flexibility. We needed connectivity, but most importantly, we needed to demonstrate the viability of digital. BigCommerce had what we were looking for and it was cost effective, too.”

Tradelink chose BigCommerce as its new ecommerce platform, leveraging its robust features, including product management, marketing capabilities, and secure payment options.

The Results: Since migrating to BigCommerce, Tradelink has witnessed a profound transformation in its ecommerce sales performance.

• 346% increase in customers: In the first six months of using BigCommerce, Tradelink saw a 346% increase in customers. This means that the company’s customer base grew by more than three times in just six months.
• 373% increase in orders: Tradelink also saw a 373% increase in orders in the first six months of using BigCommerce. This means that the company was able to sell three times more products in just six months.
• 338% increase in revenue: The most impressive statistic is the 338% increase in revenue. This means that Tradelink’s revenue more than tripled in just six months.These statistics are a testament to the success of Tradelink’s partnership with BigCommerce. The platform has helped the company to grow its customer base, increase its sales, and boost its revenue.
• BigCommerce’s Impact: BigCommerce played a pivotal role in helping Tradelink reach a broader audience. With its mobile-friendly website, Tradelink made shopping more accessible for customers on the go. Additionally, BigCommerce’s array of marketing tools enabled Tradelink to engage new customers through email campaigns, social media promotions, and optimised search engine visibility.
• In closing. Tradelink’s success story stands as a testament to the superiority of BigCommerce over Shopify. By choosing BigCommerce, Tradelink could modernise its e-commerce offering, captivate a wider audience, and achieve substantial sales and revenue growth. The case study of Tradelink exemplifies the importance of scalability, user-friendliness, and effective marketing strategies in selecting an ecommerce platform.

Conclusion

When considering the choice between Shopify and BigCommerce, it’s important to evaluate your specific needs and preferences. While both platforms offer valuable ecommerce solutions, BigCommerce stands out as a powerful option for businesses seeking scalability and flexibility.

BigCommerce excels in providing a highly scalable platform that can accommodate your business growth. With a strong focus on being a comprehensive ecommerce solution, BigCommerce dedicates its resources to delivering the best cloud-based, multi-channel platform in the industry. The Open SaaS approach allows for greater customization and seamless integrations, empowering merchants to tailor their online stores to meet unique requirements.

By choosing BigCommerce, you benefit from a platform that takes care of essential site maintenance and updates, freeing up your time to concentrate on growing your business. The singular focus on ecommerce ensures that BigCommerce delivers exceptional functionality and features specifically designed to enhance your online store’s performance and success.With BigCommerce, you gain access to a robust and reliable ecommerce platform that supports your business’s long-term growth. Take advantage of BigCommerce’s powerful capabilities and unlock your store’s full potential.

About Author:

As a certified partner with BigCommerce, Subhash Jain is the founder of Samyak Online – an experienced ecommerce websites’ designing & development agency that revealed how BigCommerce website development services could benefit your business. Feel free to connect or contact us.

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