Shopify vs BigCommerce: Prices and Features Comparison

We probed for the ins and outs of BigCommerce and Shopify and found the latter to be the top choice with an overall 4.7/5 in our research. Equipped with superior sales and functionality features, it’s got everything you need to get your business up and running online, sans the extra work and hassle.

But that’s not to say that BigCommerce is without its perks, too. Hailed as the inventory hero in our research with an overall score of 4.4/5, it has the best inventory management system to help track your stocks accurately and avoid inventory mishaps. Plus, it has a wider selection of free themes for your online store than Shopify. 

We pit these two ecommerce platforms head-to-head to find out which one provides the best value according to their features and pricing. See the results below: 

As seen above, Shopify scores higher in our research with a 4.7/5, with BigCommerce following closely behind at 4.4/5. If transaction fees are a clincher for your business, then BigCommerce is more ideal as it does not charge transaction fees, whereas Shopify will charge up to 5% if you choose a third-party payment gateway. 

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Head-to-Head

Shopify lets you enjoy a wider range of website features than BigCommerce, allowing you to integrate up to 11 third-party marketing apps, like MailChimp, Klaviyo, and Emma. BigCommerce only allows you to integrate with up to five. 

Moreover, it’s much easier to build your online store with Shopify, which scores 3.5/5 in our ease of use analysis. Given that it’s a complete website builder, all you have to do is to choose a template and then drag and drop the design elements. BigCommerce, which scores 3.3/5 in the said category, has a more complicated interface with limited tooltips, and you can be easily overwhelmed if you’re new to the website-building process. So overall, Shopify is the better choice between the two. 

But then again, if you’re a new business owner who wants to waive as many fees as possible, we’d be hard-pressed not to recommend BigCommerce. With BigCommerce, you will not be charged any transaction fees, no matter which plan you choose. As for Shopify, you can only avoid transaction fees if you use Shopify Payments.

Shopify overview

BigCommerce overview

Best Value: Shopify

Shopify and BigCommerce may both score 3/5 for pricing in our research, but you get more value with Shopify. Aside from its lower monthly fees ($38 monthly compared with BigCommerce at $41 per month), Shopify continues to make its platform more accessible and affordable for new users. If you sign up for a free trial of its Starter plan, which typically costs $7 per month, you can get it for an even lower price of $1 for the first month! However, it’s worth noting that Shopify only lets you use the platform for three days, whereas BigCommerce has a longer trial period of 15 days. For the full breakdown of Shopify’s fees, you can check out our comprehensive pricing guide, which discusses all the costs and hidden fees for every plan.

Shopify pricing

Shopify offers five pricing packages: Starter ($7 per month), Basic ($38 per month), Shopify ($99 per month), Advanced ($389 per month), and Plus, a bespoke plan that is perfectly suited for businesses with a high volume of traffic (from $2,000 per month). 

These prices are based on a monthly basis of an annual plan. You can also opt for a monthly plan, but it’s worth noting that the costs may bump up by 50%, so you’ll end up paying more.

Shopify’s plans may have sizable price tags, but it offers a wealth of apps that allow you to build an online store that is tailored to the needs of you and your customers. This is why our team of independent researchers name Shopify as the best ecommerce platform.

BigCommerce pricing

Business owners who want to steer clear of transaction fees are in for a good deal with BigCommerce. Its prices are divided into four tiers: Standard ($39 per month); Plus ($106 per month); Pro ($400 per month); and Enterprise, a custom plan that allows you to unlock BigCommerce’s sales services to the fullest. Whichever package you choose, there are zero transaction fees, which is why it still packs a punch despite its higher monthly fees. 

These fees are based on the monthly fees with an annual plan. Like Shopify, you can also opt for monthly plans, but these are a pricier option. Another plus is that BigCommerce offers a 10% discount on its annual plans!

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Which Has the Best Free Plan?

Both Shopify and BigCommerce do not offer a free plan. However, you can have more time to grasp the platform and play around with BigCommerce’s features, as it has a lengthier 15-day free trial, a huge difference from Shopify’s three-day trial.

Best for Website Features: Shopify 

Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer a comprehensive ecommerce and website-building experience, but Shopify takes this one because it possesses better quality website features on its roster. For starters, Shopify has a diverse app store, home to its wealth of ecommerce and website-building tools to help you set up your online store in minutes. We’re also a fan of its seamless drag-and-drop design elements. While BigCommerce does offer scalable features, it has a complex interface and limited tooltips, which website rookies may find confusing. 

Best for Design Functionalities: BigCommerce

BigCommerce wins in this category because it opens up more avenues for customization. Its vast collection of 17 free themes earns it extra brownie points, as Shopify only offers 11 free themes. Free themes are a huge boost for new businesses, allowing them to save on costs when designing their online stores. Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce will not reformat your page if you switch templates – so you won’t have to start from scratch again! Although, it’s also worth mentioning that Shopify considers mobile responsiveness in its themes, so it’s much easier to build a mobile-compatible website with it.

Best for Sales Features: Shopify

This battle was a neck-and-neck battle, but our independent research still highlights Shopify as being the better choice. Shopify has broader, multi-channel integration, meaning you can set up shop on almost anything, including social media platforms. It also supports five payment options, including cryptocurrency and cash on delivery, whereas BigCommerce only supports three. However, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees, unlike Shopify, which charges up to 2% if you don’t use Shopify Payments.

Best for Help & Support: BigCommerce

Shopify and BigCommerce again have a very slight score difference in this category, but we’ve got to hand it over to BigCommerce here. Both offer 24/7 phone and live chat support and secure sockets layer (SSL) certificates on all of their plans. However, BigCommerce stands out as it allows you to upgrade your SSL certification to include site seals and a warranty. BigCommerce has a Support Center too, which you can refer to for handy tips and guides. Still, we commend Shopify for its accommodating knowledge center and changelog, which gives you updates on software changes and provides helpful guides.

Best Customer Score: Shopify

Our independent research looks at both sides of the coin: our experience and that of our fellow users. We’re awarding Shopify the title in this category because our research shows that users enjoy its simplicity and seamless operations, which beginners and those with minimal tech expertise highly appreciate. On the other hand, BigCommerce’s intricate and confusing platform is what most users recount about their experience. As such, 19/25 of our research participants are likely to recommend Shopify, whereas only 14 would do so for BigCommerce. 

Alternatives to Shopify and BigCommerce

According to our research, Shopify is the best overall ecommerce platform (4.7/5), and BigCommerce (4.4/5) is the best platform for larger enterprises, but Wix, which scores an overall 4.6/5, breaks the distance between these two providers.

Like Shopify, Wix is another beginner-friendly platform that provides assistance and helpful advice as you build your store. It’s also worth mentioning that it gives you the utmost creative freedom in creating your store. Another plus is that it doesn’t charge transaction fees like BigCommerce.

Square Online (4.4/5) is also a viable option if you’re looking for an ecommerce platform with a cheaper price tag that offers satisfactory features. Unlike BigCommerce and Shopify, it has a free plan that will only charge you for processing fees and nothing else.

How We Compared Shopify and BigCommerce