Are you in the process of choosing a platform for your Ecommerce website? Want to learn the differences between Shopify and BigCommerce?

Zenesys compare Shopify and BigCommerce in this infographic.

They compare the following features:

• Themes
• Payment gateways
• SEO
• Cart
• Blogging
• Speed

Check out the infographic for more.

 

In today’s digital age, starting an online store has never been easier. Thanks to the rise of ecommerce platforms, anyone with a product to sell can set up shop and reach customers around the world. Two popular options in this space are Shopify and BigCommerce. In this blog post, we’ll compare these two ecommerce giants to help you determine which one is the best fit for your business.

Introduction to Shopify and BigCommerce

Before diving into the detailed comparison, let’s briefly introduce Shopify and BigCommerce.

Shopify

Shopify is one of the most well-known and widely used ecommerce platforms on the market. It was founded in 2006 and has since gained a reputation for its user-friendly interface and powerful features. Shopify provides everything you need to start, manage, and grow an online store, making it a top choice for businesses of all sizes.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce, founded in 2009, is another robust ecommerce platform designed to help businesses create and manage online stores. Like Shopify, it offers a range of features and tools to simplify the ecommerce journey. BigCommerce is known for its flexibility and scalability, making it suitable for businesses with varying needs.

Now that we have a basic understanding of both platforms, let’s dive deeper into the comparison.

Pricing

Pricing is often one of the first considerations when choosing an ecommerce platform. Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer tiered pricing plans, so let’s break down their pricing structures.

Shopify Pricing

Shopify offers three main pricing plans:

1. Basic Shopify: Priced at $29 per month, this plan includes essential ecommerce features such as unlimited products, 24/7 support, and access to the Shopify Point of Sale (POS) system.
2. Shopify: Priced at $79 per month, this plan adds features like gift cards, professional reports, and abandoned cart recovery.
3. Advanced Shopify: At $299 per month, this plan includes advanced features like third-party calculated shipping rates and advanced report building.

Additionally, Shopify offers an enterprise-level plan called “Shopify Plus” for larger businesses with custom pricing.

BigCommerce Pricing

BigCommerce also offers three main pricing plans:

1. Standard: Priced at $29.95 per month, this plan includes unlimited products, no transaction fees, and features like single-page checkout.
2. Plus: At $79.95 per month, this plan adds Google customer reviews, product filtering, and abandoned cart saver.
3. Pro: Priced at $299.95 per month, the Pro plan offers advanced features like custom SSL, Google AMP, and product search filtering.

BigCommerce also has an enterprise plan with custom pricing called “Enterprise.”

Winner: When it comes to pricing, Shopify may be more appealing to small businesses with its lower entry-level plan. However, BigCommerce offers more advanced features in its lower-tier plans, making it competitive in terms of value for money. It ultimately depends on your specific needs and budget.

Ease of Use

The user-friendliness of an ecommerce platform can significantly impact your experience as a business owner. Let’s see how Shopify and BigCommerce compare in terms of ease of use.

Shopify Ease of Use

Shopify is renowned for its intuitive and user-friendly interface. It’s easy to set up your online store, add products, and customize the design with minimal technical knowledge. The platform offers a drag-and-drop editor, making it simple to arrange your online store’s layout and design. Additionally, Shopify provides a wide range of professionally designed themes and a robust app store that further simplifies the customization process.

BigCommerce Ease of Use

BigCommerce also offers an intuitive interface, but some users may find it slightly more complex than Shopify. While it’s still relatively easy to set up a store and manage products, the learning curve may be steeper for beginners. BigCommerce provides a variety of design themes and templates, but the customization options are not as extensive as Shopify’s. However, for users who have some technical expertise, BigCommerce’s flexibility can be an advantage.

Winner: Shopify takes the lead in terms of ease of use, especially for those with limited technical skills. However, if you value flexibility and have some technical knowledge, BigCommerce can still be a user-friendly option.

Design and Customization

The look and feel of your online store play a crucial role in attracting and retaining customers. Let’s compare the design and customization options offered by Shopify and BigCommerce.

Shopify Design and Customization

Shopify shines in the design department. It offers a vast library of professionally designed themes, both free and paid, that you can easily customize to match your brand. The drag-and-drop editor allows you to arrange elements on your website without any coding knowledge. If you have coding skills, you can further customize your store using Shopify’s Liquid template language. Shopify also offers a theme store where you can purchase premium themes with advanced features.

BigCommerce Design and Customization

BigCommerce provides a decent selection of themes, including free and premium options. While the customization options are not as extensive as Shopify’s, you can still make significant design changes to your store. BigCommerce uses a Stencil framework for theme customization, which may require some coding knowledge for advanced modifications. Overall, the design and customization capabilities of BigCommerce are solid, but they may not be as user-friendly as Shopify’s for beginners.

Winner: Shopify wins in terms of design and customization, offering more user-friendly and visually appealing options. However, BigCommerce can still meet the design needs of many businesses, especially those with some technical expertise.

Features and Functionality

The features and functionality offered by an ecommerce platform are crucial for managing your online store effectively. Let’s explore what Shopify and BigCommerce have to offer in this regard.

Shopify Features and Functionality

Shopify is known for its extensive range of features. Some of its key features include:

• Unlimited products: You can add as many products as you want to your store.
• Multi-channel selling: Shopify allows you to sell on various channels, including social media and marketplaces.
• Abandoned cart recovery: You can recover potentially lost sales by sending automated emails to customers who abandoned their carts.
• App store: Shopify’s app store offers thousands of third-party apps to enhance your store’s functionality.
• Secure hosting: Shopify provides secure and reliable hosting for your store.
• Payment gateways: It supports multiple payment gateways, including Shopify Payments, which has no transaction fees.

BigCommerce Features and Functionality

BigCommerce also offers a robust set of features, including:

• Multi-channel selling: Similar to Shopify, you can sell on various channels.
• Abandoned cart recovery: BigCommerce includes this feature in all plans, helping you recover sales.
• Payment gateways: It supports various payment gateways and doesn’t charge transaction fees.
• Built-in blog: BigCommerce has a built-in blogging feature, which can be beneficial for content marketing.
• Advanced SEO tools: BigCommerce provides advanced SEO features to help you optimize your store for search engines.
• Customer groups: You can segment your customers and offer personalized pricing and promotions.

Winner: Both platforms offer robust features and functionality. The choice may come down to specific features that your business prioritizes.

Payment Processing and Transaction Fees

The cost of processing payments is a critical consideration for ecommerce businesses. Let’s compare the payment processing options and associated fees for Shopify and BigCommerce.

Shopify Payment Processing

Shopify offers its payment gateway called “Shopify Payments.” If you use Shopify Payments, you won’t incur any transaction fees. However, if you choose to use a third-party payment gateway, such as PayPal or Stripe, Shopify will charge transaction fees that vary based on your pricing plan. These fees can add up, especially for businesses with high sales volumes.

BigCommerce Payment Processing

BigCommerce provides a range of payment gateways, and the good news is that it doesn’t charge transaction fees on any of its plans. This can be a significant cost savings for businesses, especially those that prefer to use specific payment gateways or have high sales volumes.

Winner: BigCommerce has the edge when it comes to payment processing, as it doesn’t impose transaction fees, regardless of the payment gateway you choose.

Scalability and Growth

As your ecommerce business grows, you’ll want a platform that can scale with you. Let’s see how Shopify and BigCommerce handle scalability and growth.

Shopify Scalability

Shopify is known for its scalability. It can accommodate businesses of all sizes, from small startups to enterprise-level operations. Shopify Plus, its enterprise plan, offers advanced features and custom solutions to meet the needs of high-growth businesses. With Shopify’s vast app store and robust infrastructure, you can easily add new features and scale your store as your business expands.

BigCommerce Scalability

BigCommerce is also highly scalable and is designed to support growing businesses. Its enterprise plan, “Enterprise,” caters to larger operations with custom pricing and solutions. BigCommerce’s architecture is optimized for performance, ensuring that your store can handle increased traffic and sales without a hitch. Like Shopify, BigCommerce provides a range of integrations and apps to enhance your store’s capabilities as you grow.

Winner: Both platforms are strong contenders when it comes to scalability and growth. The choice depends on your specific business needs and preferences.

Support and Resources

Having access to reliable support and resources can be a lifesaver when you encounter issues or need assistance with your online store. Let’s compare the support and resources offered by Shopify and BigCommerce.

Shopify Support and Resources

Shopify provides 24/7 customer support through various channels, including email, live chat, and phone. The platform also offers extensive documentation, video tutorials, and a community forum where you can seek help and advice from other users. Additionally, Shopify hosts events and webinars to help users get the most out of the platform.

BigCommerce Support and Resources

BigCommerce offers 24/7 support via phone, chat, and email, ensuring you can get assistance whenever you need it. The platform provides a knowledge base, guides, and tutorials to help you navigate the platform effectively. BigCommerce also hosts webinars and events to help users learn and grow their online businesses.

Winner: Both platforms offer strong support and resources to their users. It’s a tie in this category.

Security

Security is a paramount concern for ecommerce businesses, as you’re dealing with sensitive customer data and financial transactions. Let’s see how Shopify and BigCommerce approach security.

Shopify Security

Shopify takes security seriously and provides SSL certification to ensure secure data transmission. The platform is also Level 1 PCI DSS compliant, which means it meets the highest security standards for handling payment information. Additionally, Shopify offers automated backups and security patches to protect your store from threats.

BigCommerce Security

BigCommerce is also Level 1 PCI DSS compliant and offers SSL certification for secure data transfer. It provides security measures like enterprise-grade DDoS protection and proactive monitoring. BigCommerce’s infrastructure is designed to handle security threats and provide a safe environment for your online store.

Winner: Both platforms prioritize security, and both are Level 1 PCI DSS compliant, which is the highest level of compliance. It’s a tie in this category.

Integrations and Apps

Integrations and apps can expand the functionality of your ecommerce platform. Let’s compare the integrations and app ecosystems of Shopify and BigCommerce.

Shopify Integrations and Apps

Shopify boasts one of the largest app stores in the ecommerce industry. You can find thousands of third-party apps and integrations to enhance your store’s capabilities. Whether you need advanced email marketing, inventory management, or SEO tools, Shopify’s app store has you covered.

BigCommerce Integrations and Apps

While BigCommerce’s app store isn’t as extensive as Shopify’s, it still offers a wide range of integrations and apps to enhance your store. BigCommerce focuses on quality over quantity, ensuring that the available apps are reliable and effective. You can find apps for marketing, analytics, shipping, and more.

Winner: Shopify wins in terms of the sheer number of available apps and integrations. However, BigCommerce’s focus on quality can be an advantage for users who want reliable and well-vetted solutions.

Conclusion: Which Ecommerce Platform is Best for You?

Choosing between Shopify and BigCommerce ultimately depends on your specific business needs and priorities. Here’s a summary of the key factors to consider:

• Pricing: Shopify offers lower entry-level pricing, while BigCommerce includes more advanced features in its lower-tier plans.
• Ease of Use: Shopify is more user-friendly, making it an excellent choice for beginners. BigCommerce offers flexibility but may have a steeper learning curve.
• Design and Customization: Shopify provides more design options and customization flexibility. BigCommerce is suitable for users with some technical expertise.
• Features and Functionality: Both platforms offer robust features, with the choice depending on specific requirements.
• Payment Processing and Transaction Fees: BigCommerce doesn’t charge transaction fees, giving it an advantage in this category.
• Scalability and Growth: Both platforms are highly scalable and suitable for businesses of all sizes.
• Support and Resources: Both platforms offer strong support and resources for users.
• Security: Both platforms prioritize security and are Level 1 PCI DSS compliant.
• Integrations and Apps: Shopify has a larger app ecosystem, while BigCommerce focuses on quality.

In the end, Shopify is an excellent choice for those who prioritize user-friendliness and a wide range of third-party integrations. BigCommerce, on the other hand, is a strong option for businesses looking for flexibility, no transaction fees, and a robust set of built-in features.

Before making a decision, consider your business goals, budget, and the specific features that matter most to you. You can also take advantage of free trials offered by both platforms to test their suitability for your ecommerce venture. With the right choice, you can build a successful online store that meets your needs and delights your customers.