Shopify
Shopify Inc.
7.4
Overall Score / 10
BigCommerce
BigCommerce (Commerce.com, Inc.)
6.8
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose Shopify if:
- —Anyone starting an online store who wants an all-in-one solution
- —Businesses that want a huge app ecosystem for customization
- —Brands scaling from small to enterprise-level commerce
Choose BigCommerce if:
- —Mid-market businesses wanting built-in features without app fees
- —B2B e-commerce with customer groups and price lists
- —Stores wanting zero transaction fees on all plans
The biggest difference: Shopify wins on app ecosystem, ease of use, and market share. BigCommerce wins on built-in features, zero transaction fees, and B2B capabilities.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Shopify | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $39/mo (Basic)Source: Shopify Inc. pricing page → | $39/mo (Standard)Source: BigCommerce (Commerce.com, Inc.) pricing page → |
| Free Tier | No No free tier. 3-day free trial, then $1/month for first 3 months. | No No free tier. 15-day free trial available. |
| Value for Money | 7 | 7 |
| Ease of Use | 9 | 7 |
| Feature Power | 9 | 8 |
| Setup Ease | 9 | 7 |
| Migration Ease | 4 | 5 |
| Transparency | 6 | 6 |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web |
| Compliance | PCI DSS Level 1, SOC 2, GDPR tools | PCI DSS Level 1, SOC 2, GDPR tools |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
24 features compared · 23 differences
| Feature | Shopify | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| 24/7 support | Full | None |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Full | None |
| Abandoned cart saver (Plus+) | None | Full |
| App store (8,000+ apps) | Full | None |
| B2B capabilities | None | Full |
| Built-in blog | None | Full |
| Discount codes | Full | None |
| Inventory management | Full | None |
| Marketing tools | Full | None |
| Multi-channel selling | None | Full |
| Multi-channel selling (Amazon, Facebook, Instagram) | Full | None |
| Multi-storefront | None | Full |
| Online store builder | Full | None |
| Point of sale (POS) | Full | None |
| Real-time shipping quotes | None | Full |
| SEO tools | Full | None |
| Shipping and fulfillment | Full | None |
| Shopify Payments | Full | None |
| Unlimited products & bandwidth | None | Full |
| Zero transaction fees | None | Full |
| Advanced | ||
| Advanced product filtering | None | Full |
| Customer groups & segmentation | None | Full |
| Professional reporting | None | Full |
| Integrations | ||
| API Access | Full | Full |
Pricing Comparison
Shopify Pricing
2 staff accounts, basic reports, up to 77% shipping discount
5 staff accounts, professional reports, up to 88% shipping discount
15 staff accounts, advanced reports, custom pricing, duties & import taxes
Enterprise features, unlimited staff, Shopify Functions, checkout customization, dedicated support
BigCommerce Pricing
Up to $50k/yr in sales, unlimited products, 0% transaction fees
Up to $180k/yr in sales, customer groups, abandoned cart saver, persistent cart
Up to $400k/yr in sales, custom SSL, advanced product filtering
Custom pricing, unlimited sales, priority support, custom integrations
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose Shopify
Best for
- Anyone starting an online store who wants an all-in-one solution
- Businesses that want a huge app ecosystem for customization
- Brands scaling from small to enterprise-level commerce
Avoid if
- You want to avoid monthly fees (WooCommerce is free to start)
- You need full control over your codebase (consider headless or WooCommerce)
- You sell only digital products (Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy are simpler)
Who should choose BigCommerce
Best for
- Mid-market businesses wanting built-in features without app fees
- B2B e-commerce with customer groups and price lists
- Stores wanting zero transaction fees on all plans
Avoid if
- You're very small (revenue thresholds force plan upgrades)
- You want the largest app ecosystem (Shopify has more)
- You want the simplest possible store setup
Switching Guidance
Switching from Shopify
Common triggers to leave:
- •App costs add up significantly
- •Transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments (2% on Basic)
- •Need more design/code flexibility
Potential blockers:
- •Entire storefront and product catalog
- •Customer data and order history
- •App integrations and workflows
- •SEO rankings tied to Shopify URLs
Switching from BigCommerce
Common triggers to leave:
- •Revenue-based mandatory plan upgrades
- •Fewer apps than Shopify
- •Smaller community and fewer themes
Potential blockers:
- •Product catalog and customer data
- •Multi-storefront configuration
- •B2B pricing rules and customer groups
Try Shopify
Plans from $39/mo
Try BigCommerce
Plans from $39/mo