Shopify vs BigCommerce: Which Platform Is Better

In the world of retail two major players, Shopify and BigCommerce have emerged as choices. Shopify, with its impressive user base exceeding 2 million is akin, to the liked student at school while BigCommerce with around 1 million users and growing rapidly is making its mark. Both platforms host online stores.

The decision between Shopify and BigCommerce hinges on factors like the scale of your business the kind of customer experience you aim for and what you value in a service provider. Experts from Fourmeta UK, a London based Shopify Agency have gained expertise in utilizing both platforms. Are eager to offer their insights.
Lets delve into both platforms to highlight their differences so that you can make a choice on which one best suits your online store. So shall we begin?

Introducing BigCommerce

BigCommerce stands out as one of the expanding ecommerce platform. Based in Austin, Texas it offers a range of services encompassing everything from setting up online stores to search engine optimization (SEO) hosting solutions, marketing tools and security features.

The origins of the company can be traced back, to 2009 when Australians Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper established BigCommerce in Sydney. In 2009 it made its debut in the U.S. establishing its office in Austin,Texas.
Throughout the years BigCommerce has experienced growth eventually becoming a traded company in 2020 solidifying its position, as a significant player in the world of online commerce.

What exactly is Shopify?

Shopify, a powerhouse hailing from Canada and headquartered in Ottawa serves as an e commerce platform catering to online stores and retail point of sale systems. Offering a range of services including payments, marketing tools, shipping solutions and customer engagement features Shopify has emerged as a choice for over 2 million businesses spanning around 175 countries by December 2021. The platforms influence stretches globally from North America to regions like Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific area, Australia, China and Latin America.

Established in 2006 by Tobias Lütke and Scott Lake due to their dissatisfaction with existing e commerce solutions at the time. Shopify originated from their endeavor to launch a store specializing in snowboarding gear. Its journey includes milestones such as its public offering (IPO) in 2015 and strategic collaborations including one with Amazon. Continuously broadening its offerings over time—from launching Shopify Capital for cash advances to acquiring companies like Handshake for B2B e commerce and Primer for reality—Shopify remains highly influential within the industry. Recent partnerships with Alipay, Twitter and PayPal underscore its dedication to leading innovations, within the realm of e commerce.

Similarities Between Shopify and BigCommerce

Shopify and BigCommerce are players, in the e commerce industry offering platforms that enable users to easily establish, promote and maintain profitable businesses through a unified website. Both platforms host retailers facilitating billions of dollars in business transactions. Created to cater to businesses of sizes ranging from entrepreneurs to large corporations, Shopify and BigCommerce provide subscription based services with unlimited products, file storage and bandwidth across their plans. They include features like storefronts, point of sale systems, multi channel sales capabilities and reliable customer support. Additionally they offer shipping tools SSL certificates for online payments and options for selling products on social media. Their pricing models are similar, in structure.

Benefits of Using BigCommerce

1. Unlimited staff accounts; While both BigCommerce and Shopify have user setup processes BigCommerce stands out by offering a 15 day free trial period for users to explore the platform thoroughly before committing. In addition BigCommerce allows the creation of staff accounts at no cost. This feature enables every team member to access the platform efficiently for work.
2. Multiple storefront options; BigCommerce allows users to create stores using a single subscription. This feature is structured into levels; the Standard plan supports, up to three stores the Plus plan accommodates five and the Pro plan enables eight. Each store includes its tools for customer loyalty and sales reporting while sharing inventory, shipping and payment features. However an extra monthly fee is required for each storefront.
3. In terms of themes BigCommerce offers a selection compared to Shopify. While Shopify provides 105 themes BigCommerce boasts 286 themes that cater to various industries. Users can easily browse through these themes based on industry categories and collections to find one that best fits their business.
4. When it comes to payment options and discounts BigCommerce users have the flexibility to choose their credit card processing company from a range of 65 payment processors. This includes options for high risk businesses like those in the cigarette industry. Additionally users who opt for PayPal powered by Braintree can access discounted rates giving them an advantage in transaction costs.
5. Furthermore managing plugins on BigCommerce is efficient despite having an app store with over 1,300 plugins compared to Shopifys offerings. BigCommerce compensates, by incorporating built in features that improve site speed without requiring plugins like Shopify does.
6. Some of the features include the option to leave reviews, for your products get shipping estimates and create multiple staff accounts. If you’re working within a budget and prefer a website BigCommerce doesn’t charge any subscription fees for its plugins making it a cost effective option.
7. Strategic marketing integration is another point. BigCommerce seamlessly integrates with email marketing tools such as MailChimp, Constant Contact or Omnisend to make up for the absence of an in built email marketing function. Both platforms excel in providing tools for setting up discounts, coupons and promotions along with analytics dashboards to monitor ad performance.
8. BigCommerce also stands out in boosting visibility through SEO. It excels in creating SEO websites with URLs that enhance search engine indexing. Moreover BigCommerces free WordPress integration ensures a connection between your blog and online store.
9. When it comes to logistics advantages BigCommerce offers perks, like real time shipping estimates and the ability to generate USPS labels directly from the dashboard.
10. Lastly pricing and payment strategies are emphasized.

While both platforms have subscription costs BigCommerce stands out for offering options, for budget conscious businesses and catering to enterprises with its Enterprise package, which includes technical support tailored for high turnover companies.

Drawbacks of Using BigCommerce;

1. Limited inventory locations: BigCommerce initially supports four inventory locations, with the Pro plan, priced at $299 per month accommodating up to eight. This limitation could present challenges for businesses with inventory management needs or operating across sites.
2. In house point of sale software: Although BigCommerce integrates with Square POS for in store sales users are required to import their product catalog and navigate a dashboard. While the integration is free it adds a layer of complexity and necessitates users to familiarize themselves with a system for in person transactions.
3. Store management intricacies; Compared to Shopify BigCommerce tends to be more intricate in the product addition process. It involves fields that can make it more time consuming. Nonetheless this complexity offers an advantage by granting increased control over store aspects allowing for customization. Users have the flexibility to incorporate features, like gift wrapping establish purchase orders and create product variations. When comparing the two Shopify provides a process. It restricts the number of product variations to three.
4. Regarding inventory management costs Shopify excels, over BigCommerce with its built in inventory management system. Users can easily oversee stock levels across locations from the dashboard on Shopify whereas BigCommerce requires users to purchase third party apps for similar functions resulting in additional expenses.
5. In terms of plugins and integration capabilities BigCommerces app store offers features like SMS marketing. Live chat customer support. However users might miss out on features available on Shopify due to its smaller app ecosystem. Shopify boasts a range of apps that cater to needs especially for those looking for cutting edge functionalities.
6. Moreover BigCommerce lacks an email marketing tool necessitating users to integrate third party email software such as MailChimp, Constant Contact or Omnisend. While this setup allows for flexibility in choosing email marketing tools some users may find it inconvenient compared to having all marketing tools within one platform.
7. Lastly both BigCommerce and Shopify support sales on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Amazon with integrations, for Google Shopping.BigCommerce takes it a step further by enabling transactions, on Pinterest and eBay. However when it comes to in store payments BigCommerce doesn’t offer its hardware. Instead users must obtain it from third party providers such, as PayPal Zettle, Square or Hike.
8. Tax calculations with third-party apps. BigCommerce provides the option to calculate taxes automatically, but only by integrating third-party apps like Avalara, Vertex, TaxJar, or TaxCloud. This additional step may add complexity and potentially extra costs for businesses.
9. Customer support with paid video courses. Both platforms offer robust customer support, including 24/7 live chat, phone and email support, a help centre, and a community forum. However, BigCommerce requires payment to access its video courses through the BigCommerce Academy, although it does offer a collection of free recorded webinars and podcasts.

Advantages of Shopify

1. Unlimited sales potential. Shopify users enjoy the advantage of unlimited sales, regardless of their subscription level. With no revenue caps, businesses can scale without the constraint of having to upgrade to a more expensive plan based on sales volume. This flexibility empowers businesses to grow organically.
2. Extensive inventory management. Users of Shopify can efficiently manage up to 1,000 inventory locations, spanning brick-and-mortar stores, pop-ups, and warehouses. This feature caters to businesses with diverse retail setups, allowing for comprehensive control over stock across various locations.
3. Versatility in in-person sales. Shopify stands out as an excellent choice for businesses with in-person sales. Providing in-store pickup options, Shopify excels in accommodating both online and brick-and-mortar operations seamlessly.
4. Integrated point-of-sale software. Shopify’s point-of-sale system seamlessly syncs with the Shopify dashboard. Subscribers gain access to Shopify POS Lite, offering essential features like customer profiles, email and text receipts, barcode scanning, cash payments, refunds, and more. Larger enterprises can upgrade to Shopify POS Pro for advanced functionalities, for example set staff permissions or monitor performance across retail locations.
5. Intuitive user interface. Shopify is renowned for its beginner-friendly interface. The platform incorporates tooltips for almost every feature, providing helpful information boxes when users hover over elements. Additionally, many business owners find Shopify’s UI visually pleasing, contributing to a positive daily user experience.
6. Rich themes and customisation. Shopify boasts 105 mobile-responsive themes, with 11 available for free. Its builder allows users to add a variety of content blocks, including signup forms, contact forms, and blog strips. For businesses prioritising ease of design without extensive coding, Shopify emerges as a top choice.
7. Expansive app store. Shopify’s App Store is unparalleled in breadth and variety, offering over 8,000 plugins for various functionalities. This diversity allows businesses to customise their sites without consulting a developer, making it a valuable asset for those implementing growth marketing strategies.
8. Robust email marketing support. Recognising the significance of email marketing, Shopify provides a free plugin for essential email flows, such as welcome messages, first purchase upsells, and abandoned cart reminders.
9. SEO optimisation capabilities. Both Shopify and BigCommerce support SEO customisation, enhancing a site’s visibility on search engines. Shopify automatically structures URLs with ‘/products’, ‘/collections’, or ‘/pages’, contributing to SEO optimisation. However, this fixed structure may be a consideration for businesses with specific SEO preferences.
10. Diverse payment integration. While Shopify facilitates selling on major platforms with free integrations for Google Shopping and enables physical payments, Shopify’s extensive payment options, including Shopify Payments, offer integration with over 100 payment methods globally, including popular options like ApplePay, PayPal, and Google Pay. Notably, while BigCommerce charges no transaction fees, Shopify’s fees range from 1 to 3%, unless using their proprietary payment portal.
11. Efficient logistics management. Shopify excels in out-of-the-box inventory management, allowing users to easily manage stock between different locations. The platform caters to dropshippers with numerous apps, including Oberlo, enhancing the efficiency of order fulfillment.
12. Shipping and tax calculation ease. Shopify streamlines the shipping process by generating live shipping costs (but only if you are on an Advanced Shopify or Plus plan and via a third party), printing labels from various carriers, and offering comprehensive tax calculation options. These features contribute to making order fulfillment and tax management more straightforward for businesses.
13. Comprehensive customer support. In its customer support options, Shopify provides Shopify Learn, a collection of free video courses covering various aspects of ecommerce success – from platform-specific how-tos to managing your finances as an entrepreneur.
14. Transparent pricing. While Shopify and BigCommerce’s subscription fees appear similar, Shopify’s transparent pricing model, not tied to store income, provides clarity for businesses. Upgrading to higher plans offers additional features, and the Lite version serves specific needs without overwhelming capabilities.

Disadvantages of Shopify

1. Limited staff accounts. While BigCommerce allows an unlimited number of staff accounts, providing flexibility for team members to access the platform, Shopify imposes restrictions. The Basic plan limits users to just two accounts, and even the Advanced plan only allows up to 15 accounts. This limitation may pose challenges for businesses with larger teams or varying access needs.
2. Separate subscriptions for storefronts. While BigCommerce allows users to set up multiple storefronts under a single subscription, Shopify generally requires separate subscriptions for each storefront. Though Shopify’s Plus plan supports multiple storefronts, it comes with a higher price tag, starting at $2,000 per month.
3. Payment processor costs and restrictions. Shopify users face constraints in their choice of payment processors. While BigCommerce offers a selection of 65 payment processors, Shopify users are bound to Shopify Payments or incur additional transaction fees for alternative processors.
4. Transaction fees. Shopify imposes transaction fees ranging from 1 to 3% on each purchase unless users utilise Shopify Payments, which isn’t available in all countries. In contrast, BigCommerce refrains from charging transaction fees.
5. Plugin dependency. BigCommerce provides several features upfront that would require plugins on Shopify, including product reviews, real-time shipping quotes, and unlimited staff accounts. However, excessive plugin usage may slow down site performance. Additionally, Shopify plugins often come with subscription fees, potentially resulting in higher monthly costs for users, especially solopreneurs or cost-conscious businesses.

BigCommerce vs Shopify

When it comes to selecting an ecommerce platform, the choice between BigCommerce and Shopify hinges on various factors, each catering to different business needs. Both platforms serve as robust solutions, but their key differences set them apart.

User-Friendliness

BigCommerce: Geared towards scalability and feature-rich functionality, it may require a steeper learning curve.

Shopify: Recognised for its user-friendly interface, Shopify is ideal for beginners and those without a technical background.

Themes and Customisation

BigCommerce: Offers themes and customisation options, though some sellers find Shopify themes more aesthetically pleasing and customisable.

Shopify: Provides visually appealing and highly customisable themes, enhancing the overall design of your online store.

Built-in Features vs. App Integration

BigCommerce: Known for its wealth of built-in features, BigCommerce provides an extensive range of functionalities without the need for additional plugins.

Shopify: Boasting a massive app store with over 8,000 third-party apps, Shopify offers a more customisable experience through plugins.

Marketing Strategy

BigCommerce: Excels in catering to bloggers and those prioritising a comprehensive marketing setup.

Shopify: Preferred for its simplicity in email marketing, making it suitable for businesses focusing on user-friendly marketing strategies.

Cost Considerations

BigCommerce: Generally considered the more cost-effective option, with no transaction fees and potentially lower plugin subscription costs.

Shopify: While popular, Shopify may incur higher costs due to paid app subscriptions and transaction fees on sales unless users utilise Shopify Payments.

Verdict: Tailor the Decision to Your Business Needs

Selecting between BigCommerce and Shopify isn’t about declaring an overall winner but understanding which platform aligns with your unique requirements. Here is a breakdown.

If You Prioritise Usability:

Winner: Shopify

Why: Shopify’s intuitive interface makes it a top choice for those who want to set up quickly without extensive technical knowledge.

If Your Focus is on Marketing Strategy:

Winner: Depends on your strategy

Why: Shopify excels in simpler email marketing, while BigCommerce provides a robust setup for bloggers and content-driven marketing.

If Cost Efficiency is Key:

Winner: BigCommerce

Why: With no transaction fees and potentially lower plugin subscription costs, BigCommerce is often the more economical option.

If Features and Scalability Matter Most:

Winner: Depends on your preferences

Why: BigCommerce offers more built-in features, while Shopify provides scalability through its extensive app store.

In general, Shopify is better for smaller ecommerce businesses and those that make in-person sales since it offers point-of-sale tools. BigCommerce may be a better fit for larger companies that manage multiple brands – but it has one big drawback, which is that you will be required to upgrade your monthly subscription when you hit certain revenue thresholds.

Final Thoughts

The two platforms, Shopify and BigCommerce, offer robust solutions, each with distinctive strengths and considerations. Whether it is the user-friendly interface of Shopify or the feature-rich environment of BigCommerce, the platform is a tool. The key to success lies in aligning your choice with your business goals and customer-centric approach. Consistently analysing customer interactions, seeking feedback, and adapting to meet changing preferences are crucial steps in this dynamic landscape.

Author: Alex Rodukov, multi-disciplinary strategic consultant working at Fourmeta UK.