Shopify vs BigCommerce
Shopify scores 9.0/10, BigCommerce 7.8/10. Where each one wins, what they cost and who should pick which, side by side.
The short answer
Shopify scores 9.0/10 and BigCommerce scores 7.8/10 on our rubric. Shopify is the stronger all-round pick.
Shopify leads on ease of use, design, flexibility, value and support.
Shopify starts at USD 29/mo with no free plan; BigCommerce starts at USD 29/mo with no free plan. They start at the same price.
Apps on top, or features built in
Shopify and BigCommerce are the two big hosted commerce platforms, and they take different bets. Shopify keeps the core lean and relies on its huge app store and partner network. BigCommerce builds more in, including B2B price lists, quotes, multiple storefronts and headless options, and says you need fewer apps as a result.
Two practical differences stand out. First, plan pricing. BigCommerce moves you to a higher plan automatically as annual sales pass $30,000 and $100,000, and above $33,333 a month on Scale it charges 0.9% of extra sales. Shopify's plans are chosen by features, not revenue. Second, payment fees. BigCommerce charges no platform fee on orders through its embedded payment providers, while Shopify adds up to 2% wherever Shopify Payments is unavailable. B2B sellers and multi-brand operations often land on BigCommerce. Most direct-to-consumer stores find more help, themes and apps on Shopify.
| Shopify | BigCommerce | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.0 | 7.8 |
| From | USD 29 | USD 29 |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Sells online | Yes | Yes |
| Code export | Yes | Yes |
| Ease of use | 8.4 | 7.2 |
| Design | 8.2 | 7.4 |
| Flexibility | 9.2 | 8.6 |
| Value | 8.0 | 7.6 |
| Support | 9.4 | 8.2 |
What Shopify does well
- Deepest commerce feature set anywhere
- App ecosystem handles every edge case
- Scales from first sale to enterprise
What BigCommerce does well
- Plans include B2B, multi-storefront and headless features other platforms charge extra for
- No platform fee on orders through embedded payment providers
Who each one is for
Shopify. Anyone whose primary activity is selling physical or digital goods and who wants the commerce infrastructure to be someone else's problem. It is the right answer from the first sale up to very large volumes, and the point at which you outgrow it is far enough away that most merchants never reach it.
BigCommerce. B2B sellers, merchants running several storefronts or complex catalogues, and stores that want more built in and fewer apps. The native B2B feature set is the strongest reason to choose it.
Pricing side by side
Shopify
| Basic | $29/mo yearly · $39 monthly | 2% fee on third-party gateways, 10 inventory locations |
|---|---|---|
| Grow | $79/mo yearly · $105 monthly | 1% third-party fee, 5 staff accounts |
| Advanced | $299/mo yearly · $399 monthly | 0.6% third-party fee, 15 staff accounts, third-party shipping rates |
| Plus | from $2,300/mo | 0.2% third-party fee, full checkout customisation, unlimited staff |
BigCommerce
| Core | $29/mo yearly · $39 monthly | up to $30K a year in sales, then moves to Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | $79/mo yearly · $105 monthly | up to $100K a year, then moves to Scale; phone support |
| Scale | $299/mo yearly · $399 monthly | covers $33,333 a month in sales, 0.9% on sales above that |
| Performance | from $1,499/mo | billed annually, for $1M+ in sales, dedicated success manager |
What a year costs
Shopify
The prices on the plan cards are yearly prices. Pay month to month and Basic is $39 rather than $29, Grow is $105 rather than $79 and Advanced is $399 rather than $299, so the monthly option costs about a third more. If you are confident enough to launch, the annual plan is the obvious saving.
Subscription, billed yearlyShopify's third-party transaction fee
BigCommerce
Each BigCommerce plan comes with a sales ceiling measured over the trailing twelve months. Core covers up to $30,000 a year and upgrades automatically to Growth; Growth covers up to $100,000 and upgrades to Scale. Scale includes $33,333 a month in sales and charges 0.9% on anything above that, with no jumps between tiers, and once you pass $2 million a year the account moves to Performance, which starts at $1,499 a month.
Plan priceScale overage at 0.9%
Who should skip each one
Shopify
A content site with a small shop attached. If you have ten products and two hundred articles, you are paying commerce pricing for a blog. It is also the wrong pick if you need an unconventional checkout, since the checkout is the part Shopify guards most closely.
BigCommerce
A first store that values ecosystem and available help. Shopify has more apps, more themes and far more people who know it.
The bottom line
Shopify
For most people starting a store, Shopify is the safe choice and the right one. Buy the annual plan, start on Basic, and move to Grow once you are selling more than about $5,000 a month and cannot use Shopify Payments, or once you need staff accounts.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce makes the most sense for B2B sellers, for businesses running several storefronts, and for growing stores that want more built in and fewer apps. Start on Core if you are new, and expect the plan to follow your sales upwards.
Questions people ask
Is Shopify better than BigCommerce?
Shopify scores 9.0/10 and BigCommerce scores 7.8/10 on our rubric. Shopify is the stronger all-round pick. Shopify leads on ease of use, design, flexibility, value and support.
Which is cheaper, Shopify or BigCommerce?
Shopify starts at USD 29/mo with no free plan; BigCommerce starts at USD 29/mo with no free plan. They start at the same price.
Which is easier to use, Shopify or BigCommerce?
Shopify scores 8.4/10 for ease of use against BigCommerce at 7.2/10.
Do Shopify and BigCommerce have a free plan?
Neither Shopify nor BigCommerce has a free plan.
Can you sell online with Shopify and BigCommerce?
Both Shopify and BigCommerce can take payments and run a store.
Can you move your site off Shopify or BigCommerce?
Both Shopify and BigCommerce let you export your code.
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