BigCommerce vs Shopify is one of the most common comparisons made by entrepreneurs looking to launch or grow their online store. Both platforms are trusted by thousands of businesses worldwide—but they offer different strengths, pricing models, and customization options.
If you’re wondering which eCommerce platform is better for your specific needs, you’re in the right place.
In this detailed guide, we’ll compare BigCommerce vs Shopify across all the important categories: ease of use, design flexibility, features, pricing, payment options, and more. By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear understanding of which platform best fits your business goals—whether you’re a beginner or scaling fast.
Let’s dive in and find out which one truly delivers.
Table of Contents
Ease of Use
When it comes to ease of use, BigCommerce vs Shopify presents a noticeable difference in user experience, especially for beginners.
Shopify is widely known for its beginner-friendly interface. The dashboard is clean, intuitive, and guides you through every step of setting up your store—from adding products to customizing themes and processing orders. Even if you’ve never built a website before, Shopify makes the process smooth with minimal technical hurdles.
BigCommerce, on the other hand, offers more built-in features out of the box, but this can make the dashboard feel overwhelming, especially for new users. The interface is more complex and may require a bit of a learning curve. However, experienced users or businesses that need advanced functionality may find BigCommerce’s control and flexibility more appealing.
Verdict:
- Shopify is ideal for users looking for simplicity and speed.
- BigCommerce is better suited for users who are comfortable with more robust tools and deeper customization.
Design & Themes
One of the most important aspects of building an online store is how it looks. In the BigCommerce vs Shopify comparison, both platforms offer a range of design options—but there are key differences.
Shopify has a large collection of professionally designed themes, including over 100 free and premium options. All themes are mobile-responsive, modern, and easy to customize using the built-in drag-and-drop editor. Shopify’s theme store also offers niche-specific templates—ideal for fashion, electronics, or health products.
BigCommerce also provides a variety of themes, but the selection is more limited compared to Shopify. While they are mobile-optimized and look clean, many free themes look similar, and advanced customization often requires HTML/CSS knowledge or hiring a developer. BigCommerce does support drag-and-drop editing with its Page Builder, but it’s not as beginner-friendly as Shopify’s.
Verdict:
- Shopify wins for its design flexibility and wide selection of polished themes.
- BigCommerce offers decent design options but leans more towards users with some technical skills.
eCommerce Features
When comparing BigCommerce vs Shopify, one of the most critical areas to evaluate is the set of built-in eCommerce features. Both platforms are designed to help you sell online, but they approach it differently.
BigCommerce offers a wide range of powerful features straight out of the box. You get advanced product options, native support for multi-currency, real-time shipping quotes, and no need for third-party apps to manage core functions like product filtering, custom fields, or customer groups. This makes it a strong choice for growing or enterprise-level businesses.
Shopify, while also powerful, often requires apps to match BigCommerce’s built-in capabilities. For example, if you want advanced reporting, product filtering, or multi-language stores, you may need to install paid apps. The upside is that Shopify’s App Store is massive and easy to use—allowing you to add exactly what you need.
Key Features Comparison:
- Product Variants: BigCommerce allows up to 600 variants; Shopify supports 100 (without apps).
- Shipping Options: BigCommerce includes real-time shipping rates; Shopify requires certain plans or apps.
- Multi-Currency Support: Native in BigCommerce; available in Shopify with limitations depending on theme and plan.
- Abandoned Cart Recovery: Available in both (starting from basic plans).
Verdict:
- BigCommerce is ideal for users who want more features included without relying heavily on apps.
- Shopify gives flexibility through its app ecosystem but may involve extra costs.
Payment Options & Fees
A key part of the BigCommerce vs Shopify debate is how each platform handles payments and what it will cost you per transaction.
Shopify
Shopify supports over 100 payment gateways including PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay. It also offers Shopify Payments, a built-in gateway with no additional transaction fees. However, if you choose an external gateway (like PayPal or Stripe), Shopify charges additional transaction fees ranging from 0.5% to 2%, depending on your plan.
Currency support, fraud protection, and multi-payment options are well-integrated, but to avoid extra charges, most users end up using Shopify Payments if it’s available in their region.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce also supports a wide variety of payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, Square, and Authorize.net—without charging any extra transaction fees, no matter which gateway you choose. This gives you more flexibility and potentially lower costs, especially if you want to use a provider other than the platform’s default.
Like Shopify, BigCommerce also supports digital wallets, multi-currency, and international payments, which is great for global businesses.
Verdict:
- BigCommerce is more cost-effective if you don’t want to use the platform’s default payment processor.
- Shopify charges extra if you don’t use Shopify Payments but makes setup and management extremely simple.
Pricing & Plans
In the BigCommerce vs Shopify comparison, pricing is a major factor for store owners—especially when scaling a business. While both platforms offer multiple plans, the differences in features and hidden costs can make one more suitable than the other depending on your needs.
Shopify Pricing
Shopify offers three main pricing tiers:
- Basic Shopify – $39/month
- Shopify – $105/month
- Advanced Shopify – $399/month
Each plan includes essential features, but higher plans unlock advanced reporting, better shipping discounts, and lower transaction fees. One important note: Shopify charges transaction fees (0.5%–2%) unless you use Shopify Payments.
Additionally, many advanced features (like product reviews, upsell tools, etc.) may require paid apps, which can increase your total monthly cost.
BigCommerce Pricing
BigCommerce also offers three core pricing plans:
- Standard – $39/month
- Plus – $105/month
- Pro – $399/month (based on sales volume)
All BigCommerce plans include most features by default—like real-time shipping quotes, abandoned cart recovery (from Plus plan), product filtering, and advanced SEO settings. Best of all, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees, no matter which payment gateway you use.
However, BigCommerce’s pricing is tied to your store’s annual sales. For example, once your store exceeds $400k in annual revenue, you’re automatically moved to the Enterprise plan, which has custom pricing.
Verdict:
- Shopify is predictable and flexible, but extra apps can increase your monthly cost.
- BigCommerce includes more features at each tier but may scale pricing based on your sales volume.
Apps & Integrations
When it comes to extending the functionality of your store, both platforms offer powerful integrations—but they differ in approach. In the BigCommerce vs Shopify comparison, Shopify clearly leads in app variety, while BigCommerce focuses more on built-in features.
Shopify App Store
Shopify offers access to over 8,000 apps through its official App Store. These include tools for:
- Email marketing (e.g., Klaviyo, Omnisend)
- Dropshipping (e.g., Oberlo, Spocket)
- SEO and analytics
- Upselling and abandoned cart recovery
- Print-on-demand services
Most apps are beginner-friendly and install with one click. However, many of the best features come with monthly subscription fees, so costs can add up.
BigCommerce App Marketplace
BigCommerce has a smaller marketplace with 1,000+ apps, but it makes up for that by including many features natively (like product filtering, multi-currency support, and advanced SEO). The apps available cover similar needs—email, marketing, accounting, CRM—but there’s slightly less variety than Shopify.
BigCommerce is also strong in B2B integrations, making it appealing for wholesale or large-scale sellers.
Verdict:
- Shopify is ideal if you want access to a huge range of tools and are okay with using third-party apps.
- BigCommerce suits users who prefer more built-in features and don’t want to rely heavily on apps.
SEO & Marketing Tools
Good SEO and marketing tools are essential for driving traffic and increasing sales. In the BigCommerce vs Shopify debate, both platforms offer helpful features—but BigCommerce provides a bit more control out of the box, while Shopify relies more on apps.
Shopify SEO & Marketing
Shopify covers all the SEO basics:
- Customizable meta titles and descriptions
- SEO-friendly URLs
- 301 redirects
- Mobile-responsive themes
However, Shopify does have a few limitations. For example, it automatically adds URL prefixes like /products/ or /collections/, which can’t be removed. While this won’t drastically hurt your rankings, it may bother users who want full URL control.
For marketing, Shopify makes it easy to integrate tools like Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Google Ads. It also has built-in email marketing features, discount code creation, and marketing automations—but more advanced features often require third-party apps.
BigCommerce SEO & Marketing
BigCommerce offers slightly better SEO control out of the box:
- Full access to customize URLs (without forced prefixes)
- Built-in microdata (schema markup)
- AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) support for product pages
- Optimized image handling for faster loading
On the marketing side, BigCommerce includes abandoned cart emails (from the Plus plan), discount and coupon features, and native integrations with platforms like Mailchimp and Facebook Ads.
Verdict:
- BigCommerce offers more control for serious SEO users and better built-in features.
- Shopify is easier to use and has a wider app ecosystem for marketing, but may require paid tools.
Performance & Speed
Website speed and reliability are critical for user experience, SEO, and conversion rates. When comparing BigCommerce vs Shopify, both platforms perform well—but with a few differences worth noting.
Shopify Performance
Shopify hosts all stores on its global cloud infrastructure, which means:
- Fast load times across different locations
- Built-in CDN (Content Delivery Network)
- 99.99% uptime guarantee
Shopify themes are well-optimized for mobile devices, and loading speeds are generally consistent—even with third-party apps installed. However, overloading your store with too many apps or heavy images can still affect performance.
BigCommerce Performance
BigCommerce also delivers strong speed and uptime, with:
- Google Cloud hosting
- Built-in CDN
- Automatic image optimization
- Fast server response times
BigCommerce is known for handling high-traffic stores efficiently, especially those with large product catalogs. Its built-in features also mean fewer third-party apps, which can help maintain faster page speeds.
Verdict:
- Shopify offers fast and reliable performance, especially for small to mid-sized stores.
- BigCommerce is ideal for larger or high-traffic stores that need stability and speed at scale.
Security
Security is non-negotiable when running an online store. Customers need to trust that their personal and payment information is safe. In the BigCommerce vs Shopify comparison, both platforms take security seriously—but with slight differences in approach.
Shopify Security
Shopify is a fully hosted solution that comes with:
- Free SSL certificate for all stores
- PCI DSS Level 1 compliance (the highest level for handling credit card data)
- Automatic updates and security patches
- Built-in fraud analysis for Shopify Payments users
Security is handled entirely by Shopify, so store owners don’t need to worry about server vulnerabilities or installing third-party security plugins.
BigCommerce Security
BigCommerce also includes robust security features, such as:
- Free SSL certificate with all plans
- PCI DSS Level 1 compliance
- DDoS protection and firewalls
- Sitewide HTTPS encryption
Like Shopify, BigCommerce takes care of hosting and server-level security. It’s ideal for larger stores where handling sensitive customer data safely is critical.
Verdict:
- Both BigCommerce and Shopify provide enterprise-grade security, making them equally reliable in this area.
- The difference lies more in who handles your payment processing, not the platform’s core security features.
Customer Support
Reliable customer support can make a big difference—especially when you’re facing urgent issues with your online store. In the BigCommerce vs Shopify comparison, both platforms offer strong support systems, but there are some differences in responsiveness and resources.
Shopify Support
Shopify provides 24/7 customer support through:
- Live chat
- Phone (available in certain regions)
- Help Center with articles, guides, and tutorials
- A large community forum and an active user base
One of Shopify’s strengths is its responsive live chat, which many users find helpful for resolving issues quickly. There’s also a strong ecosystem of Shopify Experts for hire if you need professional help with development, design, or marketing.
BigCommerce Support
BigCommerce also offers 24/7 support via:
- Live chat
- Phone
- A comprehensive knowledge base
- Community forum
BigCommerce includes priority support on higher-tier plans, and its agents are often praised for providing technical, in-depth answers. For enterprise-level clients, dedicated account managers and onboarding specialists are available.
Verdict:
- Shopify offers slightly more accessible support for beginners with a larger user community.
- BigCommerce provides more technical and enterprise-grade support, especially for growing businesses.
Scalability
As your business grows, your eCommerce platform needs to scale with you. In the BigCommerce vs Shopify comparison, both platforms are built to support growing stores—but they scale in different ways.
Shopify Scalability
Shopify is designed to grow with businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re just starting out or reaching thousands of orders per day, Shopify’s infrastructure is reliable and capable. Key scalability features include:
- Shopify Plus for high-volume stores (enterprise-level solution)
- Easy integration with fulfillment services, POS systems, and multi-channel selling
- Large app ecosystem to expand store functionality as needed
However, adding new features often means relying on more third-party apps, which can increase complexity and cost as your business scales.
BigCommerce Scalability
BigCommerce stands out for its built-in scalability. Many features that Shopify requires apps for—such as advanced product filtering, multi-currency support, and custom user roles—are included in the core platform. This reduces dependency on third-party apps and makes scaling smoother and more cost-efficient.
BigCommerce is often preferred by:
- Businesses with large or complex product catalogs
- Brands that sell globally or B2B
- Companies needing deep customization or API access
The platform also supports headless commerce, giving developers more control to build flexible front-end experiences using BigCommerce as the backend.
Verdict:
- Shopify is highly scalable through apps and integrations—ideal for fast-growing, app-friendly businesses.
- BigCommerce is better suited for technical teams or businesses needing built-in features and deeper customization at scale.
Who Should Use Each Platform?
After comparing all the key features, one big question remains: In the BigCommerce vs Shopify debate, which platform is right for you? The answer depends on your business size, technical skills, and long-term goals.
Choose Shopify if:
- You’re a beginner or non-technical user who wants to get started quickly
- You value a clean, user-friendly interface with minimal setup hassle
- You want access to thousands of apps and third-party tools
- You’re building a small to mid-sized store and prefer simplicity
- You’re okay with using Shopify Payments to avoid extra transaction fees
Shopify is an excellent choice for creators, small business owners, and brands that prioritize ease of use and design flexibility over deep built-in features.
Choose BigCommerce if:
- You have a larger product catalog or need advanced eCommerce features out of the box
- You want full control over SEO and URL structure
- You plan to scale to international or B2B markets
- You prefer fewer third-party apps and more built-in functionality
- You’re comfortable with a slightly steeper learning curve or have a developer on your team
BigCommerce is ideal for growing brands, wholesalers, or businesses that need robust features without relying heavily on plugins or apps.
Final Thought:
In the battle of BigCommerce vs Shopify, both platforms are excellent—but they serve different needs. Shopify is best for ease and design, while BigCommerce wins in built-in power and flexibility.
Conclusion: BigCommerce vs Shopify — Which One Should You Pick?
Choosing between BigCommerce vs Shopify depends entirely on your business needs, experience level, and long-term goals.
- If you’re looking for an easy-to-use platform with tons of design options and app integrations, Shopify is your go-to.
- If you want powerful features built in, more control over your store, and a solution that can scale without heavy reliance on apps, BigCommerce might be the better fit.
Both platforms are excellent—and fortunately, you don’t have to guess. Most offer free trials, so you can test them out before committing.