Shopify vs BigCommerce: Which E-Commerce Platform Is Right for You?

Shopify and BigCommerce are two of the most popular hosted e-commerce platforms, each powering hundreds of thousands of online stores. Both offer robust features for building and managing an online store, but they differ in approach, pricing structure, and target audience. This comparison helps you choose the right platform for your specific business needs.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Shopify	BigCommerce
Starting Price	$39/month	$39/month
Transaction Fees	0% with Shopify Payments, 0.5-2% otherwise	0% on all plans
Free Themes	12+	12+
Product Variants	100 per product (3 options)	600 per product (250 options)
Built-in Features	Moderate (app-dependent)	Extensive built-in
App Ecosystem	8,000+ apps	1,000+ apps
Multi-channel Selling	Excellent	Very Good
Ease of Use	Excellent	Good
Revenue Caps	None	Yes, per plan
Best For	Beginners to enterprise	Growing mid-market stores

Pricing Breakdown

Both platforms start at $39 per month for their basic plans, but the total cost of ownership can differ significantly.

Shopify's pricing tiers are Basic ($39), Shopify ($105), and Advanced ($399). Shopify charges transaction fees of 2%, 1%, and 0.5% respectively if you do not use Shopify Payments, their built-in payment processor. Using Shopify Payments eliminates these fees entirely.

BigCommerce charges $39, $105, and $399 for their Standard, Plus, and Pro plans. BigCommerce never charges transaction fees regardless of which payment processor you use. However, BigCommerce imposes annual revenue caps on each plan tier, requiring upgrades as your sales grow.

The hidden cost difference lies in apps and extensions. Shopify's leaner core feature set means you may need paid apps for functionality that BigCommerce includes natively. Features like product filtering, customer groups, and professional reporting require apps on Shopify but come built into BigCommerce.

Features and Functionality

BigCommerce ships with more built-in features out of the box. Native product filtering, customer groups, price lists, and advanced product options are included without apps or extra costs. For stores with complex catalogs or B2B requirements, these built-in features represent significant value.

Shopify takes a platform approach, providing core commerce functionality and relying on its massive app ecosystem for specialized features. This means more flexibility in choosing exactly the features you need, but also means managing multiple app subscriptions and potential compatibility issues.

Product management differs notably. BigCommerce supports up to 600 variants per product with 250 option types, making it better suited for products with many customization options. Shopify limits products to 100 variants across 3 option types, which can be restrictive for complex products.

Ease of Use

Shopify is widely regarded as the easier platform for beginners. Its interface is clean and intuitive, with a guided setup process that walks new store owners through each step. The theme editor is visual and responsive, letting you see changes in real time without touching code.

BigCommerce has a steeper learning curve due to its wider feature set. The admin interface presents more options and settings, which can be overwhelming for first-time store owners. However, the trade-off is access to powerful features without hunting for apps.

Multi-Channel Selling

Shopify excels at multi-channel selling with native integrations for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Amazon, eBay, and more. The unified dashboard manages inventory and orders across all channels seamlessly.

BigCommerce also supports multi-channel selling through its Channel Manager, including Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, and Google Shopping. The implementation is solid but Shopify's multi-channel experience is generally considered more polished and comprehensive.

Scalability

Both platforms handle growth well but approach scalability differently. Shopify Plus, the enterprise tier, powers some of the world's largest brands with unlimited bandwidth and transactions. BigCommerce Enterprise similarly serves large-scale operations with dedicated support and custom pricing.

BigCommerce's revenue caps on standard plans mean you will be pushed to higher-priced tiers as you grow. Shopify has no such caps, so a rapidly growing store can stay on a lower plan longer if its feature needs remain basic.

Who Should Choose Shopify?

Shopify is the better choice if you are new to e-commerce and want the easiest possible setup experience. It suits businesses that prioritize multi-channel selling, want access to the largest app ecosystem, and prefer to add features incrementally as needs arise.

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Who Should Choose BigCommerce?

BigCommerce is the better choice if you need extensive built-in features without relying on paid apps, have products with many variants and options, operate in a B2B environment with customer groups and price lists, or want to avoid per-transaction fees regardless of payment processor choice.

Final Verdict

Both platforms are excellent choices for building an online store. Shopify offers simplicity and ecosystem breadth, while BigCommerce offers feature depth and transparent pricing. Your decision should hinge on your specific product complexity, technical comfort level, and budget for apps and extensions.