BigCommerce vs. Shopify: The Ultimate E-commerce Platform Showdown
In the world of e-commerce, choosing the right platform is crucial to the success of your online business. Two of the most popular platforms available today are BigCommerce and Shopify. Both offer robust features, scalability, and flexibility, but which one is the best fit for your business? In this comprehensive comparison, we'll explore the key differences between BigCommerce and Shopify, highlighting why Shopify might be the better choice for your e-commerce needs.
What is in this page
Overview of BigCommerce and Shopify
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a powerful e-commerce platform designed for businesses of all sizes. It offers a wide range of features, including customizable templates, advanced SEO tools, and multiple payment gateways. BigCommerce is known for its scalability, making it a great option for growing businesses.
Shopify
Shopify, on the other hand, is a user-friendly e-commerce platform that has helped over a million businesses worldwide. It provides a seamless experience for setting up and managing an online store, with a vast array of apps and integrations to enhance functionality. Shopify is particularly praised for its ease of use, excellent customer support, and robust Point of Sale (POS) system.
Ease of Use
BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers a variety of customization options, but its interface can be a bit overwhelming for beginners. The platform provides a range of built-in tools and features, but navigating through these options might require a learning curve.
Shopify
Shopify is renowned for its user-friendly interface. Setting up a store is straightforward, thanks to its intuitive drag-and-drop builder and a wide selection of pre-designed templates. Even if you're not tech-savvy, you can easily create a professional-looking store with Shopify. This ease of use makes Shopify an excellent choice for new entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Design and Customization
BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers a decent selection of free and paid themes. While these themes are customizable, advanced customization might require some coding knowledge. BigCommerce does provide access to HTML and CSS, allowing for greater flexibility if you have the technical skills.
Shopify
Shopify shines in the design department with its extensive collection of visually appealing themes. The platform offers both free and premium themes, all of which are mobile-responsive and highly customizable. You can easily tweak your store's appearance using Shopify's user-friendly theme editor. For those who want more control, Shopify also allows access to HTML and CSS for advanced customization.
Payment Options and Transaction Fees
BigCommerce
BigCommerce supports a wide range of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Square. One of the standout features of BigCommerce is that it doesn't charge transaction fees, regardless of the payment gateway you choose. This can be a significant cost-saving advantage for businesses with high sales volumes.
Shopify
Shopify also supports numerous payment gateways, but it has its own payment processor called Shopify Payments. When using Shopify Payments, you avoid transaction fees, but if you choose a third-party gateway, transaction fees apply (ranging from 0.5% to 2% depending on your plan). Despite these fees, Shopify Payments is a seamless and convenient option that integrates perfectly with your store.
SEO and Marketing Tools
BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers a robust set of SEO tools, including customizable URLs, meta tags, and built-in blogging capabilities. The platform also supports various marketing integrations, such as Google Shopping and email marketing services. These features can help you drive traffic to your store and improve your search engine rankings.
Shopify
Shopify also excels in SEO and marketing, with tools designed to help you optimize your store and attract customers. Shopify's SEO features include customizable titles, meta descriptions, and URL handles. Additionally, Shopify integrates with popular marketing tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, and email marketing platforms. Shopify's App Store offers a plethora of marketing apps to further enhance your efforts.
Customer Support
BigCommerce
BigCommerce provides 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat. They also offer a comprehensive knowledge base, community forums, and video tutorials to help you navigate the platform and troubleshoot issues.
Shopify
Shopify is known for its outstanding customer support. Like BigCommerce, Shopify offers 24/7 support through phone, email, and live chat. Additionally, Shopify has an extensive help center, community forums, and a wealth of online resources, including webinars and courses, to assist you in growing your business.
Pricing
BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers three main pricing plans:
- Standard Plan: $29.95 per month
- Plus Plan: $79.95 per month
- Pro Plan: $299.95 per month
BigCommerce also offers an Enterprise plan for large businesses with custom pricing. Each plan includes a range of features, with higher-tier plans offering more advanced tools and capabilities.
Shopify
Shopify also has three main pricing plans:
- Basic Shopify: $29 per month
- Shopify: $79 per month
- Advanced Shopify: $299 per month
Shopify offers a 14-day free trial, allowing you to explore the platform before committing. Additionally, Shopify provides a Lite plan for $9 per month, which enables you to sell on social media and add products to an existing website. For large enterprises, Shopify Plus offers a customized solution with advanced features and dedicated support.
Shopify POS System
One of the standout features of Shopify is its Point of Sale (POS) system. The Shopify POS system seamlessly integrates your online store with your physical retail operations, allowing you to manage inventory, sales, and customer data across both channels. This unified approach helps streamline your business processes and provides a cohesive shopping experience for your customers.
Key Features of Shopify POS:
- Unified Inventory Management: Sync your inventory across online and physical stores in real-time.
- Flexible Payment Options: Accept various payment methods, including credit cards, mobile payments, and gift cards.
- Customer Profiles: Create detailed customer profiles to track purchase history and preferences.
- Sales Reports: Access comprehensive sales reports to analyze performance and make informed decisions.
- Omnichannel Capabilities: Offer services like buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS), and ship from store.
While both BigCommerce and Shopify are excellent e-commerce platforms, Shopify stands out for its ease of use, extensive customization options, superior customer support, and integrated POS system. These features make Shopify an ideal choice for new entrepreneurs, dropshippers, and established e-commerce businesses looking to streamline their operations and grow their sales.
Ready to transform your business with Shopify? Get started with Shopify today and experience the power of a platform designed for success. With Shopify, you have everything you need to build, manage, and scale your online store—all in one place.
Unlock the full potential of your online store today
Don't wait any longer—take the leap and join the ranks of successful e-commerce entrepreneurs who trust Shopify to power their businesses.
