Introduction
Choosing the right e-commerce platform can make or break your online business. With countless options available in today’s digital marketplace, two names consistently stand out among Australian entrepreneurs and business owners: BigCommerce and Shopify. Both platforms have earned their reputation as leading e-commerce solutions, but they each offer distinct advantages and challenges that could significantly impact your business success.
As we move through 2025, the competition between these platforms has intensified, with both continuously rolling out new features and improvements. For brand owners and founders considering their next move or starting their e-commerce journey, understanding the nuances between BigCommerce vs Shopify isn’t just helpful - it’s essential for making an informed decision that aligns with your business goals and budget.
This comprehensive comparison will dive deep into every aspect of both platforms, from pricing structures and ease of use to customisation capabilities and scalability features. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear understanding of which platform best suits your specific needs and business objectives.
Overview of E-commerce Platforms
E-commerce platforms serve as the foundation for your online business, providing the tools and infrastructure necessary to sell products or services over the internet. These comprehensive solutions handle everything from product catalogue management and payment processing to inventory tracking and customer relationship management.
Modern e-commerce platforms have evolved far beyond simple online storefronts. They now integrate with social media channels, offer advanced analytics, provide mobile-responsive designs, and support complex business operations. The platform you choose will influence your daily operations, customer experience, growth potential, and ultimately, your bottom line.
Both BigCommerce and Shopify fall into the category of hosted e-commerce solutions, meaning they handle the technical aspects of running your online store, including hosting, security, and updates. This approach allows business owners to focus on what matters most: growing their business and serving customers.
Importance of Choosing the Right Platform
The e-commerce platform decision isn’t one you can easily reverse without significant time, cost, and effort. Your choice will impact virtually every aspect of your online business, from how quickly you can launch to how effectively you can scale operations as you grow.
Consider that migrating from one platform to another typically involves transferring product data, customer information, order history, and customisations. This process can take weeks or months and may result in temporary disruptions to your business operations. Additionally, staff training, new integrations, and redesign work add to the switching costs.
The right platform should grow with your business, support your specific industry requirements, integrate with your existing tools, and provide the features you need both today and in the future. Making the wrong choice could limit your growth potential or force costly platform migrations down the track.
BigCommerce Overview
BigCommerce positions itself as an enterprise-grade e-commerce platform that provides powerful built-in features without requiring extensive technical knowledge or numerous third-party apps. Founded in 2009, the platform has grown to power over 60,000 online stores worldwide, ranging from small startups to large enterprises.
The platform takes a “no limits” approach to e-commerce, meaning it doesn’t charge transaction fees on top of standard payment processing costs and doesn’t impose restrictions on annual sales volume across its standard plans. This philosophy makes BigCommerce particularly attractive to businesses expecting rapid growth or those already processing significant sales volumes.
BigCommerce operates on a SaaS (Software as a Service) model, handling hosting, security, and platform maintenance while providing users with extensive customisation options through its API-first architecture. The platform emphasises providing enterprise-level functionality at accessible price points, making advanced features available to businesses of all sizes.
Key Features
BigCommerce comes packed with built-in features designed to minimise reliance on third-party apps and plugins. The platform includes advanced SEO tools out of the box, with automatic sitemap generation, customisable URLs, and microdata markup. These features help improve search engine visibility without requiring additional investments in SEO apps.
The platform’s multi-channel selling capabilities allow merchants to sell across various channels including Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, and Google Shopping directly from the BigCommerce dashboard. This centralised approach to multi-channel selling streamlines inventory management and reduces the complexity of managing multiple sales channels.
BigCommerce also offers robust B2B functionality, including customer group pricing, quote management, and bulk ordering capabilities. The platform’s API-first approach enables extensive customisations and integrations, making it suitable for businesses with unique requirements or complex workflows.
Built-in analytics and reporting tools provide detailed insights into sales performance, customer behaviour, and marketing effectiveness. The platform includes abandoned cart recovery, customer segmentation, and email marketing tools, reducing the need for additional marketing apps in many cases.
Target Audience
BigCommerce primarily targets growing businesses and established companies that need robust functionality without the complexity of custom development. The platform appeals particularly to businesses that prioritise built-in features over extensive app marketplaces, as this approach can reduce monthly costs and complexity.
Mid-market businesses often find BigCommerce attractive due to its enterprise-level features at accessible price points. Companies processing higher sales volumes benefit from the platform’s no transaction fees policy, which can result in significant savings compared to platforms that charge percentage-based transaction fees.
Technical teams and developers appreciate BigCommerce’s API-first architecture and extensive customisation capabilities. The platform provides more flexibility for custom development projects compared to more restrictive platforms, making it suitable for businesses with unique requirements or complex integrations.
B2B companies and wholesale businesses particularly benefit from BigCommerce’s built-in B2B features, which would typically require expensive additions or custom development on other platforms.
Shopify Overview
Shopify has established itself as the world’s leading e-commerce platform, powering over one million businesses across 175 countries. Founded in 2006, the platform has grown from a simple online store builder to a comprehensive commerce ecosystem that supports everything from small startups to large enterprises.
The platform’s success stems from its user-friendly approach to e-commerce, making it possible for non-technical users to create professional online stores quickly. Shopify’s extensive app marketplace, with thousands of available apps and integrations, allows merchants to customise their stores’ functionality to meet specific business needs.
Shopify operates on a multi-tenant SaaS model, meaning all users share the same underlying infrastructure while maintaining separate store instances. This approach enables Shopify to offer competitive pricing while ensuring reliability and performance across its platform.
Key Features
Shopify’s strength lies in its simplicity and extensive ecosystem. The platform offers an intuitive drag-and-drop store builder that allows users to create professional-looking stores without technical expertise. The theme system provides both free and premium design options, with themes optimised for mobile devices and conversion.
The Shopify App Store contains thousands of apps covering virtually every e-commerce need, from inventory management and accounting integrations to advanced marketing automation and customer service tools. This extensive ecosystem allows merchants to add functionality as needed without platform limitations.
Shopify’s payment processing system, Shopify Payments, integrates seamlessly with the platform and offers competitive processing rates. However, merchants can also choose from numerous other payment gateways, providing flexibility in payment processing options.
The platform excels in social commerce, with native integrations for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and other social platforms. Shopify’s checkout system is widely regarded as one of the best in the industry, contributing to higher conversion rates for many merchants.
Target Audience
Shopify appeals to a broad range of businesses, from individual entrepreneurs starting their first online store to large enterprises requiring complex functionality. The platform’s ease of use makes it particularly attractive to non-technical business owners who want to focus on growing their business rather than managing technical details.
Small to medium-sized businesses benefit from Shopify’s scalable pricing structure and extensive app ecosystem, which allows them to start simple and add functionality as they grow. The platform’s strong focus on design and user experience appeals to brands prioritising aesthetics and customer experience.
Dropshipping businesses and individuals selling through social media platforms find Shopify particularly suitable due to its strong social commerce features and integration with dropshipping apps like Oberlo and Spocket.
Large enterprises and high-growth companies can leverage Shopify Plus, the platform’s enterprise solution, which provides additional customisation options, dedicated support, and advanced features for complex business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
Understanding the true cost of each platform requires looking beyond monthly subscription fees to include transaction costs, app expenses, and additional features. Both platforms offer multiple pricing tiers designed to accommodate businesses at different stages of growth, but their pricing philosophies differ significantly.
The total cost of ownership for any e-commerce platform includes subscription fees, transaction costs, payment processing fees, app subscriptions, theme costs, and potential development expenses. These costs can vary dramatically based on your business model, sales volume, and feature requirements.
It’s important to note that while initial pricing might seem straightforward, the actual costs can increase substantially as you add necessary apps, upgrade themes, or require custom development work. Understanding these potential additional costs is crucial for accurate budget planning.
BigCommerce Pricing Structures
BigCommerce offers four main pricing tiers, with the Standard Plan costing $39 per month, the Plus Plan priced at $105 per month, and Pro Plan at $399 per month. The Enterprise plan features custom pricing based on specific business requirements and sales volume. These prices are in USD and are listed on their pricing page.
The Standard plan includes unlimited products, storage, and bandwidth, along with basic marketing tools and standard reporting. This plan supports up to $50,000 in annual sales, making it suitable for small to medium businesses starting their e-commerce journey.
The Plus plan, designed for scaling businesses, removes the annual sales limit and includes abandoned cart recovery, customer segmentation, and stored payment methods. This plan also provides access to the BigCommerce API for custom integrations and advanced customisation options.
The Pro plan targets larger businesses with features like Google Customer Reviews, advanced filtering, and custom SSL certificates. BigCommerce’s processing fees for debit and credit cards begin at 1.50% + A$0.30 per transaction for Australian-based businesses, with no additional transaction fees on top of payment processing costs.
One significant advantage of BigCommerce’s pricing structure is the absence of transaction fees across all plans. This means you only pay standard payment processing rates, which can result in substantial savings for businesses with higher sales volumes.
Shopify Pricing Structures
Shopify’s pricing in Australia starts at $7/month for the Starter plan, with Basic Shopify at $56 AUD/month, Shopify at $149 AUD/month, and Advanced Shopify at $575 AUD/month. Shopify Plus starts at USD 2,300 per month for standard setups.
The Basic Shopify plan includes essential features for starting an online business, including unlimited products, 24/7 support, and basic reporting. However, this plan includes transaction fees of 2.0% when using third-party payment providers, though these fees are waived when using Shopify Payments.
The standard Shopify plan reduces transaction fees to 1.0% and includes additional features like gift cards, professional reports, and abandoned cart recovery. The Advanced Shopify plan eliminates transaction fees when using Shopify Payments and includes advanced report building and third-party calculated shipping rates.
Shopify’s transaction fee structure can significantly impact total costs, particularly for businesses using payment providers other than Shopify Payments. However, businesses using Shopify Payments benefit from competitive processing rates and integrated functionality.
Cost Analysis: BigCommerce vs Shopify
When comparing total costs, BigCommerce often provides better value for businesses with higher sales volumes due to its no transaction fees policy. A business processing $100,000 annually could save thousands in transaction fees by choosing BigCommerce over Shopify, depending on their payment processing setup.
However, Shopify’s extensive app ecosystem means merchants often need to purchase additional apps to achieve the same functionality that comes built-in with BigCommerce. These app subscription costs can quickly add up, with popular apps ranging from $10 to $100+ per month each.
For smaller businesses or those just starting, Shopify’s lower entry-level pricing and extensive free app options might provide better initial value. The $56 AUD Basic plan offers a cost-effective way to test the market and build an online presence.
BigCommerce’s higher base pricing reflects the inclusion of more advanced features as standard. Businesses requiring these features might find BigCommerce more cost-effective than Shopify plus multiple apps to achieve similar functionality.
Consider also the cost of themes and customisation. BigCommerce offers more free themes with advanced functionality, while Shopify’s premium themes can cost $200-$400 AUD. Custom development costs vary for both platforms but can be significant for businesses requiring unique functionality.
Ease of Use
The learning curve and daily usability of your e-commerce platform directly impact productivity and operational efficiency. Both BigCommerce and Shopify prioritise user-friendliness, but they achieve this through different approaches and design philosophies.
Platform usability encompasses everything from initial setup and product management to order processing and customer service. A platform that’s difficult to use can slow down operations, increase training costs, and create barriers to scaling your business effectively.
Consider not just your own technical comfort level, but also that of any team members who will use the platform. The most feature-rich platform won’t benefit your business if staff struggle to use it effectively or require extensive training to perform basic tasks.
User Interface and Experience
Shopify is renowned for its clean, intuitive interface that makes e-commerce management accessible to users regardless of technical background. The dashboard presents information clearly, with logical navigation and helpful tutorials guiding users through complex processes. The design philosophy prioritises simplicity, sometimes at the expense of advanced functionality being immediately accessible.
The Shopify admin interface uses clear labelling, consistent design patterns, and progressive disclosure to present complex functionality in digestible chunks. New users often find they can navigate the basic functions within minutes of logging in, while advanced features remain accessible when needed.
BigCommerce takes a more comprehensive approach to its interface, presenting more functionality upfront. While this can initially seem overwhelming to new users, it means advanced features are readily accessible without drilling down through multiple menu levels. The interface has improved significantly in recent years, becoming more intuitive while maintaining its comprehensive feature set.
Both platforms offer mobile apps for managing stores on the go, though Shopify’s mobile experience is generally considered more polished and user-friendly. This can be important for business owners who need to manage their stores while traveling or away from their computer.
Setting Up Your Online Store
Shopify’s setup process is streamlined and guided, with clear step-by-step instructions for new users. The platform’s setup wizard walks users through essential configuration steps, from adding products and setting up payment processing to configuring shipping options. Most users can have a basic store running within hours of signing up.
The theme selection and customisation process in Shopify is particularly user-friendly, with a visual editor that allows real-time preview of changes. The drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to modify layouts, add content sections, and customise the appearance without coding knowledge.
BigCommerce’s setup process is slightly more complex due to the platform’s extensive built-in functionality. However, this complexity often translates to more powerful stores out of the box. The platform provides detailed documentation and setup guides, but new users might need more time to familiarise themselves with all available options.
BigCommerce’s advantage during setup becomes apparent when configuring advanced features like B2B functionality, complex shipping rules, or detailed SEO settings. These features are readily available during initial setup, whereas they might require additional apps or configuration in other platforms.
Customer Support Options
Both platforms recognise that quality support is crucial for business success and offer comprehensive support options, though their approaches differ slightly.
Shopify provides 24/7 support via phone, email, and live chat across all paid plans. The support team is well-trained and generally provides quick, helpful responses. Shopify also maintains extensive documentation, video tutorials, and an active community forum where users share solutions and best practices.
Shopify’s help centre includes detailed guides for common tasks, troubleshooting steps, and best practice recommendations. The platform also offers Shopify Academy, a free educational resource with courses on e-commerce fundamentals, marketing, and platform-specific training.
BigCommerce similarly offers 24/7 support via phone, email, and live chat, with generally positive reviews for response quality and technical expertise. The support team often provides more detailed technical assistance, reflecting the platform’s target market of more technically oriented businesses.
BigCommerce’s support extends to more technical areas, including API guidance and custom development assistance. The platform also provides migration assistance for businesses switching from other platforms, which can be valuable for complex store migrations.
Customization and Design
Your store’s visual appearance and functionality directly impact customer perception, user experience, and ultimately, sales performance. Both platforms offer extensive customisation options, but they approach design flexibility and customisation capabilities differently.
The balance between ease of use and customisation depth varies between platforms. Some prioritise user-friendly design tools that limit complexity, while others offer extensive customisation options that require more technical knowledge to fully utilise.
Consider your design requirements, technical capabilities, and long-term brand goals when evaluating customisation options. The most customisable platform won’t benefit your business if you lack the skills or resources to leverage its capabilities effectively.
Themes and Templates on BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers 12 free themes that are clean, functional, and professional in appearance, plus around 202 paid themes ranging from $100 to $400 in price. The free themes provide solid foundations for most businesses, though options are more limited compared to some competitors.
BigCommerce themes are generally well-coded and optimised for performance and SEO. The platform’s themes include built-in functionality for features like quick view, product comparisons, and advanced filtering, reducing the need for additional apps or customisation.
The paid theme marketplace offers designs across various industries, from fashion and electronics to B2B and services. These premium themes often include advanced customisation options, multiple layout variations, and enhanced functionality specific to certain business types.
BigCommerce’s theme customisation happens through a visual editor called Page Builder, which allows drag-and-drop modification of page layouts. However, more advanced customisation requires working with the platform’s template files, which uses the Handlebars templating language.
Themes and Templates on Shopify
Shopify offers a larger selection of both free and paid themes, with over 70 free themes and hundreds of premium options in its theme store. The platform’s themes are known for their modern designs, mobile optimisation, and conversion-focused layouts.
Premium Shopify themes typically range from $200-$400 AUD and often include multiple style variations within a single purchase. These themes are generally well-supported by developers, with regular updates and customer support for theme-specific issues.
Shopify’s theme editor provides extensive customisation options without requiring code changes. Users can modify colours, fonts, layouts, and content sections through an intuitive interface. The platform also allows for more advanced customisation through its Liquid templating language.
The Shopify theme ecosystem benefits from the platform’s large user base, resulting in more theme options, better support, and more frequent updates. Third-party theme developers actively create Shopify themes, providing options for virtually every industry and design preference.
Customization Capabilities
BigCommerce provides extensive customisation capabilities through its API-first architecture. The platform offers more built-in customisation options for product pages, checkout processes, and administrative functions. Advanced users can modify virtually every aspect of their store through theme files and custom code.
The platform’s API provides access to all store data and functionality, enabling complex integrations and custom applications. This makes BigCommerce suitable for businesses with unique requirements or complex workflows that require extensive customisation.
Shopify’s customisation capabilities are substantial but sometimes require apps or custom development to achieve certain functionality. The platform’s Liquid templating language provides good flexibility for theme customisation, though some limitations exist compared to more open platforms.
Shopify’s strength lies in its ecosystem approach, where customisation often happens through apps rather than core platform modifications. This can be advantageous for maintaining upgradability and support, though it may increase costs through app subscriptions.
Both platforms allow custom CSS and JavaScript modifications, though BigCommerce generally provides more direct access to core functionality. The choice often comes down to whether you prefer built-in customisation options or an ecosystem-based approach to adding functionality.
Marketing and SEO Tools
Effective marketing and search engine optimisation are crucial for driving traffic and sales to your online store. Both platforms recognise this importance and include various marketing tools, though their approaches and included functionality differ significantly.
Built-in marketing tools can reduce reliance on third-party apps and provide cost savings, while also ensuring better integration with your store’s core functionality. However, the depth and effectiveness of these tools vary between platforms.
Consider your marketing strategy, budget for additional tools, and internal expertise when evaluating each platform’s marketing capabilities. The most comprehensive toolset won’t help your business if you lack the knowledge or resources to use it effectively.
Built-in Marketing Tools in BigCommerce
BigCommerce includes comprehensive SEO tools as standard, with automatic sitemap generation, customisable meta titles and descriptions, and clean URL structures. The platform generates microdata markup automatically, helping search engines better understand your product information and potentially improving search visibility.
The platform includes built-in email marketing tools with customisable templates, automated workflows, and customer segmentation capabilities. These tools can handle basic email marketing needs without requiring additional app subscriptions, though advanced marketers might still prefer specialised email platforms.
BigCommerce’s abandoned cart recovery functionality comes standard across all plans, with customisable email sequences and detailed recovery analytics. The platform also includes customer segmentation tools that allow targeted marketing based on purchase history, location, and other customer attributes.
Social media integration is built into BigCommerce, with native selling capabilities for Facebook, Instagram, and Google Shopping. The platform also includes promotional tools like discount codes, bulk pricing, and customer group pricing, which are particularly valuable for B2B businesses.
Built-in Marketing Tools in Shopify
Shopify includes basic SEO tools such as editable title tags, meta descriptions, and automatic sitemap generation. However, some advanced SEO features require third-party apps, which can add to monthly costs but often provide more comprehensive functionality.
The platform’s strength lies in its extensive app ecosystem for marketing tools. While this means additional costs, it also provides access to best-in-class marketing tools that integrate seamlessly with your Shopify store. Popular marketing apps cover email marketing, social proof, customer reviews, and advanced analytics.
Shopify’s social commerce capabilities are particularly strong, with native integrations for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest. The platform makes it easy to sync products with social media platforms and manage multi-channel selling from a single dashboard.
The platform includes basic promotional tools like discount codes and automatic discounts, with more advanced promotional capabilities available through apps. Shopify’s checkout system is optimised for conversion, which can positively impact marketing campaign effectiveness.
Shopify’s blog functionality is more robust than BigCommerce’s, providing better content marketing capabilities out of the box. The platform also includes basic analytics, though Google Analytics integration is typically necessary for comprehensive marketing analysis.
Payment Processing and Transaction Fees
Payment processing is a critical component of any e-commerce business, affecting both customer experience and your bottom line. The options available, processing fees, and transaction costs can significantly impact profitability, particularly for high-volume businesses.
Understanding the true cost of payment processing requires examining not just processing fees but also transaction fees, currency conversion costs, and any additional charges imposed by the platform. These costs can vary significantly between platforms and payment providers.
Consider your target markets, preferred payment methods, and sales volume projections when evaluating payment processing options. The cheapest option isn’t always the best if it doesn’t support your customers’ preferred payment methods or lacks necessary features.
Payment Options on BigCommerce
BigCommerce supports over 65 payment gateways, providing extensive flexibility for businesses operating in different markets or serving diverse customer preferences. The platform integrates with popular options like PayPal, Stripe, Square, and various regional payment providers.
One of BigCommerce’s key advantages is its no transaction fees policy across all plans. This means you only pay standard payment processing fees charged by your chosen payment provider, without additional percentage-based charges from BigCommerce itself. For high-volume businesses, this can result in significant savings.
The platform’s payment processing setup is straightforward, with detailed documentation for each supported gateway. BigCommerce also provides PCI compliance as standard, ensuring secure handling of payment information without requiring additional certifications or fees.
For international businesses, BigCommerce supports multiple currencies and provides tools for managing international pricing. The platform also handles tax calculations for various jurisdictions, though complex tax requirements might require additional configuration or third-party tools.
Payment Options on Shopify
Shopify Payments, the platform’s integrated payment solution, provides competitive processing rates and seamless integration with store functionality. Using Shopify Payments eliminates transaction fees that would otherwise apply when using third-party payment providers.
When using third-party payment gateways, Shopify charges transaction fees ranging from 0.5% to 2.0% depending on your plan, in addition to the payment provider’s processing fees. These additional costs can add up significantly for businesses processing substantial sales volumes.
Shopify supports over 100 payment gateways globally, covering most markets and payment preferences. The platform makes it easy to add multiple payment options, allowing customers to choose their preferred method at checkout.
The platform’s checkout system is highly optimised for conversion, with features like express checkout options, guest checkout, and mobile-optimised payment flows. These optimisations can help offset higher payment processing costs through improved conversion rates.
Shopify handles PCI compliance for stores using Shopify Payments, simplifying security requirements for merchants. The platform also provides fraud analysis tools to help prevent chargebacks and fraudulent transactions.
Scalability for Growth
Your chosen e-commerce platform should grow with your business, supporting increased traffic, sales volume, and operational complexity without requiring platform migrations. Scalability encompasses technical performance, feature availability, and cost-effectiveness as your business expands.
Consider your growth projections, international expansion plans, and evolving business requirements when evaluating scalability options. A platform that works well for your current needs might not support your business effectively as it grows and becomes more complex.
Scalability isn’t just about handling more traffic or sales; it’s also about supporting more complex business processes, additional sales channels, and growing team requirements as your business evolves.
BigCommerce Scalability Features
BigCommerce is designed with scalability in mind, offering unlimited bandwidth, products, and file storage across all plans. The platform can handle traffic spikes and high sales volumes without performance degradation, making it suitable for businesses experiencing rapid growth.
The platform’s API-first architecture provides extensive integration capabilities, allowing businesses to connect with various business systems as they grow. This includes ERP systems, advanced inventory management, customer service platforms, and marketing automation tools.
BigCommerce’s enterprise features are available at lower price points compared to many competitors, providing access to advanced functionality without enterprise-level costs. Features like customer group pricing, bulk ordering, and advanced reporting support business growth across various models.
The platform’s multi-channel selling capabilities scale effectively, supporting businesses that expand across multiple sales channels. BigCommerce can manage inventory, pricing, and orders across various marketplaces and social platforms from a single dashboard.
For businesses requiring custom development, BigCommerce’s open architecture provides more flexibility than restricted platforms. The platform supports headless commerce implementations, allowing businesses to create custom front-end experiences while leveraging BigCommerce’s robust backend.
Shopify Scalability Features
Shopify’s infrastructure is built to handle massive scale, powering some of the world’s largest e-commerce businesses. The platform automatically handles traffic scaling and provides enterprise-grade performance without requiring technical management from merchants.
Shopify Plus, the platform’s enterprise solution, provides additional scalability features including higher API limits, advanced automation tools, and dedicated support. The platform can support businesses processing millions in annual revenue with complex operational requirements.
The platform’s extensive app ecosystem scales with business growth, providing solutions for advanced inventory management, customer service, marketing automation, and business intelligence. While this can increase costs, it also provides access to best-in-class tools.
Shopify’s multi-channel capabilities are particularly strong, with native integrations for major social platforms and marketplaces. The platform’s checkout system scales effectively across channels, providing consistent customer experiences.
For businesses requiring extensive customisation, Shopify Plus provides additional development tools and APIs. The platform also supports headless commerce implementations, allowing businesses to create custom front-end experiences while leveraging Shopify’s commerce engine.
Pros and Cons Summary
Understanding the strengths and limitations of each platform helps you make an informed decision based on your specific business requirements, technical capabilities, and growth plans. Both platforms excel in different areas and face unique challenges.
Consider how each platform’s advantages align with your business priorities and whether you can work around their limitations. Sometimes a platform’s weakness in one area might be offset by strengths in more critical areas for your business.
Remember that no platform is perfect for every business. The best choice is the one that best fits your specific needs, budget, and long-term goals, rather than the platform with the most features or lowest price.
Pros of BigCommerce
BigCommerce’s no transaction fees policy provides significant cost advantages for businesses with higher sales volumes. This policy, combined with comprehensive built-in features, often results in lower total cost of ownership compared to platforms that charge transaction fees and require numerous paid apps.
The platform’s extensive built-in functionality reduces dependence on third-party apps, simplifying store management and reducing monthly subscription costs. Features like advanced SEO tools, B2B functionality, abandoned cart recovery, and multi-channel selling come standard rather than requiring additional purchases.
BigCommerce’s API-first architecture provides excellent flexibility for customisation and integrations, making it suitable for businesses with unique requirements or complex workflows. The platform supports both simple modifications and extensive custom development without restrictions.
The platform offers enterprise-level features at accessible price points, making advanced functionality available to smaller businesses. This democratisation of enterprise features can provide competitive advantages for growing businesses.
Cons of BigCommerce
BigCommerce’s comprehensive feature set can create a steeper learning curve for new users, particularly those without e-commerce experience. The platform’s interface, while improved, can feel overwhelming to users accustomed to simpler solutions.
The theme selection is more limited compared to Shopify, though the available themes are generally well-designed and functional. Businesses prioritising extensive design options might find BigCommerce’s theme marketplace restrictive.
While BigCommerce’s built-in features reduce app dependency, this also means fewer third-party options for businesses requiring specific functionality not included in the platform. The smaller ecosystem can limit customisation options for niche requirements.
Annual sales thresholds on lower-tier plans can force plan upgrades as businesses grow, potentially resulting in significant cost increases. While the platform doesn’t charge transaction fees, the plan upgrade costs can be substantial.
Pros of Shopify
Shopify’s user-friendly interface and extensive documentation make it accessible to users regardless of technical background. The platform’s intuitive design and helpful setup processes enable quick store launches and easy daily management.
The extensive app ecosystem provides solutions for virtually any business requirement, allowing merchants to customise functionality precisely to their needs. This ecosystem approach provides flexibility and access to best-in-class tools across various business functions.
Shopify’s strong focus on design and user experience results in professional-looking stores and optimised checkout processes. The platform’s themes are modern, mobile-optimised, and conversion-focused, contributing to better sales performance.
Excellent social commerce capabilities make Shopify ideal for businesses leveraging social media marketing and selling across multiple channels. The platform’s integrations with social platforms are seamless and comprehensive.
Cons of Shopify
Transaction fees on top of payment processing costs can significantly impact profitability, particularly for businesses using payment providers other than Shopify Payments. These fees can add thousands to annual costs for high-volume businesses.
Reliance on apps for advanced functionality can result in high monthly costs as app subscriptions accumulate. Popular apps often cost $20-100+ per month each, and successful stores typically require multiple apps for full functionality.
Some customisation limitations exist within the platform’s core functionality, sometimes requiring expensive custom development or app solutions to achieve specific requirements. The platform prioritises simplicity, which can limit advanced users.
The extensive app ecosystem, while beneficial, can create complexity in store management and potential compatibility issues between apps. Managing multiple app subscriptions and keeping them updated requires ongoing attention.
Conclusion
The choice between BigCommerce and Shopify ultimately depends on your specific business needs, technical capabilities, growth plans, and budget considerations. Both platforms offer robust e-commerce solutions with proven track records of success across various business types and sizes.
Throughout this comprehensive comparison, we’ve explored every major aspect of both platforms, from pricing structures and ease of use to customisation capabilities and scalability features. The decision isn’t simply about which platform is “better” overall, but rather which platform better aligns with your unique requirements and business objectives.
Consider your current needs alongside your future plans. The platform you choose today should support your business not just now, but as it grows and evolves. Think about your team’s technical capabilities, your budget for both platform costs and additional tools, and your specific industry requirements.
Which Platform is Right for You?
Choose BigCommerce if you’re a growing business that values built-in functionality over extensive app ecosystems. The platform is particularly suitable for businesses expecting higher sales volumes, as the no transaction fees policy can provide significant savings. B2B businesses, wholesale operations, and companies requiring extensive built-in features without additional app costs will find BigCommerce appealing.
BigCommerce also suits businesses with technical teams or development resources, as the platform’s API-first architecture and customisation capabilities provide excellent flexibility for unique requirements. If you prioritise cost-effectiveness for feature-rich functionality and don’t mind a steeper learning curve, BigCommerce could be your ideal choice.
Choose Shopify if you prioritise ease of use, extensive design options, and access to a comprehensive ecosystem of apps and integrations. The platform is particularly suitable for businesses new to e-commerce, those prioritising quick setup and launch, or companies focusing heavily on social commerce and multi-channel selling.
Shopify works well for businesses comfortable with app-based functionality expansion and those willing to invest in third-party tools to achieve specific requirements. If you value simplicity, extensive theme options, and proven conversion optimisation, Shopify might be the better choice for your business.
Final Thoughts
Both BigCommerce and Shopify have earned their positions as leading e-commerce platforms through continuous innovation, reliable performance, and comprehensive feature sets. Your choice between them should be based on careful consideration of your specific requirements rather than general platform popularity or marketing claims.
Take advantage of free trials offered by both platforms to test their interfaces, features, and suitability for your specific use case. Consider creating a test store with your actual products to get a realistic feel for daily operations on each platform.
Remember that switching platforms later is possible but involves significant time, cost, and effort. Making the right choice initially will save you resources and allow you to focus on what matters most: growing your business and serving your customers effectively.
Consider consulting with e-commerce experts or developers if you’re unsure about technical requirements or have complex business needs. Their expertise can help you evaluate which platform will best support your long-term success and avoid costly mistakes.
If you’ve decided that Shopify is the right platform for your business, our experienced team of Shopify developers can help you create a store that not only looks professional but drives real results. We specialise in Shopify development, theme customisation, app integration, and performance optimisation to ensure your store stands out in today’s competitive marketplace. From initial setup and design to advanced functionality and ongoing support, we handle the technical complexities so you can focus on growing your business. Contact us today to discuss how we can bring your Shopify vision to life and accelerate your e-commerce success.
Ultimately, both BigCommerce and Shopify can power successful online businesses. The key is choosing the platform that aligns with your business model, technical capabilities, budget, and growth plans. With the information provided in this comprehensive comparison, you’re now equipped to make an informed decision that will serve as the foundation for your e-commerce success in 2025 and beyond.
Whether you choose BigCommerce’s feature-rich, no-transaction-fee approach or Shopify’s user-friendly, ecosystem-driven platform, success will depend on how well you leverage your chosen platform’s strengths to create exceptional customer experiences and drive business growth. The platform is just the foundation - your success will be built through quality products, excellent customer service, effective marketing, and continuous optimisation of your online store.
