Website Builders.com

  • Home
  • Builder Reviews
        • Our team have carefully reviewed a selection of premium website building platform, making it easier for you to choose the right one.

          While most website builders are compatible for generic  website building, including online stores, blogs and generic websites, some are better than others depending on what your website type.

        • Website Builder Reviews

          GoDaddy

          IM Creator

          Jimdo

          Squarespace

          Voog

          Weebly

          Wix

          WordPress

        • Store Builder Reviews

          BigCommerce

          GoDaddy Store

          Shopify

          Weebly

          Wix

          Yola

        • Comparisons

          Wix vs. Weebly

          Shopify vs. BigCommerce

  • Start A Blog
  • How To Guides
        • With over 500 pages of detailed tutorials and guides, our guides cover a large chunk of online topics.

          Learn crafty tips and tricks to make your time online smooth. Our directory is useful for internet newbies, as well as aspiring website builders.

          Check out the full directory.

        • Building a Website

          How To Build a Website

          Name Your Website – Domain

          Picking a Web Hosting Service

          Content and User Experience

          More

        • Searching and Research

          Searching the Web

          Doing Research Online

          The World of Wiki

          Finding Videos Online

          More

        • E-mails – Basics and Advanced

          Getting Started

          Sending an E-mail Message

          Opening Attachments

          Sending Attachments

          More

        • Social Media & Communication

          Instant Messaging

          Online Networking

          Facebook

          LinkedIn

          More

        • Files, Downloads, Software & Installs

          File Formats and Extensions

          Install Plug-Ins

          How to Download Files

          Downloading Software

          More

        • Making Money Online

          Making Money with Facebook

          Affiliate Marketing

          Virtual Assistant

          Writing Articles

          More

        • Online Shopping

          10 Tips for Smart and Safe Shopping

          Smart Shopping

          Protecting Personal Information

          Looking for Discounts

          More

  • Website Builder Tools Your Business Can’t Do Without (+ Links To Useful Resources)
    • HTML Character Codes
    • Advertiser Tracking Cookies: There ARE Ways To Opt Out – Here’s How
    • Website Glossary
  • Our Blog
        • Recent Posts

          When you have awesome writers, it is easy to spread wisdom. Take a look at some of our recent posts on various internet and website related topics.

          Have any suggestions on topics? Don’t hold back, send us your ideas:

          [email protected]

        • 12 Simple Rules on How to Use E-mail Politely

          Live Chat Software: Is it Worth It? Facebook Says Yes.

          Algorithmic Warfare: Is it the Beginning or the End?

          How to Promote Your Pet Business Online

          DIY Marketing: 7 Steps for any Business Owner

        • 20 Ideas to Generate Your First Online Sale

          Complete Guide to Content Marketing

          8 Best Free Photo Editors for Product Photosraphy

          Press Kits: DIY to Free Media Hype

          Why Backlinks are Essential for SEO – How To Build Them

  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • FAQ
    • How Did You Make This Site?
    • How the Website Is Funded
    • Our Team
You are here: Home / The Best Website Builder Is The One That Fits Your Needs Our Reviews Can Help You Choose / Shopify vs Big Commerce: Which Is Best For Your Online Store?

Shopify vs Big Commerce: Which Is Best For Your Online Store?

Disclosure: Your support helps keep the site running! We earn a referral fee for some of the services we recommend on this page. Learn more

facebook icontwitter icongoogle iconpinterest iconShopify vs Bigcommerce Comparison Review | WebsiteBuilders.com Both Shopify and Bigcommerce are website builders designed for online store owners—after all, it’s built right into their names. But with both options having a similar focus, which one is the better choice for online retailers? Both have similar feature sets designed for eCommerce—if this were a race, one would only be a few seconds behind the other. Further to our review of Shopify and our review of Bigcommerce, here are the pros and cons of using each product.

 

Contents

  • 1 Ease of Use Comparison of Shopify vs Bigcommerce
  • 2 Design Comparison of Shopify vs Bigcommerce
  • 3 eCommerce Comparison of Shopify vs Bigcommerce
  • 4 Price Comparison of Shopify vs Bigcommerce
  • 5 Bigcommerce: Who is it best for?
  • 6 Shopify: Who is it best for?
  • 7 So, who wins? Shopify or Bigcommerce?

Ease of Use Comparison of Shopify vs Bigcommerce

Most eCommerce platforms use a field-based system where the user just has to type the right information in the right boxes. Shopify follows this set-up. Adding products is simply a matter of inputting information. Pages, on the other hand, are a bit more difficult—some of the edits for the home page, for example, are completed under the Page option, while graphic options are actually listed in the Theme options. It’s a bit confusing at first to have to use two separate areas of the website builder to edit a single page. For the most part, Bigcommerce also uses a field-based system, where users just type all the information into boxes to add a product.

The difference is that Bigcommerce also offers a What You See Is What You Get editor for products too, where you see each change you make as you make it. The WYSIWYG version allows users to customize their product pages a bit more than simply adding products. The system, overall, also seems a bit simpler to use. Bigcommerce wins out here, since the platform is a bit simpler and offers additional customization with a WYSIWYG editor.

Design Comparison of Shopify vs Bigcommerce

Bigcommerce offers 16 free design templates, plus the option to choose from much more paid templates. All of the themes are definitely built for online stores—products are prominent, with options for arranging categories and promoting specials in a slideshow header. Many options are also responsive, meaning it will look just as nice on a small screen. Shopify offers about twice as many free designs, with a wide selection of paid templates as well. Again, the themes are designed for online stores, with product organization as a key element. Designs range from casual to elegant, and most appear to be clean and modern. Most of the free templates also appear to be responsive, so it’s not necessary to design a separate mobile site. Both platforms offer modern, responsive themes—but Shopify does have more free options than Bigcommerce.

eCommerce Comparison of Shopify vs Bigcommerce

With both platforms designed for eCommerce, there are plenty of features designed for retailers. Shopify’s biggest draw is that it has its own Point of Sale (POS) system (allowing users to make in-person purchases with tools like credit card scanners and barcode scanners), which is included in the package price. The POS system can be used to easily sell in-person, and have your Shopify inventory automatically update, so business owners with a brick-and-mortar store don’t need to track inventory separately. There’s a full list of features for eCommerce as well, including coupon codes, abandoned cart recovery, and analytics, though some require purchasing the more advanced package.

Bigcommerce doesn’t have their own POS system; you can add one with a third-party app, but we’re not convinced that has the same features as Shopify’s built-in option. Bigcommerce seems to have thought of everything when it comes to storage options though—online stores can display swatches of the different color variations and even offer gift wrapping. If you have a brick-and-mortar store or occasionally sell in person at craft markets, Shopify’s POS system is a big draw, otherwise, we rather like the wide range of product options on Bigcommerce.

Price Comparison of Shopify vs Bigcommerce

Shopify plans range from $14-179 a month, depending on exactly what your needs are. $29 gets you unlimited products, the POS system, and discount codes. $79 a month adds on 5 GB of storage, gift cards, analytics and abandoned cart recovery, while the full $179 offers every feature Shopify has available. Using Shopify payments, there are no transaction fees, but when customers pay with a credit card, Shopify takes a percentage of that, ranging from 2.9 percent plus thirty cents to 2.2 percent, with that percentage dropping with the pricier monthly subscriptions and for in-person sales on the POS system. Bigcommerce plans start at about $30 a month—but even the basic package includes unlimited products, storage, and bandwidth.

The basic option is also the only one with a transaction fee, and that’s just 1.5 percent. The $80 a month option gets you real-time shipping, an abandoned cart saver and more. Bigcommerce will also go above that with a custom plan for large businesses. The prices between the two are pretty similar—but Bigcommerce offers unlimited storage and products across all their plans and has lower transaction fees when customers use a credit card. Bigcommerce also doesn’t offer their own POS system, so any third party POS monthly fees would be extra.

Bigcommerce: Who is it best for?

When just comparing the web building platforms themselves, we preferred Bigcommerce, though not by a large margin. It’s easier to use and yet still seems to have more tools and options. If you’re looking to have options like gift wrap and product swatches, and don’t sell in person, Bigcommerce is the better choice, plus it also has lower transaction fees.

Shopify: Who is it best for?

Shopify’s platform is still an excellent one, we just found it to have a slightly higher learning curve to get started. But, Shopify offers a POS system that will manage inventory for both online and in-person sales in one place—and that convenience is enough to propel Shopify ahead just a bit. If you also own a brick-and-mortar store or occasionally sell at fairs and markets, the POS system is a good reason to choose Shopify, since the two platforms are very close when comparing ease of use and eCommerce features.

So, who wins? Shopify or Bigcommerce?

Bigcommerce is easy to use, has the most features and the lowest transaction fees. For those who are selling just online, it’s an excellent platform. While there are POS systems available for Bigcommerce, they are through third-party apps. Shopify, on the other hand, has a fully integrated POS system with tools available from scanners to receipt printers. With the two being so closely ranked, Bigcommerce is the winner for businesses that operate solely online, while Shopify is the winner for a business that needs a POS system. Overall both platforms are excellent for eCommerce and offer incredible value for money.

Latest Posts

Hosting

Black Friday 2023: Website Builder & Web Hosting Deals For Webmasters [Updated]

Uncategorized

Why WebsiteBuilders.com Got Hacked (Yes, You Can Blame Social Warfare)

E-mail Internet

E-Mail Etiquette: 12 Basic Rules For Politely Using E-Mail

Marketing social networking

Live Chat Software: Should You Invest In It? (It’s Easier Than You Think)

Computer Science

Never Heard Of Algorithmic Warfare? Then You’d Better Read This

Marketing

How To Successfully Promote Your Pet Business Online With Minimum Effort

Most Popular Reviews

  • Website Builder Reviews
  • Wix
  • Weebly
  • Squarespace
  • GoDaddy Website Builder
  • Shopify

Recent Posts

  • Black Friday 2023: Website Builder & Web Hosting Deals For Webmasters [Updated] November 5, 2019
  • Why WebsiteBuilders.com Got Hacked (Yes, You Can Blame Social Warfare) March 23, 2019
  • E-Mail Etiquette: 12 Basic Rules For Politely Using E-Mail November 15, 2017

About WebsiteBuilders.com

Everything you need to know about the WebsiteBuilders.com team.

About Us

Our Team

How The Website Is Funded

Privacy Policy

© 2017-2022 Website Builders.com | Sitemap