In the last two decades, our shopping practices have changed, now a large percentage of people prefer online shopping to in-person shopping. The pandemic has added momentum to it and flourished the e-commerce industry.
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Though there are many great e-commerce platforms, Shopify and BigCommerce are the most popular among all. If you have not decided yet, don't worry, I have done detailed research on Shopify Vs BigCommerce. Take a look here.
In this blog, you'll learn about:
- What is Shopify? What are its major features?
- What is BigCommerce? What are its major features?
- Shopify vs. BigCommerce - Detailed comparison
- The final winner between Shopify and BigCommerce
What is Shopify?
Shopify is an e-commerce platform for small businesses and entrepreneurs to sell their products online. It allows you to set up your store, manage inventory, create custom storefronts (online shop fronts), accept credit cards & PayPal payments, etc.
It offers over 100+ mobile responsive themes out of the box, making it easy for visitors to view your products from any device. It also provides a free 14-day trial and comes with a built-in blogging feature so you can engage your customers, build trust and drive more traffic to your shop.
Some interesting Shopify Stats:
- More than 240,000 businesses worldwide use Shopify
- More than 14 million people visit a store powered by Shopify every month. This is more visits on one e-commerce platform compared to eBay and Amazon combined.
- Shopify's revenue was more than $608.9 million in 2021 and is expected to grow at a rate of 30% per year.
What are the major features of Shopify?
Some important key features include:
- Multiple payment options such as PayPal, Visa Checkout & Apple Pay for quick checkout process
- Fraud protection reduces chargebacks by 80%
- Unlimited products & orders
- Mobile responsive themes to create a unique mobile shopping experience for your customers. A recent Shopify study found that mobile devices drive more than 50% of their merchants' traffic.
- Customizable checkout process with customized fields, branding, and social media profile access at the point of sale
- 100+ free and paid apps for your ecommerce store. These include accounting, abandoned cart recovery, customer reviews & ratings, social sharing, and marketing tools.
What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce, formerly known as Volusion, was established in Australia in 2003 and has become one of the top e-commerce platforms used today. It allows you to build a fully functional online store with ease without prior technical experience or coding knowledge. The platform also offers over 100+ themes, several design tools, and layouts to help you create a unique website for your business.
Some Interesting Bigcommerce Stats:
- More than 16,000 new businesses sign up for BigCommerce every month
- Over half (52%) of all online retailers use BigCommerce.
- BigCommerce has more than 23,500 customers worldwide
- BigCommerce is used by brands such as REI and Craftsy
What are the Major Features of BigCommerce?
The major key features of BigCommerce include:
- Drag & drop interface to easily customize your website. BigCommerce also offers 100+ free and paid themes that you can further customize as per your needs
- Manage products, orders, customers, etc. in one central location with no limitations or restrictions
- Advanced shipping options such as flat rate, weight & dimensions are available for every order and customer
- Comprehensive analytics (sales, traffic, etc.) to help you make informed decisions about your store's performance
- Secure online payments with major credit cards such as PayPal & Stripe.
- SEO tools to help you improve your website's search rankings
- BigCommerce mobile app allows you to manage your store from anywhere, at any time. It also offers a point of sale (POS) feature for brick & mortar stores which can be used with an iPad or Android tablet.
Shopify vs. BigCommerce - Detailed Comparison
Now, let's get a detailed comparison between Shopify and BigCommerce. We've analyzed both platforms based on the following factors:
#1. Integration -Which provides a better set of out-of-the-box integrations?
Shopify offers over 125+ apps that integrate seamlessly with the platform. Some of these include Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, etc. It helps you run your store better by collecting more data on customers and their buying behavior.
BigCommerce doesn't offer as many integrations out-of-the-box, but it makes up for this with its dedicated app marketplace. You can integrate Over 400 apps with it, including Facebook Pixel, ShipStation, etc. BigCommerce also offers a built-in analytics tool so you can track the performance of your store in real-time.
Winner-Shopify
#2. Ease Of Use - Which platform is easier to use?
Both Shopify and BigCommerce are easy to use. However, we believe that Shopify offers a more intuitive experience because of its drag-and-drop interface. It also allows you to set up your shop in minutes without any prior technical knowledge or coding skills required.
On the other hand, BigCommerce does not come with any pre-installed themes. You need to find and install a theme separately on the platform, which takes more time than Shopify's one-click installation feature.
Winner - Shopify
#3. Transaction Fees - Which offers lower rates?
Shopify charges a transaction fee for every sale you make using the platform. The base rate is $0.30 + 0% of the total order value with no monthly commitment or minimum fees to worry about. You can also choose between two pricing plans: the Basic Shopify plan and the Advanced Shopify plan, depending on your sales volume.
BigCommerce doesn't charge transaction fees. However, they charge a monthly fee for the platform's Basic Plan and one-time setup charges for their Advanced Shopify plan (see 'Pricing' section above).
Winner - BigCommerce
#4. Themes- Which platform offers better themes?
Shopify offers over 100+ pre-installed themes to help you build a unique website for your business. These are easy to install and customize. If you want more, you can easily find high-quality free Shopify themes from the Shopify Theme Store or third-party marketplaces like Creative Market, etc., at very competitive prices.
On the other hand, BigCommerce doesn't come with any pre-installed themes, and it provides a solid set of tools to build your theme from scratch without coding knowledge. You can also buy attractive commercial themes from the platform's official marketplace or third-party marketplaces like ThemeForest and Creative Market at competitive prices.
Winner - Shopify
#5. Pricing - Which platform offers better pricing plans?
Shopify offers two pricing plans - The basic Shopify plan and the Advanced Shopify plan. Both these plans are available with no monthly commitment or minimum fees to worry about. The only difference is that the advanced plan allows access to more features like abandoned cart recovery, multiple merchant accounts, etc.
BigCommerce provides three different pricing tiers- Basic, Professional, and Enterprise. The Basic plan only allows you to create a standalone eCommerce store with limited features. On the other hand, BigCommerce's Pro Shopify plan comes at $79/month (paid annually) that offers everything from their Basic Shopify plan as well as advanced tools for branding your online business.
Winner - BigCommerce
#6. Templates - Which platform has better templates?
Shopify offers a wide range of pre-installed themes to suit your needs. You can also choose from over 100+ third-party Shopify themes available at very competitive prices on the platform's Theme Store or other marketplaces like Creative Market, etc.
On the other hand, BigCommerce doesn't offer any built-in templates and requires you to build your website from scratch. You can choose to download free or paid third-party themes on the platform's Marketplace or other marketplaces like ThemeForest and Creative Market at competitive prices.
Winner - Shopify
#7. Product categories - Which offers better product categories?
Shopify comes with over 200+ predefined product categories to choose from. You can use these pre-built options or create your custom category for more granular control of the products listed in your store.
BigCommerce does not offer any pre-installed product categories and requires you to build your categories. You can choose to download free or paid third-party themes on the platform's Marketplace or other marketplaces like ThemeForest and Creative Market at competitive prices.
Winner - Shopify
#8. Multiple Currencies - Which platform supports various currencies?
Shopify allows you to sell in multiple currencies by default. You can easily set the price for your products, and customers will see it in their preferred currency while checking out.
BigCommerce doesn't offer built-in support for multiple currencies. However, if you're interested in selling your goods or services across borders, there are several marketplaces like CurrencyFair and TransferWise that can provide you with competitive exchange rates.
Winner - Shopify
#9. Point of Sale (POS) options - Which platform offers better Point Of Sales (POS) options?
Shopify POS is a separate mobile app built for Shopify merchants to help them manage their online store. You can use this feature on an iPad or Android tablet to sell products, accept credit card payments, and more. The nice thing about the app is that you can use it to create and send invoices, manage your inventory levels, track sales stats in real-time.
BigCommerce POS is a free mobile app that allows you to sync the products from your eCommerce store with an Android or iOS device. It also offers order management, tracking inventory levels, generating sales and customer activity reports, etc.
Winner - Shopify
#10. Automatic tax rules and VAT MOSS - Which platform offers better tax features?
Shopify automatically calculates taxes based on the location of your customers. With just a few clicks, you can also set up different product prices for every state or country you're selling to. The eCommerce platform also charges sales tax, including local, county, and state taxes.
BigCommerce doesn't offer tax calculation tools to calculate taxes based on the location of your customers or products you sell. You can only charge sales tax in the US, which is calculated according to federal law and state laws
Winner - Shopify
#11. Multilanguage - Which platform offers better multilingual support?
Shopify provides multilingual support by default. The platform allows you to translate your store's content into any language of your choice and provides a wide range of professional translation services through its partners like OneSky, etc.
BigCommerce doesn't offer built-in tools for translating the content on your website into multiple languages other than English (US). You can only use the Google Translate plugin to translate into other languages.
Winner - Shopify
#12. Ecommerce Analytics - Which platform offers better eCommerce analytics?
Shopify is the only one that offers built-in Google Analytics integration. You can use this free service to track important metrics like traffic sources, demographics, keywords used for search engine optimization (SEO), etc., on your online store's website and apps.
BigCommerce does not offer built-in Google Analytics integration. However, you can use the Google Shopping App Market to integrate analytics services like AdWords or Omniture on your website and apps if required
Winner - Shopify
#13. Multi-channel - Which platform offers better multi-channel integration?
Shopify is the only one that integrates with more than 100 leading sales channels, including Amazon, eBay, Walmart Marketplace. You can easily sync your products from Shopify to these marketplaces in just a few clicks when you decide to sell on them.'
BigCommerce doesn't offer built-in multi-channel integration. However, if you want to sell your products on these marketplaces or any other sales channel like Shopify, eBay, etc., there are several apps available in the BigCommerce Marketplace that can help you with this
Winner - Shopify
#14. Customer Support - Which platform offers better customer support?
Shopify has a good range of resources to help merchants with their store-related queries and problems. The eCommerce platform provides detailed documentation, videos, tutorials on its website that you can refer to for getting answers to your questions or learning about how certain features work. You can also reach out to Shopify's customer support team through email or social media channels.
BigCommerce doesn't offer a live chat option to connect with its customer support team in real-time. However, you can get in touch with the BigCommerce experts via phone call and email.
Winner - Shopify
#15. Security - Which platform offers better security?
Security is the topmost priority for both Shopify and BigCommerce. However, it's worth mentioning that there have been cases of security breaches on the Shopify platform in the past as well. While a lot has changed since then, you should monitor your store to ensure everything is running smoothly.
BigCommerce doesn't offer built-in tools like SSL certificates or checkout security to enhance the overall security of your online store. However, you can use third-party extensions like SSL for Shopify and Gatekeeper for BigCommerce from the BigCommerce Marketplace.
Winner - Tie
#16. Content Management System - Which platform offers a better content management system?
Shopify comes with a sound content management system (CMS) that allows you to make changes or add new products, pages, etc., on your store website without the help of an expert.
BigCommerce doesn't come with any built-in CMS tools like Shopify for managing your online store's content. However, if required, several third-party apps are available in the BigCommerce Marketplace that can help you with this.
Winner - Shopify
So, Which One is Better, Shopify or BigCommerce?
By 2022, it is expected that both Shopify and BigCommerce will be used by more than 40% of online stores. While there are several similarities between these two ecommerce platforms, like they're easy to use, offer built-in Google Analytics integration, etc., there are some differences. Shopify offers better multi-channel integration, customer support through email or social media channels, built-in security features like SSL certificates, and checkout security tools to enhance the overall security of your online store.
The final verdict is that if you're looking for a complete eCommerce solution, Shopify is the right platform for you. However, if your store needs a few custom features and tools that aren't available on either of these platforms, BigCommerce might be worth considering as well.
Final Winner-Shopify
Closing Thoughts
You need to consider several factors when deciding between Shopify vs. BigCommerce, including your store's unique requirements and whether or not either of these platforms can fulfill them. If you're looking for an all-in-one ecommerce platform with built-in features like multi-channel integration, Google Analytics integration, etc., Shopify might be a better option.
On the other hand, if you don't need all of these features and want to create your unique tools for managing content on your store's website, BigCommerce is worth considering.
FAQs
Q-What is the Definition of an eCommerce Platform?
A- An ecommerce platform is a type of website that allows you to set up your online store. It offers features like product listings, inventory management, payment processing, etc., and helps you sell goods or services online without the need for any technical knowledge.
Q-Is Shopify Free?
**A-**Yes, Shopify offers a 14-day free trial, after which you can choose to go with the Basic plan that costs $29/month.
Q-Is BigCommerce Free?
**A-**Bigcommerce provides all its standard features and functionality for free and doesn't charge monthly fees or transaction fees. However, if you want extra features and tools, you can use BigCommerce's third-party app store.
Q-Is Shopify Safe?
**A-**Shopify is a PCI Level I service provider that gets regular security audits done by an independent company like McAfee. It also has several built-in SSL certificates to enhance the overall security of your online store.
Q-Is BigCommerce Safe?
**A-**Bigcommerce is also a PCI Level I service provider that gets regular security audits done by an independent company like McAfee. It uses SSL certificates to secure transactions on its platform and has several other features for enhanced security of your online store.
Q-Does Bigcommerce Has an App Marketplace?
**A-**Yes, Bigcommerce has a third-party app marketplace where you can purchase and install extensions to enhance your store's functionality.
Q-Does Shopify has an App Marketplace?
**A-**Yes, Shopify also offers its native app store from where you can find several apps that will help you manage content on your online store website without the help of an expert.
Q-How is Bigcommerce Different from Shopify?
**A-**Some of the key differences between BigCommerce and Shopify include: -
Bigcommerce provides all standard features for free, while Shopify charges a monthly fee depending on your requirements. Shopping also offers built-in security tools like SSL certificates.
Bigcommerce provides multi-channel integration, while Shopify does not. Bigcommerce also offers point of sale (POS) options and features like UPS shipping integrations unavailable on Shopify.
Q-How Much Does It Cost to Use Shopify?
**A-**Shopify charges a monthly fee depending on your package, starting with $29/month for its Basic plan.
Q-How Much Does it Cost to Use Bigcommerce?
**A-**BigCommerce offers all of its standard features and functionality free of charge. However, if you want extra features and tools like inventory management or payment gateways, you must use Bigcommerce's third-party app store.
Q-What are Some Examples of an eCommerce Platform?
**A-**Some famous examples of ecommerce platforms include Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, etc.