BigCommerce Vs Shopify – Which Is Right For You?

BigCommerce Vs Shopify – Which Is Right For You?

BigCommerce Vs Shopify remains a hot discussion as Big Commerce and Shopify are amongst the most powerful e-commerce platforms on the market. They provide a range of features for anyone who wants to create, manage, and grow their online store just from a single website.

Some of the popular brands that use Shopify are Kylie Cosmetics, Heinz, and Sephora to name a few. While those using BigCommerce included Procter & Gamble, Olay, Sony, and many more.

But which e-commerce platform out of these two is right for you? Well, this completely depends on factors like the size of your business, the kind of user experience that you want to give to your visitors, the facets that you value the most in a service provider, and so on.

So, let’s take a deep dive into the various factors that can help you determine which e-commerce platform will stand true to your business requirements. Let’s jump in!

BigCommerce Vs Shopify – A Birds-eye’s View

BigCommerce Vs Shopify – Detailed Comparison

1. Pricing

While both platforms offer plans at similar price points remember that you’ll also need to account for additional costs.
For instance, while Shopify offers free usage of its own payment processor, this feature is limited to 11 countries. Shopify will impose a fee on each sale made through a third-party payment processor, which can range from 0.5% to 2%.

BigCommerce doesn’t charge you for every transaction, but it does have selling limits. If your annual sales exceed $50,000, you will be required to upgrade your plan and pay the increased monthly cost.

Despite both offering similar prices and some differences in terms of what you get or what you might need to pay extra for, overall, the two do a good job of balancing themselves.

2. Transaction Fee

The percentage of each sale that an e-commerce platform keeps for itself is known as the transaction fee. It can be a crucial component in building a sustainable business.

Shopify offers 0% transaction fees on all of its plans except for the “Starter” one, but only if card payments are processed through its “Shopify Payments” system rather than to a third-party payment gateway.

Therefore, it’s a clear win for BigCommerce as it charges no transaction fees for any of its plans.

3. Ease Of Usage

If you are a beginner and don’t want to deal with a complex e-commerce platform, Shopify’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive e-commerce functionality make it stand out.

Its easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface makes the process of building a store quite simple.

BigCommerce is less suitable for beginners, although it is targeted at business owners without prior web development expertise. Establishing a BigCommerce online store involves more technical aspects than developing one with Shopify.

4. Themes And Design

Regarding themes and design, both platforms have different offerings.

Shopify provides simple yet straightforward designs. These themes are ideal for resource-constrained businesses or those looking for an initial online store without a lot of complex features.

Conversely, BigCommerce offers more complex designs that are customizable in an array of ways. Furthermore, compared to Shopify, its e-commerce platform is far more advanced. This makes it more appropriate for businesses of all sizes looking to advance their online storefront.

5. Security

Both BigCommerce and Shopify are well-versed in security protocols. Th use 128-bit SSL encryption, which is software that encrypts sensitive customer data, including passwords, credit card information, and private messages, to prevent access by other parties.

Both of them adhere to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, a collection of guidelines created by five significant credit card companies that specify how to safeguard financial transactions.

6. Customer Support

Similar customer support channels, including live chat, forum, FAQs, and email and phone assistance, are provided by BigCommerce and Shopify.

However, Shopify loses points for hiding phone and live chat support options behind several nested links rather than putting them in the forefront and making them difficult to reach.

While BigCommerce offers faster response and easier access to help. In fact, you won’t have to wait long for live chat or phone support – the wait time can sometimes be even less than a minute.

7. Apps

By adding apps you can get additional functionality to your online store. Shopify has a larger number of applications and integrations than BigCommerce.

BigCommerce relies less on the need for apps because it has many functionality built right in. Shopify’s wide and user-friendly app selection makes it an excellent platform for smaller businesses.

In contrast, BigCommerce is more appropriate for bigger businesses that require more capabilities and functionalities than Shopify can provide.

Final Verdict

Shopify and BigCommerce both provide value, however, your business’s needs will determine which platform is appropriate for you.

Shopify simplifies things for beginners, whereas BigCommerce caters to larger businesses.

Do you desire a store with all the features you need to sell to other businesses? You could choose BigCommerce. Or do you want to invest in a responsive website and a functional mobile app to go along with it? Perhaps Shopify is the better option.

You see, it’s the details tailored to you where the differences truly shine. Once you figure out what really suits your business, that’ll clue you in.

That is it! Hope this helps you make an informed choice.

Looking for expert e-commerce support? If yes, get in touch with Arista Systems.