Shopify vs BigCommerce

There are a multitude of ecommerce platforms to choose from when setting up an online business or planning on switching to a new software. This includes the likes of Wix, Squarespace, Magento, Shopify and BigCommerce. With so many options available, it can be hard to decide which platform to commit to. In this article 

Shopify

Shopify is an ecommerce platform provider that allows businesses of any size to host, create and build an online store. It is secure, scalable and comes with a variety of features and tools to assist with marketing. 

BigCommerce

Bigcommerce is also an ecommerce software platform. It includes all of the features necessary to host a store, create a store and optimise a store. Both Shopify Vs BigCommerce are suitable for small sized businesses to enterprise sized businesses.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Pros and Cons

Shopify Pros

• Quick and easy to set up and use
• Payment processing that supports over 100 payment methods
• Customisable themes available to use
• Different payment plans
• Round the clock support
• Large app store with a range of plugins and apps available

Shopify Cons

• Adding plugins can be complex and can slow down your store
• Some theme templates have a price attached to them
• There is a fee for each transaction as well as the monthly subscription

BigCommerce Pros

• Huge amount of built in sales features that don’t need to be installed
• No transaction fees
• Can accommodate up to 600 variations of a product

BigCommerce Cons

• Not much variation between store themes
• Isn’t as customisable as Shopify’s features
• Advanced features can be complex

Shopify Vs BigCommerce: feature comparison

Store functionality

Both Shopify and BigCommerce are functional and responsive on both desktop and mobile. BigCommerce allows you to see previews of your chosen template o Pc or smartphone which will help you to visualise the store front and make any appropriate improvements. Shopify has demonstrated a generally consistent page speed load time suggesting it is one of the more functionable sites. 

Payment system

When it comes to payment systems, Shopify is hard to beat. It offers over 100 different payment gateways making your store more accessible for customers. Despite having all of these payment gateways, it is important to remember that Shopify charges an additional transaction fee for each payment made. BigCommerce on the other hand still offers a great range of payment gateways with over 65 options. The benefit of BigCommerce is that they do not charge transaction fees.

Apps and add ons

When it comes to addons, BigCommerce has more built-in features than Shopify but Shopify has more options in the app store. This means it depends how you want to look at it, BigCommerce can save you time of downloading apps, but Shopify is more customisable meaning you only have to install the apps you need and will actually use. Overall when it comes to Shopify VS BigCommerce, they are equal in relation to apps and features. Some of the marketing features including with BigCommerce and Shopify include the following:

• Ability to create discount codes for shoppers
• Professional reporting and analytic tools
• Automatic sitemaps & customisable URLs, title tags and meta descriptions which are useful for SEO

Customisation

When it comes to free themes, these ecommerce platforms are on par. Both Shopify Vs BigCommerce offer a slim range of free themes, this means you can expect to pay a little extra if you want a more interesting or unique theme. Customisation wise, Shopify is easier to use than BigCommerce meaning even complete beginners are able to create a functional storefront. BigCommerce uses a drag and drop system whilst Shopify’s themes are less uniform and more varied meaning you have to adjust them much anyway. Having an aesthetically pleasing store layout is crucial as statistics show that 38% of visitors will stop engaging with a site if they find the layout hard to navigate or the site attractive. 

Blogging

By default, on both Shopify and BigCommerce, you can expect to find a basic blog included on each platform. Generally, the look of the blog is controlled by the theme you choose. Having a blog is another great way to drive relevant traffic to your website. You can target keywords that your audience are searching for and optimise blog posts for each of these terms. 

Shopify Vs BigCommerce: Ease of use

When it comes to ease of use of Shopify Vs BigCommerce, the basics are fairly similar with both. There is an easy to navigate dashboard, content management system and website editor. However, users have said that they find Shopify easier to use than BigCommerce. This could be to do with the fact that BigCommerce has scalable features that are less suited to beginners. Shopify is still scalable as you can easily upgrade your subscription plan to suit the size and needs of your business accordingly as it grows. 

Shopify Vs BigCommerce: Cost

When it comes to the cost of Shopify Vs BigCommerce, they both offer a similar payment plan structure with three main pricing plans. On top of the monthly subscription fee, it is important to consider any additional costs associated with running an ecommerce business such as credit card and transaction fees.

Shopify Cost

Shopify offers a range of plans, Shopify Lite, Basic Shopify, Shopify, Advanced Shopify and Shopify plus. For the purpose of this article we are going to discuss the main 3 monthly payment plans needed to set up and run an ecommerce store. A good rule of thumb for Shopify plans is that the bigger your business, the more expensive the subscription, this makes it cost effective for your business. It allows you to upgrade your subscription as your business grows. It’s important to know that Shopify takes a cut from every sale made on top of the monthly subscription payment.

Basic Shopify– $29, best for start-ups and small businesses

Shopify- $79, best for growing businesses who sell both in person and online

Advanced Shopify– $229, best for scaling businesses

If you fancy trialing how Shopify suits your online business, they offer a 14 day free trial. You can set up a store, play around with themes, tools and more, before paying a penny. If you do decide that Shopify is the right platform for you, at the end of the 14 days, all you need to do is enter your payment details to get started, select a plan and you’re good to go.

Another element to consider is that you can save up to 20% on your Shopify plan. If you sign up for oar you save 10% and you can save 20% if you sign up for two years. 

BigCommerce cost

The subscription plans are more or less the same between Shopify Vs BigCommerce. Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce actually does not charge any additional transaction fees across any of their monthly pricing plans. There is also an opportunity to save 10% when you pay annually. This offer is only available for plus and pro plans.

Standard- $29.95, best for new startups and small businesses

Plus– $79.95, best for growing your online business with useful marketing tools that can help increase conversions

Pro- $299.95, best for scaling businesses, this plan comes with a comprehensive set of features and tools.

BigCommerce also offers a 15 day free trial where you can then pick the right plan for you at the end of the trial. Why not trial both platforms to work out which is best for you Shopify or BigCommerce.

Overview

We hope this article has given you a better insight into two of the world’s leading ecommerce software providers, Shopify Vs BigCommerce. To find out more about these platforms head over to their website. You can learn alot more about Shopify on our Shopify Partner page or to discover the other ecommerce platforms available we also discuss Wix, Magento and Squarespace in previous blog posts.  

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