Choosing the right e-commerce platform is one of the most critical decisions you will make for your online business. In 2026, two platforms dominate the hosted e-commerce landscape: Shopify and BigCommerce. Both power millions of online stores, but they take fundamentally different approaches to helping merchants succeed.
This comprehensive comparison examines every aspect of both platforms to help you make an informed decision for your business.
Platform Overview
What is Shopify?
Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, powering over 4 million online stores globally. Founded in 2006 in Ottawa, Canada, Shopify has grown from a simple online store builder to a comprehensive commerce ecosystem that handles everything from point-of-sale to international expansion.
Shopify's philosophy centers on simplicity and ecosystem. The core platform provides essential e-commerce functionality, while the Shopify App Store offers over 8,000 apps to extend capabilities. This modular approach lets merchants start simple and add features as they grow.
Key Shopify statistics (2026):
- 4.5+ million active stores worldwide
- $700+ billion in cumulative merchant sales
- 8,000+ apps in the App Store
- 175+ countries supported
- Processes 10% of all US e-commerce
What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is an enterprise-focused e-commerce platform known for its robust built-in features and headless commerce capabilities. Founded in 2009 in Austin, Texas, BigCommerce targets mid-market and enterprise merchants who need powerful functionality without heavy customization.
BigCommerce's philosophy emphasizes native features over third-party apps. The platform includes advanced SEO tools, multi-channel selling, and B2B capabilities out of the box. This all-in-one approach reduces reliance on apps but can feel more complex for beginners.
Key BigCommerce statistics (2026):
- 60,000+ active stores worldwide
- Focus on mid-market and enterprise
- 1,000+ apps in the marketplace
- Native headless commerce support
- Stronger presence in B2B commerce
Pricing Comparison
Understanding the true cost of each platform requires looking beyond monthly subscription fees. Transaction fees, app costs, and payment processing all impact your total cost of ownership.
Shopify Pricing Plans
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Transaction Fee | Staff Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $29/month | 2.9% + 30c (online) | 2 |
| Shopify | $79/month | 2.6% + 30c (online) | 5 |
| Advanced | $299/month | 2.4% + 30c (online) | 15 |
| Plus | $2,000+/month | Negotiated | Unlimited |
Important Shopify fee notes:
- Using third-party payment gateways adds 0.5-2% transaction fees
- Shopify Payments eliminates third-party transaction fees
- Annual billing saves 25% on all plans
- POS Pro costs an additional $89/location/month
BigCommerce Pricing Plans
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Transaction Fee | Staff Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $29/month | None | Unlimited |
| Plus | $79/month | None | Unlimited |
| Pro | $299/month | None | Unlimited |
| Enterprise | Custom | None | Unlimited |
Important BigCommerce fee notes:
- No transaction fees on any plan (only payment processor fees)
- Annual sales limits: Standard ($50K), Plus ($180K), Pro ($400K)
- Exceeding limits requires upgrading or paying additional fees
- Unlimited staff accounts on all plans
Total Cost Analysis
While both platforms start at $29/month, the total cost varies significantly:
Shopify hidden costs:
- Essential apps: $50-200/month for reviews, upsells, email
- Transaction fees: 0.5-2% if not using Shopify Payments
- Advanced features: Often require paid apps
BigCommerce hidden costs:
- Premium themes: $150-300 one-time
- Annual revenue limits may force upgrades
- Fewer free app alternatives
Bottom line: BigCommerce typically has lower total cost of ownership for stores doing $100K-500K annually. Shopify becomes more cost-effective when you fully leverage Shopify Payments and stay within the app ecosystem.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Store Design and Themes
Shopify:
- 150+ themes (12 free, rest $150-380)
- Drag-and-drop Online Store 2.0 editor
- Liquid templating language
- Extensive theme customization options
- Mobile-responsive designs standard
- Dawn theme excellent for performance
BigCommerce:
- 200+ themes (12 free, rest $150-300)
- Page Builder visual editor
- Stencil framework for customization
- Mobile-responsive designs standard
- Cornerstone theme as flagship option
- More design flexibility out of the box
Winner: Tie - Both offer excellent design capabilities. Shopify's editor is slightly more intuitive, while BigCommerce provides more built-in customization options.
Product Management
Shopify:
- Unlimited products on all plans
- Up to 100 variants per product
- Inventory tracking across locations
- Digital products supported
- Collections for organization
- Bulk editing via CSV
BigCommerce:
- Unlimited products on all plans
- Up to 600 variants per product
- Multi-warehouse inventory
- Digital products with rules
- Categories and faceted search
- Bulk editing tools built-in
Winner: BigCommerce - 600 variants versus 100 makes a significant difference for stores with complex products like apparel or customizable items.
Payment Processing
Shopify:
- Shopify Payments (Stripe-based)
- 100+ payment gateways
- Shop Pay accelerated checkout
- Buy Now Pay Later integrations
- Multi-currency support
- Transaction fees for external gateways
BigCommerce:
- No proprietary payment solution
- 65+ payment gateways
- PayPal powered by Braintree
- No transaction fees on any gateway
- Multi-currency on Plus and above
- Digital wallets supported
Winner: Shopify - Shop Pay is a competitive advantage for checkout conversion, and Shopify Payments offers excellent rates. However, BigCommerce wins on flexibility with no transaction fees.
Shipping and Fulfillment
Shopify:
- Shopify Shipping with carrier discounts
- Real-time carrier rates on Advanced+
- Shopify Fulfillment Network
- Multi-origin shipping
- Delivery date estimates
- Local delivery and pickup
BigCommerce:
- Real-time carrier quotes on all plans
- ShipperHQ integration
- No proprietary fulfillment network
- Multi-origin shipping
- Shipping rules and zones
- Third-party 3PL integrations
Winner: Shopify - The Shopify Fulfillment Network and carrier discounts provide meaningful advantages, especially for high-volume merchants.
SEO Capabilities
Shopify:
- Customizable title tags and meta descriptions
- Auto-generated sitemaps
- 301 redirects
- SSL certificates included
- Blog functionality
- Limited URL structure control
BigCommerce:
- Full URL customization
- Advanced SEO settings
- Automatic image optimization
- Microdata/rich snippets
- CDN-delivered pages
- Blog with advanced features
- No /products/ prefix requirement
Winner: BigCommerce - More granular SEO control, better URL structures, and built-in optimization features give BigCommerce an edge for organic search visibility.
Marketing Tools
Shopify:
- Shopify Email (up to 10,000 free/month)
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Discount codes and automatic discounts
- Gift cards on all plans
- Basic customer segmentation
- Shopify Audiences (Plus only)
BigCommerce:
- Abandoned cart saver on Plus+
- Discount and coupon engine
- Gift certificates
- Customer groups and segmentation
- No native email marketing
- Google Shopping integration
Winner: Shopify - Native email marketing and Shopify Audiences for finding customers make Shopify stronger for marketing out of the box.
Multi-Channel Selling
Shopify:
- Facebook and Instagram shops
- Google Shopping
- TikTok Shop
- Amazon integration
- eBay integration
- Walmart Marketplace
- Point of Sale (POS)
BigCommerce:
- Facebook and Instagram
- Google Shopping
- Amazon integration
- eBay integration
- Walmart Marketplace
- No native POS (integrations available)
- Channel Manager for control
Winner: Tie - Both excel at multi-channel selling. Shopify has native POS, while BigCommerce offers more control over channel-specific pricing and inventory.
Scalability Comparison
Traffic and Performance
Shopify:
- Unlimited bandwidth
- 99.99% uptime guarantee
- Global CDN included
- Handles flash sales well
- Shopify Plus for enterprise scale
- No traffic caps on any plan
BigCommerce:
- Unlimited bandwidth
- 99.99% uptime SLA
- Fastly CDN included
- Enterprise-grade infrastructure
- No throttling during traffic spikes
- Google Cloud Platform hosting
Both platforms handle scale well. Merchants doing millions in sales succeed on both platforms. The difference is in enterprise features and support.
Enterprise Capabilities
Shopify Plus ($2,000+/month):
- Dedicated account manager
- Shopify Flow automation
- Launchpad for scheduling
- Wholesale channel
- 10 expansion stores
- Custom checkout (Scripts)
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Priority support
BigCommerce Enterprise (Custom pricing):
- Dedicated account manager
- Priority API support
- Custom integrations
- Price lists and customer groups
- Unlimited API calls
- Advanced security features
- SLA guarantees
- White-glove onboarding
Winner: Tie - Both offer robust enterprise solutions. Shopify Plus has more automation tools; BigCommerce Enterprise has stronger B2B features.
B2B Features Comparison
B2B e-commerce has exploded in 2026, and platform choice significantly impacts your wholesale and business-to-business capabilities.
Shopify B2B Capabilities
Available features:
- B2B on Shopify Plus only ($2,000+/month)
- Company profiles and buyer permissions
- Net payment terms
- Volume pricing
- Custom catalogs per customer
- Draft orders for quotes
- B2B-specific checkout
Limitations:
- Requires expensive Plus tier
- Limited B2B apps on lower plans
- Quote management via apps only
- Customer groups require workarounds
BigCommerce B2B Capabilities
Available features (Pro and above):
- Customer groups with custom pricing
- Price lists by customer segment
- Quote management built-in
- Purchase order support
- Trade/wholesale account applications
- Corporate accounts with buyers
- Restricted category access
- Volume discounts
Advantages:
- B2B features on lower-cost plans
- Native quote-to-order workflow
- Better for complex pricing structures
- No additional costs for core B2B
Winner: BigCommerce - Significantly better native B2B support without requiring enterprise pricing. Merchants selling to businesses should strongly consider BigCommerce.
Apps and Integrations Ecosystem
Shopify App Store
By the numbers:
- 8,000+ apps available
- Categories: Marketing, sales, inventory, support, design
- Free apps: 1,500+
- Average app cost: $15-50/month
Strengths:
- Largest e-commerce app ecosystem
- Apps for virtually any need
- Quality ratings and reviews
- Shopify-built apps excellent
- Easy installation process
Weaknesses:
- App costs add up quickly
- Some apps overlap in functionality
- Quality varies significantly
- App dependencies can create issues
BigCommerce App Marketplace
By the numbers:
- 1,000+ apps available
- Focus on enterprise integrations
- Free apps: 300+
- Average app cost: $20-80/month
Strengths:
- Pre-vetted for quality
- Strong ERP/accounting integrations
- Enterprise-focused partners
- Fewer but more robust options
Weaknesses:
- Smaller selection overall
- Fewer options in niche categories
- Some basic features require apps
- Limited free alternatives
Winner: Shopify - The sheer breadth of the Shopify ecosystem means you can find an app for almost anything. This flexibility is valuable as your business grows and needs evolve.
Ease of Use
Shopify User Experience
Getting started:
- Guided setup wizard
- 14-day free trial
- Extensive documentation
- Shopify Learn courses
- 24/7 support
Day-to-day operations:
- Clean, intuitive dashboard
- Mobile app for management
- Streamlined order processing
- Simple product additions
- Easy theme customization
Learning curve: Low to moderate. Most merchants can launch a store within a day and become proficient within a week.
BigCommerce User Experience
Getting started:
- Setup wizard available
- 15-day free trial
- Knowledge base and guides
- BigCommerce University
- 24/7 support
Day-to-day operations:
- Feature-rich dashboard
- Mobile app available
- More complex order interface
- Detailed product options
- Advanced but complex settings
Learning curve: Moderate. More built-in features mean more to learn, but also less reliance on apps long-term.
Winner: Shopify - For pure ease of use, Shopify's cleaner interface and more intuitive workflows win. However, BigCommerce's complexity comes with more built-in power.
Who Should Choose Shopify?
Shopify is the better choice for:
New entrepreneurs and small businesses:
- First-time store owners
- Side hustles and passion projects
- Simple product catalogs
- Dropshipping businesses
- Print-on-demand stores
Direct-to-consumer brands:
- Fashion and apparel
- Beauty and cosmetics
- Home goods
- Food and beverage
- Lifestyle products
Omnichannel retailers:
- Stores with physical locations
- Pop-up shop operators
- Markets and events sellers
- Multi-location businesses
App-dependent businesses:
- Subscription boxes (ReCharge, Bold)
- Loyalty programs (Smile.io, LoyaltyLion)
- Advanced customization needs
- Unique workflow requirements
Marketing-focused sellers:
- Heavy social media presence
- Influencer-driven brands
- Email marketing emphasis
- Content commerce strategies
Who Should Choose BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is the better choice for:
B2B and wholesale businesses:
- Manufacturers selling direct
- Distributors and wholesalers
- Companies with negotiated pricing
- Businesses requiring purchase orders
- Trade-only storefronts
High-SKU retailers:
- Stores with 5,000+ products
- Complex variant requirements
- Multi-category catalogs
- Industrial supply companies
SEO-focused businesses:
- Content-driven commerce
- Organic traffic priority
- Multi-site architectures
- Headless commerce implementations
Cost-conscious mid-market:
- $100K-500K annual revenue
- Limited app budget
- Need built-in features
- Predictable operating costs
Technical teams:
- Developer-led companies
- Custom integration requirements
- Headless architecture needs
- API-heavy workflows
Headless Commerce Capabilities
Both platforms support headless commerce, but with different approaches:
Shopify Headless
- Shopify Hydrogen: React-based storefront framework
- Storefront API: GraphQL for custom frontends
- Oxygen hosting: Deploy Hydrogen apps
- Strong ecosystem: Growing headless community
- Learning curve: Moderate for developers
BigCommerce Headless
- Native headless support: API-first architecture
- GraphQL Storefront API: Flexible querying
- Framework agnostic: Next.js, Gatsby, Nuxt, etc.
- More mature offering: Earlier to headless market
- Developer friendly: Excellent documentation
Winner: Tie - Shopify Hydrogen is newer but backed by significant investment. BigCommerce has more mature headless tooling. Choose based on your development team's preferences.
Security and Compliance
Shopify Security
- Level 1 PCI DSS compliant
- SSL certificates included
- Fraud analysis built-in
- Shopify Protect for chargebacks
- GDPR compliance tools
- Two-factor authentication
- Staff permission controls
BigCommerce Security
- Level 1 PCI DSS compliant
- SSL certificates included
- Sitewide HTTPS
- DDoS protection
- GDPR compliance tools
- ISO/IEC 27001 certified
- SOC 2 Type II certified
Winner: BigCommerce - Additional enterprise security certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2) give BigCommerce an edge for compliance-sensitive industries.
Support Quality
Shopify Support
- 24/7 phone, chat, and email
- Shopify Help Center (extensive)
- Shopify Community forums
- Shopify Experts marketplace
- Plus: Dedicated support
BigCommerce Support
- 24/7 phone, chat, and email
- Knowledge Base
- Community forums
- Agency partner directory
- Enterprise: Priority support
Winner: Tie - Both offer comprehensive support. Shopify has more community resources; BigCommerce provides more hands-on enterprise support.
Making Your Decision
Choose Shopify If:
- You prioritize ease of use and quick setup
- Physical retail is part of your strategy
- You want the largest app ecosystem
- Marketing tools are critical to your success
- You prefer an all-in-one ecosystem (Payments, Shipping, Email)
- Your products have simple variant requirements
- You plan to scale with Shopify Plus eventually
Start your Shopify free trial to experience the platform firsthand.
Choose BigCommerce If:
- B2B or wholesale is significant for your business
- You need 100+ variants per product
- Built-in SEO features are important
- You want to minimize app dependencies
- Your annual revenue is $100K-500K
- You prefer no transaction fees
- Headless commerce is in your roadmap
The Bottom Line
Both Shopify and BigCommerce are excellent e-commerce platforms capable of powering successful online businesses. The right choice depends on your specific needs:
Shopify excels at simplicity, ecosystem breadth, and omnichannel retail. It is the safer choice for most new merchants and works well from side hustle to enterprise scale.
BigCommerce excels at built-in features, B2B commerce, and total cost of ownership. It is the better choice for complex catalogs, wholesale operations, and SEO-focused businesses.
Neither platform will hold your business back. Both continuously improve and compete for your business. The key is matching your current needs and growth trajectory to the platform that best supports your vision.
Next Steps
Ready to launch or migrate your e-commerce store? Here are your action items:
- Start free trials on both platforms with real products
- Test your workflows for order processing, inventory, and fulfillment
- Calculate total costs including apps, themes, and payment processing
- Evaluate integrations with your existing tools (accounting, ERP, CRM)
- Consider migration if switching platforms makes long-term sense
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Last updated: February 21, 2026