BigCommerce is a fully hosted SaaS platform with lower setup costs and faster time-to-market, while Magento is an open-source solution offering greater customization but requiring more technical expertise and infrastructure investment. BigCommerce suits businesses wanting quick deployment; Magento serves enterprises needing deep control.
BigCommerce vs Magento — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based SaaS ecommerce platform with built-in features and managed hosting.
Open-source ecommerce platform with unlimited customization and self-hosted deployment.
Hosting & Deployment. Initial Setup Cost. Time to Launch. Customization Flexibility. Built-in Features. Scalability. Developer Community
Choose BigCommerce if you want a fast, all-in-one solution with predictable costs and minimal technical overhead—ideal for SMBs and mid-market retailers launching quickly. Choose Magento if you're an enterprise with complex requirements, need unlimited customization, and have budget for development resources and infrastructure management.
BigCommerce: $29.95/month (Standard) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 2,100+ reviews | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Native B2B with wholesale pricing and bulk ordering | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Advanced APIs with GraphQL, full headless commerce | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Multi-coupon stacking, promotion banners, bulk coupon management, automation workflows | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Extensive native features included | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Superior API access with full headless commerce | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: $20M+ GMV (optimal fit) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: High; requires technical expertise | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: $29.95-$299.95 | Magento: $0 (software)
BigCommerce: Unlimited (100M+) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 600+ apps | Magento: 5,000+
BigCommerce: 24/7 (168 hours) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: $29.95/month | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Generous/Unlimited | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Comprehensive (All plans) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: More technical, steeper curve | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Small to enterprise | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 2-4 weeks | Magento: 8-16 weeks
BigCommerce: 130+ pre-built | Magento: Core + 5,000+ extensions
BigCommerce: 500K+ (tested) | Magento: Unlimited (1M+ in production)
BigCommerce: Moderate (API-driven, template modifications) | Magento: 10 (unlimited)
BigCommerce: 8,000+ Certified Partners | Magento: 47,000+ Certified Developers
BigCommerce: Minimal (non-technical users OK) | Magento: Expert (PHP/MySQL/Linux required)
BigCommerce: $5,000-$15,000 | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 250 calls/15sec | Magento: N/A
Monthly Transaction Processing Limit (Entry Plan)
BigCommerce: 135+ gateways | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 40,000 requests/hour | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Advanced (multi-location, variants, SKU tracking) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Facebook native | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Requires CSS knowledge for advanced customization | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Yes (built-in) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Yes (301 redirects, structured data, XML control) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Shopify (4+ native) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: Full REST API with custom code | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 8-12 hours (technical setup) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: $29.99/month | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 100+ native integrations | Magento: 350+
BigCommerce: 500 official apps | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 2-4 hours (assisted setup) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 0% (no platform fees) | Magento: 0%
BigCommerce: Standalone platform (not WordPress-dependent) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: $500,000+ (Enterprise capable) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: $29.95/month | Magento: Free (self-hosted) + $100-$500 hosting
BigCommerce: 2-4 weeks | Magento: 12-24 weeks
BigCommerce: 140+ features included | Magento: Core + marketplace extensions (100+)
BigCommerce: 50,000 SKUs | Magento: 100,000+ SKUs
BigCommerce: AWS-backed cloud (managed) | Magento: Self-hosted or managed (your choice)
BigCommerce: Constrained REST/GraphQL APIs | Magento: Unlimited via PHP codebase
BigCommerce: 15,000 certified partners | Magento: 250,000+ developers
BigCommerce: 0.5% per order | Magento: None (self-hosted)
BigCommerce: $79.95/month | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 0% (if using own gateway) | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: 50+ native channels | Magento: N/A
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: $15,000-$100,000
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: $125-200 (required)
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: Enterprise segment leader (~5-10%)
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: $10-80 (hosting only)
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: Custom quote (est. $833-4,166/mo)
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: $20,000-50,000
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: 100,000+ (tested)
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: 1,000+ native
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: 600+ (official marketplace)
Developer Resources (Stack Overflow Tags)
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: 28,000+ questions
BigCommerce: N/A | Magento: 8 (advanced developer skills)
How to choose between BigCommerce and Magento
BigCommerce vs Magento — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for BigCommerce vs Magento. Contains 107 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
BigCommerce vs Magento — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for BigCommerce vs Magento.
Which is cheaper: BigCommerce or Magento?
BigCommerce has lower upfront costs ($29.95-$299.95/month) with predictable monthly fees, making it cheaper for small businesses. Magento is free software, but self-hosting and development costs $2,000-$10,000+ upfront, then $100-$500+/month for infrastructure—cheaper long-term only if you have internal development resources. For SMBs, BigCommerce typically costs less in year one; for enterprises, Magento's no-licensing-fee model wins over 5+ years.
Can I customize BigCommerce and Magento equally?
No. Magento offers unlimited customization via its open-source PHP codebase—you can modify any code and build custom features. BigCommerce is constrained by its proprietary SaaS platform; you can customize themes, build apps using APIs, and configure settings, but cannot rewrite core functionality. If you need deep customization (e.g., custom checkout logic, proprietary integrations), Magento is required.
How long does it take to launch each platform?
BigCommerce: 2-4 weeks on average. The platform is pre-configured, so you install a theme, add products, connect payment processors, and go live. Magento: 12-24 weeks average. You must provision infrastructure, install/configure Magento, customize, develop extensions, test, and deploy—requiring a development team throughout.
Which handles larger product catalogs better?
Magento is optimized for enterprise catalogs of 100,000+ SKUs with advanced indexing and can handle massive inventory datasets with proper configuration. BigCommerce handles up to 50,000 SKUs well; beyond that, performance degrades without significant optimization. For large enterprises with massive catalogs (fashion, electronics), Magento is the standard choice.
What if I need to migrate from one to the other later?
Migrating from BigCommerce to Magento is feasible but resource-intensive; you'll need to export products, customers, and orders, then re-import into Magento (2-4 weeks + development costs). Migrating from Magento to BigCommerce is simpler (1-2 weeks) since BigCommerce has better import tools, but you may lose custom functionality. Plan your platform choice carefully—switching has significant costs and downtime.
How to Choose Between BigCommerce and Magento
Hosting & Deployment: BigCommerce has Fully hosted cloud platform (SaaS), while Magento has Self-hosted or managed hosting required.
Initial Setup Cost: BigCommerce has $29.95-$299.95/month, while Magento has $0 (open-source) + $2,000-$10,000+ hosting/setup.
Time to Launch: BigCommerce has 2-4 weeks average, while Magento has 3-6 months average.
Customization Flexibility: BigCommerce has Limited by platform constraints, while Magento has Unlimited (open-source architecture).
Built-in Features: BigCommerce has 140+ integrated features included, while Magento has Core features + extension marketplace (fees apply).
Scalability: BigCommerce has Handles up to 50,000+ SKUs, while Magento has Handles 100,000+ SKUs with optimization.
Developer Community: BigCommerce has ~15,000 certified partners globally, while Magento has ~250,000+ developers in ecosystem.