Shopify dominates the market with 28% of all e-commerce websites and superior ease of use, while BigCommerce offers more advanced built-in features and better scalability for enterprise merchants with larger product catalogs (10,000+ SKUs).
BigCommerce vs Shopify — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise-focused e-commerce platform built for larger merchants with advanced built-in features.
Market-leading e-commerce platform known for ease of use and extensive third-party integrations.
Market Share. Product Listing Limit. Setup Time (Days). Starting Monthly Price. Built-in SEO Features. Native Multi-Vendor Support. App Store Size
Choose Shopify if you want the fastest setup, largest app ecosystem, and best user experience for small-to-medium businesses with straightforward needs. Choose BigCommerce if you require advanced built-in enterprise features, multi-vendor capabilities, superior SEO tools, or plan to scale to 10,000+ products without technical debt.
BigCommerce: $29.95/month (Standard) | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: 2,100+ reviews | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Native B2B with wholesale pricing and bulk ordering | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Advanced APIs with GraphQL, full headless commerce | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Multi-coupon stacking, promotion banners, bulk coupon management, automation workflows | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: 21-45 days | Shopify: 7-14 days
BigCommerce: 1,500+ apps | Shopify: 6,000+ apps
BigCommerce: Extensive native features included | Shopify: Moderate; app-dependent for advanced needs
BigCommerce: Superior API access with full headless commerce | Shopify: Good GraphQL API; limited headless options
BigCommerce: $20M+ GMV (optimal fit) | Shopify: $0-20M GMV (optimal fit)
BigCommerce: High; requires technical expertise | Shopify: Low; point-and-click setup
BigCommerce: $29.95-$299.95 | Shopify: $39/month (Basic plan)
BigCommerce: Unlimited (100M+) | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: 1-3 days | Shopify: 30-60 minutes
BigCommerce: 24/7 professional | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Generous/Unlimited | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Comprehensive (All plans) | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: More technical, steeper curve | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Small to enterprise | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: $29.95-$299.95 | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: 130+ pre-built | Shopify: Hosting, SSL, domain, support included
BigCommerce: 500K+ (tested) | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Moderate (API-driven, template modifications) | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: 8,000+ Certified Partners | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Fully managed (99.99% SLA) | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Minimal (non-technical users OK) | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: $5,000-$15,000 | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: 250 calls/15sec | Shopify: N/A
Monthly Transaction Processing Limit (Entry Plan)
BigCommerce: 135+ gateways | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: 0% | Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
BigCommerce: 100+ | Shopify: ~300 (optimized for sales)
BigCommerce: Advanced (multi-location, variants, SKU tracking) | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Facebook native | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Requires CSS knowledge for advanced customization | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: $29.95/month | Shopify: N/A
BigCommerce: Unlimited | Shopify: Unlimited
BigCommerce: 5-7 days | Shopify: 2-3 days
BigCommerce: ~600 apps | Shopify: ~8,000+ apps
BigCommerce: Yes (built-in) | Shopify: No (requires apps)
BigCommerce: Yes (301 redirects, structured data, XML control) | Shopify: Limited (basic automation)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 4.6 Million+
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Fully Managed SaaS
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Native AI-driven commerce agents built-in
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Limited export; difficult migration
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Phone, Email & Chat
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Yes ($2,300+/month)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 0 (self-driven)
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: $5,000+ (lower barrier)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 0% (on Shopify Payments)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Advanced (Liquid code access)
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Included in subscription
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Self-driven traffic
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Zero (must generate own traffic)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 30-90 days (with marketing)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Complete (10/10)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 100% direct access to customer emails and data
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited products
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Extensive (9/10)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Self-generated
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: All product types
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: $100-150 (optional)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: ~30% of all online stores
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: $5 (Starter plan minimum)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 2.7% + $0.30
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited with advanced sync
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: $5 (Starter Plan)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: $5-39 (all-inclusive)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Hours to 1 day
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Separate subscriptions required
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Ongoing regular updates
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: $105 (Shopify Plan)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: None (paid plans only)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Mobile-optimized by default
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 6 (Liquid templating limits)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Shopify manages all compliance
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Unlimited (pricing tier independent)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: $468 + transaction fees ($2,900)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 6,800 verified apps
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 1-2 hours to launch
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Theme/app API limited (Liquid template language)
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: 100+ official integrations
BigCommerce: N/A | Shopify: Level 1 (fully managed)
How to choose between BigCommerce and Shopify
BigCommerce vs Shopify — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for BigCommerce vs Shopify. Contains 140 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
BigCommerce vs Shopify — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for BigCommerce vs Shopify.
Shopify is significantly better for beginners. It requires just 2-3 days to launch a store, has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface requiring no coding, and offers 24/7 customer support on all plans. BigCommerce's steeper learning curve and more complex admin dashboard make it less suitable for first-time entrepreneurs.
BigCommerce has lower total cost of ownership at scale due to 0% transaction fees on all plans, while Shopify charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction on its Basic plan. For a store processing $50,000/month in sales, BigCommerce saves approximately $1,450/month compared to Shopify's Basic plan, making it 17% cheaper annually.
Can I run a multi-vendor marketplace on both platforms?
BigCommerce has native built-in multi-vendor functionality included in all plans at no extra cost. Shopify requires third-party apps like Multivendor ($99-299/month), making BigCommerce the clear choice for marketplace operators who want a single integrated solution without ongoing app subscription costs.
BigCommerce offers superior native SEO features including manual 301 redirect management, complete XML sitemap control, structured data markup options, and advanced URL optimization. Shopify relies on automated SEO with limited customization options, requiring SEO apps ($20-50/month) to match BigCommerce's built-in capabilities.
Which platform should I choose for 15,000+ products?
BigCommerce is better suited for large catalogs. It has superior product filtering, advanced bulk management tools, and better performance optimization for 15,000+ SKUs. Shopify can handle unlimited products technically, but becomes slower and more difficult to manage at enterprise scale without significant app investments.
How to Choose Between BigCommerce and Shopify
Market Share: BigCommerce has 3.4% of e-commerce sites, while Shopify has 28% of e-commerce sites.
Product Listing Limit: BigCommerce has Unlimited products, while Shopify has Unlimited products.
Setup Time (Days): BigCommerce has 5-7 days, while Shopify has 2-3 days.
Starting Monthly Price: BigCommerce has $29.95, while Shopify has $29.
Built-in SEO Features: BigCommerce has Advanced (301 redirects, XML sitemaps, structured data), while Shopify has Standard (automated sitemaps, basic optimization).
Native Multi-Vendor Support: BigCommerce has Yes (built-in), while Shopify has No (requires apps).
App Store Size: BigCommerce has ~600 apps, while Shopify has ~8,000+ apps.