BigCommerce is a fully hosted SaaS platform with built-in features and higher costs ($29.99-$299.99/month), while WooCommerce is a self-hosted WordPress plugin with lower costs ($0-$300+/month) but requires more technical management and server maintenance.
BigCommerce vs WooCommerce — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Fully hosted SaaS e-commerce platform with built-in features and professional infrastructure.
Open-source WordPress e-commerce plugin providing flexible, self-hosted commerce capabilities.
Hosting Model. Monthly Cost Range. Built-in Payment Gateways. Technical Setup Required. Transaction Fees. App Marketplace Size. Scalability Ceiling
Choose BigCommerce if you need an all-in-one solution with minimal technical overhead, built-in security, and professional hosting for small-to-medium stores ($10K-$500K annually). Choose WooCommerce if you're comfortable managing hosting/plugins, want maximum customization flexibility, or have a tight budget—it's ideal for businesses with WordPress expertise or those expecting rapid scaling.
BigCommerce: $29.95/month (Standard) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 4.3/5 stars | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 2,100+ reviews | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Native B2B with wholesale pricing and bulk ordering | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Advanced APIs with GraphQL, full headless commerce | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Multi-coupon stacking, promotion banners, bulk coupon management, automation workflows | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 21-45 days | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 1,500+ apps | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 2.8-3.1% | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Extensive native features included | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Superior API access with full headless commerce | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: $20M+ GMV (optimal fit) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: High; requires technical expertise | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: $29.95-$299.95 | WooCommerce: $10-50 (hosting only; plugin free)
BigCommerce: Unlimited (100M+) | WooCommerce: Unlimited
BigCommerce: 1-3 days | WooCommerce: 3-7 days
BigCommerce: 600+ apps | WooCommerce: 1000+ WooCommerce extensions
BigCommerce: 24/7 (168 hours) | WooCommerce: Community-based (variable, 24/7 community forums)
BigCommerce: Generous/Unlimited | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Comprehensive (All plans) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: More technical, steeper curve | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Small to enterprise | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 2-4 weeks | WooCommerce: 40-80 (with developer or steep learning curve)
BigCommerce: $29.95-$299.95 | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 130+ pre-built | WooCommerce: Core features only
BigCommerce: 500K+ (tested) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Moderate (API-driven, template modifications) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 8,000+ Certified Partners | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Fully managed (99.99% SLA) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Minimal (non-technical users OK) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: $29/month | WooCommerce: ~$5 (hosting)
BigCommerce: $5,000-$15,000 | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 2-4 weeks | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 250 calls/15sec | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 650+ apps | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Unlimited | WooCommerce: N/A
Monthly Transaction Processing Limit (Entry Plan)
BigCommerce: 135+ gateways | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Advanced (multi-location, variants, SKU tracking) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Facebook native | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Requires CSS knowledge for advanced customization | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: $29.95/month | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 5-7 days | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: ~600 apps | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Yes (built-in) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Yes (301 redirects, structured data, XML control) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Unlimited | WooCommerce: Unlimited
BigCommerce: Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Shopify (4+ native) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: Full REST API with custom code | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: 8-12 hours (technical setup) | WooCommerce: N/A
BigCommerce: $29.99/month | WooCommerce: $0 (plus ~$10-30/month hosting)
BigCommerce: 100+ native integrations | WooCommerce: 70+ via plugins/extensions
BigCommerce: 500 official apps | WooCommerce: 5,000+ WooCommerce extensions
BigCommerce: 2-4 hours (assisted setup) | WooCommerce: 8-20 hours (hosting + plugin config)
BigCommerce: 0% (no platform fees) | WooCommerce: 0% (no platform fees)
BigCommerce: Standalone platform (not WordPress-dependent) | WooCommerce: Native WordPress plugin (100% integrated)
BigCommerce: $500,000+ (Enterprise capable) | WooCommerce: Unlimited (infrastructure-dependent)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: ~6 Million+
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 2.0-2.5%
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: Self-Hosted Open-Source
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: Requires custom engineering
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 50,000 (practical limit)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 5-10 (plugin-dependent)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 1-2 weeks
Developer Resources (Stack Overflow Tags)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 185,000+ questions
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 2% (with Stripe/PayPal)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: $3-10 (hosting only)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 4-8 hours (learning curve)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 5,000+ plugins and extensions
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: Unlimited
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: Full export capability, own data
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: $156 (hosting) + $2,000 (fees)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: $0 (plus hosting $50-200/year)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 500+ (from ecosystem)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 20-40 hours (requires technical setup)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 10+ million active stores
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: Community-based, no official phone support
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: $50-200 minimum
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 5.2 million
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: Via extensions
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 2-4 hours
Community Size (Stack Exchange questions)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe) to 0% (PayPal alternative)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 99.9% (hosting dependent)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 70,000+ WordPress plugins (broader)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 4-8 hours (requires hosting + WordPress setup)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: Full PHP/JavaScript access to all code
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 200+ via WooCommerce Payments + plugins
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: Requires third-party payment processor (not built-in)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: $0-200 (domain + initial setup)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: $5-50 (hosting only; support separate)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 0% (payment gateway only: 2.9% + $0.30)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 8,000+ extensions and plugins
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: Community forums only; paid support $50-200/mo
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: $600-1,200 (hosting + minimal fees)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: $0 (hosting extra: $3-50)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 58,000+ WooCommerce extensions
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: No (self-hosted or third-party required)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: $0-50 (Let's Encrypt free or paid premium)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 10 (full code access)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 120-300 minutes (2-5 days with setup)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 200+ premium + free themes
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: 3.5 (Medium-High: WordPress + PHP knowledge helpful)
BigCommerce: N/A | WooCommerce: Yes (depends only on hosting)
How to choose between BigCommerce and WooCommerce
BigCommerce vs WooCommerce — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for BigCommerce vs WooCommerce. Contains 131 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
BigCommerce vs WooCommerce — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for BigCommerce vs WooCommerce.
Which is cheaper: BigCommerce or WooCommerce?
WooCommerce has a lower total cost of ownership for budget-conscious stores. The plugin is free, but you'll pay $10-50/month for hosting (Bluehost WooCommerce hosting starts $10.95/month). BigCommerce's entry plan is $29.99/month with hosting included. However, once you factor in WooCommerce security plugins ($5-30/month), backups, and potential developer support ($500-2,000+ for setup), total costs converge. For minimal annual revenue (<$50K), WooCommerce is cheaper. For $100K-$500K revenue, costs are comparable; BigCommerce wins on hidden cost predictability.
Can WooCommerce scale to large businesses?
Yes, WooCommerce can scale unlimited—it powers 42% of all e-commerce sites globally, including those generating $5M+ annually. However, scaling requires investment in high-performance hosting ($200-1,000+/month), CDN, caching plugins, and database optimization. BigCommerce scales automatically within its infrastructure; you simply upgrade your plan ($29.99 to $299.99/month). WooCommerce's scalability ceiling depends on your server investment, not the platform.
Which platform is better for beginners with no coding experience?
BigCommerce is significantly easier for non-technical users. Setup takes 2-4 hours with built-in wizards, and you manage everything through a visual dashboard. WooCommerce requires selecting hosting, installing WordPress, configuring WooCommerce, and managing updates yourself—expect 8-20 hours of setup or $500-1,500 in developer fees. BigCommerce's simplicity comes at a cost premium ($29.99+/month vs WooCommerce's free plugin), but it's worth it for beginners.
What happens to my store if the platform shuts down?
BigCommerce is a established SaaS owned by BC.Tech (publicly traded predecessor)—shutdown risk is minimal, but your data is hosted on their servers. WooCommerce is open-source and WordPress-hosted on your server, so you retain 100% control and portability. If WordPress.org ceased operations, WooCommerce would continue functioning indefinitely since it's maintained by the community. If BigCommerce shut down, you'd need to migrate your data to another platform within the closure window.
Both offer solid native SEO capabilities. BigCommerce includes built-in schema markup, automatic XML sitemaps, and 301 redirects without plugins. WooCommerce requires Yoast SEO ($99/year) or Rank Math ($179/year) for advanced features, but these are more powerful than BigCommerce's built-in tools. If you want SEO out-of-the-box, BigCommerce wins. If you want top-tier SEO customization, WooCommerce + premium plugin wins—but with additional costs.
How to Choose Between BigCommerce and WooCommerce
Hosting Model: BigCommerce has Fully hosted SaaS (BigCommerce), while WooCommerce has Self-hosted WordPress plugin (WooCommerce).
Monthly Cost Range: BigCommerce has $29.99-$299.99/month, while WooCommerce has $0-$300+/month (plus hosting $5-50+).
Built-in Payment Gateways: BigCommerce has 100+ supported integrations, while WooCommerce has 70+ via plugins/extensions.
Technical Setup Required: BigCommerce has Minimal (no coding needed), while WooCommerce has Moderate to Advanced (server/plugin management).
Transaction Fees: BigCommerce has 0% (no additional fees), while WooCommerce has 0% (no additional fees).
App Marketplace Size: BigCommerce has 500+ apps available, while WooCommerce has 5,000+ WooCommerce extensions.
Scalability Ceiling: BigCommerce has Up to $500K+ annual revenue (Enterprise plan), while WooCommerce has Unlimited (depends on hosting/infrastructure).