Skip to main content
VS
software

BigCommerce vs Shopify 2026: Full Comparison

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).

B

BigCommerce

Enterprise-focused e-commerce platform built for larger merchants with advanced built-in features.

Enterprise merchants, B2B sellers, multi-vendor marketplaces, and stores with 10,000+ products needing advanced features without paying per-app fees.

Score71%
Check Price
VS
S

Shopify

Market-leading e-commerce platform known for ease of use and extensive third-party integrations.

Small-to-medium businesses, first-time e-commerce entrepreneurs, dropshippers, and merchants prioritizing ease of use and extensive app customization.

Score71%
Check Price

Quick Answer

AI Summary

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).

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

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.

Community feedback

Was this verdict helpful?

B
BigCommerce
6.8/10
Shopify
8.2/10
S
B

Choose BigCommerce if

Enterprise merchants, B2B sellers, multi-vendor marketplaces, and stores with 10,000+ products needing advanced features without paying per-app fees.

S

Choose Shopify if

Best pick

Small-to-medium businesses, first-time e-commerce entrepreneurs, dropshippers, and merchants prioritizing ease of use and extensive app customization.

Track this comparison

Get notified when prices change, new specs ship, or our verdict updates.

Triggers: price change new spec verdict update

No spam. Stop anytime.

Key Differences at a Glance

  • Market Share:✓ Shopify wins(28% of e-commerce sites vs 3.4% of e-commerce sites)
  • Product Listing Limit:Unlimited products vs Unlimited products
  • Setup Time (Days):✓ Shopify wins(2-3 days vs 5-7 days)
See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

87 numeric metrics compared

MetricBigCommerceShopifyRatio
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)$29.95/month (Standard)——
User Satisfaction Rating(stars out of 5)4.3/5 stars——
Number of User Reviews Analyzed(reviews)2,100+ reviews——
Setup Time to Live Store(days)21-45 days7-14 days
Available Apps & Integrations(count)1,500+ apps6,000+ apps
Checkout Conversion Rate(%)2.8-3.1%3.2-3.5%
Platform Uptime SLA(percent)99.95%99.99%
Base Monthly Cost(USD)$29.95-$299.95$39/month (Basic plan)
Total Cost of Ownership (Year 1)(USD)$359.40-$3,599.40——
Product Catalog Limit(Products)Unlimited (100M+)——
Payment Gateway Integrations(count)65 gateways——
Available Extensions/Apps(Count)600+ apps——
Starting Monthly Price(USD)$29.95$29
Time to Launch(hours)2-4 weeks——
Monthly Cost (Small Business)(USD)$29.95-$299.95——
Built-in Features Included(features)130+ pre-builtHosting, SSL, domain, support included—
Maximum Product SKUs(SKUs)500K+ (tested)——
Starting Monthly Cost(USD)$29/month$39
Average Implementation Cost(USD)$5,000-$15,000——
Time to Go Live(weeks)2-4 weeks——
API Rate Limits (Standard Plan)(calls per 15 seconds)250 calls/15sec——
Native Integrations Available(count)650+ apps——
Payment Gateway Support(gateways)135+ gateways——
Transaction Fees(percent + fixed)0%2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Product Limit (Standard Plan)(products)Unlimited——
API Rate Limit(requests/second)40,000——
Available Templates(count)100+~300 (optimized for sales)
Omnichannel Integration(integrations)Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Facebook native——
Lowest Monthly Plan Cost(USD)$29.95/month——
Transaction Fees (Basic Plan)(%)0%2.9% + $0.30
Average Setup Time(days)5-7 days2-3 days
App Ecosystem Size(apps)~600 apps~8,000+ apps
Market Share (2026)(%)3.4%28%
Active Stores4.6 Million+4.6 Million+
Global Market Share(% of websites)27%27%
Platform Transaction Fees(%)2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments)2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments)
Available Apps/Plugins(count)13,000+13,000+
Average Conversion Rate (Desktop)(%)1.4%1.4%
Average Conversion Rate (Mobile)(%)1.2%1.2%
Top Tier Plan Price(USD/month)$399$399
Design Templates Available(count)100+100+
App Integrations(count)8,000+8,000+
Annual Cost (Base Plan)(USD/year)$468$468
Per-Transaction Commission(%)0%0%
Accessible Customer Base(millions)0 (self-driven)0 (self-driven)
Setup Time to First Sale(weeks)1-3 days1-3 days
Brand Control Score(scale 1-10)9-10 (full)9-10 (full)
App/Integration Ecosystem(apps)4,600+4,600+
Annual Account Suspension Risk(%)~0.01%~0.01%
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold(USD)$5,000+ (lower barrier)$5,000+ (lower barrier)
Product Variation Limit(variations per SKU)2,000+2,000+
Transaction Processing Fee(percent)0% (on Shopify Payments)0% (on Shopify Payments)
Recommended Maximum Annual Revenue(USD)UnlimitedUnlimited
Transaction Fee Rate(percentage + fixed fee)3.89%3.89%
Monthly Costs at 100 Sales ($50/item)(USD)$214$214
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)(USD)$29$29
Sales Breakeven Point(USD/month)$1,350$1,350
Available App Integrations(apps)8,000+8,000+
Commission Fee (Per Transaction)(%)2.9% + $0.302.9% + $0.30
Built-in Customer Base(millions)Zero (must generate own traffic)Zero (must generate own traffic)
Average Time to First Sale(days)30-90 days (with marketing)30-90 days (with marketing)
Brand Customization Level(scale 1-10)Complete (10/10)Complete (10/10)
Customer Data Access(percentage)100% direct access to customer emails and data100% direct access to customer emails and data
Payment Methods Supported(count)100+100+
Payment Processing Fee(%)$0.30$0.30
Monthly Base Cost(USD)$29-$399$29-$399
Store Design Flexibility(scale 1-10)Extensive (9/10)Extensive (9/10)
Transaction Fee Percentage(%)2.9%2.9%
Available Apps/Extensions(count)10,000+10,000+
Developer Cost (Hourly)(USD/hour)$100-150 (optional)$100-150 (optional)
Market Share(%)~30% of all online stores~30% of all online stores
Free Plan Cost(USD)$5 (Starter plan minimum)$5 (Starter plan minimum)
Supported Sales Channels(count)10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale)10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale)
Starting Price(USD/month)$5 (Starter Plan)$5 (Starter Plan)
Monthly Base Cost (Starter Plan)(USD)$5-39 (all-inclusive)$5-39 (all-inclusive)
Initial Setup Time(hours)Hours to 1 dayHours to 1 day
Maximum Plan Cost(USD/month)$2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise)$2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise)
Mid-Tier Plan Cost(USD/month)$105 (Shopify Plan)$105 (Shopify Plan)
Enterprise Plan Cost(USD/month)$2,300+ (Shopify Plus)$2,300+ (Shopify Plus)
Third-Party App Integrations(integrations)6000+6000+
Free Physical Items Limit(items/month)None (paid plans only)None (paid plans only)
Setup Time to Launch(hours)1-4 hours1-4 hours
Annual Cost (100K Revenue)(USD)$468 + transaction fees ($2,900)$468 + transaction fees ($2,900)
Uptime SLA Guarantee(%)99.99%99.99%
Native App Integrations(apps)6,800 verified apps6,800 verified apps
Setup Time (No-Code)(hours)1-2 hours to launch1-2 hours to launch
Payment Gateway Options(number)100+ official integrations100+ official integrations

Sourced from publicly available data ·

Key Differences

7 attributes compared head-to-head

B
2BigCommerce
Shopify leads1 tie
S
4Shopify
  • Market Share

    BigCommerce

    3.4% of e-commerce sites

    Shopify

    28% of e-commerce sites(winner)

  • Product Listing Limit

    BigCommerce

    Unlimited products

    Shopify

    Unlimited products

  • Setup Time (Days)

    BigCommerce

    5-7 days

    Shopify

    2-3 days(winner)

  • Starting Monthly Price

    BigCommerce

    $29.95

    Shopify

    $29(winner)

  • Built-in SEO Features

    BigCommerce

    Advanced (301 redirects, XML sitemaps, structured data)(winner)

    Shopify

    Standard (automated sitemaps, basic optimization)

  • Native Multi-Vendor Support

    BigCommerce

    Yes (built-in)(winner)

    Shopify

    No (requires apps)

  • App Store Size

    BigCommerce

    ~600 apps

    Shopify

    ~8,000+ apps(winner)

Full Comparison

BBigCommerce
SShopify
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)
$29.95/month (Standard)
—
Base Monthly Cost(USD)
$29.95-$299.95
$39/month (Basic plan)
Total Cost of Ownership (Year 1)(USD)
$359.40-$3,599.40
—
Starting Monthly Price(USD)
$29.95
$29
Number of Pricing Tiers(plans)
4 plans
—
Show 26 more attributes
Monthly Cost (Small Business)(USD)
$29.95-$299.95
—
Starting Monthly Cost(USD)
$29/month
$39
Average Implementation Cost(USD)
$5,000-$15,000
—
Transaction Fees(percent + fixed)
0%
2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Lowest Monthly Plan Cost(USD)
$29.95/month
—
Transaction Fees (Basic Plan)(%)
0%
2.9% + $0.30
Platform Transaction Fees(%)
2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments)
—
Top Tier Plan Price(USD/month)
$399
—
Annual Cost (Base Plan)(USD/year)
$468
—
Per-Transaction Commission(%)
0%
—
Transaction Processing Fee(percent)
0% (on Shopify Payments)
—
Transaction Fee Rate(percentage + fixed fee)
3.89%
—
Monthly Costs at 100 Sales ($50/item)(USD)
$214
—
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)(USD)
$29
—
Listing Renewal Fee(USD per listing)
Included in subscription
—
Payment Processing Fee(%)
$0.30
—
Monthly Base Cost(USD)
$29-$399
—
Transaction Fee Percentage(%)
2.9%
—
Free Plan Cost(USD)
$5 (Starter plan minimum)
—
Starting Price(USD/month)
$5 (Starter Plan)
—
Monthly Base Cost (Starter Plan)(USD)
$5-39 (all-inclusive)
—
Maximum Plan Cost(USD/month)
$2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise)
—
Mid-Tier Plan Cost(USD/month)
$105 (Shopify Plan)
—
Enterprise Plan Cost(USD/month)
$2,300+ (Shopify Plus)
—
Annual Cost (100K Revenue)(USD)
$468 + transaction fees ($2,900)
—
Transaction Fees (Standard)(%+fixed)
2.9% + $0.30
—
User Satisfaction Rating(stars out of 5)
4.3/5 stars
—
Number of User Reviews Analyzed(reviews)
2,100+ reviews
—
Developer Community Size(GitHub projects)
8,000+ Certified Partners
—
Built-in B2B Features
Native B2B with wholesale pricing and bulk ordering
—
Multi-Channel Selling(channels)
Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more
—
Headless Commerce API Support
Advanced APIs with GraphQL, full headless commerce
—
Advanced Promotion Features (2026)
Multi-coupon stacking, promotion banners, bulk coupon management, automation workflows
—
Setup Time to Live Store(days)
21-45 days
7-14 days
Setup Technical Knowledge Required(null)
Minimal (non-technical users OK)
—
Time to Go Live(weeks)
2-4 weeks
—
Available Apps & Integrations(count)
1,500+ apps
6,000+ apps
Native Integrations Available(count)
650+ apps
—
Available Apps/Plugins(count)
13,000+
—
Native App Integrations(apps)
6,800 verified apps
—
Checkout Conversion Rate(%)
2.8-3.1%
3.2-3.5%
API Rate Limits (Standard Plan)(calls per 15 seconds)
250 calls/15sec
—
Average Conversion Rate (Desktop)(%)
1.4%
—
Average Conversion Rate (Mobile)(%)
1.2%
—
Mobile Responsiveness
Mobile-optimized by default
—
Platform Uptime SLA(percent)
99.95%
99.99%
Annual Account Suspension Risk(%)
~0.01%
—
Uptime SLA Guarantee(%)
99.99%
—
Built-in Enterprise Features
Extensive native features included
Moderate; app-dependent for advanced needs
API Control & Headless Capability
Superior API access with full headless commerce
Good GraphQL API; limited headless options
Store Design Flexibility(scale 1-10)
Extensive (9/10)
—
Ideal Business Size(GMV)
$20M+ GMV (optimal fit)
$0-20M GMV (optimal fit)
Implementation Complexity
High; requires technical expertise
Low; point-and-click setup
Product Catalog Limit(Products)
Unlimited (100M+)
—
Native Subscription Management
Limited
—
API Call Restrictions
Generous/Unlimited
—
eCommerce Features Depth
Comprehensive (All plans)
—
Built-in Features Included(features)
130+ pre-built
Hosting, SSL, domain, support included
Show 19 more attributes
Built-in Product Limit(products)
Unlimited
—
Monthly Transaction Processing Limit (Entry Plan)(transactions)
Unlimited
—
Product Limit (Standard Plan)(products)
Unlimited
—
Available Templates(count)
100+
~300 (optimized for sales)
Native Inventory Management
Advanced (multi-location, variants, SKU tracking)
—
Omnichannel Integration(integrations)
Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Facebook native
—
Product Upload Limit(products)
Unlimited
Unlimited
Native Multi-Vendor Support
Yes (built-in)
No (requires apps)
Advanced SEO Tools (Built-in)
Yes (301 redirects, structured data, XML control)
Limited (basic automation)
Enterprise Plan Available(boolean)
Yes ($2,300+/month)
—
Product Variant Limit(variants)
Unlimited
—
Available App Integrations(apps)
8,000+
—
Payment Methods Supported(count)
100+
—
Supported Sales Channels(count)
10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale)
—
Inventory Locations Support(locations)
Unlimited with advanced sync
—
Multi-Store Support(stores)
Separate subscriptions required
—
Available Plugins/Apps(count)
8,500+
—
Customization Flexibility(percentage)
6 (Liquid templating limits)
—
Customization Depth (Code Access)(null)
Theme/app API limited (Liquid template language)
—
Payment Gateway Integrations(count)
65 gateways
—
App Ecosystem Size(apps)
~600 apps
~8,000+ apps
Available Apps/Extensions(count)
10,000+
—
Setup Time(minutes)
1-3 days
30-60 minutes
Time to Launch(hours)
2-4 weeks
—
Average Setup Time(days)
5-7 days
2-3 days
Design Customization Entry Point(coding knowledge required)
Advanced (Liquid code access)
—
Initial Setup Time(hours)
Hours to 1 day
—
Show 2 more attributes
Setup Time to Launch(hours)
1-4 hours
—
Setup Time (No-Code)(hours)
1-2 hours to launch
—
Available Extensions/Apps(Count)
600+ apps
—
App/Integration Ecosystem(apps)
4,600+
—
Third-Party App Integrations(integrations)
6000+
—
Customer Support Availability(hours)
24/7 professional
—
Support Channels(channels)
Phone, Email & Chat
—
Maximum Monthly GMV (Entry Plan)(USD)
$33,333
—
Maximum Product SKUs(SKUs)
500K+ (tested)
—
Recommended Maximum Annual Revenue(USD)
Unlimited
—
Product Listing Limits(count)
Unlimited products
—
Product Limit(products)
Unlimited (pricing tier independent)
—
User Interface Complexity(learning hours (estimate))
More technical, steeper curve
—
Recommended Merchant Size
Small to enterprise
—
Customization Capability(null)
Moderate (API-driven, template modifications)
—
Data Portability(complexity rating)
Limited export; difficult migration
—
Hosting & Infrastructure(null)
Fully managed (99.99% SLA)
—
Payment Gateway Support(gateways)
135+ gateways
—
Transaction Fee (Standard)(percentage + fixed)
2.7% + $0.30
—
Payment Gateway Options(number)
100+ official integrations
—
API Rate Limit(requests/second)
40,000
—
Hosting Model
Fully Managed SaaS
—
Design Customization Ease
Requires CSS knowledge for advanced customization
—
Market Share (2026)(%)
3.4%
28%
Market Share(%)
~30% of all online stores
—
Active Stores
4.6 Million+
—
Global Market Share(% of websites)
27%
—
AI/Automation Optimization
Native AI-driven commerce agents built-in
—
New Features (Feb-Mar 2026)(features)
Ongoing regular updates
—
Design Templates Available(count)
100+
—
App Integrations(count)
8,000+
—
Accessible Customer Base(millions)
0 (self-driven)
—
Setup Time to First Sale(weeks)
1-3 days
—
Brand Control Score(scale 1-10)
9-10 (full)
—
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold(USD)
$5,000+ (lower barrier)
—
Product Variation Limit(variations per SKU)
2,000+
—
Multi-Currency Support(currencies)
200+
—
Sales Breakeven Point(USD/month)
$1,350
—
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)(millions)
Self-driven traffic
—
Commission Fee (Per Transaction)(%)
2.9% + $0.30
—
Built-in Customer Base(millions)
Zero (must generate own traffic)
—
Average Time to First Sale(days)
30-90 days (with marketing)
—
Brand Customization Level(scale 1-10)
Complete (10/10)
—
Customer Data Access(percentage)
100% direct access to customer emails and data
—
Annual Marketplace Visitors(billions)
Self-generated
—
Suitable Product Categories(primary focus)
All product types
—
Developer Cost (Hourly)(USD/hour)
$100-150 (optional)
—
Free Physical Items Limit(items/month)
None (paid plans only)
—
Security Management(responsibility level)
Shopify manages all compliance
—
PCI DSS Compliance Built-in(null)
Level 1 (fully managed)
—

Pros & Cons

10 pros·4 cons across both

B
S
B

BigCommerce

+5-2

Pros

  • Built-in multi-vendor/marketplace functionality without third-party apps
  • Advanced native SEO tools including 301 redirects, structured data markup, and XML sitemap control
  • Better product catalog management with superior filtering and organization for 10,000+ SKUs
  • Lower transaction fees (0%) on all pricing tiers vs Shopify's 2.9% on Basic plan
  • Advanced B2B capabilities including quote systems and tiered pricing natively

Cons

  • Steeper learning curve with more complex admin dashboard interface
  • Smaller app ecosystem (600 apps) limits customization compared to competitors
S

Shopify

+5-2

Pros

  • Fastest setup and deployment (2-3 days vs 5-7 for competitors)
  • 28% market share with most extensive ecosystem (8,000+ apps and integrations)
  • Intuitive drag-and-drop admin dashboard requiring no coding knowledge
  • Superior customer support with 24/7 phone support on all plans
  • Largest community with 1M+ merchants providing tutorials, templates, and resources

Cons

  • Transaction fees of 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic plan add significant cost at scale
  • Lacks native multi-vendor support (requires expensive apps costing $50-300/month)

Frequently Asked Questions

5 questions

  1. 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.

Related Comparisons

12 more to explore

Related Articles

5 articles

Explore More

Related comparisons and categories

Explore Entities

More Software

People Also Compare

AI generated