Bigcommerce
3 comparisons available
About Bigcommerce
BigCommerce is an enterprise-grade e-commerce platform that positions itself as the open SaaS alternative to Shopify, targeting mid-market and enterprise merchants who need more flexibility without the cost of custom development. Founded in 2009 in Austin, Texas, BigCommerce went public on Nasdaq in 2020. The platform supports both B2C and B2B commerce with native features like multi-currency, multi-storefront, faceted search, and advanced promotional tools included at lower price tiers than competitors. BigCommerce is built on an open API architecture, enabling deep headless commerce implementations where the front-end is decoupled from the back-end — popular for composable commerce architectures. Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce charges no transaction fees on any plan, which benefits high-volume merchants. The platform natively integrates with WordPress (through BigCommerce for WordPress plugin) and supports headless deployments with any front-end framework. Plans include Standard ($39/month), Plus ($105/month), Pro ($399/month), and Enterprise (custom). Each tier has annual sales caps beyond which merchants must upgrade.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does BigCommerce cost?
BigCommerce plans start at $39/month (Standard, up to $50K annual sales), $105/month (Plus, up to $180K), and $399/month (Pro, up to $400K). Enterprise pricing is custom for high-volume merchants. Crucially, BigCommerce charges no transaction fees on any plan, unlike Shopify which charges up to 2% on non-Shopify Payments.
BigCommerce vs Shopify: which is better?
Shopify is better for small businesses and beginners — it's easier to set up, has a larger app ecosystem, and its Shopify Payments simplifies payment processing. BigCommerce is better for mid-market and enterprise merchants who need built-in B2B features, multiple storefronts, no transaction fees, and a more open API for headless commerce.
Does BigCommerce have transaction fees?
No, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any of its plans, which is a key differentiator from Shopify (which charges 0.5–2% unless you use Shopify Payments). For high-volume merchants or those using third-party payment gateways, this can represent significant savings.
Top Alternatives to Bigcommerce
Shopify
Easier to use, larger app ecosystem, better for small businesses
WooCommerce
Free, fully open-source, runs on WordPress
Squarespace
Simpler all-in-one solution for smaller stores
Magento
More customizable for large enterprise, open-source
Wix
Easier for beginners with built-in website builder
Salesforce Commerce Cloud
Better for enterprise with existing Salesforce ecosystem