BigCommerce vs Shopify
BigCommerce and Shopify are both E-commerce tools aimed at small businesses and enterprise.
BigCommerce
Open SaaS commerce platform
Shopify
The leading hosted e-commerce platform
| Pricing | Paid · $39 | Paid · $39 |
| Starting price | $39/mo | $39/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 15 days | 3 days |
| Built for | Small businesses, Enterprise | Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web | web, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2009 | CA · 2006 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose BigCommerce if
Mid-market and B2B merchants who want flexibility without transaction fees.
- No transaction fees
- Strong B2B and headless capabilities
- More native features, fewer apps
Look elsewhere if: Small beginners (Shopify) or Turkish merchants needing local integrations (ikas).
Choose Shopify if
Merchants of any size who want a managed, scalable store and are in a Shopify Payments country.
- Most complete hosted commerce stack
- Reliable checkout with high conversion (Shop Pay)
- Enormous app and theme ecosystem
Look elsewhere if: Digital-only creators (Gumroad, Payhip) or teams wanting full code control (WooCommerce, Medusa).
BigCommerce vs Shopify pricing
BigCommerce
- Core$39/mo$29/mo billed annually; up to $30K TTM GMV
- Growth$105/mo$79/mo billed annually; up to $100K TTM GMV
- Scale$399/mo$299/mo billed annually; $33,333/mo GMV, 0.9% overage
- Performancefrom $1,499/moBilled annually; $1M+ sales, custom terms
Shopify
- Basic$39/mo$29/mo billed annually; 2.9% + 30¢ online card rate
- Grow$105/mo$79/mo billed annually; 2.7% + 30¢, 5 staff accounts
- Advanced$399/mo$299/mo billed annually; 2.5% + 30¢, 15 staff accounts
- Plusfrom $2,300/moEnterprise features, B2B, checkout customization
BigCommerce · Key features
- Hosted storefront with themes and page builder
- No transaction fees with any gateway
- Multi-storefront and B2B Edition
- Headless commerce APIs
- Multi-channel selling on marketplaces and social
- Built-in faceted search and product options
Cons
- Sales thresholds force plan upgrades
- Smaller app and theme ecosystem
- Less beginner-friendly than Shopify
Shopify · Key features
- Themes and a drag-and-drop online store editor
- Shopify Payments, Shop Pay and multi-currency with Markets
- Inventory, orders, shipping labels and POS
- App store with 8,000+ apps and Flow automation
- Checkout extensibility, B2B and headless (Plus)
- Shopify Magic AI and Sidekick assistant
Cons
- Transaction fees unless using Shopify Payments (not available everywhere)
- App costs add up quickly
- Theme customization needs Liquid knowledge
BigCommerce vs Shopify: FAQ
Do BigCommerce and Shopify have a free plan?
BigCommerce has no free plan, a 15-day free trial. Shopify has no free plan, a 3-day free trial.