Shopify vs BigCommerce
Shopify and BigCommerce are both leading hosted e-commerce SaaS platforms competing for mid-market and enterprise brands. Shopify wins on ecosystem size, app marketplace, and brand recognition. BigCommerce has no transaction fees on any plan, better native B2B features, and more flexible checkout customization without Shopify's additional app costs.
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| Feature | Shopify | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing from | $29–$299/mo | $39–$399/mo |
| Pricing | Basic $29/mo; Shopify $79/mo; Advanced $299/mo | Standard $39/mo; Plus $105/mo; Pro $399/mo |
| Best for | D2C brands and established e-commerce merchants | Mid-market merchants and B2B e-commerce |
| Transaction fees | 0.5–2% for non-Shopify Payments | None on any plan |
| App marketplace | 10,000+ apps | 1,200+ apps |
| B2B features | Shopify B2B on Plus | B2B/Wholesale built into standard plans |
| Headless commerce | Hydrogen framework and Storefront API | Open architecture with Stencil and GraphQL |
The third option most teams miss
Picking between Shopify and BigCommerce isn't the only choice.
Appaca integrates with Shopify and BigCommerce to orchestrate omnichannel workflows-syncing inventory across marketplaces, triggering personalized post-purchase sequences, and routing support tickets based on order value. One AI layer for your entire commerce stack.
- No code, no deployment, no devops
- Built-in database, dashboards, team access
- Refine with chat as your needs change
- Free to start, no per-seat pricing surprises
Common questions
BigCommerce's business model charges only the monthly subscription fee without taking a cut of sales, unlike Shopify which charges 0.5–2% if you use a non-Shopify payment processor. For high-volume stores, this can represent significant savings.
Shopify is generally considered the easier-to-use platform with a more polished admin experience. BigCommerce offers more built-in features but with more configuration complexity.
BigCommerce handles large product catalogs with more faceted filtering options natively. Shopify can manage large catalogs but may require additional apps for complex filtering and merchandising.