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.
Build your own internal tools freeSide-by-side
Build your business. Own your future. vs The future of e-commerce is open.
| 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 |
Shopify or BigCommerce? Who each tool is best for
Shopify
Build your business. Own your future.
- Pricing: Basic $29/mo; Shopify $79/mo; Advanced $299/mo
- Best for: D2C brands and established e-commerce merchants
- Transaction fees: 0.5–2% for non-Shopify Payments
- App marketplace: 10,000+ apps
Starting from $29–$299/mo
BigCommerce
The future of e-commerce is open
- Pricing: Standard $39/mo; Plus $105/mo; Pro $399/mo
- Best for: Mid-market merchants and B2B e-commerce
- Transaction fees: None on any plan
- App marketplace: 1,200+ apps
Starting from $39–$399/mo
How Appaca works
Appaca is not another SaaS tool to evaluate. It builds you a working app from a plain description - with database, dashboards, and team access - and runs it on the platform.
Describe what you need
Tell Appaca what you need in plain language. No forms, no setup wizard - just describe the job to be done.
Chat with AI to refine it
Appaca AI builds your app and stays available to refine it. Change behaviour, add fields, adjust flows - all in chat.
Use it immediately
Your app runs on Appaca with a built-in database, file storage, and team access. No deployment, no devops.
Everything your team needs, built in
Appaca provides the full stack for internal and personal software - no integrations to wire up, no hosting to manage.
Build and update apps by chatting with AI
Describe what you need and Appaca builds a working app. Come back any time to refine it - add new fields, change behaviour, or extend functionality - all without writing code.
Built-in database and file storage
Every Appaca app comes with a secure database and file storage ready to use. No external service to connect, no schema to design - Appaca handles the data layer automatically.
Connect to services your team already uses
Appaca apps can connect to Google Sheets, Slack, Airtable, and any service that supports an API or webhook - so your app fits into your existing workflow instead of replacing it.
Building software for how your team actually works?
While you're comparing Shopify and BigCommerce, you might have other tools your team actually builds and maintains - trackers, dashboards, internal workflows. Appaca builds those from a plain description, with a database and team access included. No code, no devops.
- Describe what you need, get a working app in minutes
- Built-in database, dashboards, and team access
- Iterate with chat - no engineer needed
- Free to start, no per-seat pricing
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.
Appaca is the AI workspace for building apps that work around your business. You describe what you need and Appaca builds a working app with a database, dashboards, and team access - no code or deployment required. It is not a replacement for the tools compared on this page. Try it free at appaca.ai.