Shopify vs BigCommerce
Last updated: 2026-07-11
Shopify and BigCommerce are the two leading hosted e-commerce platforms. Both offer complete online store solutions, but with different pricing models. Shopify charges transaction fees (0.5-2% if not using Shopify Payments) but has a massive 8,000+ app store. BigCommerce charges no transaction fees and includes more features out of the box.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | popular Shopify | best BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $39/mo | $39/mo |
| Free trial | 3-day free trial, then $1/mo for 3 months | 15-day free trial |
| Best for | E-commerce businesses of all sizes | Scalable e-commerce without transaction fees |
| Free plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| Starting price | $39/mo (Basic), $105/mo (Grow), $399/mo (Advanced) | $39/mo (Standard), $105/mo (Plus), $399/mo (Pro) |
| Storefront builder | Drag-and-drop + Liquid | — |
| Payment processing | Shopify Payments + 100+ gateways | — |
| Inventory | Unlimited products | — |
| App store | 8,000+ apps | — |
| Themes | Free + paid (premium) | Free + paid (Stencil framework) |
| Abandoned cart | Standard plan+ | — |
| SSL + PCI | Included | — |
| Support | 24/7 chat + email + phone | 24/7 chat + email + phone |
| Transaction fees | — | None |
| Products | — | Unlimited |
| Storage | — | Unlimited |
| Sales threshold | — | $50K/yr (Standard), $150K/yr (Plus) |
| API access | — | ✓ |
| Integrations | — | 1,000+ apps |
Shopify Pros & Cons
Pros
- All-in-one e-commerce — store, payments, shipping, marketing
- Shopify Payments — no need for third-party payment processor
- Massive app store (8,000+ apps) for extending functionality
- Excellent themes — free and paid (designed for conversion)
- Reliable and fast — hosted on Shopify's infrastructure
- Built-in SSL, security, and PCI compliance
Cons
- Transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments (0.5-2%)
- App costs add up — many essential features need paid apps
- Limited blog functionality (not a WordPress replacement)
- Customising themes requires Liquid (Shopify's templating language)
- Abandoned cart recovery only on Grow plan ($105/mo)+
BigCommerce Pros & Cons
Pros
- No transaction fees (unlike Shopify which charges 0.5-2%)
- More built-in features — fewer paid apps needed
- Strong SEO features (URL structure, meta data, AMP)
- Headless commerce support for developers
- Unlimited products, storage, and bandwidth on all plans
Cons
- Higher pricing tiers — Standard $39, Plus $105, Pro $399
- Sales threshold limits (Standard: $50K/yr, Plus: $150K/yr, Pro: $400K/yr)
- Fewer apps than Shopify (1,000+ vs 8,000+)
- Fewer themes than Shopify
- Steeper learning curve than Shopify
Final Verdict
If you want the largest app ecosystem and the easiest setup, Shopify is the safer choice — 8,000+ apps, conversion-optimised themes, and it powers brands like Allbirds and Gymshark. If you want more built-in features without paying for apps and no transaction fees, BigCommerce offers better value — especially at scale. For most new stores, Shopify's simplicity wins. For established stores doing high volume, BigCommerce's no-transaction-fee model saves money.
Our pick: Shopify (ease of use) / BigCommerce (value at scale)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has no transaction fees: Shopify or BigCommerce?
BigCommerce has zero transaction fees on all plans. Shopify charges 0.5-2% per transaction if you don't use Shopify Payments. If you use Shopify Payments, there are no Shopify transaction fees (only standard credit card fees).
Which has more apps: Shopify or BigCommerce?
Shopify has 8,000+ apps vs BigCommerce's 1,000+. However, BigCommerce includes more features natively (SEO tools, product ratings, faceted search) that require paid apps on Shopify. The net feature gap is smaller than the app count suggests.
Does BigCommerce have sales limits?
Yes. BigCommerce Standard ($39/mo) limits you to $50K/year in online sales. Plus ($105/mo) limits $150K/year. Pro ($399/mo) limits $400K/year. If you exceed these, you must upgrade. Shopify has no sales volume limits.
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