BigCommerce
Shopify
Score Breakdown
Quick Verdict
Shopify is the market leader with superior market validation and ease of use, while BigCommerce offers a robust platform with strong feature depth for growing businesses.
Choose BigCommerce if you are a larger, established business needing advanced, built-in features without relying heavily on apps, or if you require more control over your store's backend and a more customizable checkout experience.
Choose Shopify if you are a small to medium-sized business, a startup, or prioritize ease of use, a vast app ecosystem, and quick setup for launching an online store.
Community Ratings
BigCommerce
Shopify
Both tools have excellent Capterra overall ratings of 5.0. However, Shopify's significantly higher review count (6,611 vs. 332) indicates a much stronger market presence and proven track record, making it the clear winner in terms of community validation.
User Sentiment
BigCommerce
'One-stop shop for all things ecommerce'
'One of the better ecommerce solutions out there'
'Was good starting out but needs to be modified for easier use.'
Shopify
'The GOAT of e-commerce platforms.'
'Shopify is still the leader in easy out-of-the-box e-commerce solutions'
'Used Shopify for a decade, overall very disappointed'
Shopify's user sentiment heavily emphasizes its ease of use and market leadership, making it a go-to for quick setups. BigCommerce is praised for its comprehensive features, though some users note a steeper learning curve. The negative sentiment for Shopify points to potential long-term dissatisfaction, possibly due to scaling costs or feature limitations, while BigCommerce's complaints are more about initial usability.
Feature Comparison
Feature | BigCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Core E-commerce | Robust, with advanced built-in features like product permissions and order fees. | Comprehensive, with intuitive checkout and strong POS capabilities. |
| AI & Optimization | Strong focus on AI-driven tools (Rhotion AI, Smart Bundles AI, AltText.ai, IndexNow & ChatGPT Product Feeds) and performance (Image Optimizer Pro, Page Speed Optimization). | Less explicit AI features listed, but strong core e-commerce and reporting. |
| Scalability & Customization | Designed for larger businesses, offering more control and advanced functionalities without relying solely on apps. | Highly scalable through a vast app ecosystem, easy to start and grow. |
Key Differences
Pricing
BigCommerce
Shopify
Pricing Analysis
Both platforms offer competitive pricing tiers. Shopify's pricing is often perceived as more straightforward for beginners, with a clear path for scaling. BigCommerce's pricing can be more complex with transaction fees on lower tiers if not using their preferred payment gateway, though they offer more built-in features at higher tiers, potentially reducing app costs. Shopify's 'Pause and Build' plan offers flexibility not explicitly mentioned for BigCommerce.
Support Quality
BigCommerce
BigCommerce's Capterra support rating is 4/5, indicating generally good support, though specific channels beyond live chat are not detailed in the provided data.
Shopify
Shopify boasts a perfect 5/5 Capterra support rating, suggesting highly responsive and effective support across multiple channels, including live chat and a comprehensive help center.
Shopify clearly wins in support quality with a perfect 5/5 Capterra rating and more explicitly stated support channels (Live Chat, Help Center) compared to BigCommerce's 4/5 rating and only 'Live Chat' listed.
Learning Curve
BigCommerce
Some learning required
Users suggest BigCommerce 'needs to be modified for easier use,' implying a more involved setup and learning process, particularly for those new to advanced e-commerce platforms.
Shopify
Quick to learn
Shopify is consistently praised for being 'easy out-of-the-box' and 'the leader in easy e-commerce solutions,' indicating a very low learning curve and quick onboarding.
Best For
For Agencies
BigCommerce is often preferred by agencies working with larger clients who require deep customization, specific backend controls, and advanced built-in features that reduce the need for extensive app development. Its API-first approach also appeals to agencies building headless commerce solutions.
For Small Teams
Shopify is ideal for small teams and startups due to its unparalleled ease of use, quick setup time, and vast app ecosystem that allows for rapid feature expansion without significant development resources. The 'Pause and Build' plan is also beneficial for new businesses.
For Enterprise
BigCommerce is generally considered more enterprise-ready, offering advanced B2B functionalities, multi-store capabilities, and greater flexibility for complex product catalogs and pricing structures. Shopify Plus (not detailed here, but part of Shopify's enterprise offering) also competes in this space, but standard Shopify is less suited for large enterprises without significant customization.
Pros & Cons
BigCommerce
- •Robust built-in features, reducing reliance on apps.
- •Strong SEO capabilities and performance optimization tools.
- •Greater flexibility and control over the checkout process.
- •No transaction fees on higher plans (if using preferred payment gateway).
- •Scales well for larger, complex businesses.
- •Steeper learning curve for new users.
- •Smaller app marketplace compared to Shopify.
- •Can be more complex to set up and manage initially.
- •Less market validation compared to Shopify's massive user base.
Shopify
- •Extremely easy to use and set up, ideal for beginners.
- •Vast app ecosystem for extending functionality.
- •Excellent support and extensive community resources.
- •Highly optimized for mobile and conversions.
- •Strong market leader with proven track record.
- •Transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments.
- •Less control over the checkout page customization.
- •Reliance on apps can lead to increased costs and potential app conflicts.
- •Can become expensive as you scale and add more apps.
Integrations
BigCommerce
Shopify
BigCommerce lists specific, often advanced, integrations and built-in features that act like integrations (e.g., AI tools, optimization services). Shopify, while only listing 'Shopify' as an integration, implies its massive app store ecosystem, which provides integrations for virtually any business need. Shopify's approach relies more on its app store for extending functionality, whereas BigCommerce aims to include more advanced features natively.
Migration Considerations
Migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify typically involves exporting product, customer, and order data from BigCommerce (CSV files) and importing it into Shopify. Themes and custom code will need to be rebuilt or reconfigured for Shopify's Liquid templating language. Tools like 'Cart2Cart' or 'LitExtension' can automate much of this process.
Migrating from Shopify to BigCommerce also involves exporting data (products, customers, orders) via CSV from Shopify and importing it into BigCommerce. Similar to the reverse, themes and custom functionalities will need to be adapted or rebuilt for BigCommerce's Stencil framework. Migration services or apps can assist with data transfer.
Alternatives
Looking for other options? Consider these alternatives:
Last updated: 1/8/2026
Data sourced from official product pages and Capterra reviews