The global ecommerce ecosystem is booming. Recent technological advancements have fueled the growth of ecommerce websites all over the world.
Look at these numbers.
Over 2.71 billion people shop online annually. With 24.5 million online stores, ecommerce companies are predicted to generate approximate sales of $6.3 trillion in 2024. And it doesn’t end here; nearly 20% of retail purchases take place online.
When it comes to building an ideal online store, three options are popular among ecommerce brands: BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Shopify. Being the world’s best ecommerce platforms, they have millions of users across the globe and seamlessly manage thousands of transactions every day. Besides, each platform has unique features that make it stand out.
Shopify, for example, is famous for its user-friendly interface. You can set up and run an online store on Shopify as quickly as possible. Similarly, BigCommerce offers an all-inclusive dashboard that brings key features in one place. WooCommerce is an affordable open-source option that better suits WordPress users.
So, which ecommerce site builder is the best in 2024? Check out this comprehensive comparison between BigCommerce vs WooCommerce vs Shopify to make an informed choice.
Let’s get started!
BigCommerce vs WooCommerce vs Shopify: Introduction
What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is a cloud-based online store builder. Known for engaging user experiences, this all-in-one platform allows you to build, customize, and launch ecommerce sites with advanced features. Besides, store owners can effectively manage shipping orders with secure payments.
In addition to store creation and management, BigCommerce is the perfect tool to closely monitor the site’s performance. Thanks to its advanced analytics that keep you updated with shoppers’ behavior to make data-driven decisions.
Similarly, you don’t need advanced technical skills or coding expertise to set up and run an online store with BigCommerce. The platform is user-friendly and offers simplified order management. You can access a wide range of customizable themes and integration options to enhance the performance of your ecommerce site and generate high profits.
Pros and Cons of BigCommerce
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Advanced built-in features for SEO, marketing, and analytics, no need for third-party apps |
An expensive option, particularly for small businesses |
|
Offers a wide range of processing options |
Has a steep learning curve that can be overwhelming for beginners |
|
Single page checkout |
Limited design flexibility makes it difficult to customize themes without coding knowledge |
|
Zero transaction fees |
Exceeding sales thresholds may increase costs |
|
Multichannel selling option enables easy integration with Amazon, eBay, and social media |
CMS is not suitable for stores with extensive content |
|
Highly scalable platform |
No mobile app |
|
Suitable for both SMEs and large enterprises |
Slower loading time can affect buyers’ experiences |
|
Offers enterprise-grade security features |
Paid apps are required to access advanced functionalities |
|
Brings robust SEO capabilities that improve the store’s visibility in SERPs |
Less intuitive page builder |
|
Offers responsive and customizable themes |
Limited themes |
|
Supports multiple currencies |
Multilingual support requires additional apps |
Exclusive Features of BigCommerce
Want to know what makes BigCommerce stand out? Check out these exclusive features:
1. Staging Environment for Testing
With BigCommerce, developers can test changes to their online store before going live. The platform offers a staging environment to ensure new features and integrations work correctly per buyers’ needs without disrupting the live site. You don’t require any third-party tools to access this feature.
2. B2B-specific Functionality
If you are developing a B2B e-commerce site, BigCommerce should be your preferred builder because it offers unique functionalities to B2B stores. You can publish extensive product catalogues, offer personalized experiences to buyers, and set bulk pricing. Similarly, customer group segmentation can streamline buyer’s journey and result in higher satisfaction.
3. Multi-Storefront Capability
Ecommerce businesses with multiple online stores rely on BigCommerce to manage multiple storefronts from a single dashboard. This centralized functionality allows entrepreneurs to target different markets or customer segments. They can sell different varieties of products online without creating separate accounts.
4. Automatic Currency Conversion
Every ecommerce brand strives to become global. BigCommerce facilitates a globalization strategy with automatic currency conversion based on the shopper’s location. There is no need to install separate plugins to convert currencies. A buyer from the US can see product prices in Dollars while the one accessing your store from the UK would see them in pounds.
What is WooCommerce?
Name the four best e-commerce plugins for WordPress, WooCommerce would be at the top. This open-source online site builder is popular among the global WordPress community. The platform brings wide customization options and strong built-in capabilities giving entrepreneurs enhanced control over their site’s design and functionality.
Similarly, WooCommerce offers a multitude of attractive designs, themes, and animations to make your online store more attractive. Above all, it is completely free. You don’t need to pay anything to access this amazing tool to build your ecommerce store.
Additionally, WooCommerce is not confined to online stores or e-commerce sites only. You can also develop business websites, blogs, or professional portfolios with this website builder. This property gives WooCommerce an edge over Shopify which is dedicated to ecommerce stores.
Pros and Cons of WooCommerce
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Highly customizable plugin allowing users to tweak online stores tailored to their niches. |
Resource-intensive tool that slows down site speed when handling high volumes. |
|
Seamlessly integrates with WordPress, the world’s most popular CMS. |
You need a WordPress site to build an online store with WooCommerce |
|
Supports a variety of product categories |
Some payment gateways charge transaction fees while integrating with WooCommerce |
|
Has a large and active community to troubleshoot issues and find instant solutions |
Requires regular maintenance to ensure compatibility with WordPress |
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Completely free to use. |
Some WordPress themes and plugins are not compatible with WooCommerce |
|
Gives complete ownership and control over data, such as client information, product details, etc. |
Shop owners are responsible themselves for protecting against cybersecurity threats. |
|
Suitable for businesses of all sizes. |
Becomes complex and overwhelming with different customization options |
|
Inherits robust SEO capabilities of WordPress. |
Extensively relies on community support and documentation |
|
Offers various premium plugins and paid themes |
Limited design customization options. |
|
Businesses can enhance their store’s functionality with extensions. |
Premium extensions can increase the project cost as predicted initially |
|
Ideal for non-technical users with no coding background. |
Custom features and troubleshooting require technical knowledge |
Exclusive Features of WooCommerce
Discover the latest features of WooCommerce that make it the preferred choice for WordPress developers:
1. Integration with WordPress Ecosystem
WordPress, the world’s most used content management system, has robust functionalities. By integrating WooCommerce with WordPress, developers can leverage these functionalities to build high-performing online stores. Entrepreneurs can add WordPress plugins, tools, themes, and extensions to their ecommerce stores for a cohesive experience. No other ecommerce platform can match this exclusive functionality of WooCommerce.
2. Extensive Customization Options
Some ecommerce stores need to organize products into custom categories. WooCommerce streamlines this customization process for online stores. Custom taxonomies help developers add unique product attributes or niche-specific functionalities to make sites more engaging and intuitive. This level of customization is valuable for ecommerce businesses with specialized product catalogues.
3. Seamless Integration of Content and Commerce
WooCommerce is not a traditional ecommerce platform. It brings rich content and commerce integration functionalities that go beyond product listings and transactions. You can create well-organized and engaging product pages, customer stories, product reviews, blogs, etc. This unique blend of content and commerce strengthens inbound marketing and drives more conversions.
4. Multisite Capability
WordPress Multisite is another unique functionality offered by WooCommerce. Entrepreneurs can manage multiple online stores and achieve their sales targets from a single WordPress dashboard. Each store can have a unique name or domain and target specific audiences based on their shopping preferences.
What is Shopify?
If you are building an online ecommerce store for the first time, you must start with Shopify. This platform beats the rest in terms of ease of use. It has a simple interface where you can list products, upload images, and add relevant information in a few minutes.
The core strength of Shopify lies in its dashboard, which is very simple, clear-cut, and user-friendly. You can manage all aspects of your ecommerce site in one place, whether it is product uploading, buyer analytics, or migration.
Likewise, if you want to scale your business, Shopify gives you the flexibility to expand your online store without interrupting the performance. Moreover, it has a rich ecosystem of advanced third-party apps that can enhance your store’s functionality and boost user experiences. With 2.1 million daily active users, Shopify currently rules the global ecommerce industry.
Pros and Cons of Shopify
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
The easier ecommerce site builder, ideal for beginners entering the industry. |
Charges monthly subscription fees, making it less viable for startups and small businesses. |
|
A robust app ecosystem comprising thousands of apps, tools, and integration options. |
Third-party payment gateways also require additional fees. |
|
Provides secure and reliable hosting powered by SSL certification and level 1 PCI compliance. |
Customization requires knowledge of Shopify’s templating language Liquid. |
|
Adjusts to the growing needs of small and large enterprises with high volumes of traffic. |
Some features are dependent on integration options |
|
Offers round-the-clock customer support via email, phone, and chat. |
Switching themes required reformatting, which is a time-consuming and hectic process |
|
Can process credit card transactions without integrating with third-party payment gateways. |
Migration to Shopify is a bit difficult and takes more time. |
|
Seamlessly integrates with Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, and more. |
Limited content management capabilities |
|
Brings a variety of responsive themes |
Has a fixed and non-flexible URL structure that can negatively affect SEO performance |
|
An all-in-one ecommerce store builder with advanced built-in features. |
Paid Shopify apps can increase operating expenses |
|
Has an active community and resources for support |
Advanced reporting requires a subscription to expensive plans |
|
Offers advanced SEO and marketing tools for improved performance and more sales. |
Doesn’t give users complete control over server settings and infrastructure. |
Exclusive Features of Shopify
There is a reason why millions of ecommerce store owners prefer Shopify to sell products or services online. Below are some exclusive features that merit their consideration.
1. Integrated Payment Processing
Shopify has an integrated payment process system that allows merchants to accept payments via credit cards directly through their stores. The integration simplifies the checkout process by eliminating the need for third-party payment gateways. Besides, it provides buyers with a seamless shopping experience and reduces transaction fees. Eventually, streamlined financial operations contribute to the economic growth of ecommerce sites.
2. Unified Online and Offline Sales
The second important feature is Shopify POS (Point of Sale). This robust system seamlessly integrates with online stores so that merchants can unify their online and offline channels in one place. With this option, entrepreneurs can manage sales, inventory, and customer data of ecommerce sites and physical stores from one single dashboard. Hence, synchronized operations between online and offline stores drive economic growth.
3. Enterprise Level Solution
Shopify Plus is another amazing feature. It offers advanced functionalities like customizable checkout, higher API limits, and dedicated account management. Additionally, merchants can leverage automation tools, enhanced security, and enterprise-level security to effectively handle high volumes of traffic and ensure smooth operations.
4. Templating Language
Shopify has developed a powerful template language Liquid. Developers can use this language to build personalized online stores by manipulating CSS and HTML. Liquid makes complex customization look like a breeze. Merchants can implement complex customizations to their ecommerce sites to build engaging user interfaces and bespoke solutions aligned with their brand identity.
BigCommerce vs WooCommerce vs Shopify: Side-by-side Comparison
The below table highlights the key strengths and limitations of BigCommerce vs WooCommerce vs Shopify based on different metrics:
|
|
BigCommerce |
WooCommerce |
Shopify |
|
Ease of Use |
Moderate |
Complex (Requires WordPress knowledge) |
Very Easy |
|
Pricing |
Moderate to high |
Low to high (Depends on premium themes and plugins) |
Moderate to high |
|
Customization |
Moderate |
Highly customizable |
High customization (Requires Liquid knowledge) |
|
Plugins/Extensions |
Built-in features and App Store |
Extensive options through WP plugins |
Vast store for enhanced functionality |
|
Themes |
Responsive themes with a limited selection |
A wide variety of themes |
A large section of responsive themes |
|
SEO |
Built-in SEO tools |
Excellent (WordPress SEO capabilities) |
Built-in SEO tools |
|
Scalability |
High |
High (Requires proper hosting) |
High |
|
Payment Gateways |
Multiple Options, No Fees |
Extensive Options (some may have fees) |
Multiple Options, Shopify Payments |
|
Security |
PCI Level 1, SSL, Automatic Backups |
Depends on Hosting, SSL, Security Plugins |
PCI Level 1, SSL, Strong Security |
|
Hosting |
Included |
Self-hosted |
Included |
|
Selling |
Integrates with multiple channels |
Depends on plugins |
Integrates with multiple channels |
|
Mobile Responsiveness |
Excellent |
Depends on theme |
Excellent |
|
International Sales |
Multi-currency, Limited Multi-language |
Multi-currency, multi-language (with plugins |
Multi-currency, multi-language (with apps) |
|
Content Management |
Moderate |
Excellent |
Moderate |
|
Analytics |
Comprehensive reporting |
Plugin dependent |
Comprehensive reporting |
|
Migration |
Moderate |
High (open source) |
Moderate |
|
Community |
Growing |
Extensive |
Extensive |
BigCommerce vs WooCommerce vs Shopify: The Final Verdict
Based on our detailed comparison of three popular online store builders, the core question is which platform is the best. Here’s our verdict.
BigCommerce is an ideal platform for growing businesses looking to scale. Besides, it has a moderate learning curve that allows non-technical users to manage e-commerce sites without any difficulty. Strong B2B functionality and a minimum reliance on third-party apps make it an ideal choice for e-commerce sites with a limited client base.
WooCommerce, as discussed earlier, is specifically designed for the WordPress community. So, online WP stores with rich content and high traffic volumes should choose WooCommerce for excellent content management, unlimited customization, and cost-efficiency.
Lastly, Shopify is an easy-to-use solution perfect for SMEs and e-commerce startups. It offers an integrated payment processing, multi-channel selling, and templating language that allows merchants to run e-commerce sites without any coding knowledge.
