Online shopping continues to grow in popularity, with more and more consumers turning to e-commerce platforms to purchase goods. Therefore, for businesses looking to make a mark in this space, it’s essential to choose the right e-commerce platform to build their online store. Two popular options are BigCommerce and Shopify, but which one is the best choice? Let’s dive into the features, ease of use, pricing, and customer support of both platforms to find out which one reigns supreme.
Table of Contents
Features
BigCommerce and Shopify both come with a wide range of features that make creating an online store a breeze. BigCommerce offers an enterprise-grade solution and can handle complex e-commerce needs, such as multi-channel selling, advanced shipping options, and inventory management. It also has a built-in content management system (CMS) that allows businesses to create blog posts and landing pages to improve their online presence.
On the other hand, Shopify has a more user-friendly platform that emphasizes simplicity. Its features include inventory management, customizable themes, and app integrations, which are all designed to help businesses create a seamless online shopping experience for their customers. Additionally, it has a point-of-sale (POS) system that integrates with its main e-commerce platform, making it ideal for businesses that want to sell both online and in-store.
Winner: It’s a tie.
Both platforms offer impressive features, but BigCommerce might be the better choice for businesses looking for more robust e-commerce features, while Shopify offers a more user-friendly platform.
Ease of Use
One of the most critical factors to consider when choosing an e-commerce platform is its ease of use. It’s essential to select a platform that is easy to navigate, even for those with little to no web design experience.
BigCommerce has an intuitive interface that allows businesses to create a professional-looking store in a matter of minutes. It has an easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder, and users can choose from multiple templates to customize their website without coding. Additionally, it offers built-in marketing tools that allow businesses to promote their products effortlessly.
Conversely, Shopify’s platform is even more straightforward to use, and it requires no prior experience in web design or e-commerce. It has a drag-and-drop builder that makes it easy to create pages, manage products, and customize themes. It also has a visual theme editor that enables users to add or remove elements from their website quickly.
Winner: Shopify
Shopify’s user-friendly platform is the clear winner in the ease of use category, making it an ideal choice for businesses that prefer a straightforward and intuitive platform.
Pricing
Cost is a vital factor to consider when choosing an e-commerce platform. Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer various pricing plans to meet different budgets and business needs.
BigCommerce offers four pricing plans, starting at $29.95 per month and going up to $299.95 per month. The plans come with features such as unlimited bandwidth, support for multiple staff accounts, and 24/7 customer support. However, businesses that opt for the more expensive plans will have access to more advanced features, such as abandoned cart recovery, Google customer review integration, and product filtering.
In contrast, Shopify offers three pricing plans, starting at $29 per month and going up to $299 per month. Each plan comes with its own set of features, such as unlimited products, manual order creation, and discount code creation. Additionally, Shopify offers a 14-day free trial, giving businesses time to test the platform before committing to a monthly subscription.
Winner: Shopify
Although both platforms offer multiple pricing plans, Shopify’s pricing is more affordable and flexible, making it the winner in this category.
Customer Support
Finally, customer support is an important consideration when choosing an e-commerce platform. If issues arise, businesses need to be confident that they can get prompt and reliable help from the platform’s support team.
BigCommerce has a robust customer support system, with 24/7 phone and chat support, community forums, and a knowledge base. It also offers dedicated account managers for businesses with advanced needs.
Shopify also has a strong customer support system, with 24/7 phone, email, and chat support. Additionally, it has an extensive knowledge base, forums, and a community of experts that can assist businesses with their e-commerce needs.
Winner: BigCommerce
Though Shopify has an impressive customer support system, BigCommerce provides more dedicated customer support for businesses with advanced needs, making it the winner in this category.
Conclusion
When deciding between BigCommerce and Shopify, businesses need to consider their e-commerce needs and priorities. If they require advanced e-commerce features, BigCommerce might be a better choice. Conversely, if they prioritize user-friendliness and affordability, Shopify is the clear winner. Ultimately, the choice between the two platforms depends on the specific needs of the business.