In today’s digital world, having an e-commerce platform is no longer optional. With consumers moving online for their shopping needs, businesses need to have an online store to stay competitive. Choosing the right e-commerce platform, however, can be challenging.
Two of the most popular options for businesses are BigCommerce and WooCommerce. In this article, we’ll compare these two platforms to help you determine which one is right for you and your business needs.
Table of Contents
Overview of BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a fully hosted e-commerce platform that offers an all-in-one solution for businesses. It’s an easy-to-use platform that includes everything from website design to payment processing, and it comes with a powerful set of tools to help businesses succeed online.
Overview of WooCommerce
WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a free, open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. It’s a flexible and customizable platform that gives businesses complete control over their online store. It’s also one of the most popular e-commerce platforms worldwide.
Pricing Comparison
When it comes to pricing, BigCommerce and WooCommerce have different structures.
BigCommerce Pricing
BigCommerce offers a monthly subscription pricing model. The plans range from $29.95 to $299.95 per month, depending on the features and services you need.
There’s also an enterprise plan available for larger businesses, which comes with custom pricing. Additionally, BigCommerce charges transaction fees on top of the monthly subscription fee, with rates ranging from 0.5% to 2.9% based on the payment gateway used.
WooCommerce Pricing
WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a free platform. However, there are still costs involved in setting up an online store using WooCommerce.
Businesses will need to pay for hosting, which can cost anywhere from $2.95 to $24.95 per month, depending on the hosting provider and plan selected. There are also additional costs for purchasing a domain name, SSL certificate, and other necessary plugins and extensions.
Design and Customization
Both BigCommerce and WooCommerce offer plenty of design and customization options, but the way they approach it is different.
BigCommerce Design and Customization
BigCommerce provides businesses with a wide selection of templates and themes to choose from. These templates are customizable, so businesses can make changes to match their brand and style. Additionally, BigCommerce comes with a page builder tool, which makes it easy to create custom pages and layouts.
WooCommerce Design and Customization
WooCommerce, on the other hand, provides businesses with complete control over the design and customization of their online store. Businesses can choose from a variety of themes and templates, or they can create their own custom theme from scratch. Additionally, WooCommerce provides access to a vast library of plugins and extensions, which allows businesses to add new features and functionality to their online store.
Features and Functionality
When it comes to features and functionality, both BigCommerce and WooCommerce offer plenty of options.
BigCommerce Features and Functionality
BigCommerce offers a wide range of built-in features and functionality, including:
- Abandoned Cart Saver
- Batch Order Processing
- Built-in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Built-in Blog
- Customer Groups and Segmentation
- Drag-and-Drop Page Builder
- Multi-Channel Selling
- Product Filtering and Sorting
- Product Reviews and Ratings
- Unlimited Products, Storage, and Bandwidth
WooCommerce Features and Functionality
WooCommerce, on the other hand, provides businesses with a robust set of features and functionality through its library of plugins and extensions, including:
- Automatic Tax Calculations
- Dynamic Pricing
- Integration with over 140 Payment Gateways
- Multilingual/Multi-Currency Support
- Product Bundles and Kits
- Product Add-Ons and Custom Fields
- Shipping Label Printing
- Social Media Integration
- Subscription Capabilities
Ease of Use
Finally, when it comes to ease of use, both BigCommerce and WooCommerce have their pros and cons.
BigCommerce Ease of Use
BigCommerce is known for its easy-to-use platform. They offer a drag-and-drop page builder that makes it easy for businesses to create beautiful pages and layouts. Additionally, they provide excellent customer support, which is available 24/7.
WooCommerce Ease of Use
WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a little more complicated to use than BigCommerce. It requires some technical know-how and experience with WordPress, which can be a challenge for some businesses. However, once the store is set up, it’s relatively easy to manage, and there’s a wealth of information and support available online.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both BigCommerce and WooCommerce offer excellent options for businesses looking to set up an online store. Ultimately, the choice between these two platforms will depend on your specific needs and budget.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that’s easy to use and provides excellent customer support, BigCommerce is an excellent choice. On the other hand, if you’re looking for complete control over your online store’s design and customization, as well as access to a wide range of plugins and extensions, WooCommerce is the way to go.