Author: Chris Singleton
Last Updated: April 3, 2025
Disclosure: This article follows a strict editorial standard. We may earn a commission when you purchase through links, at no additional cost to you.
What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is a fully-hosted SaaS ecommerce platform designed for creating, managing, and scaling online stores. As a hosted service, users don’t need to install software or manage hosting—everything runs in the cloud. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or an enterprise-level retailer, BigCommerce offers a robust suite of features to get your store online with minimal technical hassle.
With over 35,000 live sites and a clientele that includes high-profile names like BMW, Ted Baker, and Ben & Jerry’s, BigCommerce is trusted by brands worldwide. It’s also won TrustRadius’ “Top Rated” ecommerce award four years in a row.
BigCommerce Pricing Structure
BigCommerce provides four core pricing tiers:
- Standard – $39/month
- Plus – $105/month
- Pro – $399/month
- Enterprise – Custom pricing
Pay annually and you’ll receive a 25% discount on the Standard, Plus, and Pro plans. A 15-day free trial is available for all tiers.
Multi-Storefront Capability
One of BigCommerce’s unique strengths is the ability to run multiple storefronts under a single account:
- Standard: Up to 3 storefronts
- Plus: Up to 5
- Pro: Up to 8
Additional storefronts can be added for an extra fee, ranging from $30 to $100 per store. Compared to Shopify, where this feature requires a plan exceeding $2,300/month, BigCommerce offers excellent value.
Key Features Across All Plans
BigCommerce offers a comprehensive toolset that includes:
- 12 free responsive themes
- Unlimited product listings and custom categories
- Drag-and-drop page builder
- PayPal and third-party payment gateway integration
- Support for credit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Blogging capabilities
- Built-in SEO tools
- Third-party app integrations
- Gift cards, coupons, product reviews
- Custom HTML/CSS editing
- Professional-grade reporting tools
However, the entry-level Standard plan lacks some premium features such as:
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Persistent carts
- Stored customer credit cards
- Customer segmentation
To access these, you’ll need to upgrade to the Plus plan.
Transaction Fees and Sales Thresholds
BigCommerce doesn’t charge any transaction fees, a notable advantage over platforms like Shopify. However, users must still pay fees charged by their chosen payment processor (e.g., PayPal or Stripe).
Sales volume caps per plan:
- Standard: $50,000/year
- Plus: $180,000/year
- Pro: $400,000/year (expandable for $150 per extra $200k)
- Enterprise: Negotiable limits
Payment Gateway Options
BigCommerce integrates with over 48 payment gateways globally. PayPal (via Braintree) is the default, offering tiered transaction fees:
- Standard: 2.89% + $0.49
- Plus: 2.35% + $0.49
- Pro: 2.35% + $0.49
- Enterprise: 2.05% + $0.49
You can also integrate with providers like Stripe, Square, Authorize.net, and Afterpay without additional BigCommerce transaction fees.
Templates and Design Flexibility
BigCommerce offers 12 free themes and nearly 200 paid templates ($99–$400 one-time fee). All templates are responsive, ensuring seamless display across devices.
That said, the free templates tend to look very similar. Typeface customization is also limited unless you dive into code. Some elements, like search bars or sidebars, are hard to hide without manual CSS adjustments.
User Interface and Page Builder
BigCommerce’s backend interface is logically structured with a vertical navigation bar. It’s relatively easy to manage products, view analytics, and adjust storefront settings. However, the drag-and-drop builder is less refined than those of Shopify or Wix, and it’s not accessible directly from the product or page menus—you have to enter through the theme customizer.
Product Management and Variants
BigCommerce excels at managing product variants:
- Up to 250 product options
- Up to 600 variants per product
- Unique SKUs for each variant
This is significantly more flexible than Shopify (100 variants) or Squarespace (250).
However, categorizing products is more manual. There’s no smart rule-based automation like in Shopify. Bulk editing helps, but it’s not as efficient.
Custom fields and file uploads are user-friendly, supporting:
- 20 uploads per product
- Max file size: 524MB
This is particularly useful for businesses offering personalization, such as custom engravings or image uploads.
Multi-Channel and Dropshipping
BigCommerce supports multichannel sales on:
- Amazon, Walmart, eBay
- Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat
- Microsoft Ads
Dropshipping is available via 30+ apps including:
- Spocket
- Printify
- AliExpress Dropshipping
- Inventory Source
Some apps are free, while others require a subscription.
POS Integrations
BigCommerce doesn’t offer built-in POS systems but integrates with:
- Square
- Clover
- PayPal Zettle
- Vend
You’ll need to manage separate subscriptions and support processes.
Cart Abandonment Tools
The Plus plan and above include an abandoned cart recovery system that can send up to 3 reminder emails. However, creating these emails involves editing phrase values rather than using a visual editor.
Multi-Currency and Multilingual Selling
Currency
BigCommerce’s free themes support automatic currency conversion and checkout based on IP address—few rivals offer end-to-end support like this.
Language
Multilingual selling requires the Weglot plugin, which adds cost. Weglot supports 100+ languages but can be expensive at scale (up to $769/month).
Tax Compliance
Tax automation is available via integrations with:
- Avalara
- TaxJar
- Vertex
Digital EU sales require manual VAT MOSS configuration—unlike Shopify, which automates this.
Shipping Configuration
Shipping options include:
- Flat-rate and free shipping
- Price- and weight-based rates
- In-store pickup
- Real-time carrier quotes (available on all plans)
Discounted rates, like those from Shopify or Etsy, are not provided.
App Marketplace and Integrations
BigCommerce’s app store features over 1,200 integrations, covering:
- CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Accounting (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero)
- Email marketing (e.g., Mailchimp, AWeber)
- Logistics and shipping tools
Notably, the BigCommerce Buy Button allows embedding products into third-party sites.
SEO and Blogging
SEO tools include:
- Editable metadata
- SEO-friendly URLs
- 301 redirects
- Automatic image optimization
Blogging is built-in but lacks RSS support. This may hinder content syndication or email automation. You can, however, integrate a WordPress blog on a subdomain for better features.
Email Marketing and Analytics
BigCommerce doesn’t offer native email marketing but integrates well with external tools.
Analytics reports include:
- Customer demographics
- Conversion sources
- Product searches
- Sales performance
Premium reports (Ecommerce Insights) start at $49/month depending on your plan.
Mobile Apps and Security
Mobile apps for iOS and Android let you:
- Track orders, sales, and customer info
- Update order statuses
- View real-time performance data
Security measures include:
- PCI compliance
- SSL certificates
- Two-factor authentication
BigCommerce does not provide automatic backups; third-party apps like Rewind are recommended.
GDPR Compliance
BigCommerce supports cookie consent banners with prior consent handling. However, features for logging and revoking consent are minimal.
Support Services
Support is available 24/7 via phone, email, and chat in several languages. There’s also:
- BigCommerce University
- Community forums
- Extensive help center
Unlike many rivals, phone support is readily accessible without navigating through self-help obstacles.
Final Verdict: Is BigCommerce Right for You?
Pros:
- Rich features on entry-level plans
- Multi-storefront functionality
- No transaction fees
- Strong SEO and international selling support
- Flexible product variants and custom fields
- Built-in GDPR consent handling
Cons:
- Annual sales limits per plan
- Limited template variety and typefaces
- No built-in email marketing
- VAT MOSS setup is manual
- No automatic backups
Top Alternatives:
- Shopify: More intuitive UI, larger app store, better POS
- WooCommerce: Great for WordPress users
- Squarespace: Strong visuals and content layout tools
- Ecwid: Add ecommerce to existing sites easily
- Wix, Weebly, GoDaddy: Best for beginners or prosumer use
