Shopify and BigCommerce remain two of the most popular hosted e-commerce platforms, each with dedicated advocates and distinct strengths. In 2025, choosing between them requires looking past marketing claims toward genuine differences in features, costs, and flexibility. Here is a complete comparison.
Built-In Features Out of the Box
BigCommerce has traditionally included more advanced features natively, such as multi-storefront capability and more sophisticated product options, without requiring additional app purchases, while Shopify relies more heavily on its app ecosystem to add equivalent functionality.
Transaction Fees Comparison
BigCommerce does not charge additional transaction fees regardless of payment gateway used, while Shopify charges extra fees unless using Shopify Payments directly, a meaningful cost difference for merchants preferring alternative payment processors.
Revenue-Based Plan Limits
BigCommerce plans include annual sales thresholds that trigger required upgrades to higher tiers, whereas Shopify plans are not directly tied to revenue thresholds in the same way, which matters for rapidly scaling stores.
App Ecosystem Size and Quality
Shopify’s app marketplace remains significantly larger, offering more specialized solutions for niche needs, while BigCommerce’s smaller but often more deeply integrated app selection can mean less complexity for common use cases covered natively.
Design and Theme Flexibility
Both platforms offer solid theme selections, though Shopify’s larger theme marketplace and more active developer community generally provide more variety and more frequent updates compared to BigCommerce’s more limited theme options.
SEO and Content Capabilities
Both platforms support strong SEO fundamentals, with BigCommerce offering slightly more native flexibility for certain technical SEO configurations, though the practical difference has narrowed considerably as both platforms have matured their content tools.
B2B and Wholesale Functionality
BigCommerce has historically offered stronger native B2B features, such as customer-specific pricing and bulk ordering tools, making it a common choice for businesses with significant wholesale operations alongside direct-to-consumer sales.
Ease of Use and Learning Curve
Shopify is generally regarded as more approachable for merchants without technical background, with a cleaner interface and more streamlined initial setup process, while BigCommerce’s additional native features come with a somewhat steeper learning curve.
Considering Alternatives Beyond Both Platforms
For merchants wanting maximum long-term flexibility and full data ownership, it is also worth reviewing our WooCommerce vs Shopify comparison, since self-hosted options present a genuinely different set of trade-offs compared to either hosted platform.
Making the Right Choice for Your Business
Merchants prioritizing ease of use and the largest app ecosystem often lean toward Shopify’s continually expanding feature set, while those needing strong native B2B functionality or avoiding transaction fees with alternative payment gateways may find BigCommerce a better structural fit.