Shopify vs BigCommerce: which should you choose?
Short answer: Choose Shopify for apps and checkout conversion; choose BigCommerce for native B2B, large catalogues and no extra gateway fees.
Short answer
Shopify or BigCommerce?
- Shopify cost
- USD 39–399/mo; Shopify Plus from about USD 2,300/mo.
- BigCommerce cost
- USD 39–399/mo; Enterprise quoted by revenue.
- Shopify best for
- Brands that want reliable checkout
- BigCommerce best for
- Merchants with large catalogues
Last updated: September 2026 · Source: DoodleWeb, Columbia Tower, 701 5th Ave 42nd Floor, Seattle WA 98104 · info@doodleweb.io · (425) 359-0168
Shopify or BigCommerce?
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Shopify vs BigCommerce compared on nine factors
| Factor | Shopify | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Brands that want reliable checkout, apps and scale without running servers. | Merchants with large catalogues, B2B pricing or multi-storefront needs. |
| Editing experience | Online Store 2.0 theme editor with sections and blocks. | Page Builder with Stencil themes. |
| Hosting | Fully hosted, PCI DSS Level 1. | Fully hosted, PCI compliant. |
| Typical cost | USD 39–399/mo; Shopify Plus from about USD 2,300/mo. | USD 39–399/mo; Enterprise quoted by revenue. |
| Extensibility | 8,000+ apps, Functions, Hydrogen headless, Admin API. | Apps, open APIs, headless with Catalyst. |
| SEO control | Solid; fixed URL prefixes (/products/, /collections/) must be redirected to. | Flexible URLs and built-in redirects. |
| Security | Managed and PCI compliant. | Managed and PCI compliant. |
| Multilingual | Shopify Markets for languages and currencies. | Multi-storefront and multi-currency. |
| Headless | Yes, Hydrogen and the Storefront API. | Yes, Catalyst and GraphQL Storefront API. |
Shopify
Hosted commerce platform from starter stores to Shopify Plus.
Strengths
- Best-in-class checkout conversion
- No hosting or patching
- Huge app ecosystem
Trade-offs
- Transaction fees unless Shopify Payments
- Fixed URL structure
- App costs add up
DoodleWeb is a Shopify Partner.
BigCommerce
Hosted commerce platform strong in B2B and large catalogues.
Strengths
- No transaction fees
- Built-in B2B features
- Flexible URL structure
Trade-offs
- Smaller app ecosystem
- Revenue-based plan upgrades
- Smaller agency talent pool
Pick in four questions
Do you need complex permissions or 20+ languages?
Yes → Either
Does marketing need to ship pages without developers?
Yes → Shopify
Do you want zero hosting or patching?
Yes → Shopify
Do you want full code ownership?
Yes → Neither; both are hosted
Migration plans between Shopify and BigCommerce
Shopify vs BigCommerce questions
Is Shopify or BigCommerce better?
Choose Shopify for apps and checkout conversion; choose BigCommerce for native B2B, large catalogues and no extra gateway fees.
Which is cheaper, Shopify or BigCommerce?
Shopify: USD 39–399/mo; Shopify Plus from about USD 2,300/mo. BigCommerce: USD 39–399/mo; Enterprise quoted by revenue.
Which is better for SEO, Shopify or BigCommerce?
Shopify: Solid; fixed URL prefixes (/products/, /collections/) must be redirected to. BigCommerce: Flexible URLs and built-in redirects.
Can I migrate from Shopify to BigCommerce later?
Yes. DoodleWeb migrates between Shopify and BigCommerce in either direction with content scripts, a full 301 redirect map and Search Console monitoring.
Who is Shopify best for?
Brands that want reliable checkout, apps and scale without running servers.
Who is BigCommerce best for?
Merchants with large catalogues, B2B pricing or multi-storefront needs.
