Shopify vs BigCommerce (2026): features, security and which one to buy
Shopify and BigCommerce compared on what they do, who they suit, their key features, pros and cons, and what each vendor publishes on security, admin and contract terms, with every fact checked on October 24, 2026.
Shopify or BigCommerce: the short answer
Choose Shopify if
- Small and mid-size brands that want a hosted store without managing servers.
- Merchants that will use Shopify Payments to avoid the third-party gateway fee.
- Brands that need a path from a cheap plan to Plus without replatforming.
Choose BigCommerce if
- Growing stores wanting B2B tools and open APIs on a hosted platform.
- Merchants that want no transaction fee on embedded payment providers.
- Mid-market brands expecting to cross sales tiers.
What are Shopify and BigCommerce?
Shopify
Hosted ecommerce platform sold in Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus tiers, with payment fees that drop as the plan price rises. Brands that want a hosted store and a clear upgrade path to Plus should shortlist it. Compare tiers on staff seats and on payment fees, which fall as the plan rises. Using an outside gateway adds a surcharge, so test Shopify Payments availability for your country first.
BigCommerce
Hosted ecommerce platform whose plans are capped by trailing twelve month sales, with Enterprise-style Performance tier. Plans here are tied to trailing twelve month sales, so growing brands should map their revenue against each tier's cap before choosing. B2B price lists need the Performance plan, and entry costs $29 monthly on yearly billing. Test the API and checkout in the trial.
Shopify vs BigCommerce: features compared
| Shopify | BigCommerce | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hosted ecommerce platform sold in Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus tiers, with payment fees that drop as the plan price rises. | Hosted ecommerce platform whose plans are capped by trailing twelve month sales, with Enterprise-style Performance tier. |
| Best for | Small and mid-size brands that want a hosted store without managing servers. | Growing stores wanting B2B tools and open APIs on a hosted platform. |
| Company size | Starter stores to enterprise (Plus) | Small to enterprise. |
| Hosted versus self-hosted | Hosted SaaS. | Hosted SaaS. |
| Payment processing and transaction fees | Shopify Payments online card 2.1% + EUR 0.30 on Basic down to 1.3% + EUR 0.30 on Plus; third-party gateways add 2% / 1% / 0.6% / 0.2% by plan. | Card rates from 2.89% + $0.29 (Amex 3.50%); Open Payment Provider fee 2.0% / 1.0% / 0.6% / none by plan. |
| B2B and wholesale features | Not published | Price Lists on Performance only; customer groups on Growth and up. |
| Scalability and checkout limits | Staff seats rise from none (Basic) to 5, 15 and unlimited (Plus) | Sales caps: $30K, $100K TTM GMV, $33,333/month on Scale; 0.9% overage on Scale. |
| Ecommerce capability | Native checkout, POS Pro add-on at EUR 79/mo per location. | Native ecommerce. |
| Hosting, uptime and speed | Vendor-hosted. | Vendor-hosted. |
| Free plan or trial | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starting price | $29/month billed yearly ($39 monthly) for Basic | $29/month billed yearly (Core), $39 monthly |
| G2 rating | 4.4 (4,964 reviews) | 4.2 (574 reviews) |
Shopify vs BigCommerce pricing
Shopify starts at $29/month billed yearly ($39 monthly) for Basic and BigCommerce at $29/month billed yearly (Core), $39 monthly. The pricing bases differ, so compare the full quote for your team rather than the entry price.
| Shopify | BigCommerce | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | flat monthly plan plus payment fees | flat monthly plan with sales caps |
| Billing | Monthly and annual. | Monthly and annual. |
| Add-ons | POS Pro EUR 79/month per location. | Not published |
Security, admin and contract: Shopify vs BigCommerce
What each vendor states publicly about single sign-on, provisioning, audit logs, data location and the contract. A blank is a question for the sales call, not a no.
| Shopify | BigCommerce | |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | Monthly or yearly on Basic to Advanced; Plus offers 1 or 3 year terms, cancel when term ends. | Monthly or annual; Performance billed annually. |
Differences most comparisons miss
Worth knowing about Shopify
- Third-party payment gateway fee is 2% on Basic and 0.2% on Plus, on top of the gateway's own fees, so gateway choice changes plan economics.
- Basic includes no additional staff accounts; Grow adds 5, Advanced 15, Plus unlimited.
- Plus starts at EUR 2,100/month and the FAQ offers 1 or 3 year terms.
- Yearly billing cuts the headline price by roughly 25%.
Worth knowing about BigCommerce
- Plans are capped by trailing twelve month sales ($30K on Core, $100K on Growth), so growth forces upgrades.
- Scale charges 0.9% overage above its $33,333 monthly cap.
- Price Lists (B2B) appear only on Performance per the pricing page.
- Embedded payment providers add no fee; Open Payment Providers do (2.0% to 0.6%).
Shopify vs BigCommerce: frequently asked questions
Which is better, Shopify or BigCommerce?
It depends on the team. Shopify is the stronger pick for small and mid-size brands that want a hosted store without managing servers, while BigCommerce suits growing stores wanting B2B tools and open APIs on a hosted platform. Compare the feature rows above against your must-haves before you look at price.
Can I try Shopify and BigCommerce for free?
Shopify: free trial. BigCommerce: free trial.
Sources
Both columns use the same sources: vendor pricing and product pages, documentation, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Full source lists are on the Shopify and BigCommerce reviews.