Shopify and BigCommerce are both hosted ecommerce platforms for building and running online stores. Shopify leads on ease of use, design, and a massive app ecosystem, making it ideal for most merchants. BigCommerce leads on built-in features and lower reliance on apps, which suits larger catalogs and businesses that want fewer add-ons.
Key takeaways
- Shopify is the easiest platform to launch and design with, backed by the largest app store in ecommerce.
- BigCommerce includes more features natively, so you depend less on paid apps as your store grows.
- Shopify charges transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments; BigCommerce charges no extra transaction fees on any gateway.
- BigCommerce has no built-in sales caps per plan but bumps you to higher tiers based on annual revenue thresholds.
- Both support headless setups, letting you pair the storefront with a custom front end built in tools like Framer.
What Shopify and BigCommerce have in common
Both platforms are fully hosted software-as-a-service products. That means hosting, security, updates, and uptime are handled for you, so you never manage a server or patch software. Both support unlimited products, multiple sales channels, abandoned cart recovery, discount engines, and integrations with major payment providers. Either one can run a serious store, which is exactly why the decision comes down to the differences rather than the basics.
Ease of use and setup
Shopify is widely regarded as the friendliest platform to start with. The admin interface is clean, onboarding is guided, and you can have a store live in a day without technical help. Its theme editor is approachable, and most tasks have an obvious path. This is a big reason Shopify dominates the small and mid-market segment.
BigCommerce is also no-code friendly but exposes more settings out of the box, which can feel busier to a first-time merchant. The upside is that those settings unlock advanced functionality without installing apps. If you value simplicity, Shopify edges ahead. If you want depth available from day one and do not mind a steeper start, BigCommerce rewards you.
Design and themes
Shopify has a larger, more polished theme marketplace and a stronger third-party design community. Its themes tend to look modern and convert well, and the editor makes customization straightforward. BigCommerce themes are solid but fewer in number and sometimes feel less contemporary.
That said, neither platform’s native themes give you the creative freedom of a purpose-built design tool. Many ambitious brands now run a headless setup: they keep Shopify or BigCommerce as the commerce backend and build a fully custom storefront on a design platform. If conversion-focused design matters to you, the principles in our guide to hero section best practices apply whether you stay native or go headless.
Built-in features versus apps
This is the clearest philosophical split between the two. Shopify keeps its core lean and pushes advanced functionality into apps. The Shopify App Store is enormous, so almost anything you need exists, but stacking paid apps adds monthly cost and potential conflicts. A growing Shopify store often carries a meaningful app bill.
BigCommerce takes the opposite approach, baking more features into the platform itself. Things like advanced product options, faceted search, and multi-currency support are included rather than added on. The result is fewer apps and lower add-on spend for stores that need those capabilities, though BigCommerce’s own app marketplace is smaller if you do need something custom.
Pricing and fees
Both platforms use tiered monthly plans, and we avoid quoting exact figures because pricing changes. The important structural differences are worth knowing, though.
Shopify charges a transaction fee on top of your plan unless you use Shopify Payments, its native gateway. If you prefer a third-party processor, you pay an extra percentage per sale. BigCommerce charges no additional transaction fees regardless of which gateway you use, which can save money for merchants tied to a specific processor.
BigCommerce plans also include revenue thresholds: once your store passes a set annual sales volume, you move up a tier. Shopify scales mainly through plan choice and add-on apps. Run the numbers for your expected volume and payment setup before deciding, since the cheaper-looking plan is not always cheaper in practice.
SEO and content capabilities
Both platforms give you control over the SEO basics: editable title tags, meta descriptions, URL structures, and automatic sitemaps. Each also includes a built-in blog, which matters for content-driven organic growth. The practical differences are modest, though merchants sometimes find Shopify’s URL structure slightly rigid because of its fixed path conventions for products and collections.
Where both native blogs fall short is design flexibility. They are functional but not built for richly designed, conversion-focused content. This is another reason brands that care deeply about content and design increasingly pair their store with a separate front end. A custom storefront and content layer can rank and convert better while the commerce platform handles the transactional heavy lifting in the background.
Selling features and scalability
Shopify scales gracefully from a first sale to enterprise volume, with Shopify Plus serving large merchants. Its checkout is fast, well-tested, and trusted, and its multi-channel selling across social platforms and marketplaces is mature. The platform’s sheer scale means abundant documentation, agencies, and talent.
BigCommerce is strong for catalog-heavy and business-to-business stores. Native support for large product catalogs, complex variants, and business-to-business features like customer-specific pricing makes it a favorite for merchants with intricate inventory. Both handle high traffic reliably, so scalability rarely becomes the deciding factor on its own.
Headless commerce and Framer
A modern option that applies to both platforms is going headless. In a headless build, the platform handles products, carts, checkout, and payments through an API, while a separate front end controls the entire customer-facing experience. This unlocks design freedom that native themes cannot match and lets you optimize page speed independently of the commerce backend.
Framer is a natural fit for the front end of a headless commerce site. You design fast, distinctive pages with full creative control, then connect to Shopify or BigCommerce for the transactional layer. To explore how Framer pairs with commerce specifically, see our breakdowns of Framer versus Shopify and the broader landscape of Shopify alternatives. For the integration mechanics, our guide to a Framer and Shopify integration walks through connecting the two.
Payments and checkout
Checkout is where stores win or lose sales, so the payment experience deserves close attention. Shopify offers its own integrated gateway, Shopify Payments, alongside support for many third-party processors. Using the native option avoids the extra transaction fee and gives you a fast, well-optimized checkout that has been tested across millions of orders. Shopify’s checkout is a genuine competitive strength, with features like accelerated payment buttons and one-page flows.
BigCommerce supports a wide range of payment gateways without charging any additional transaction fee, which gives merchants flexibility to use the processor that offers them the best rates. Its checkout is reliable and customizable, particularly on higher plans. If you are committed to a specific processor for cost or regional reasons, BigCommerce’s fee-free stance can be the deciding factor. If you prefer an all-in-one, highly optimized checkout with minimal setup, Shopify Payments is hard to beat.
Apps, ecosystem, and support
Beyond features, the surrounding ecosystem affects how easily you can grow. Shopify’s enormous community means abundant tutorials, agencies, freelancers, and pre-built integrations for almost any need. If you hit a problem, someone has likely solved it publicly. That depth lowers the cost of finding help and shortens the time to fix issues.
BigCommerce has a capable ecosystem and strong documentation, but it is smaller, so niche integrations and specialist talent are less plentiful. For most stores this rarely becomes a blocker, since BigCommerce includes more natively, but it is worth weighing if your business depends on an unusual integration or a deep bench of available experts.
Common mistakes when choosing
The most frequent mistake is picking on monthly price alone. Transaction fees, app costs, and revenue-based tier jumps can flip which platform is actually cheaper for your volume. A second mistake is underestimating how many apps a Shopify store will need, then being surprised by the cumulative bill.
On the BigCommerce side, the common error is assuming the smaller app ecosystem will not matter, then hitting a gap when you need a niche integration. Map your must-have features against each platform’s native capabilities before committing, rather than after migrating.
Which should you choose for 2026
For most merchants, especially those who value ease of use, design quality, and a huge support ecosystem, Shopify is the safer default. For stores with large or complex catalogs, business-to-business needs, or a desire to avoid app sprawl and transaction fees, BigCommerce is a strong, sometimes more cost-effective choice. And if design and speed are central to your brand, consider a headless build with either platform powering a custom Framer storefront. For a clear cost comparison of building a custom front end, see the Framer Websites comparison page.
Pair your store with a storefront that actually converts
Whether you sell on Shopify or BigCommerce, a fast, custom Framer front end can lift conversions and set your brand apart. We design headless storefronts built for speed and sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shopify or BigCommerce better for beginners?
Shopify is generally better for beginners. Its interface is cleaner, onboarding is more guided, and you can launch a store quickly without technical help. BigCommerce is also no-code friendly but exposes more advanced settings out of the box, which can feel busier when you are just starting out.
Does BigCommerce really have no transaction fees?
Yes. BigCommerce does not charge additional transaction fees on top of your plan, no matter which payment gateway you use. Shopify charges an extra percentage per sale if you use a third-party processor instead of Shopify Payments, so your gateway choice affects the true cost.
Can I use Framer with Shopify or BigCommerce?
Yes. You can run a headless setup where Shopify or BigCommerce handles products, carts, and checkout while a custom Framer front end controls the design and customer experience. This gives you full creative freedom and fast page speeds while keeping a reliable commerce backend.
Which platform is cheaper overall?
It depends on your sales volume, payment processor, and how many apps you need. Shopify can look cheaper on the base plan but add up with apps and transaction fees, while BigCommerce includes more features natively and skips transaction fees but uses revenue-based tiers. Model your specific numbers before deciding.