In the growing world of eCommerce, choosing the right platform can be overwhelming. You’ve probably heard of Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, and Magento. But there’s another major player you shouldn’t overlook—BigCommerce.
BigCommerce is often referred to as the “enterprise alternative” in the SaaS (Software as a Service) eCommerce world. It offers the flexibility of customization, the power of built-in features, and the stability of a hosted platform. If you’re a business owner, developer, or agency looking for a comprehensive eCommerce solution that can grow with you, BigCommerce might just be the one.
This guide is your complete walkthrough—from what BigCommerce is, to how it works, what makes it different, and how you can use it to build, manage, and scale your store.
1. What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is a fully hosted eCommerce platform, meaning everything you need to run your store—hosting, security, updates, and infrastructure—is provided as a package. It allows users to create online stores without needing to build everything from scratch or maintain technical infrastructure like you would with open-source platforms (e.g., WooCommerce or Magento).
Founded in 2009, BigCommerce has grown to support tens of thousands of businesses across 150+ countries. It caters to a wide range of merchants—from small startups to enterprise-level brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Skullcandy, and Sony.
At its core, BigCommerce balances two key things:
- Ease of use for beginners and marketers
- Powerful customization and backend flexibility for developers
It’s ideal for businesses that want a cloud-based solution without sacrificing advanced features or design control.
2. BigCommerce vs Other Platforms: Why Choose It?
Let’s quickly explore where BigCommerce fits in compared to other eCommerce platforms.
| Feature | BigCommerce | Shopify | WooCommerce | Magento (Adobe) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | SaaS (hosted) | SaaS (hosted) | Open-source (self-hosted) | Open-source / Enterprise |
| Customization | High (Open SaaS) | Medium (Liquid-based) | Very high (PHP/WordPress) | Very high |
| Hosting Included | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Built-in Features | Extensive | Good (apps required) | Core + plugins | Core + dev work |
| Headless Commerce | Yes | Limited | Possible (manual) | Yes |
| Multi-channel Selling | Native | Via apps | Plugins | Enterprise only |
| Best For | Scaling & enterprise | Simplicity & speed | Total control | Large dev-backed stores |
Why Choose BigCommerce:
- Fewer third-party apps needed (more built-in features)
- High performance and security
- Open architecture allows API-first development
- Best-in-class SEO features
- Enterprise-grade tools without enterprise bloat
3. Getting Started with BigCommerce
BigCommerce makes onboarding smooth—even for beginners. Here’s what you need to begin.
Step 1: Sign Up for a BigCommerce Trial
You can start with a 15-day free trial on their official website. No credit card required.
During signup, you’ll answer:
- Store name
- Product types (physical, digital, both)
- Business size (new, growing, established)
BigCommerce uses this info to tailor your dashboard and recommendations.
Step 2: Access Your Dashboard
Once logged in, you’ll see a clear, uncluttered admin dashboard. You’ll find tabs for:
- Orders
- Products
- Customers
- Storefront
- Marketing
- Analytics
- Channel Manager
- Settings
The interface is intuitive and modern—definitely beginner-friendly, but also packed with advanced options for those who want to go deeper.
Step 3: Add Your Products
Go to Products > Add, and fill in:
- Product name
- Description
- Price
- Images
- SKU and inventory level
- Variants (e.g., size, color)
- Shipping details
You can create product options, bundles, custom fields, and even subscriptions with compatible integrations.
4. Store Design and Themes
Your storefront is what customers see—so design matters. BigCommerce offers two ways to build and customize your store.
Free and Premium Themes
BigCommerce provides a theme marketplace with:
- 12+ free themes
- 100+ premium themes ($150–$300 range)
Themes are responsive and optimized for mobile and SEO. Popular free themes include Cornerstone (default), Roots, and Scales.
Theme Customization
Use the Store Design Tool to:
- Adjust colors, fonts, logos
- Rearrange homepage sections
- Edit headers and footers
- Control layout without writing code
For developers, BigCommerce uses the Stencil theme engine, allowing full code access and customization through HTML, CSS, and Handlebars.js templates.
5. Payment Gateways and Checkout
BigCommerce integrates with over 65 payment gateways across 230+ countries.
Popular Gateways:
- PayPal Powered by Braintree (built-in)
- Stripe
- Square
- Authorize.Net
- 2Checkout / Verifone
- Amazon Pay
- Apple Pay & Google Pay
- PayTabs (for Middle East)
- Adyen
- Klarna, Afterpay (Buy Now, Pay Later)
No Additional Transaction Fees
Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce does not charge additional fees for using third-party payment gateways. You only pay standard processing fees.
Optimized One-Page Checkout
The checkout experience is streamlined, secure, and fast. Developers can customize it using Checkout SDK or replace it entirely using headless APIs.
6. Shipping and Fulfillment
BigCommerce offers a robust shipping engine to manage logistics.
Shipping Features Include:
- Real-time rates from UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL
- Flat-rate, free shipping, zone-based shipping
- Label printing and tracking numbers
- In-store pickup support
Apps and Integrations:
- ShipStation
- ShipBob
- EasyShip
- AfterShip
- Ordoro
- Printful, Spocket (for dropshipping)
You can automate fulfillment based on shipping zones, weight, product types, or customer groups.
7. SEO and Marketing Features
BigCommerce has some of the best built-in SEO tools in the SaaS eCommerce space.
SEO Highlights:
- Editable URLs (no forced structure)
- Automatic 301 redirects
- Custom title tags and meta descriptions
- Robots.txt and sitemap control
- Canonical URLs
- Built-in schema markup (rich snippets)
Marketing Tools:
- Google Shopping feed
- Facebook, Instagram, TikTok integrations
- Abandoned cart saver (on Pro plan)
- Native coupon engine
- Customer groups and segmentation
- Email marketing apps (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Omnisend)
You can even integrate with CRMs, affiliate platforms, and loyalty programs.
8. Multi-Channel and Headless Commerce
BigCommerce is more than just a storefront.
Sell Across Multiple Channels:
- Facebook and Instagram Shops
- Google Shopping
- Amazon and eBay (via Channel Manager)
- Walmart Marketplace
- TikTok Shop
All orders, inventory, and customer data sync back to your BigCommerce backend.
Headless Commerce Support
BigCommerce offers an Open SaaS architecture, enabling developers to use:
- React, Next.js, Gatsby
- Contentful, WordPress, Prismic
- Any CMS, POS, or device
Use GraphQL and REST APIs to decouple your frontend and power fast, flexible experiences.
9. Analytics and Reporting
BigCommerce provides built-in, real-time analytics dashboards.
Reports Include:
- Sales by product, channel, or date
- Customer lifetime value
- Cart abandonment data
- Coupon performance
- Inventory reports
- Refund and return tracking
For more advanced insights, you can integrate with:
- Google Analytics
- Glew
- Looker Studio
- Segment or Power BI
10. Plans and Pricing
BigCommerce offers several pricing tiers:
| Plan | Monthly Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $39 | Startups and small stores |
| Plus | $105 | Growing businesses |
| Pro | $399+ | High-volume stores |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Complex or global businesses |
Each plan comes with unlimited products, bandwidth, and staff accounts. Prices scale based on your annual sales volume, not your features.
11. Pros and Cons of BigCommerce
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No transaction fees | Fewer free themes than competitors |
| More built-in features (less reliance on apps) | Theme customization has a learning curve |
| Excellent SEO and performance | Pricing scales with annual revenue |
| Headless-ready and developer-friendly | Less beginner-focused than Wix or Shopify |
| Great for multi-channel selling | App ecosystem smaller than Shopify’s |
| PCI-compliant and secure out of the box | Some advanced features only on higher-tier plans |
12. Who Is BigCommerce Best For?
- Growing brands needing scalability
- High-volume sellers wanting low total cost of ownership
- International sellers with complex shipping, tax, or multi-currency needs
- B2B businesses requiring customer groups, custom pricing, and quotes
- Developers and agencies building headless stores or integrating ERP systems
If you’re looking for more than a website, and want an actual eCommerce platform that can evolve as you grow—BigCommerce is worth serious consideration.
Final Thoughts
BigCommerce is not the flashiest platform—but it is one of the most balanced, scalable, and underappreciated options in the market. It quietly powers some of the world’s top-performing online stores without locking users into rigid templates, hidden fees, or excessive reliance on apps.
Whether you’re a solo founder starting your first shop or a global team scaling to multiple channels and regions, BigCommerce offers the power of an enterprise platform with the simplicity of a hosted solution.
It’s professional without being overwhelming, customizable without being fragile, and future-ready without needing you to start from scratch.
