Head-to-head comparison

WooCommerce vs BigCommerce

Comparing WooCommerce and BigCommerce to help you pick the right E-commerce Platforms for your needs.

Feature WooCommerce BigCommerce
Pricing Free Paid
Platforms Web Web
Launched 2011 2009
Starting price $0 $29/month
Community votes 341 198

WooCommerce Pros & Cons

  • The plugin itself is free, with no mandatory monthly platform fee like Shopify
  • Full control over hosting, customization, and data since it runs on your own WordPress site
  • Massive plugin and theme ecosystem inherited from WordPress generally
  • No vendor lock-in — you own your store's code and database outright
  • Requires separately managing WordPress hosting, security updates, and backups
  • Total cost (hosting, premium extensions, a developer if needed) can rival or exceed Shopify for non-technical users
  • More setup and maintenance responsibility than a fully hosted platform
  • Performance and security depend heavily on your hosting choice and plugin management

BigCommerce Pros & Cons

  • No mandatory transaction fees regardless of which payment gateway you use, unlike Shopify's surcharge for third-party gateways
  • Strong built-in B2B features (customer-specific pricing, bulk ordering) without needing extra apps
  • Solid multi-channel selling (Amazon, eBay, social) built into core plans
  • Annual sales thresholds on lower plans force upgrades, which is worth knowing upfront
  • Smaller app ecosystem than Shopify, so some features need custom development
  • Plans have annual online sales caps that trigger automatic upgrades to higher tiers
  • Theme selection is smaller and less polished than Shopify's marketplace
  • Steeper learning curve for store design customization than Shopify

Verdict: WooCommerce vs BigCommerce

WooCommerce and BigCommerce both serve the E-commerce Platforms category well, but suit different priorities. WooCommerce is the more budget-friendly option, Based on community engagement, WooCommerce is currently the more widely adopted choice (341 votes), but the better fit ultimately depends on your specific pricing, platform, and feature requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, WooCommerce or BigCommerce?
WooCommerce is the more affordable option overall — it's offered as free, while BigCommerce is paid. Check each tool's current pricing plans for exact figures, since promotional rates and annual discounts can shift the comparison.
Is WooCommerce or BigCommerce rated higher?
WooCommerce and BigCommerce currently hold comparable editorial ratings, so neither has a clear edge — the right pick depends more on which specific features and pricing fit your use case.
Which platforms do WooCommerce and BigCommerce support?
WooCommerce is available on Web. BigCommerce is available on Web. Both tools cover a similar range of platforms.
Can I switch from WooCommerce to BigCommerce (or vice versa)?
Most e-commerce platforms tools, including WooCommerce and BigCommerce, support data export in standard formats, making migration possible though rarely fully automatic. Expect to manually verify that custom configurations, integrations, and historical data transfer correctly, and budget time for the team to adjust to workflow differences between the two products.
Should I choose WooCommerce or BigCommerce?
WooCommerce and BigCommerce both serve the E-commerce Platforms category well, but suit different priorities. WooCommerce is the more budget-friendly option, Based on community engagement, WooCommerce is currently the more widely adopted choice (341 votes), but the better fit ultimately depends on your specific pricing, platform, and feature requirements.