Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise: ecommerce store comparison
As one of the most popular online tools for ecommerce, Shopify is a well-known and well-loved name for businesses worldwide. A fully hosted platform, Shopify Plus takes the standard Shopify formula to the next level, providing enterprise sellers with a powerful, integration-friendly tool that can be adapted to the business needs and goals of a growing online store.
In this guide, we compare Shopify Plus with BigCommerce Enterprise, another big name in the world of ecommerce. Click on one of the links below to jump to that section:
- Comparison overview
- Scalability
- Customisation
- Apps and extensions
- Store management
- Frequently asked questions
Comparison overview
Shopify Plus and BigCommerce Enterprise are both hosted SaaS platforms that don’t require as much coding and web development knowledge as alternative services such as Magento. This means that, as a business owner, you don't have to worry about maintaining the back-end of your website, and can instead focus on the front-facing elements such as design and providing great customer support.
Shopify Plus provides the integrations and productivity needed for firmly established enterprise-level merchants to scale up and continue growing. BigCommerce, on the other hand, is more suited to less complex business scenarios for medium-sized brands experiencing steady but modest growth.
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Shopify Plus |
BigCommerce Enterprise |
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Price |
Monthly pricing plan starting at $2,000USD, only becoming revenue-based once turnover hits $800,000USD per month. Capped at $40,000USD per month. |
Ranging from $1,000USD to $15,000USD per month, determined by sales numbers. |
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Hosting |
Fully hosted SaaS platform with no need for extra on-premise services. |
Fully hosted SaaS platform with no need for extra on-premise services. |
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Product Types |
Two product types. |
Up to seven product types. |
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Support |
24/7 support via email, phone and live chat, plus a detailed knowledge base. |
Priority support with a community board and 24/7 live chat. |
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Payment Processing |
Shopify Payments provides access to a wide range of payment options, including Apple Pay, PayPal and many more. |
Integrations with external payment providers plus over 60 payment options. |
Scalability
As SaaS platforms, both Shopify Plus and BigCommerce are ready to go straight away—though the time to migrate to either from a different platform may differ based on existing data and the complexity of your business.
Shopify Plus offers its merchants unlimited bandwidth, transactions and products, with trustworthy servers specifically built to manage the demands of the high-traffic, high-volume enterprise business. An ecommerce site on Shopify Plus can seamlessly manage sales and traffic spikes during flash sales such as Black Friday offers without a glitch.
In contrast, BigCommerce Enterprise provides more scalable features within their service but are less user-friendly with it. You may benefit from better scalability, but you won’t get the same kind of smooth and easy functionality available to Shopify Plus users. And while BigCommerce merchants can expect up to 28% annual growth, Shopify Plus users can claim up to five times more than that, at around 126% yearly growth.
Customisation
Customisation is a critical element of any enterprise store. It allows for the tailoring of the storefront to suit your branding and company requirements. Both BigCommerce Enterprise and Shopify Plus offer their merchants relatively accessible customisation options which enable brands to tailor the appearance of their storefront without having to write the code themselves.
To build a custom store with Shopify Plus, you will need to understand and use HTML, CSS and Shopify’s coding language liquid. Customising a store with BigCommerce Enterprise is similar. Shopify has a large selection of customisable themes, which make creating an on-brand storefront easy for even the least tech-savvy of merchants.
Shopify Scripts allows users to customise shopping carts for added functionality, and Plus account holders can even add logic to templates and one-tap checkouts for better conversion rates. The Shopify API enables even more complex customisations to be applied and is easily integrated.
BigCommerce Enterprise also has a theme store, though it's a little less comprehensive than what Shopify offers. You can opt to customise your brand storefront with HTML and CSS, allowing for easy tweaks and changes. While there are fewer integrations offered for automation, it's still possible to automate marketing through BigCommerce Enterprise.
Apps and extensions
Shopify Plus has an easy to use app marketplace which allows its merchants to pick, choose and test the best extensions and tools for their store. Warehouse management software, marketing tools, product labels and logistics integrations are all included on their long list of comprehensive tools.
BigCommerce Enterprise has an equally intuitive integrations and apps library, from marketplace tools to multichannel apps and accountancy services. However, the Shopify App Store is a much more extensive ecosystem than that offered by BigCommerce, and Shopify Plus merchants have access to the Plus Certified App Program of 45 high-quality apps.
Store management
Having an ecommerce platform that's as functional for staff as it is for customers is essential, especially for enterprise-level business.
For many brands, Shopify Plus is the more straightforward ecommerce solution to learn and understand. Compared to standard Shopify plans, Plus merchants can add extra staff accounts and set user permissions, automate a lot of the tedious day-to-day admin through Shopify Flow, and schedule discounts and campaigns with Shopify Launchpad. A whole raft of integrations serve to support omnichannel selling on social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram and more. Shopify Plus stores can trade almost anywhere, with the ability to sell in multiple countries and currencies through Shopify Payments.
BigCommerce Enterprise has also multi-store, multi-brand and multi-currency options for their merchants. Integrations provide effective ways to sell globally and omnichannel, though there are fewer options than Shopify offers. BigCommerce is particularly favoured by B2B and wholesale sites because of its range of native B2B features, such as tiered and dynamic pricing, and support with shipping rates for wholesalers. Shopify is catching up in this department though, as we discuss in our Shopify Plus for B2B guide.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Shopify Plus and Magento?
Shopify Plus is an all-around simplification of ecommerce, whereas Magento is more for developers with advanced coding knowledge. Shopify Plus is a winner if you want the ease of use, integrations, and practical day-to-day use. Read our full guide here.
How does Shopify Plus compare with other Shopify plans?
Plus is the most advanced Shopify plan and is the older sibling of Shopify basic, designed for businesses specifically on an enterprise level. This means different integrations, more advanced management and a greater possibility for scalability. Check out our Shopify comparison guide here.
