BigCommerce and Shopify are popularly known eCommerce giants, and they enable you to sell digital or physical products online. They are both operated in the web browser. Meaning, you don’t have to install any software on your desktop or laptop, and you can run your business from anywhere (you only need to have an active Internet connection).
Both tools are developed with two things in mind, as they can be used to create an online store without designing or writing any line of code. Choose a template from the option provided, upload your products, put prices and, you can at least get started. However, some differences exist between the two website builders, and some are discussed below.
Enterprise Plans
When comparing the choices between what BigCommerce offers and what your Shopify plan offers, keep in mind that price considerations go beyond the basic packages seen on Shopify and BigCommerce sites.
Suppose you run a larger business and make many transactions using PayPal or some other payment portal. In that case, you may need to contact the Shopify app or the BigCommerce team for information on their enterprise plans.
BigCommerce Enterprise owns BigCommerce Enterprise, and Shopify offers Shopify Plus. These tools are just enterprise versions of the tools that can be gotten from Shopify and BigCommerce. But if you upgrade to the enterprise version, you will get additional features such as:
- Enhanced server uptime
- Dedicated IP addresses and SSL certificates
- Advanced API support
- Advanced security features
Typically, enterprise accounts also offer more customer service and onboard support. However, you need to contact the team to get a quote for personalized service. The choice between Shopify and BigCommerce for an enterprise plan will start with a conversation with each company’s sales team.
- BigCommerce Enterprise offers a free trial period of 15 days, and also
- Zero transaction fees
- 24/7 customer support
- Responsive and customized themes
- Integrated tools and applications for growth
- Multi-channel sales
Shopify Plus is an economical, fast-growing platform. Companies like Lindt, Heinz, and many others are already using this service. Features include everything from 3D product pages to fully customizable payment pages.
Also, you can have:
- Stronger security access
- Unlock automated customization strategies
- Accelerate your payment performance
- Get personalized customer service from the Shopify team
- Create local experiences for global customers
- Prevent transaction fees with Shopify Payments
Design
Shopify tops the list of the best web templates with over 100 responsive mobile themes. This includes around eight free internal options; The rest is managed by third-party developers and might need to spend $140 and $180. The themes in Shopify are professional, elegant, and have easy navigation. And if you are not satisfied with the theme, you can use the Shopify code to create your theme through HTML, CSS, and Shopify’s language (Liquid).
As regards design, there is not much space between the two platforms when comparing Shopify and BigCommerce. At BigCommerce, you get about 150 themes, known as Stencil themes, along with about 500 variations or complete styles. You can select from 12 themes or 36 freestyles or buy a theme from 150 to 300 USD. All BigCommerce themes are responsive for mobile devices. Stencil themes can be easily edited without writing any code, although you can still write some code if you wish.
Customer Service & Support
Both charts provide a lot of help in the form of support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by phone, email, and live chat, which is more than what most eCommerce solutions can boast of. In short, most users seem to be satisfied with the platform they have chosen. Again, the free trial is a great opportunity to test the company’s responsiveness and support resources.
Both platforms have a large library of published materials to offer different help. BigCommerce features a help forum, resource center, and a knowledge base. Shopify resources include a forum, a blog, and a knowledge base. Although each platform has received its share of awards — and complaints — about customer support options’ level and usefulness, they all have more positive than negative comments.
Cloud-Based Hosting & Compliance
BigCommerce uses the Google Cloud Platform, so there is no need for an external server. Cloud-based hosting provides top-notch security, exceptional bandwidth, and extremely fast speed.
The average connection time is less than ten milliseconds — which means quicker page load times, better conversions, and an improved user experience.
With an average uptime of 99.99%, BigCommerce is compatible with PCI level 1 with no hosting cost. Protect and monitor your servers to keep your business up to date. Additionally, display your products and storefronts in any language, from left to right, with native language support from BigCommerce. This includes languages with complex sets of multiple characters. The translation is also available through third-party translation services and APIs. You can also use the translation through third-party apps and APIs.
Also, Shopify uses Google Cloud Platform so that you wouldn’t need a server too. Unlimited bandwidth means you will never be bothered by the number of visitors or traffic in your store. Like BigCommerce, Shopify is PCI tier 1, which means every Shopify eCommerce offers a legal, seamless shopping experience and customer data security.
Customization and Themes
Have a quick setup of your online store; keep your site unique by personalizing your site and the checkout experience. The theme customization options offered by BigCommerce for medium and large companies are a good way to start.
Customizing themes for brands through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and develop proven basic themes such as Cornerstones. Also, we appreciate how BigCommerce utilizes Akamai Image Manager to optimize images for various browsers and devices. On the other hand, small companies can take advantage of free, premium, and fully responsive templates. BigCommerce’s intuitive storefront editor allows you to change your website’s look without the need for coding.
Another important benefit of BigCommerce is that you can test your site locally before it is published. Gone are the days when publishing a website without being sure of how it looks.
In The End…
Shopify features 24 free and 149 premium website themes ranging from $100 to $180. Customize themes and showcase your brand by editing these templates with HTML and CSS access or using a Shopify expert.
While Shopify offers more website themes overall than BigCommerce, the number of website themes available is not an essential part of choosing an eCommerce platform.
Upstack — globally distributed network of top business, and tech talent, ready to take your most important initiatives. Hire top shopify developers today!
Originally published at upstack.co on May 6, 2021, by Emmanuel Ighosewe.
