Choosing the right eCommerce platform for your business is an important decision. There are a lot of options on the market today, each with its own unique set of features, pros, and cons. But two popular platforms worth considering are BigCommerce and WooCommerce.
eBook
BigCommerce vs. Shopify: Everything You Need to Know
In this BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce comparison, we'll go over everything you need to know about these two options, including their pricing, features, and scalability. If you are trying to decide which of these Shopify alternatives is the best choice for your eCommerce business, then you're in the right place!
Overview of BigCommerce and WooCommerce
Let's kick off our BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce comparison with a broad overview of each platform:
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a fully hosted eCommerce platform that's ready to go right out of the box. Known for its scalability and robustness, it offers a range of features that are ideal for businesses that want to build appealing and advanced online stores without having to invest in extensive technical resources.
Key Features and Benefits
- Built-in Hosting: Fully managed hosting ensures secure and reliable performance.
- Wide Range of Integrations: BigCommerce integrates with numerous popular tools and services, making it easier to streamline your workflow.
- Multi-Channel Selling: BigCommerce is an omnichannel platform that lets you sell on various marketplaces, including Facebook, Amazon, and eBay, from one central dashboard.
- Scalability: It’s designed to handle growing traffic and sales without needing technical adjustments.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a powerful plug-in that lets you add eCommerce capabilities to WordPress websites. The platform scores big points for its flexibility and customization options. It's a great choice for store owners who are already familiar with the WordPress platform and want full control over their online stores.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Full Control and Customization: As a WordPress plug-in, WooCommerce permits nearly unlimited customization. This makes it an excellent option for businesses that want to design unique eCommerce stores.
- Open-Source Nature: Developers have complete control over the code, allowing for advanced customization and integrations.
- Large Library of Extensions: Access a vast range of plug-ins and themes that enhance the platform’s functionality.
- SEO-Friendly: WordPress is known for being SEO-friendly, making WooCommerce a solid choice for organic traffic growth.
BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce Features
So, how do the two platforms’ features compare? While they have a lot of similarities, there are some key differences to keep in mind. Here's a comparison of BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce features to help you choose the platform that best aligns with your company's needs:
Ease of Use
BigCommerce is known for being user-friendly, and it's an ideal choice for non-technical users. The platform offers a straightforward setup process and an intuitive dashboard with drag-and-drop features. Almost anyone can easily design a professional-looking online store. On the other hand, WooCommerce requires a WordPress website. This can make it a little more complicated for anyone who's not already familiar with WordPress. The platform's broader range of customization options also tends to mean that it will have a bigger learning curve than BigCommerce.
Flexibility and Themes
BigCommerce offers a variety of themes, but they provide limited customization in comparison to WooCommerce. As an open-source platform, WooCommerce offers nearly unlimited flexibility when it comes to customizing your online store.
Pricing
BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce pricing is an important factor to consider when comparing the two platforms, but their pricing models differ in multiple ways. BigCommerce offers tiered pricing plans starting at $29 per month. WooCommerce is free, but you’ll need to pay for web hosting, a domain name, security, and any premium plug-ins that you want to install. This makes it a little tricky to compare BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce pricing; the cost of a WooCommerce store ultimately depends on a range of factors.
Scalability
BigCommerce and WooCommerce are both highly scalable. However, BigCommerce tends to be easier to scale because it's a fully hosted platform. Scaling a WooCommerce store may require additional resources (such as hosting upgrades and website optimization).
SEO and Marketing Tools
Few things will have a bigger impact on your store's success than its search rankings, so BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce SEO is important to consider. BigCommerce offers built-in SEO and marketing tools like URL customization, meta tags, and blogging. With WooCommerce, you don't immediately gain access to any such tools, but you have the option to use any SEO or marketing tool that integrates with WordPress.
Read our case study to learn how we used expert SEO techniques to help Cutter & Buck’s BigCommerce store attract more visitors and boost revenue by 49 percent.
Pros and Cons
BigCommerce Pros and Cons
Pros
- Fully hosted, reliable performance
- Built-in scalability for large businesses
- Extensive built-in features without add-ons
- No transaction fees on plans
Cons
- Limited customization compared to WooCommerce
- Higher initial costs for small businesses
- Fewer themes available
WooCommerce Pros and Cons
Pros
- Highly customizable with a wide range of plug-ins
- Lower starting costs (with free access to WooCommerce itself)
- Excellent community support and regular updates
- Seamless WordPress integration, ideal for content-driven websites
Cons
- Requires hosting and setup, adding complexity
- Requires technical skills for customization
- Additional costs for hosting, premium themes, and plug-ins
Which Platform Is Right for You?
There’s no clear answer to the question of which platform is best. The choice between BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce really depends on your company's priorities and needs. If you're looking to build a more complex eCommerce site with a unique design and sophisticated features, you'll probably be satisfied with WooCommerce. If you have limited technical expertise or just want to quickly and easily build an online store that’s both functional and professional, you're better off going with BigCommerce.
Of course, if you need help building a WooCommerce or BigCommerce store, eCommerce managed services like our eCommerce website design and development services are great options to consider!
Conclusion
For store owners looking for a top-notch eCommerce platform, BigCommerce and WooCommerce are both strong choices. Be sure to consider factors like BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce SEO, pricing, and features as you select the platform that's best for your business.
Ready to start designing your online store? Contact Groove Commerce today for a consultation, or set up a free website performance audit! To learn more about how BigCommerce stacks up to other platforms, check out our BigCommerce vs. Shopify eBook.
