# BigCommerce vs Shopify (2026)

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified September 14, 2026.

> **Verdict:** Choose BigCommerce if you want headless commerce APIs, multi-currency checkout, and payment-processor choice bundled into every tier instead of sold as paid apps. Choose Shopify if you want the larger app ecosystem (21,000+ apps) and built-in point-of-sale for selling in person, not just online. The deciding factor is payment-processor lock-in: BigCommerce waives its platform fee entirely when you use an approved payment partner, while Shopify charges an extra transaction fee on every plan for using a processor other than Shopify Payments.

**Choose BigCommerce if:** You want headless commerce APIs, multi-currency support, and single-page checkout included at every tier instead of paid apps; You want the freedom to use your own payment processor without an extra platform fee, by choosing an approved partner; You want a 15-day free trial with no credit card required to evaluate the platform; You're comfortable with plans capped by trailing-twelve-month sales volume that auto-upgrade as your store grows; You need built-in multichannel listing management (Feedonomics) across Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Google, Meta, and TikTok

**Choose Shopify if:** You want the largest app and theme ecosystem (21,000+ apps) for extending your store without custom development; You need in-person point-of-sale selling alongside your online store; You want native iOS and Android apps for managing your store, not just a web dashboard; You want flat, feature-based pricing tiers instead of tiers capped by sales volume; You're a solo entrepreneur who wants the fastest path to launching a first store

## At a glance

|  | BigCommerce | Shopify |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing | From $29/mo | From $39/mo |
| License | Paid | Paid |
| Best for | mid-market and enterprise merchants who want headless API access and payment-processor choice built into every tier instead of paying per-app to unlock them | solo entrepreneurs and growing merchants who want an all-in-one hosted platform for building an online store, accepting payments, and selling across multiple channels without managing their own hosting |
| Ratings | Capterra 4.4/5 (340 reviews) | Capterra 4.5/5 (6,707 reviews) |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | BigCommerce | Shopify |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starting price | Yes (from $29/mo (Core, billed annually)) | Yes (from $29/mo (Basic, billed annually)) |
| Free tier | No (15-day free trial, no credit card required) | No (3-day trial, then $1/mo for 3 months) |
| Platforms | No (web only) | Yes (web, iOS, Android) |
| Hosting / license | No (closed-source, proprietary, cloud-only) | No (closed-source, proprietary, cloud-only) |
| Pricing model | Partial (tiers capped by trailing-twelve-month sales, auto-upgrade above the cap) | Yes (flat feature-based tiers, no GMV cap in the data) |
| Headless commerce API | Yes (included at every tier) | Unknown |
| Payment-processor choice without extra fee | Yes (platform fee waived with an approved payment partner) | No (extra transaction fee for non-Shopify Payments processors on every plan) |
| Multi-currency checkout | Yes (included at every tier) | Unknown |
| Third-party app ecosystem | Partial (smaller marketplace than Shopify's, per BigCommerce's own listed weakness) | Yes (21,000+ apps) |
| Multichannel selling | Yes (via Feedonomics (Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Google, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest)) | Yes (social platforms, marketplaces, and in-person POS) |
| In-person point of sale | Unknown | Yes (up to 200 POS locations on Plus) |
| Mid tier price | Yes ($299/mo (Scale, billed annually)) | Yes ($299/mo (Advanced, billed annually)) |
| Top-listed enterprise tier | Yes (around $1,499/mo (Performance)) | Yes (from $2,300/mo (Plus)) |
| External rating (Capterra) | Yes (4.4/5 from 340 reviews) | Yes (4.5/5 from 6,707 reviews) |
| Long-term contract required | No (month-to-month on Core, Growth, and Scale) | Unknown |

## BigCommerce vs Shopify pricing: which costs less?

At the entry tier they're priced the same, both $29/month billed annually, so the real cost difference comes from payment-processor fees rather than the base subscription.

BigCommerce Core, Shopify Basic, BigCommerce Scale, and Shopify Advanced all land at matching price points ($29/$39 and $299/$399 monthly-vs-annual). The gap opens on payment processing: BigCommerce waives its platform fee entirely on an approved payment partner and caps the unapproved-processor fee at 0.6%-2.0% of GMV depending on tier, while Shopify adds an extra transaction fee on every plan for any processor other than Shopify Payments, with no waiver option shown in the data.

## Which is easier to use, BigCommerce or Shopify?

Both carry the same moderate learning-curve rating in the underlying data, so neither is clearly easier to use out of the box.

## Which has more apps and integrations, BigCommerce or Shopify?

Shopify has the larger ecosystem, with more than 21,000 apps versus BigCommerce's third-party marketplace, which BigCommerce's own listed weakness describes as smaller.

## Can BigCommerce replace Shopify?

Yes, for mid-market and enterprise merchants who want headless APIs and payment-processor flexibility built into the base price, but Shopify's larger app ecosystem and native POS won't be matched.

BigCommerce covers the core need of running a hosted store with checkout, multi-currency support, and multichannel listings via Feedonomics, all at flat inclusion rather than paid add-ons. Merchants who specifically rely on Shopify's 21,000+ app marketplace, its Shop Pay checkout, or in-person point-of-sale across up to 200 locations on Plus will not find equivalents described in BigCommerce's feature set.

## Strengths and weaknesses

### BigCommerce

- Pro: Headless commerce APIs, multi-currency support, and single-page checkout are included at every tier rather than sold as separate apps.
- Pro: Payment-processor choice avoids the extra fee Shopify charges for using a non-Shopify Payments processor.
- Pro: Built-in Feedonomics integration pushes listings to Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Google, Meta, and TikTok from one dashboard.
- Pro: No long-term contract required on Core, Growth, or Scale; cancel month-to-month.
- Con: GMV-based tier ceilings force automatic upgrades as sales grow, regardless of how many features a merchant actually needs.
- Con: Scale plan adds a 0.9% overage fee on GMV above $33,333/month even for merchants who stay on approved payment partners.
- Con: Smaller third-party app and theme ecosystem than Shopify's marketplace.
- Con: Performance-tier custom pricing requires a sales conversation rather than transparent self-service checkout.

### Shopify

- Pro: Quick to launch an online store without managing hosting or server infrastructure.
- Pro: Reliable, high-converting built-in checkout (Shop Pay) and payment processing.
- Pro: Large app ecosystem (21,000+ apps) for extending functionality without custom development.
- Pro: Multichannel selling built in across social platforms, marketplaces, and in-person POS.
- Con: Third-party apps and premium themes add up quickly beyond the base subscription price.
- Con: Non-Shopify Payments processors incur extra transaction fees on every plan.
- Con: Customizing beyond templates requires learning Shopify's proprietary Liquid templating language.
- Con: Plus tier jumps to $2,300+/month, a large gap from Advanced's $399/month.

## Which fits your use case?

| Use case | Pick | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mid-market merchant who wants headless commerce APIs without paying extra for them | BigCommerce | BigCommerce includes headless APIs, multi-currency, and single-page checkout at every tier; Shopify's data doesn't list these as included. |
| Merchant who wants the largest app ecosystem for customization | Shopify | Shopify's 21,000+ app marketplace is larger than BigCommerce's, which BigCommerce itself lists as a weakness. |
| Retailer selling both online and in a physical store | Shopify | Shopify includes in-person POS for up to 200 locations on Plus; BigCommerce's data shows no equivalent POS feature. |
| Merchant who wants to avoid payment-processor lock-in fees | BigCommerce | BigCommerce waives its platform fee entirely with an approved payment partner, while Shopify charges extra for any non-Shopify Payments processor on every plan. |
| Fast-growing store that wants flat pricing tiers instead of sales-volume caps | Shopify | Shopify's tiers are feature-based with no GMV cap in the data, while BigCommerce's plans auto-upgrade once trailing-twelve-month sales cross a threshold. |
| Solo entrepreneur launching a first store who wants mobile app management | Shopify | Shopify ships iOS and Android apps; BigCommerce is web only. |

## Migration FAQ

### Should I use BigCommerce or Shopify?

Use BigCommerce if you want headless APIs and payment-processor flexibility built into the base price; use Shopify if you want the larger app ecosystem and built-in point-of-sale.

### Is BigCommerce cheaper than Shopify?

Not at the entry tier — both start at $29/month billed annually — but BigCommerce can end up cheaper overall because it waives its platform fee with an approved payment partner while Shopify charges extra for non-Shopify Payments processors.

### Can BigCommerce replace Shopify?

Yes for mid-market and enterprise merchants who want headless APIs and payment flexibility, but Shopify's larger app ecosystem and native point-of-sale won't be matched.

### Does either platform have a free plan?

No — neither BigCommerce nor Shopify offers a permanently free plan; BigCommerce gives a 15-day trial with no credit card, and Shopify gives a 3-day trial followed by $1/month for 3 months.

### Which has more sales channels, BigCommerce or Shopify?

Both support multichannel selling, but through different mechanisms: BigCommerce routes listings to marketplaces via its Feedonomics integration, while Shopify bundles social, marketplace, and in-person POS selling directly into the platform.

## Neither a match?

- 6 alternatives to BigCommerce: https://findalternative.to/bigcommerce
- 5 alternatives to Shopify: https://findalternative.to/shopify

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