Both BigCommerce and WooCommerce are popular e-commerce platforms that help businesses create and manage an online store. WooCommerce is a plugin used for creating an online store on your existing WordPress website. In contrast, BigCommerce is a stand-alone e-commerce platform that offers different pricing plans with other features and levels of support.
Both of these eCommerce platforms have their set of benefits and drawbacks. Which of these is more suitable depends on your business’s specific needs and goals. In this article, I have listed some advantages and key differences between BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce so you can make a more informed decision for your business.
BigCommerce Vs. WooCommerce
WooCommerce:
WooCommerce is an open-source, free-to-use, and easy-to-install WordPress plugin for building online stores on your domain. However, you must pay to use the more advanced features and add-ons.
BigCommerce:
BigCommerce is a paid, stand-alone eCommerce platform. However, it has many useful features for building and managing an online store.
Key Differences BigCommerce Vs. WooCommerce
| WooCommerce | BigCommerce |
| A WordPress plugin for building and managing eCommerce stores. | A stand-alone e-commerce platform for managing online stores. |
| Free to use except for the additional, more advanced features and add-ons. | This eCommerce website builder is proprietary, with different pricing plans and levels of support. |
| Self-hosted, meaning you can use it by simply installing it on your server | Cloud-based platforms that handle hosting for you |
| Offers different payment methods such as Stripe and Paypal. However, you need to install extensions to enable your preferred payment gateway. | Includes various payment methods, and you can avail of them without installing their extension. |
| It comes with basic SEO Features but requires installing a plugin to use more advanced SEO functionality. | Bigcommerce dashboard has advanced search engine optimization features in all its pricing plans, and you can use them without installing anything. |
| Houses a large community of developers who update and create extensions regularly. | Doesn’t have as big a community of users and developers as WooCommerce |
| Offers a wider range of design options, such as using WordPress themes or customizing one for your eCommerce store. If you want to use a premium WooCommerce theme, you will have to buy it. | A BigCommerce store has a range of design templates for you to choose from. BigCommerce themes are limited but quite easy to use. However, you will have to pay a little extra to use premium themes. |
| WooCommerce online stores are more susceptible to security threats since it is self-hosted and doesn’t receive regular security updates. | BigCommerce provides impeccable security for its online stores. Moreover, it offers security updates regularly. |
| You can access basic reporting and analytics by installing a plugin with more advanced functionality. | It provides advanced reporting and analytics in all pricing plans. |
| You can upload unlimited products and categories on your WooCommerce store. | Depending on your pricing plan, it offers a limited number of products and categories. |
| You can have unlimited customers and orders on a WooCommerce store. | Depending on your pricing plan, there’s a limit on the number of orders. |
| The E-commerce store on WooCommerce offers an unlimited number of staff accounts. | Depending on your pricing tier, you can only add a limited number of staff accounts. |
| It has an unlimited file storage capacity. | It has limited file storage capacity depending on the pricing plan. |
| It offers unlimited bandwidth. | Has a bandwidth limit based on the plan you purchased? |
| Offers an unlimited number of sales channels. | Has limited sales channels depending on your plan. |
| Offers unlimited coupons. | A limited number of coupons depending on the pricing plan. |
| You can add an unlimited number of product options. | Provides limited product options based on the pricing tier you chose. |
| You can have an unlimited number of product reviews on WooCommerce stores | There’s a limit to the number of reviews depending on the pricing plan. |
| It offers an unlimited number of abandoned cart recovery emails. | Depending on your plan, you can only send out a limited number of abandoned cart recovery emails. |
Advantages of WooCommerce
It’s Free
WooCommerce is an open-source WordPress plugin. It is a widely used content management system (CMS). You can easily install and start using WooCommerce on your domain. Also, there are several free themes to choose from.
Highly Customizable
You can customize and tailor your WooCommerce online store to fit your unique needs. In addition, you can add new functionality and eCommerce features to your store with hundreds of extensions and add-ons.
User-Friendly
WooCommerce is easy to install and use. You don’t need technical expertise to use it, especially for WordPress users. The interface is intuitive and allows you to easily manage your orders, products, and customers from the dashboard.
WooCommerce Payments Methods
It integrates different payment methods to facilitate all its users, including Paypal and Stripe.
Versatility
WooCommerce users You can sell any type of product, whether physical, digital, or services. There are WooCommerce themes that support subscriptions, bookings, and memberships, making it a versatile platform for businesses.
Customer Support
WooCommerce support has a committed team of developers who will help you resolve issues 24/7. In addition, you can get support in any language you prefer, making it an ideal CMS for users worldwide.
Shipping Options
WooCommerce features a robust shipping system with different shipping options. Also, it can calculate the shipping cost based on the product’s weight, location, and other factors.
Built-in Tools
It offers a wide range of built-in marketing tools for sending out marketing emails and coupons and other upselling options.
Highly Scalable
WooCommerce online stores can handle a large volume of orders and traffic, making it highly scalable for your business. In addition, it will take an increased number of customers seamlessly if you decide to grow your business.
Disadvantages of WooCommerce
Paid Advanced Features
Though WooCommerce is free to use, you must buy advanced eCommerce features, extensions, and add-ons to integrate certain elements into your store. If you want to use more features, there will be an additional cost to your budget.
Requires an Existing WordPress site
It would be best if you had WordPress websites to make an online store on WooCommerce. However, it would be best if you had a separate web hosting provider, which means more maintenance tasks to your workload and additional costs to your budget.
Not So User-Friendly
WooCommerce is not as easy to use as other eCommerce platforms, especially for those who are not tech-savvy or familiar with WordPress admin dashboards. So there’s a bit of a learning curve in it.
Missing Features
Even though there are several extensions and add-ons for WooCommerce, some features and options are still missing, particularly in specialized areas such as membership, services, or subscription-based businesses.
Self-Hosted
WooCommerce is a self-hosted eCommerce platform, meaning you are responsible for updating and maintaining your sites, such as backups and security patches.
It may not be As Scalable.
Though WooCommerce is scalable, it may not handle a large volume of traffic and orders, as well as other enterprise-level platforms.
Slow
WooCommerce may affect the performance and speed of your website as it is a more resource-intensive eCommerce platform than others.
Limited Marketing Features
WooCommerce may not have as many built-in promotional tools as some other platforms. So, unfortunately, it will need additional tools to achieve the same eCommerce functionality.
May Not Be Best for Certain Businesses
WooCommerce may not be as well-suited for certain types of businesses, such as those that require highly customized or specialized functionality.
Advantages of BigCommerce
Cloud-Based
BigCommerce is a cloud-based eCommerce platform. It is fully hosted and managed by the service providers. This takes the burden of maintenance and updates off of your shoulders.
BigCommerce Features
It offers a wide range of features and tools, such as marketing, SEO, and payment method integrations.
User-Friendly
It has a user-friendly interface makes it easy to set up and manage your online store, even if you don’t have technical expertise.
Scalable
BigCommerce has a scalable architecture that can handle high traffic and orders, making it a good option for growing businesses.
Customizable eCommerce Themes
It offers a variety of customizable templates and design options, allowing you to create a unique and professional-looking online store.
Third-Party Tools
It can integrate with various third-party tools and services, such as shipping and fulfillment providers, accounting software, and CRM systems.
Support
BigCommerce support has a large and active community of customer support staff and developers, providing a wealth of resources and support. In addition, it offers excellent customer support, including phone, live chat, and email support, to help you solve any issues you may encounter while setting up and managing an online store.
Security
It offers excellent security features such as an SSL certificate and secure web hosting that protect your customers’ personal and financial information.
Marketing Tools
This platform for online stores provides a range of marketing tools, including abandoned cart recovery and email marketing, to help you grow your eCommerce business.
Disadvantages of BigCommerce
Subscription-Based
BigCommerce is a subscription-based platform, meaning you will need to pay a monthly fee to keep using it. This may not be cost-effective for small or low-volume businesses.
Missing Features
While BigCommerce has many features and tools, it may not have as much flexibility or customization as other eCommerce platforms.
A General-Purpose Platform
If your business has some unique or highly specialized needs, BigCommerce may not have good features.
Slow
Some users have reported that the performance of their BigCommerce stores can be slower than other platforms when there are high traffic levels or large product catalogs.
Limited Design Templates
BigCommerce doesn’t offer a wide variety of design templates and customization options. As a result, it limits your ability to create a unique online store.
Cloud-Based
Since BigCommerce is a cloud-based platform, you don’t have as much control over your server environment, and you will be at the mercy of the provider’s uptime and performance.
Pricing
The pricing for certain features and tools on BigCommerce is quite high.
No Free Version
BigCommerce does not offer a free or self-hosted version. Instead, you have to pay a monthly subscription fee even if you are starting or have a low sales volume.
Confusing Checkout Process
Some users reported that the checkout process on BigCommerce can be slow or confusing, which leads to abandoned carts and lost sales.
WooCommerce Vs. BigCommerce Which One is Best for Your Business?
It’s difficult to say which platform is “better” for an e-commerce business, as it depends on its specific needs and goals.
Here are a few things to consider when deciding BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce :
Cost
WooCommerce is free to use, but you’ll need to pay for additional extensions and add-ons to add features to your store. BigCommerce offers a range of pricing plans with different features and levels of support.
Ease of Use
WooCommerce requires more technical skill to set up and customize, as it requires installing an eCommerce plugin on a WordPress website. On the other hand, BigCommerce is a stand-alone platform that is generally easier to use, with a range of design templates and built-in features.
Features
Both platforms offer a wide range of features, but BigCommerce includes more advanced functionality in its pricing plans, such as advanced SEO and reporting tools.
Hosting:
WooCommerce is self-hosted, which means you’ll need to find a hosting provider and handle the maintenance and security of your store. BigCommerce is a cloud-based platform that takes hosting for you.
Community and Support:
WooCommerce plugin has a large community of developers and users who contribute to the platform and create extensions, while BigCommerce has a smaller community. Both platforms offer support resources and documentation.
Ultimately, the best platform for your e-commerce business will depend on your specific needs and goals. It may be helpful to try out both Bigcommerce and WooCommerce and see which one works best for you.