WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce: Which One Is Better?

Choosing the right eCommerce platform is one of the most critical decisions for your online store. Your platform will determine your business’s flexibility, scalability and overall success in the long run.

Whether you’re launching a new store or migrating from an existing platform, you want to pick a solution that fits your business requirements, budget and future growth plans.

Many eCommerce solutions are on the market today, but two of the most popular contenders are WooCommerce and BigCommerce.

Each platform offers unique advantages depending on what you’re looking for in an eCommerce platform. WooCommerce excels in flexibility and customization. BigCommerce, on the other hand, provides an all-in-one, hassle-free platform that simplifies the process for a streamlined experience.

This comparison of WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce will break down their key features, pricing, ease of use, scalability and more. It’ll help you find the best fit for your business.

Let’s dive into it.

Introduction to eCommerce platforms

Choosing the right eCommerce platform is important for building a successful business website. eCommerce platforms like WooCommerce and BigCommerce offer extensive features for different business needs.

Both BigCommerce and WooCommerce are considered among the most popular eCommerce platforms today. Each provides essential tools, including payment gateways, SEO optimization and marketing features.

WooCommerce, a WordPress plugin, integrates seamlessly with your existing website, offering flexibility through custom pricing and free themes. Small businesses often prefer WooCommerce for its adaptability and ability to customize WooCommerce themes.

In contrast, BigCommerce is an all-in-one platform that simplifies the process with drag-and-drop design and built-in features. With BigCommerce, businesses benefit from core software that includes live chat support and eliminates transaction fees.

When switching platforms, WooCommerce is ideal for those familiar with WordPress websites, offering greater control. BigCommerce is better for businesses wanting a hassle-free experience with everything managed.

Comparing both platforms is essential to choosing the best eCommerce platform for your unique requirements.

BigCommerce provides a straightforward solution, while WooCommerce offers customization with advanced plugins and SEO optimization.

For businesses focused on scaling, both BigCommerce and WooCommerce are excellent choices. The right platform should provide flexibility, extensive features and support for payment gateways and marketing tools.

Now, let’s learn more about BigCommerce and WooCommerce to help you make an informed decision.

What is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is a free, open-source eCommerce platform designed as a plugin for WordPress. Launched in 2011, it is now a top eCommerce platform. Its popularity comes from its flexibility, customization and WordPress integration.

Unlike SaaS-based platforms like BigCommerce, WooCommerce gives you complete control over your website, allowing you to tweak every element according to your needs.

One of the key reasons businesses choose WooCommerce is its deep integration with WordPress, the world’s famous and most popular content management system (CMS) to date. If you already have a WordPress site, adding WooCommerce transforms it into a fully functioning online store without starting from scratch.

This is especially useful for businesses that want to retain their existing WordPress content and add eCommerce functionality to their website.

With WooCommerce, you can customize nearly every part of your store. From product pages to checkout flows and shipping options, you have complete control over how your store functions and appears.

The platform has thousands of free and premium plugins. They expand your store with features like advanced inventory management, marketing tools and payment gateway integrations.

WooCommerce also benefits from the enormous selection of WordPress themes. You can choose from hundreds of WooCommerce-compatible themes, many of which are mobile-responsive and optimized for speed and SEO.

Whether running a small business or a large enterprise, WooCommerce provides the tools to build a customizable store that meets your unique needs.

Related: Top WooCommerce website trends to watch in 2024

What is BigCommerce?

BigCommerce is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that offers a complete, all-in-one solution for managing and creating an eCommerce store.

Unlike WooCommerce, which requires you to manage hosting, security and backups, BigCommerce takes care of all the technical aspects for you.

This includes hosting, SSL certificates, security updates and PCI compliance. This makes it an attractive option for business owners who want a more hands-off approach.

Founded in 2009, BigCommerce has quickly become a leading eCommerce platform thanks to its simplicity and robust feature set.

The platform is fully hosted, meaning you don’t need to worry about selecting a hosting provider or managing technical details. A significant advantage of BigCommerce is its many built-in features. You don’t need to rely on third-party plugins or apps.

From the start, BigCommerce has provided complete tools for product management, payment gateways, shipping and marketing. The platform also supports multichannel selling, allowing you to directly sell across platforms like Amazon, eBay and Facebook from your BigCommerce store.

BigCommerce handles all the backend operations. So, it appeals to businesses that want to run their store without worrying about technical details.

BigCommerce users enjoy an intuitive, user-friendly interface with powerful tools that are easy to navigate. This makes it ideal for beginners or businesses lacking the resources to manage a complex, self-hosted platform like WooCommerce.

However, this simplicity comes at the cost of flexibility. While BigCommerce offers plenty of customization options, they are more limited than what you’ll find with WooCommerce.

You can choose from various templates and make some tweaks. But, the platform doesn’t allow for the same customization as a WordPress site with WooCommerce.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Key differences

Choosing between WooCommerce and BigCommerce largely depends on your business needs, technical skillset and the level of customization you want for your store.

Here’s a closer look at some of the most significant differences between these two platforms.

Ease of setup

If you’re looking for flexibility and control, WooCommerce is the best option.

Setting up a WooCommerce store may require a bit more effort, particularly if you’re new to WordPress, as the benefits far outweigh the initial work.

To get started, you’ll need to install WordPress on a hosting provider like Bluehost and then add the WooCommerce plugin.

From there, you can choose from a vast range of WooCommerce themes to customize your store’s design, ensuring it aligns perfectly with your brand. You’ll also be able to install essential plugins and tailor your settings to meet specific business needs.

Though the setup involves more steps, the advantage is clear—WooCommerce offers unparalleled control over your store’s functionality and appearance.

You can manage every aspect of your WooCommerce store, from themes to plugins, and ensure your store evolves as your business grows.

Related: How to add and setup WooCommerce on WordPress

Cost

When comparing costs, WooCommerce and BigCommerce take different approaches.

WooCommerce is technically free, but you’ll need to account for the additional costs of web hosting, premium themes, plugins and security measures.

Over time, these costs can add up, especially if you opt for premium features.

WooCommerce’s flexibility lets you tailor spending to your needs, whether keeping it minimal or adding advanced features.

BigCommerce, on the other hand, operates on a subscription model with tiered pricing plans. These plans include everything you need to run your store, from hosting to SSL certificates and payment gateways.

The benefit of this approach is that your costs are predictable and straightforward. There are no hidden fees, but higher pricing tiers offer more advanced features, so you may need to upgrade as your business grows.

Marketing features

Both eCommerce platforms, BigCommerce and WooCommerce, offer robust marketing features that help businesses grow.

BigCommerce provides built-in tools for SEO optimization, email marketing and social media integration. This makes it ideal for small businesses needing an all-in-one platform with minimal reliance on extra tools.

WooCommerce, operating as a WordPress plugin, offers more flexibility. You can choose specific plugins for SEO optimization, email campaigns and customer loyalty programs, allowing deeper customization.

One standout plugin is Yoast SEO, which helps optimize your product pages, blog content and overall site structure for search engines. With Yoast, you can easily manage meta descriptions, keywords, and readability, making WooCommerce an excellent choice for businesses that want to improve their SEO performance.

This is why WooCommerce is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms for businesses needing more control over marketing.

Both platforms support customer segmentation and retargeting, but WooCommerce allows more customization with its wide range of WordPress plugins. BigCommerce offers more straightforward, built-in tools for businesses wanting fewer complications.

Flexibility and customization

One of the most significant differences between WooCommerce and BigCommerce is the flexibility each platform offers.

With WooCommerce, the sky’s the limit when it comes to customization. You can select from various WordPress eCommerce plugins to add functionality, from advanced shipping options to marketing automation tools.

WooCommerce lets you create a custom checkout flow and integrate it with external systems like CRM or ERP, making your store uniquely yours.

BigCommerce, while offering some degree of customization, is more limited. The platform provides built-in tools for product management, shipping and marketing but limits control over design and functionality.

If you’re looking for a more plug-and-play solution with minimal customization requirements, BigCommerce may be the better choice. However, if you need the flexibility to build a completely customized store, WooCommerce is the clear winner.

Scalability

Both WooCommerce and BigCommerce are highly scalable, but they handle growth differently.

With WooCommerce, scalability largely depends on your hosting provider. By choosing a reliable provider, you can ensure your store can handle increased traffic and more extensive inventories as your business grows.

You’ll have complete control over performance optimization, allowing you to scale your store according to your needs.

BigCommerce automatically scales as your business grows. The platform adjusts its infrastructure to meet your store’s demands, so you don’t need to worry about managing performance or making technical adjustments.

This makes it a more seamless option for businesses that don’t want to deal with the technical aspects of scaling.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Which is more accessible?

Regarding accessibility, BigCommerce offers a more straightforward, all-in-one approach, particularly for those looking to get started quickly.

It provides a drag-and-drop interface, managing basic eCommerce tasks like product listings and orders without needing technical skills. However, this simplicity comes at the cost of flexibility and customization.

Although WooCommerce may require a learning curve, it shines for those who want more control and customization over their store. WooCommerce’s vast ecosystem of extensions and plugins will benefit WordPress users. They can add more features tailored to specific needs, like SEO, product management and marketing.

The platform is perfect for businesses that want to build a highly personalized store that grows with them.

Choosing a hosting provider like Bluehost simplifies WooCommerce’s setup process significantly. Bluehost’s WooCommerce hosting is optimized for performance and security, offering seamless WordPress integration and access to expert support.

With Bluehost, you can focus on building your store while they handle technical aspects like speed, backups and updates. Additionally, the WooCommerce support forum has a vast community for troubleshooting. This makes WooCommerce a top choice for businesses seeking flexibility and reliable support.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Which is more affordable?

When comparing the costs of WooCommerce and BigCommerce, it’s essential to break down the initial and long-term expenses.

Each platform has a different pricing approach, with costs depending on the features, store size and flexibility you need.

WooCommerce costs

WooCommerce is a free, open-source platform, meaning there are no licensing fees to use the platform.

While the WooCommerce plugin is free, running an entire eCommerce store requires extra costs for hosting, SSL certificates, themes and plugins.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the typical costs you’ll encounter when using WooCommerce:

• Web hosting: For WooCommerce, you must pay for a hosting partner to run your store. Basic WooCommerce hosting starts at $5 to $10 per month but can rise to $20 to $50 or more as your store grows and needs additional resources. You’ll need to buy hosting first, either on WordPress or a hosting provider like Bluehost, where you can then download the WooCommerce plugin. While WooCommerce provides a free plan, premium features such as advanced plugins, themes and additional functionality come at a cost.
• Domain name: A domain name is required to run your online store, and domain prices typically range from $10 to $20 per year. While this isn’t a significant expense, it’s something to consider when considering the overall cost.
• SSL certificate: Security is critical for any eCommerce store, and having an SSL certificate is essential to encrypt transactions and protect customer data. Some hosting providers offer free SSL certificates. For a more advanced certificate, expect to pay $10 to $100 per year.
• Premium themes: While WooCommerce provides free themes, many businesses opt for themes to provide a better user experience and more customization freedom. Prices for a premium WooCommerce theme may typically range from $30 to $100, depending on the design and features offered.
• Plugins and extensions: While WooCommerce provides a wide range of free plugins, many advanced features require premium extensions. For example, you might need to pay for payment gateways, advanced shipping options or marketing tools. Premium WooCommerce plugins can range from $50 to $300 or more annually, depending on the functionality you need.
• Developer costs (Optional): If you want to customize your store heavily or need advanced functionality, hiring a WooCommerce developer may be necessary. Developer costs can vary widely, with rates ranging from $20 to $150 per hour, depending on the complexity of the work and the developer’s expertise.

Running a WooCommerce store may cost around $500 to $1,500 annually for a small to medium-sized store, depending on the hosting, plugins and themes you select.

Larger, more complex stores will see higher costs due to increased hosting needs and premium features.

If you choose Bluehost for hosting, you’ll get everything set up at an affordable cost with no hidden fees. It’s perfect for beginners as it offers an easy start. Plus, you’ll receive full support from Bluehost, along with pre-installed WordPress, WooCommerce and an AI-powered website builder to help you create your website effortlessly. 

BigCommerce costs

BigCommerce offers an all-in-one pricing model, with a more predictable monthly subscription fee that includes hosting, security and many other built-in features.

A BigCommerce store appeals to businesses seeking simple pricing without extra costs for hosting and security.

BigCommerce pricing tiers are as follows:

• Standard plan: The Standard plan, at $39 per month, includes hosting, SSL, and essential eCommerce features like unlimited products, bandwidth and storage. This plan suits small businesses looking for a simple, ready-to-go platform.
• Plus plan: The plus plan costs $105 monthly and adds features like abandoned cart recovery, advanced customer segmentation and stored credit cards for quicker checkouts. It’s ideal for businesses that want more tools to increase sales and customer retention.
• Pro plan: At $399 per month, the Pro plan includes Google customer reviews and custom SSL. It supports up to $400,000 in annual sales. It’s designed for larger businesses or those that expect rapid growth.
• Enterprise plan: BigCommerce offers a custom-priced Enterprise plan for high-volume businesses with advanced features like priority support, custom reporting and enhanced security. The price for this plan is tailored to each company, typically starting at around $1,500 per month or more, depending on the size of the store and the required features.

Unlike WooCommerce, BigCommerce includes most essential eCommerce features within these pricing tiers, so you won’t need to purchase as many third-party apps or services.

Additionally, BigCommerce pricing doesn’t include transaction fees, which is a significant benefit compared to other platforms. However, you’ll still need to account for payment processing fees (usually around 2.2% to 2.9% per transaction, depending on the payment provider).

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Which delivers faster performance?

The speed and performance of your eCommerce website are critical to your store’s success.

Slow loading times increase bounce rates and lost sales, while fast websites improve user experience and boost search rankings.

With WooCommerce, your store’s performance largely depends on the hosting provider. By choosing a high-quality host like Bluehost, including cloud hosting options, you can ensure that your store runs smoothly, even during peak traffic times.

Cloud hosting helps maintain consistent performance by distributing resources across multiple servers, ensuring your store stays fast and reliable under heavy demand.

Bluehost’s WooCommerce hosting is specifically optimized for WooCommerce, offering features like caching, CDN integration and automated backups to improve your store’s performance.

In contrast, BigCommerce handles all of your performance aspects. As a fully hosted platform, it handles load times and server performance, ensuring smooth store operation without technical adjustments.

However, because BigCommerce uses a shared hosting model, you may experience slower load times during peak traffic than a WooCommerce store hosted on a dedicated server.

Some statistics to look at when comparing BigCommerce vs WooCommerce in terms of speed:

• WooCommerce load times depend heavily on the hosting provider. On optimized platforms like Bluehost, WooCommerce can load in 1.9 seconds, but it can average around 4.3 seconds without proper setup.
• BigCommerce, as a fully hosted platform, manages performance for you with an average load time of 2.2 seconds. This ensures consistent performance without technical tweaks.

WooCommerce provides more flexibility for optimization, but BigCommerce handles performance with a more hands-off approach.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Flexibility in integrations and extensions

One of the biggest strengths of WooCommerce is its ability to integrate with thousands of plugins and third-party tools.

Whether you need advanced inventory management, SEO optimization or email marketing tools, there’s a plugin or extension for virtually every need.

WooCommerce also integrates seamlessly with WordPress, allowing you to use the platform’s extensive ecosystem of themes, plugins and tools.

BigCommerce, while offering a robust set of built-in features, is more limited in terms of integrations. While the platform supports popular third-party apps like Mailchimp, Google Analytics and QuickBooks, it doesn’t offer the same flexibility as WooCommerce in adding new functionality.

Additionally, BigCommerce’s app store is more minor than WooCommerce’s plugin ecosystem, meaning you may have fewer options for customizing your store.

For businesses that need additional features or deep integrations with third-party tools, WooCommerce is the better choice.

The platform’s extensive plugin ecosystem allows you to build a highly customized, scalable store that can grow with your business.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Which offers better security?

Regarding security, both WooCommerce and BigCommerce offer robust protection for your online store, but they handle security differently.

With WooCommerce, security is primarily the responsibility of the store owner.

You’ll need to ensure that your store is secure by implementing SSL certificates, keeping your plugins up to date and regularly backing up your site.

Bluehost simplifies this process by offering automated backups, free SSL certificates and enhanced security features for WooCommerce stores.

Additionally, WooCommerce benefits from the vast array of WordPress plugins designed to improve security, such as CordGuard, and SiteLock.  

These plugins by Bluehost offer essential protection, from malware detection and removal to firewall management and real-time monitoring, ensuring your store remains safe from online threats. 

BigCommerce, on the other hand, takes care of security for you. The platform includes PCI compliance, built-in SSL certificates and automatic security updates to protect your store from threats.

This makes BigCommerce an attractive option for businesses that don’t want to worry about managing security.

While both platforms offer robust security features, the choice comes down to how much control you want over your store’s security.

If you prefer a hands-off approach, BigCommerce may be the better option. However, if you want more control over your store’s security settings, WooCommerce with Bluehost provides the flexibility to implement your security measures.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Which excels in SEO performance?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for driving traffic to your eCommerce store and increasing sales. WooCommerce and BigCommerce offer robust SEO features, but WooCommerce provides more control and flexibility.

With WooCommerce, you have complete control over your store’s SEO settings thanks to its deep integration with WordPress.

You can use popular SEO plugins like Yoast, which simplifies the process of optimizing your store’s meta tags, titles, URLs and content. Yoast is widely trusted for its ease of use and effectiveness, making it a top choice for improving SEO on WooCommerce stores.

Additionally, WooCommerce allows you to customize your site’s structure, making it easier to optimize for search engines.

BigCommerce includes built-in SEO features, such as customizable URLs, meta tags and sitemaps.

However, compared to WooCommerce, BigCommerce’s SEO capabilities are more limited. For example, you may not have as much control over the site structure or the ability to install SEO plugins for advanced optimization.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Which offers better mobile optimization?

As mobile shopping grows, mobile optimization is critical in the BigCommerce vs WooCommerce debate. Both BigCommerce and WooCommerce provide mobile-friendly designs, but the approaches differ.

WooCommerce, built on WordPress, relies on mobile-responsive themes, offering free and premium mobile-use options.

WooCommerce also offers free extensions for additional mobile features, allowing you to customize the mobile experience further.

However, optimizing WooCommerce for mobile may involve a learning curve, especially if you’re unfamiliar with WordPress site design.

BigCommerce simplifies mobile optimization with built-in responsive design features. All templates are automatically mobile-friendly, ensuring consistent performance across devices.

The platform removes the need for extra plugins or tweaks, offering a seamless mobile experience without a learning curve.

Regarding user experience, both BigCommerce and WooCommerce focus on improving navigation, checkout processes and product listings for mobile shoppers.

BigCommerce provides drag-and-drop customization, while WooCommerce requires more manual setup, especially for integrating payment gateways.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Which platform handles global selling better?

In the BigCommerce vs WooCommerce comparison, global selling capabilities are essential for scaling businesses. Both BigCommerce and WooCommerce provide robust options, but their approaches vary.

The WooCommerce platform allows you to customize your store for different regions using free extensions. You can enable multi-currency options and add translations, often requiring third-party plugins.

Managing taxes and shipping options for global customers also requires additional configurations, adding to the platform’s learning curve.

On the other hand, BigCommerce excels in providing built-in tools for global selling. The platform offers multi-currency support out-of-the-box, automatic tax calculations and shipping integrations, reducing the need for third-party plugins.

While both BigCommerce and WooCommerce allow global selling, BigCommerce provides a more comprehensive solution with fewer additional transaction fees.

This makes it an appealing choice for businesses that need immediate global selling capabilities with minimal effort. WooCommerce provides flexibility but often requires more setup through plugins and extensions.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Which offers superior customer support?

Customer support is essential when choosing a platform, especially if you’re new to building and managing an online store.

WooCommerce relies on community-based support, offering forums, tutorials and documentation to help users troubleshoot and learn about the platform.

While this can be helpful, it may not be sufficient for users who require assistance immediately. However, if you choose Bluehost’s WooCommerce hosting, you can access dedicated WooCommerce support. This ensures you receive timely help from experts who understand the platform.

BigCommerce offers more traditional customer support, with 24/7 assistance via phone, live chat and email.

BigCommerce support can help you with your store or tech issues. It provides direct, real-time access to representatives.

If you prefer a more hands-on support experience, BigCommerce may be the better choice. However, if you’re comfortable relying on community support and want access to dedicated hosting support, WooCommerce with Bluehost is a great option.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: User reviews and market popularity

In terms of popularity, WooCommerce is the most widely used eCommerce platform in the world, powering over 29% of all online stores.

Its deep integration with WordPress and extensive customization benefits have made it a favorite among businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.

BigCommerce, while not as popular as WooCommerce, has built a solid reputation for its simplicity and ease of use.

Recent statistics show that BigCommerce powers about 0.33% of eCommerce websites. It’s a popular choice for businesses wanting a low-tech, all-in-one solution.

User reviews also reflect the strengths and weaknesses of each eCommerce platform. WooCommerce users often praise the platform for its flexibility and customization options, but some note that the setup process can be complex for beginners.

BigCommerce users, on the other hand, appreciate the platform’s ease of use and built-in features but may feel limited by the lack of customization freedom.

Which eCommerce platform is better for your online store?

When deciding between WooCommerce and BigCommerce, the best choice depends on your specific business needs and technical expertise.

If you’re looking for an eCommerce platform with maximum flexibility, control and scalability, WooCommerce is the superior option. WooCommerce is ideal for companies that want complete control of their eCommerce store.

Integrating it with your existing WordPress website offers extensive customization, integrates with your existing WordPress site, and can scale as your business grows. When paired with Bluehost, you’ll also benefit from optimized hosting that ensures fast load times, enhanced security and seamless performance.

For businesses that prefer a more straightforward, all-in-one solution, BigCommerce is an excellent choice for your online store.

The platform handles all the tech for you, from hosting to security. It’s a hassle-free option for owners who want to grow their store without managing the backend.

BigCommerce isn’t as flexible as WooCommerce. But it is easy to use and has built-in features. So, it’s an excellent choice for beginners and small to medium-sized businesses.

Ultimately, choosing between a WooCommerce store and a BigCommerce store comes down to what you value more: flexibility and customization or simplicity and ease of use.

Summing up

In conclusion, both WooCommerce and BigCommerce are powerful eCommerce platforms, each offering all the features necessary for your business needs.

Businesses needing complete control, extensive customization options, and seamless integration with WordPress should choose WooCommerce. Bluehost’s WooCommerce hosting offers top-notch performance, security and scalability, making it the perfect solution for your online store.

On the other hand, BigCommerce offers an all-in-one platform that streamlines creating and managing an online store. With its built-in hosting, security and support, BigCommerce is an excellent option for businesses that want a hassle-free solution with minimal technical involvement.

All set to build your online store? Consider signing up for Bluehost’s WooCommerce hosting today. Experience the best combination of flexibility, performance and support.

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