BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce
BigCommerce and WooCommerce help businesses build and run online stores. BigCommerce is a hosted ecommerce platform with store-building and management tools included. WooCommerce is a free ecommerce plugin for WordPress, giving users more control over a store built on their own WordPress site.
Users often compare them to find the right balance of convenience, flexibility, and cost. This comparison looks at their features, pricing, ease of use, customization, and scalability to help you choose the better fit for your needs.
BigCommerce VS Woocommerce: Which tool is the most popular?
| Tool | Reviews | Average rating | Positive / neutral / negative | Popularity and user sentiment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BigCommerce | 94 | 3.22/5 | 58 / 4 / 32 | Most popular, with more than twice as many reviews as WooCommerce. It also has the higher average rating and more positive than negative reviews. |
| WooCommerce | 44 | 1.86/5 | 9 / 1 / 34 | Least popular by review volume and rated less favorably. Negative reviews substantially outnumber positive reviews. |
Overall: BigCommerce leads in both review count and average rating, making it the most popular and better-rated tool in this comparison. WooCommerce is least popular and has the lower user rating.
BigCommerce and Woocommerce: Quick Comparison Overview
| Category | Ahrefs | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Primary features | SEO research tools for backlink analysis, keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, and content research. | Broader digital-marketing suite covering SEO, competitor research, site audits, rank tracking, content marketing, local SEO, PPC, and social media. |
| Target audience | SEO specialists, content teams, and agencies focused on organic search and link building. | In-house marketing teams, agencies, and businesses managing several digital-marketing channels. |
| Main advantages | Strong backlink and competitor research, with a focused toolkit for finding SEO and content opportunities. | Wider range of marketing tools in one platform, especially useful for combining SEO with paid, local, and social campaigns. |
| Core value proposition | Make organic-search research and link-building workflows more effective. | Manage and measure a broader digital-marketing program from one platform. |
| Ideal use cases | Analyzing competitors’ backlinks, researching keywords and content gaps, auditing a site, and tracking organic rankings. | Coordinating SEO with PPC, local visibility, content, and social efforts; conducting cross-channel competitor research. |
Sources: Ahrefs features · Semrush features
Feature availability varies by plan and may change.
Most liked vs most disliked features of BigCommerce and Woocommerce
| Platform | Positive sentiment | Main concerns | Overall sentiment |
|---|---|---|---|
| BigCommerce | Users value its straightforward setup, responsive support, customization options, and tools for managing different products and business types. Inventory features, mobile commerce, API access, and PageBuilder are also appreciated. | Some users want better support for configurable products, more integrations and geo-targeting, and an improved checkout experience. Order tracking and transparency could be clearer, while advanced features may take time to learn. | Generally positive. Reviewers see it as accessible and capable, with room to improve in specialized features, integrations, and checkout. |
| WooCommerce | Reviews praise its flexibility, responsive human support, free WordPress plugin, quick setup, and compatibility with multiple payment gateways. | Users report frustration with unexplained account suspensions and unclear automated responses. Extension costs can add up, reporting has limitations, and some reviewers raise concerns about scams on WooCommerce-hosted sites. | Mixed. Users appreciate its affordability and customization, but account-related issues, support clarity, and added costs weigh on the experience. |
Key Features of BigCommerce vs Woocommerce
BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce for website building
| Feature | BigCommerce | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| How you build the site | Visual Page Builder: A drag-and-drop editor lets users adjust storefront layouts and content without coding. Benefit: Merchants can make common design changes themselves. | WordPress-based site building: WooCommerce adds ecommerce features to a WordPress site, which users can shape with WordPress themes, blocks, and extensions. Benefit: It suits people who want their store and broader website built within WordPress. |
| Themes and design control | Storefront themes and customization tools provide a starting point for a branded online shop. Benefit: Users can launch with a ready-made design and customize it as their needs change. | Themes plus open-source customization: Users can choose a theme and, with the right skills or help, customize the site’s code and functionality. Benefit: There’s considerable flexibility over the store’s look and behavior. |
| Ecommerce capabilities | The platform combines storefront tools with features for managing products, checkout, and orders. Benefit: Core commerce functions are available within one hosted platform. | Adds product and order management, checkout, and other store functions to WordPress. Benefit: Users can run commerce alongside WordPress pages and content. |
| Extensions and integrations | Integrations and apps can add capabilities or connect the store with other services. Benefit: Merchants can extend the platform without building every feature themselves. | A large ecosystem of WordPress plugins and WooCommerce extensions can add store features and integrations. Benefit: Users can assemble a setup tailored to their needs. |
| Growth and flexibility | BigCommerce offers built-in commerce capabilities and options for more customized or headless storefronts. Benefit: Businesses can expand or connect the store to different customer experiences as they grow. | WooCommerce is open source and can be extended or customized; users choose their WordPress hosting and broader site setup. Benefit: It gives users more control over how the site is built and operated. |
| Content and marketing | Storefront and commerce tools support presenting products and operating an online shop. | Because it runs on WordPress, WooCommerce can sit alongside WordPress content such as pages and blog posts. Benefit: It’s a natural fit for businesses that want content publishing and ecommerce in the same site. |
What’s distinctive
- BigCommerce: A hosted, all-in-one ecommerce platform with visual storefront tools and commerce functionality managed together. This can reduce the amount of infrastructure a merchant needs to arrange separately.
- WooCommerce: An open-source ecommerce platform built for WordPress. Its key distinction is the combination of WordPress’s content and customization ecosystem with WooCommerce store features; users generally arrange their own WordPress hosting and site setup.
Sources: BigCommerce product page · WooCommerce. Feature availability and setup can vary by plan, extensions, and configuration.
BigCommerce vs Woocommerce Pricing Comparison
BigCommerce and WooCommerce pricing
Prices are in US dollars. BigCommerce’s annual rates are monthly equivalents billed annually; WooCommerce does not have fixed subscription tiers.
| Platform and tier | Monthly price | Annual price | Main offerings and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| BigCommerce Standard | $39/month | $29/month equivalent ($348 billed annually) | Core ecommerce features, unlimited products, and no additional BigCommerce transaction fee. Annual online sales are capped at $50,000; the plan automatically moves to Plus when sales exceed the threshold. |
| BigCommerce Plus | $105/month | $79/month equivalent ($948 billed annually) | Adds features such as abandoned-cart recovery, customer groups and segmentation, and stored credit cards. Annual sales cap: $180,000. |
| BigCommerce Pro | $399/month | $299/month equivalent ($3,588 billed annually) | Adds features including product filtering and Google customer reviews. Annual sales cap: $400,000; higher sales may increase the price or require a different plan. |
| BigCommerce Enterprise | Custom quote | Custom quote | For larger businesses needing tailored pricing and support, with advanced options such as price lists, B2B tools, and multi-storefront capabilities. |
| WooCommerce core | $0 | $0 | The WooCommerce plugin is free and open-source. It provides the core store functionality, but does not include hosting, a domain, or every paid extension. |
| WooCommerce hosting, domain, and extensions | Varies by provider and selection | Varies by provider and selection | Store owners choose and pay for hosting and a domain separately. Optional themes and extensions may also have their own one-time or recurring fees; there is no standard WooCommerce plan price. |
| Pricing detail | BigCommerce | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial or free option | Offers a 15-day free trial. | The core plugin is free to use; no trial is needed. Hosting and paid add-ons may have separate trial terms. |
| Discounts or special rates | Annual billing is listed at lower monthly-equivalent rates than month-to-month billing—about 25% less on the Standard, Plus, and Pro plans. | There is no universal WooCommerce subscription discount because the core software is free and hosting and extensions are purchased separately. Providers may offer their own promotions. |
| Transaction fees | BigCommerce does not add a platform transaction fee; payment processors may still charge their own fees. | WooCommerce does not charge a platform transaction fee; payment processors may still charge their own fees. |
Sources: BigCommerce pricing · WooCommerce
Support Options Comparison: BigCommerce vs Woocommerce
| Support option | BigCommerce | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat | Available through BigCommerce support. The support page promotes 24/7 assistance, though access may depend on the customer’s account or plan. | The contact page directs customers to online support rather than advertising general live chat. |
| Phone support | Phone support is available, with 24/7 assistance advertised by BigCommerce. | No general phone-support option is listed on the contact page. |
| Documentation | A support knowledge base provides product guidance and troubleshooting help. | Extensive documentation covers setup, store management, and troubleshooting. |
| Additional resources | BigCommerce offers learning and educational resources, including tutorials and webinars, alongside its support materials. | Customers can use product documentation, community forums, and tutorials. The contact page focuses mainly on support routes and documentation rather than live training. |
| Overall | Offers more direct, real-time support options, including chat and phone. | Relies more on self-service documentation, community resources, and online support requests, particularly for help with WooCommerce.com products. |
Sources: BigCommerce Support · WooCommerce Contact
Unique Features of BigCommerce Vs Woocommerce
| Brand | Feature uncommon in general-purpose website builders | Added value and why it may decide the choice |
|---|---|---|
| BigCommerce | Multi-Storefront management — manage multiple storefronts, brands, or regional sites from one platform. | Makes it easier to run distinct customer experiences while sharing central product and order operations. A strong fit for businesses expanding into new brands or markets without wanting separate commerce systems. |
| BigCommerce | B2B commerce tools — features for business accounts, buyer permissions, quotes, purchase orders, and sales-rep workflows. | Supports complex business purchasing rather than only standard consumer checkout. These tools can make BigCommerce a better fit for wholesalers and manufacturers that need account-specific buying processes. |
| BigCommerce | Headless and API-led commerce — the commerce backend can connect to a separately built storefront or other digital experiences. | Gives teams more control over the customer-facing experience and lets them use the same commerce system across different channels. It can be decisive when a business has developers or needs a highly tailored storefront. |
| BigCommerce | Built-in multichannel selling — connect sales channels such as marketplaces and social platforms with centralized commerce operations. | Helps businesses manage products and orders across more than one sales channel. This is useful when marketplace or social selling is central to growth, rather than an occasional add-on. |
| BigCommerce | No added BigCommerce transaction fee — payment-provider processing fees still apply. | Can reduce platform costs as sales grow, particularly for merchants with high order volume. It may matter when comparing total operating costs across platforms. |
| WooCommerce | Open-source, self-hosted store — store owners can access and modify the code and choose their hosting provider. | Provides more control over the site, data, and technical setup than a closed website-builder platform. It can be decisive for businesses that want to avoid platform lock-in or need custom development; it also means the owner is responsible for hosting and maintenance. |
| WooCommerce | Commerce built into WordPress — products and transactions sit alongside WordPress pages, posts, and other content. | Suits businesses where publishing is a major part of the sales strategy, such as editorial, educational, or content-led brands. It can be a deciding factor for teams already using WordPress or relying on its content ecosystem. |
| WooCommerce | Extensible through plugins and custom code — the core store can be expanded with extensions and developer-built integrations. | Lets businesses add specialized capabilities and tailor workflows instead of being limited to a fixed set of builder features. The trade-off is that extensions can add cost and require compatibility and maintenance work. |
| WooCommerce | Broad support for different selling models through extensions — stores can add options such as subscriptions, bookings, memberships, or digital products. | Makes WooCommerce adaptable as a business model changes. It is a useful deciding factor for merchants whose needs go beyond a straightforward catalog of physical products. |
“Uncommon” refers to general-purpose website builders, not to every ecommerce platform. Feature availability and costs can depend on plan, extensions, and setup.
Sources: BigCommerce product features · WooCommerce features
Most frequently asked questions about BigCommerce vs Woocommerce
Which is easier to use: WooCommerce or BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is usually easier to get started with because hosting, security, and many store features are managed in one service. Reviewers often appreciate having fewer technical tasks, though some find its dashboard and settings take time to learn. WooCommerce gives you more control, but reviewers commonly note that setup involves more choices—such as selecting hosting, a theme, and extensions—and may require WordPress experience. These are paraphrased review themes, not direct quotations.
Which platform offers more customization?
WooCommerce generally offers more flexibility. Reviewers value its open-source foundation, WordPress ecosystem, and broad choice of themes and plugins, while noting that extensive customization can require technical work. BigCommerce supports storefront customization and integrations too, but reviewers sometimes find its built-in themes or design controls less flexible for highly specific layouts.
Which is better for a small business or first-time seller?
It depends on whether you prefer convenience or control. Review feedback often favors BigCommerce for beginners who want a hosted store with core commerce features in one place. WooCommerce can suit a small business already using WordPress or one seeking a lower-cost starting point, but reviewers point out that hosting, extensions, and maintenance add decisions and work.
Which platform is more affordable?
Neither is automatically cheaper. WooCommerce itself is free to install, but reviews and user discussions commonly emphasize the added costs of hosting, a domain, paid extensions, themes, and developer help. BigCommerce has a subscription price that includes hosting and many built-in features; reviewers may see that predictable setup as convenient, while noting that the plan cost and any sales-based plan limits should be checked against their store’s needs.
Does either platform charge transaction fees?
WooCommerce does not charge a platform transaction fee, though payment providers may charge their own processing fees and some extensions may have costs. BigCommerce also generally does not add a transaction fee for using an external payment gateway, but payment processing fees still apply. Reviewers tend to treat payment costs and plan terms as details worth checking before choosing.
Which is better for SEO?
Both can support SEO, but they work differently. WooCommerce benefits from WordPress’s content-management capabilities and a large selection of SEO plugins; reviewers often like the control, while noting that configuration is the store owner’s responsibility. BigCommerce includes SEO-related controls in its hosted platform, which reviewers may find more convenient, although it offers less freedom to alter the underlying setup.
Which platform is better for scaling a growing store?
BigCommerce can be appealing when a business wants a hosted service to handle much of the infrastructure and built-in commerce functionality. Reviewers commonly value that reduced maintenance, but costs and plan requirements should be monitored as sales grow. WooCommerce can scale too, but performance depends on hosting, extensions, and site maintenance; reviewers appreciate the control and also note that scaling may require more hands-on management.
Which has better built-in ecommerce features?
BigCommerce is often favored for having more commerce functionality available within the hosted product, potentially reducing reliance on add-ons. Reviewers value the convenience, though they may need time to understand the range of settings. WooCommerce’s core plugin can be extended substantially, and reviewers praise that choice, but advanced capabilities may mean installing and maintaining additional plugins.
Which platform has better themes and design tools?
WooCommerce offers a wide range of WordPress themes and page-building tools, giving store owners many design options; reviewers also caution that compatibility and quality vary between providers. BigCommerce offers a curated theme selection and storefront controls, which can simplify setup, but some reviewers want more design flexibility or find premium themes costly.
Which provides better support and requires less maintenance?
BigCommerce is typically the lower-maintenance option because it manages hosting and much of the platform infrastructure, and it offers platform support. Reviewers appreciate having a vendor to contact, though support experiences can vary. With WooCommerce, help may come from the hosting provider, plugin or theme developers, community resources, or a hired specialist. Reviewers value the large WordPress community but note that they may need to coordinate several providers and handle updates, backups, and security.
