The internet revolutionized shopping, with online stores becoming a mainstay for savvy consumers. Retailers, large and small, are embracing the ecommerce space, offering their products alongside their brick-and-mortar stores. But with a plethora of ecommerce platforms available, choosing the right one can be daunting. The two most well-liked choices are WooCommerce and BigCommerce. Both offer distinct advantages and drawbacks, making it crucial to understand the key differences before making your decision. This guide will delve into the WooCommerce vs BigCommerce debate, explaining their functionalities and highlighting the factors that differentiate them. By the end, you’ll be equipped to select the platform that best suits your online store’s needs.

BigCommerce: An Overview

BigCommerce takes a different approach, functioning as a fully hosted ecommerce platform. This means you gain access to a comprehensive suite of services, encompassing hosting, payment processing, design tools, SEO features, content management, and even marketing functionalities – all rolled into one. Essentially, BigCommerce is a Software as a Service (SaaS) or all-in-one solution. Building your online store is a breeze with BigCommerce, as you simply choose and purchase a subscription plan. BigCommerce However, there’s a trade-off to consider. While BigCommerce offers a wealth of built-in tools, it restricts you to using those within their platform. On the flip side, a major advantage of BigCommerce is the ability to seamlessly integrate your online store with your existing WordPress website, creating a unified shopping experience for your customers.

WooCommerce: An Overview

WooCommerce reigns supreme as the leading ecommerce plugin for WordPress. It empowers you to transform any existing WordPress blog or website into a full-fledged online store. WooCommerce However, setting up a WooCommerce store involves a few extra steps. You’ll need to secure web hosting (either purchase it or use an existing provider), install WooCommerce itself, along with WordPress, and potentially integrate additional marketing tools to elevate your online presence.

WooCommerce vs BigCommerce: Key Differences

The key difference between BigCommerce and WooCommerce lies in their approach. BigCommerce is a fully hosted platform, similar to an eCommerce website builder. Imagine it as an all-in-one solution where BigCommerce takes care of the technical aspects like server maintenance and security updates. This user-friendly approach has helped countless entrepreneurs launch over 100,000 online stores worldwide. BigCommerce offers a vast array of built-in features, essentially providing everything you need to get your online business up and running quickly and seamlessly. In contrast, WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin. This means it leverages the existing framework of WordPress, making it a great fit if you already have a WordPress website. However, WooCommerce requires more technical know-how compared to BigCommerce. While it offers extensive customization options to maintain brand consistency across your website and store, this flexibility comes with the responsibility of managing hosting, security updates, and other technical aspects.

Woocommerce vs Bigcommerce: Selecting the Best Platform

WooCommerce vs BigCommerce: Ease of Use

BigCommerce: Getting started with BigCommerce is a breeze. Their free trial allows you to explore the platform before committing. The setup process itself is a three-step journey: entering your email, naming your store, and providing some brand details. Within minutes, you’ll be navigating your BigCommerce dashboard, previewing your store, adding products, and customizing its design. BigCommerce excels in user-friendliness. Onboarding guides highlight key features and customization options. Additionally, their comprehensive FAQ section tackles common questions, empowering you to explore the platform confidently. Many features are seamlessly integrated into their themes, making them easy to find and utilize. Unlike WooCommerce, BigCommerce offers a complete package that includes web hosting, a domain name, and even security certificates, eliminating the need for separate setups. WooCommerce: Compared to BigCommerce, WooCommerce presents a steeper learning curve due to its technical nature. However, partnering with a WooCommerce-friendly hosting provider like Bluehost simplifies the process significantly. Bluehost offers automatic WooCommerce installation, eliminating the need for manual setup. Additionally, they provide a free consultation to assist with store setup, a free domain name with an SSL certificate, and a pre-installed storefront theme. Bluehost’s 24/7 customer support staffed by WordPress experts ensures you’re well-equipped to navigate any challenges. Regardless of your chosen hosting provider, once you install the WooCommerce plugin, the setup wizard guides you through establishing your store in minutes. This wizard empowers you to manage essential tasks including creating pages, configuring payment options, setting up currency and taxes, and defining shipping methods.

WooCommerce vs BigCommerce: Customer Support

BigCommerce offers comprehensive customer support with 24/7 access through live chat, email, and phone. Additionally, they provide a user forum and a well-stocked online help center packed with self-help articles. For businesses choosing the Enterprise plan, dedicated account managers and onboarding consultants offer personalized assistance. WooCommerce, being self-hosted, relies on a more distributed support system. While some hosting platforms offer WooCommerce-specific support, core plugin issues typically require assistance from the WordPress forum or the official WooCommerce website. These resources boast extensive documentation, tutorials, and a community where you can find solutions or ask questions. Theme and extension support comes from their respective developers, while server-related concerns fall under the purview of your web host. Finally, numerous WordPress blogs like WPBeginner offer valuable WooCommerce tutorials and resources. In essence, BigCommerce provides a more traditional, direct support structure, while WooCommerce offers a broader range of resources but requires a more proactive approach from the user.

 WooCommerce vs BigCommerce

WooCommerce vs BigCommerce: Features & Functionality

BigCommerce boasts a range of built-in features to streamline your online store operations. These include:
  • Multi-channel selling: Reach a wider audience by seamlessly integrating your store with popular marketplaces like eBay and social media channels.
  • Enhanced security: Built-in SSL encryption protects your store and customer data, giving them confidence during checkout (indicated by the padlock symbol).
  • Performance insights: Gain valuable data through analytics and reporting tools. Track aspects like website sessions, email campaign effectiveness, and sales trends.
  • Abandoned cart recovery: Don’t lose potential sales! Automated emails gently nudge customers to complete their purchases and recover abandoned carts.
  • Promotional tools: Generate excitement and boost sales with targeted promotions. Offer discount codes and deals to attract customers.
WooCommerce offers a distinct set of features:
  • Built-in blogging: Publish engaging content directly from your store using the built-in blogging platform. This helps drive traffic and build brand loyalty.
  • Streamlined refunds: Simplify the returns process by offering one-click refunds, ensuring a smooth customer experience.
  • Unmatched customization: For developers, WooCommerce offers limitless customization possibilities. From the storefront design to the checkout process, you have full control over the user experience.

WooCommerce vs BigCommerce: Scalability

As your business expands, your online store requires more resources to handle increased traffic and sales. Let’s explore how each platform handles scalability: BigCommerce: This fully hosted platform takes care of everything technical. You won’t need to worry about server backups, storage upgrades, software updates, downtime management, or security threats. As your store thrives, simply upgrade your BigCommerce plan, and they’ll handle the rest, ensuring a hassle-free experience for growing businesses. WooCommerce: Being a self-hosted platform, WooCommerce puts the responsibility of resource management, updates, backups, and website security on your shoulders. While many leading WordPress hosting providers offer scalable plans to accommodate your growing store’s needs, the migration process can be complex for non-technical users.

WooCommerce vs BigCommerce: Integrations & Add-Ons

BigCommerce boasts a robust app marketplace with a variety of integrations to enhance your online store’s features. They offer both free and paid options, categorized for easy browsing (must-haves, design, shipping, marketing, etc.). Additionally, you’ll find integrations for analytics, accounting, customer service, and more. WooCommerce, being an open-source plugin, unlocks a vast library of over 55,000 free WordPress plugins, along with hundreds of premium options. You can search for these at the official WordPress repository, plugin sites, or the WooCommerce extension store specifically. With so many choices, you can find plugins for virtually anything, from contact forms to SEO optimization. Plus, popular payment processors offer WooCommerce integrations, and for the truly tech-savvy, custom add-on development is an option.

WooCommerce vs BigCommerce: Payment Methods

BigCommerce provides a range of popular payment gateways out of the box, including Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, and more. Transaction fees start at 2.9% + $0.30, decreasing as your sales volume increases. They also integrate seamlessly with popular mobile wallets like Apple Pay for a smooth checkout experience. WooCommerce offers Stripe and PayPal by default, but its true strength lies in its extensibility. Through plugins and extensions, you can integrate virtually any payment gateway you desire, including many regional and niche options. This adaptability enables you to reach a broader audience.

WooCommerce vs BigCommerce: Pricing

BigCommerce operates on a subscription model with tiered plans catering to businesses of various sizes. The Standard plan starts at $29.95 per month and provides everything you need to launch your store, including a BigCommerce subdomain (though you can use a custom domain for an additional fee). Notably, all plans have no transaction fees, unlimited products, and bandwidth, but they do have annual sales thresholds. For instance, the Standard plan has a $50k yearly sales limit. Exceeding this will automatically bump your store to a higher plan. Additionally, premium themes and apps often come with extra costs. WooCommerce, being open-source, is free to download and use. However, setting up a store requires additional expenses. You’ll need a domain name, web hosting, and an SSL certificate. While the overall cost can be higher upfront compared to BigCommerce, some web hosting providers offer specialized WooCommerce plans at competitive prices. Additionally, while premium themes and extensions require payment, there are hundreds of free options available.

 WooCommerce vs BigCommerce

Weighing the Options: WooCommerce vs BigCommerce

BigCommerce: Pros & Cons

BigCommerce boasts a wealth of built-in features, covering everything you might need to run your online store. Selling across multiple channels like Amazon, Instagram, and Facebook is a breeze, ensuring seamless product integration. Additionally, BigCommerce stores typically enjoy impressive loading speeds, eliminating the need for additional caching apps. Security is another major advantage. BigCommerce takes care of a wide range of security and compliance measures, giving you peace of mind. When it comes to design, BigCommerce offers a selection of beautiful, responsive themes that are easy to install and customize. For users with coding knowledge, BigCommerce allows for further customization through HTML and CSS. However, BigCommerce isn’t without drawbacks. Notably, the lack of a mobile app makes managing your store on the go a challenge. Similarly, the editing interface can have a bit of a learning curve compared to other platforms. While BigCommerce offers extensions to enhance functionality, the selection is not as vast as what’s available for WooCommerce.

WooCommerce: Pros & Cons

WooCommerce shines in its customizability. You have complete control over the look and feel of your store, allowing you to tailor it to your unique brand. Additionally, it benefits from WordPress’s powerful SEO tools, giving your online store a potential ranking boost. Cost is another major advantage. WooCommerce itself is free to download, making it a budget-friendly option for new businesses. You also have great flexibility with product types, allowing you to sell physical, virtual, and downloadable items within the same store. WooCommerce also boasts extensive payment gateway support, ensuring a smooth checkout experience for your customers. However, keep in mind that WooCommerce doesn’t offer comprehensive customer support. For troubleshooting, you might need to rely on the community forum or seek paid solutions. Furthermore, a certain level of technical knowledge is recommended to unlock WooCommerce’s full potential. Additionally, managing website updates and setting up a multi-currency store can be more complex compared to BigCommerce.

Conclusion

The BigCommerce vs WooCommerce debate is just the beginning. A successful online store requires a well-rounded strategy. ONextDigital goes beyond platform selection. We offer Web Development, UX/UI Design, and even CRM & Marketing Automation solutions to optimize your online presence and fuel explosive growth. Partner with ONextDigital and watch your ecommerce dreams take flight.