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WooCommerce Vs. Big Commerce

WooCommerce vs. Big Commerce

In the modern era, Online e-commerce stores are pretty popular. Are you wondering about venturing into an online eCommerce store? Are you confused about whether to choose self-hosted WooCommerce or cloud-powered BigCommerce? Well, you are not alone who have been stuck in such situations. Most of the users want to know which platform is better for their online store. 

In this blog, we will discuss which platform is best to use: WooCommerce or Big Commerce.

Read More: Magento Vs. WooCommerce: What’s The Better Choice In 2023?

Overview: WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce

WooCommerce

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the open-source ecommerce platform that converts any WordPress website into a fully-featured online store. According to the report, Woocommerce has a broad market, around 27.88%. 

 Woocommerce is a robust plugin that does require a domain, hosting, and a WordPress installation but is simple to use. It is free and does come with many tools out of the box. You can also extend the platform by using free or paid extensions that are available on the WooCommerce marketplace.

The marketplace has extensions covering almost every possible use, from payment gateways to reporting.

WooCommerce has its own as well as third-party themes. Many WordPress themes are also designed to work with WooCommerce.

Learn More: 4 Best Solutions To Backup Multiple WordPress Websites

BigCommerce

Bigcommerce

BigCommerce is a cloud-based SaaS platform and a growing headless commerce provider. According to the report, BigCommerce has a much smaller market share, around 1.27%. It comes with numerous design templates that can be personalized and are generally the best option for people with less or no knowledge of HTML or CSS. Moreover, BigCommerce headless allows you to separate your frontend & backend, thus enabling complete storefront customization and enhanced speed. It doesn’t require hosting, has no need for installation or setup, and doesn’t depend on other platforms like WooCommerce.

It has a large no. of free or paid extensions covering most of what you could need. There are also few themes available but nowhere close to WooCommerce offerings.

Learn More: A Guide To WordPress Maintenance Tasks

Choosing the Right eCommerce Platform: Key Considerations

With many eCommerce platforms available today, making an informed decision becomes pivotal for your business’s long-term success. As we gear up to compare WooCommerce and BigCommerce, let’s first establish some foundational criteria that should influence your choice of an eCommerce platform:

  1. Ease of Use: Your selected platform shouldn’t become an obstacle. Whether you’re tech-savvy or not, the platform should be intuitive and user-friendly, enabling you to troubleshoot and manage operations seamlessly.
  2. Budget Constraints: Financial planning is paramount. Analyze the upfront costs associated with setting up your online store. Further, remember to account for ongoing expenses, whether monthly or annual, to ensure there are no unexpected financial burdens.
  3. Payment Gateways: Your customers should have the flexibility to pay via their preferred method. Investigate whether the platform integrates with diverse payment gateways, ensuring smooth transactions and enhancing user experience.
  4. Scalability: As your business grows, your platform should be capable of evolving with it. From managing increased traffic to adding more products or features, your platform should scale effortlessly without requiring a complete overhaul.
  5. Robust Support: In the digital realm, timely support can make or break a business. Opt for platforms that offer prompt, efficient, and reliable support, ensuring that any potential roadblocks are addressed immediately.

Armed with these essential considerations, you’re better equipped to make a more informed choice. Remember, the ideal eCommerce platform not only aligns with your current needs but also anticipates future growth and changes.

Know More: 10 Best WordPress Maintenance Service Providers For 2023

WooCommerce Vs. BigCommerce: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ease of Use

WooCommerce offers a user-friendly setup, especially when integrated with hosting services like Bluehost. Its onboarding process is further simplified with a comprehensive setup wizard, making it more beginner-friendly. However, it mainly focuses on e-commerce functionality, leaving users to handle other aspects, such as hosting on their own. 

On the other hand, BigCommerce provides a robust onboarding experience, although some users might find its terminology a bit challenging initially. It stands out by offering a multitude of integrated features within its themes and is known for its responsive customer support. Unlike WooCommerce, BigCommerce serves as an all-in-one solution, encompassing domain, hosting, and security, reducing the technical tasks users have to manage.

Read: Ultimate Guide For Creating A WordPress eCommerce Website

Payment Options & Fees

A diverse range of payment options can significantly enhance the user experience, catering to a broader audience. Both BigCommerce and WooCommerce are equipped to accept standard credit and debit cards, and they integrate seamlessly with major payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Square.

However, a vital point is the transaction fee associated with each payment gateway. These fees vary, and one must familiarize oneself with them to make an informed decision.

In terms of transaction fees from the platforms themselves, both BigCommerce and WooCommerce come out on top by not imposing any additional charges. Thus, transaction-related costs will come directly from the payment gateways or card providers.

WooCommerce goes further by introducing its proprietary payment gateway – WooCommerce Payments. Tailored explicitly for US-based stores transacting in US dollars, it’s free from any setup or monthly charges. Moreover, WooCommerce’s versatility shines with its support for over 100 payment gateways, including options like Authorize.Net.

BigCommerce, in comparison, is a tad more restrictive. While it supports the major gateways, its list beyond that is limited, although it does incorporate digital wallets like Chase Pay and Venmo. In the payment domain, it’s all about balancing flexibility and cost-efficiency. Both platforms have their merits, and the choice ultimately depends on your business needs and target audience.

Are you looking for WooCommerce Development Services? Contact us!

Pricing

Woocommerce:

  •  WooCommerce and its CMS, WordPress, are entirely free. You can download and install it quickly in a few minutes.
  • The cost of WooCommerce themes can range between $20 to $200, depending on your preference and tastes and preference. Some Astra themes that operate with WooCommerce are entirely free.
  • The extensions of Woocommerce are a blend of free and premium-priced that range between $29 and $249 per year.
  • Whereas there are no hidden costs or charges. You need to host it on a reliable and secure WooCommerce hosting provider.

Read: Customize WooCommerce Templates & Product Pages 

BigCommerce:

  • BigCommerce offers three main pricing plans, aiming to meet the needs of small-sized businesses and individuals. BigCommerce Standard – $ 29.95 per month, BigCommerce Plus– $ 79.95 per month, BigCommerce Pro- $ 299.95 per month. The platform offers BigCommerce Enterprise plan options for large businesses with high bandwidths and advanced selling needs,
  • It includes both free and paid themes. You can also get other extensions for the BigCommerce website, which are charged every month.
  • BigCommerce themes are a combination of free and premium, range between $139 and $300.
  • BigCommerce extensions are also a mix of free and premium, costing up to $285 per month.

Read: Best WordPress Page Builders

Reviewing Community & Support

WooCommerce:

  • It has an active community that offers extensive content in the form of blogs, vlogs, podcasts, and Wordcamps.
  • It provides hundreds of forums entirely dedicated to discussing WooCommerce and its issues.

BigCommerce:

  • BigCommerce includes a highly active community forum that always there to solve all your queries.
  • BigCommerce has 24/7 Phone, Email, and Chat Support for all plans.

Read: Best WooCommerce Product Add-ons 

Simple and Transparent UI

WooCommerce:

  • Unlike Magento, WooCommerce is easy to use and set up through a point-and-click installation process.
  • If you have ever run a WordPress site or are familiar with its interface, managing the WooCommerce store would be pretty straightforward.
  • Even if you’re new in the field of WooCommerce, you won’t face any difficulties to learn, and your learning curve would be more straightforward.

Related: What Are The Best Headline Tags For SEO

BigCommerce:

  • BigCommerce is indeed relatively easy to use and start. 
  • With BigCommerce, You don’t need to worry about the technical aspects of your BigCommerce store, as all these are managed by the BigCommerce support.

Related: Best WordPress Speed Optimization Services

Design Flexibility

When it comes to human perceptions, first impressions count. From appearance and functionality to easy-to-use navigation, it’s essential to greet customers with all these when customers visit your online storefront. 

BigCommerce offers 12 captivating themes for free. There are over 50 themes in its store, coming at one-off pricing between $150 and $300. The price is quite high compared to WooCommerce.

On the other hand, WooCommerce offers 20 themes in total, with 14 storefront themes. There are three free themes, while the other themes will cost you between $39 to $129 each.

As you can see, WooCommerce storefronts are cheaper than BigCommerce premium themes. Furthermore, you can even customize WooCommerce themes according to your needs.

You don’t need to be a technical expert to customize WooCommerce themes, but as with WordPress itself, the more you understand, the better you can edit.

BigCommerce’s themes are more rigid. The platform also offers an editing interface that lets you adjust things like page layouts, text size and fonts, and much more.

Related: Stripe vs Square: Which Is Better For Your Business

WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce: Pros & Cons

Pros of WooCommerce

  • Easy setup and simple store management.
  • Instantly familiar if you know WordPress.
  • Out-of-the-box setup wizard.
  • Countless WooCommerce themes.
  • A large number of free and paid extensions.
  • Popular & widely used throughout the world.
  • Excellent network of third-party resources & forums.
  • Money-back guarantee.

Cons of WooCommerce

  • Requires WordPress.com account to work.
  • Performance is hampered with plug-ins and plugins.
  • Need to pay for extensions.

Pros of BigCommerce

  • Fully hosted SaaS solution with zero maintenance.
  • The setup wizard is very good.
  • Creating a product page is simple.
  • Works with multiple channels out the box (Facebook, Amazon, and so on).
  • Provides multiple layers of security.
  • 24/7 support via call, email, & chat.

Cons of BigCommerce

  • Expensive themes.
  • No lite version is available.
  • The platform needs to improve its theme editor.

Learn: How To Migrate From Shopify to WooCommerce?

Final Thoughts

Both platforms have easy setup wizards and require no technical expertise to venture into online eCommerce. 

But, there are also key differences between these two platforms, such as, its features, cost, and freedom to customize.

WooCommerce is ideal for people familiar with WordPress and who is slightly more technically competent. 

BigCommerce is ideal for those who want to build & grow their online store. It’s perfect for beginners with little or no coding expertise.

We recommend you choose WooCommerce with DreamHost to get the most out of this compelling & useful plugin. Have any queries related to this blog? Ask your queries in the comment box. 

Want To Migrate From Shopify To WooCommerce?

Talk To A WooCommerce Expert Today!

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