Shopify vs BigCommerce
E-commerce pricing comparison · 2026
Shopify pricing ranges from $39–$2300/month, while BigCommerce ranges from $0–$299/month. These products use different pricing models (Hybrid (seat + usage) vs Per-seat subscription), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
Shopify and BigCommerce are the two dominant hosted e-commerce platforms, collectively powering millions of online stores worldwide. Both offer everything you need to launch and scale an online business—product management, payment processing, themes, and app ecosystems—but they differ in philosophy and pricing structure. Shopify prioritizes ease of use and has built the largest third-party app ecosystem in e-commerce, while BigCommerce focuses on providing more built-in features out of the box, including unlimited staff accounts and zero transaction fees on all plans. Their base pricing is nearly identical, but total cost of ownership can vary significantly depending on your sales volume and feature requirements.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Shopify | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 /month | Free /month |
| Grow (formerly Shopify) | $105 /month | $29 /month |
| Advanced | $399 /month | $79 /month |
| Shopify Plus | $2.3K /month | $299 /month |
| Performance | — | Custom |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Shopify
7 scenariosBigCommerce
6 scenariosContract Terms
| Term | Shopify | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellation | — | Difficult to cancel; users report requests being ignored |
| Minimum commitment | Monthly or annual | Annual (when pushed to annual billing) |
| Price escalation | No published schedule, but users report features being removed from lower plans over time without price reductions | Revenue-based automatic upgrades; users report unilateral 100-300%+ price increases with no notice |
| Can downgrade | Yes | — |
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Our Verdict
Choose Shopify if you want the largest ecosystem of apps, themes, and integrations, and you value ease of use above all else. Shopify's app store offers over 8,000 extensions, its admin interface is exceptionally intuitive, and Shopify Payments eliminates third-party transaction fees. Starting at $29/month (billed annually), Shopify is ideal for entrepreneurs who want to launch quickly and scale through its massive partner ecosystem, especially if you plan to sell in person with Shopify POS.
Choose BigCommerce if you want more features included in the base price without relying on paid apps. BigCommerce includes unlimited staff accounts, zero transaction fees regardless of payment gateway, and built-in features like faceted search and customer segmentation that Shopify charges extra for. At the same $29/month starting price (billed annually), BigCommerce offers better out-of-the-box value for businesses that want powerful native features and the flexibility to use any payment processor without penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Which has lower transaction fees, Shopify or BigCommerce?
BigCommerce charges zero transaction fees on all plans regardless of which payment processor you use. Shopify charges 0.6%–2% transaction fees if you don't use Shopify Payments. If you use Shopify Payments (available in supported countries), Shopify also waives transaction fees but charges credit card processing rates of 2.4%–2.9% + $0.30. BigCommerce's approach gives you more flexibility to shop around for the best payment processing rates.
02 Is Shopify or BigCommerce better for large stores?
Both platforms serve large stores well but differently. Shopify Plus ($2,300/month) is the established enterprise choice with a dedicated account manager, customizable checkout, and the Shopify Flow automation engine. BigCommerce Enterprise (starting around $1,000/month) offers unlimited API calls, price lists, and custom facets at a lower price point. BigCommerce also has no revenue caps on lower tiers (they have sales-based plan thresholds), whereas Shopify doesn't impose sales limits on any plan.
03 Can I migrate from Shopify to BigCommerce or vice versa?
Yes, both platforms support migration. BigCommerce offers a free migration app and dedicated onboarding support for stores switching from Shopify. Shopify similarly supports imports via CSV and has migration apps available. Product data, customer records, and order history can typically be transferred, though custom theme designs and app-specific configurations will need to be rebuilt on the new platform.