Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. She also covers books and the publishing industry.
Kelly Main is staff writer at Forbes Advisor, specializing in testing and reviewing marketing software with a focus on CRM solutions, payment processing solutions, and web design software. Before joining the team, she was a content producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist covering small business marketing content. She is a former Google Tech Entrepreneur and holds an MSc in international marketing from Edinburgh Napier University. Additionally, she is a Columnist at Inc. Magazine and the founder of ProsperBull, a financial literacy program taught in U.S. high schools.
Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. She also covers books and the publishing industry.
Kelly Main is staff writer at Forbes Advisor, specializing in testing and reviewing marketing software with a focus on CRM solutions, payment processing solutions, and web design software. Before joining the team, she was a content producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist covering small business marketing content. She is a former Google Tech Entrepreneur and holds an MSc in international marketing from Edinburgh Napier University. Additionally, she is a Columnist at Inc. Magazine and the founder of ProsperBull, a financial literacy program taught in U.S. high schools.
With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
With over a decade of editorial experience, Rob Watts breaks down complex topics for small businesses that want to grow and succeed. His work has been featured in outlets such as Keypoint Intelligence, FitSmallBusiness and PCMag.
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
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Starting an e-commerce business is no easy feat. Finding a great platform to automate and streamline your processes is the best first step you can take. It’s important to find a platform that can provide both automation and flexibility for what you’re selling. To help make your decision easier, we’ve compared WooCommerce vs BigCommerce in terms of price, ease of use, features and capabilities, customer support, and user ratings.
- WooCommerce: Best for building more complex e-commerce sites with unique needs.
- BigCommerce: Best for those that want a quick and easy way of building an online store.
WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce: At a Glance
Picking between these two e-commerce platforms depends on your familiarity with design and what you need. BigCommerce is a website builder, while WooCommerce is a WordPress plug-in that installs on your website when it’s already up and running.
Both offer templates and storefronts but they have different built-in features. Whether you’re building a website purely for e-commerce or looking for a way to offer merchandise in addition to your other business operations, these can be good options.
WooCommerce
Best for
Complex e-commerce websites
Key Features
Very versatile and flexible given its large library of extensions
Complex e-commerce websites
Very versatile and flexible given its large library of extensions
Why We Picked It
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that enables you to transform your website into an online store where you can create product listings, accept online payments and manage orders. It offers a free version, making it ideal for businesses that want a low-cost way of adding e-commerce functionality to an existing website. Also, because of its growing number of extensions from memberships and appointment booking to dropshipping and cross-selling.
For those that do not yet have a website and do not have experience building websites, WooCommerce is not as beginner-friendly as BigCommerce. And keep in mind that while WooCommerce is free to use, that doesn’t mean you can build a free online store with it. As with any WordPress website, creating one will involve costs, such as a domain name, web hosting, premium themes and plugins.
Pros & Cons
- Free, open-source WordPress plugin
- Tons of extensions available to further customize your online store
- Far more customizable than BigCommerce
- Access to WordPress’s SEO tools
- Flexible shipping offerings
- Not very easy to use
- Need to already use and be familiar with WordPress
- While it’s free, there are costs involved with WordPress (e.g., hosting)
BigCommerce
Starting Price
$29 per month
(billed annually)
Key Features
All-in-one plans, easy to use, cross-platform selling (Facebook, Amazon, etc.)
$29 per month
(billed annually)
All-in-one plans, easy to use, cross-platform selling (Facebook, Amazon, etc.)
Why We Picked It
BigCommerce is more of an all-in-one e-commerce option. As opposed to a plugin for an existing website, it is meant to be an e-commerce website builder. Signing up for BigCommerce gives you access to a ton of features and free templates. You can get your store up and running relatively quickly.
Although BigCommerce is a little pricier than WooCommerce, it comes with a ton of features already in it. For some users, it’s easier to have access already instead of determining which plug-ins you need to add to optimize your store.
Learn more about what it has to offer with our BigCommerce review.
Pros & Cons
- Far easier to use than WooCommerce
- Sell unlimited products
- Integrates with various email marketing platforms
- Control over shipping rates
- All-in-one means a set monthly price
- More expensive than WooCommerce
- Smaller app marketplace
- Not as customizable as WooCommerce
How WooCommerce and BigCommerce Stack Up
The differences between WooCommerce and BigCommerce depend on your familiarity with website building and how much flexibility you need. In our research, customers scored WooCommerce lower in “ease of use” than BigCommerce but neither is ranked among the highest for ease of use.
While WooCommerce relies on WordPress knowledge, BigCommerce is more of a drag-and-drop website builder from the beginning. You can easily preview the design of your store. Although BigCommerce has many templates you can use, you can also tweak them with HTML/CSS.
Bottom Line
In summary, WooCommerce is best for companies with already-existing WordPress websites, while BigCommerce is best for someone looking to have an all-in-one e-commerce package. Although WooCommerce is technically free, you should factor in the other costs of your website management to your overall e-commerce online budget. BigCommerce is an all-in-one bill, which can be helpful for understanding your costs when you’re getting started. Both platforms have a learning curve but can be great for building an e-commerce business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does BigCommerce offer any marketing features?
Yes, you can run marketing reports with its Standard plan. BigCommerce also has strong SEO tools with all of its plans and a blogging function. If you want an RSS blog, you’ll need to integrate with WordPress.
What are the best e-commerce website builders?
The best e-commerce website builders make it easy and affordable to build, launch and manage a professional online store. The top providers in the space include Squarespace for top-notch designs with zero experience, Square Online for businesses selling in store and online, Wix for high-volume sellers and Shopify for dropshipping. Learn more about the best e-commerce platforms.
What should a beginner look for in an e-commerce hosting platform?
The best features offered by an e-commerce hosting platform that someone new to building their own website or just starting out with an online retail business includes a hosting site that offers marketing and SEO tools, assistance with e-commerce selling, security features―such as secure socket layer (SSL) protocols and two-factor authentication (2FA) or multifactor authentication―and simple-to-use website building features, such as a drag-and-drop tool. Ideally, these will come as part of an inclusive package that you pay for all at once.
Is it better to use Stripe or PayPal?
Stripe and PayPal are both considered to be leading payment processors, however, most will find Stripe to be the better choice. This is because it’s more versatile for in-person and online transactions. However, if you’re only using the POS for in-person transactions, PayPal is more affordable with a lower transaction fee of 2.29% plus fixed fee of 9 cents compared to Stripe at 2.9% plus 30 cents. Get the complete breakdown of PayPal vs Stripe.
How do I get a domain name?
The process of registering a domain is surprisingly simple. First, select your domain name provider (or web host), then search for available domains, and when you find the right one, complete the checkout process to purchase it. Register yours with one of the best domain name registrars or if you’re planning to build a website with WordPress, a domain name for free with one of the best web hosting services.
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