Choosing the Best Platform: WooCommerce vs BigCommerce?

Are you planning to launch your online store and join the ever-growing world of e-commerce? If so, choosing the right platform is going to play a big role in the success of your business. But, between WooCommerce and BigCommerce, which is the best fit for your business?

Read on to learn about these powerful platforms and how they can cultivate an online presence aimed to bolster your business. We’ll explore their features, pros and cons, and key differences — helping you to make an informed decision for your e-commerce platform.

Understanding the WooCommerce Platform

WooCommerce is an open-source plugin for WordPress — enabling businesses to convert their WordPress sites into online stores. Its key features include a vast array of themes and extensions for customization, an extensive plugin library for integrating payment gateways and managing inventory, and cost-effectiveness as it’s free to use. However, it requires self-hosting and some technical expertise for setup and management.

Advantages of WooCommerce

• Flexibility and Customization: WooCommerce provides a vast array of themes and extensions, allowing you to create a unique and personalized online store that aligns with your brand’s vision.
• Extensive Plugin Library: With a rich selection of plugins, WooCommerce offers diverse functionalities, such as integrating various payment gateways, enhancing product pages, and managing inventory effectively.
• Cost-Effectiveness: As an open-source solution, WooCommerce is free to use, making it an attractive option for startups and small businesses.

Disadvantages of WooCommerce

• Self-Hosted Setup: Running WooCommerce requires a self-hosted WordPress website, which means you’ll need to manage hosting, security, and updates independently.
• Technical Expertise: While WooCommerce offers flexibility, setting up and managing the platform might require some technical knowledge, which could be challenging for beginners.
• Limited Support: As an open-source solution, support for WooCommerce mainly relies on community forums and third-party developers, potentially leading to slower response times for critical issues.

Understanding the BigCommerce Platform

BigCommerce is a comprehensive, user-friendly e-commerce platform that serves businesses of all sizes. This all-in-one solution handles hosting, security, and updates, freeing you from technical concerns. It offers built-in tools for SEO, marketing, and customer management.

However, customization may be less flexible than with self-hosted solutions. Certain pricing plans might also include transaction fees, and their overall cost could be higher, making it less economical for smaller businesses.

Advantages of BigCommerce

• All-In-One Solution: BigCommerce handles hosting, security, and updates, relieving you of technical maintenance burdens and allowing you to focus on your business.
• Robust E-commerce Features: BigCommerce provides built-in features for SEO optimization, marketing, and customer management, making it a powerful and convenient platform.
• Excellent Customer Support: BigCommerce offers 24/7 customer support, ensuring that you have assistance whenever you need it.

Disadvantages of BigCommerce

• Limited Customization: While BigCommerce offers a good selection of themes and templates, customization options might be more restricted compared to self-hosted solutions like WooCommerce.
• Transaction Fees: Some BigCommerce pricing plans include transaction fees, which can impact your overall profitability.
• Higher Cost: BigCommerce’s plans can be more expensive than self-hosted solutions, making it less budget-friendly for small businesses that are just starting.

Key Differences Between WooCommerce and BigCommerce

Now that we’ve explored the advantages and disadvantages of both platforms, let’s delve into the key differences between WooCommerce and BigCommerce:

User Interface

WooCommerce: This platform’s seamless integration with WordPress presents users with a familiar and intuitive interface. It is especially beneficial for those already using WordPress, offering a consistent user experience.

BigCommerce: Offering a comprehensive, all-in-one hosted solution, BigCommerce is particularly user-friendly. It’s perfect for those new to e-commerce, as it eliminates the need to juggle multiple platforms, simplifying the process of setting up and managing an online store.

Customization

WooCommerce: The open-source nature of WooCommerce provides a significant advantage in customization. It allows users to tailor almost every aspect of their online store, making it the go-to choice for businesses that need unique, specific features.

BigCommerce: While BigCommerce might not offer the same level of customization as WooCommerce, it strikes a balance between flexibility and ease of use. This platform simplifies store setup while still offering options for personalization, making it ideal for users who prefer convenience.

Designs and Themes

WooCommerce: With a vast library of both free and premium themes, WooCommerce provides a plethora of design choices. This versatility allows you to find a design that aligns perfectly with your brand’s aesthetic.

BigCommerce: Although it offers a selection of pre-designed templates, the variety might not be as extensive as WooCommerce. Nevertheless, BigCommerce themes are professionally designed, responsive, and customizable to accommodate a wide range of industries and styles.

Sales Features

WooCommerce: WooCommerce supports a wide range of payment gateways via its extensive plugin library. This can be a significant advantage for businesses that want to offer various payment methods to cater to their customers’ preferences.

BigCommerce: This platform simplifies the payment process with built-in features for managing payments. These native features eliminate the need for additional plugins, providing a streamlined checkout process.

Plugins and Integrations

WooCommerce: With an unmatched library of plugins, WooCommerce enables businesses to extend their store’s functionality in countless ways. This wide variety means you can integrate with virtually any service you need, from marketing tools to analytics systems.

BigCommerce: While BigCommerce also offers a variety of plugins and integrations, it might not match the sheer diversity of WooCommerce’s offerings. However, it covers all essential areas of e-commerce, ensuring you have the tools you need to run a successful online store.

Marketing Features

WooCommerce: While WooCommerce primarily relies on plugins for marketing features, this approach provides flexibility. Businesses can select the exact marketing tools they need, ensuring they have the right resources to reach their target audience.

BigCommerce: Built-in marketing tools simplify marketing efforts, providing businesses with an all-in-one solution. These tools include SEO features, discount and promo capabilities, social media integrations, and more.

SEO Features

WooCommerce: With its SEO-friendly features and compatibility with various SEO plugins, WooCommerce offers a flexible approach to improving your store’s visibility. This flexibility allows for granular control over your store’s SEO, potentially giving WooCommerce an edge.

BigCommerce: BigCommerce also offers SEO-friendly features. However, while it might not provide as many customization options as WooCommerce, BigCommerce’s out-of-the-box SEO tools are powerful and user-friendly, which can streamline your SEO efforts.

Security

WooCommerce: With WooCommerce, security largely depends on the hosting provider and the plugins you use. This dependence means that you have the flexibility to bolster your site’s security features as needed, but it also requires more management on your part.

BigCommerce: BigCommerce handles security aspects for you, offering enterprise-grade security. This feature ensures your store is well-protected, freeing you from the need to manage security measures yourself.

Pricing

WooCommerce: As an open-source platform, WooCommerce allows for significant control over costs. While some costs, like hosting and premium plugins, can add up, you have the freedom to choose exactly what you pay for, potentially saving money.

BigCommerce: BigCommerce provides comprehensive plans with fixed pricing. Although it may initially seem costlier than WooCommerce, these plans include a suite of features that could be more expensive to implement individually in WooCommerce.

Customer Support

WooCommerce: Support relies on community resources and third-party developers. While this support structure can be beneficial in providing a wide range of solutions and workarounds, it might not provide the immediate assistance that some businesses require.

BigCommerce: In contrast, BigCommerce offers 24/7 customer support. This round-the-clock service ensures that you can receive help whenever you encounter issues, providing peace of mind and ensuring your store runs smoothly.

Scalability

WooCommerce: The scalability of WooCommerce largely depends on your hosting resources. While you can scale your WooCommerce store significantly, it may require more management and technical know-how to ensure your site remains fast and reliable as traffic grows.

BigCommerce: This fully-hosted solution is designed to handle large-scale businesses right out of the box, making it a more scalable choice. This design ensures that as your business grows, your online store can easily keep pace.

Choosing Your E-commerce Partner

Ultimately, the choice between WooCommerce and BigCommerce boils down to your business needs and preferences. If having extensive customization possibilities and a pre-existing WordPress site is your priority, then WooCommerce could be an excellent fit. 

On the other hand, if you value an all-inclusive hosted solution, packed with robust built-in features and top-tier customer support, then BigCommerce might be the more fitting choice for you. Carefully evaluate your business needs, financial capacity, and long-term goals to make a decision that best suits your venture.

FAQs

Which platform between WooCommerce and BigCommerce is more beginner-friendly?

BigCommerce is generally considered more beginner-friendly due to its all-in-one hosted solution and user-friendly interface.

Is WooCommerce or BigCommerce better for international sales?

Both platforms offer excellent support for international sales. However, BigCommerce’s built-in features and customer support may provide an edge in this regard.

Which platform between WooCommerce and BigCommerce has a better mobile app experience for managing my store on the go?

BigCommerce offers dedicated mobile apps, making it a convenient choice for managing your store from anywhere.

Do you need coding skills to set up your online store?

With BigCommerce’s fully hosted solution, coding skills are generally not required. However, some level of technical knowledge might be helpful when customizing WooCommerce.

Are there any transaction fees on either platform?

BigCommerce might have transaction fees depending on your chosen pricing plan, while WooCommerce itself does not charge any transaction fees.