BigCommerce is a fully hosted and managed eCommerce solution.
It packs several features that make building and running online stores seamlessly. The platform can also integrate with many third-party applications, making it highly extensible.
However, we have identified seven alternatives you want to explore.
Alternatives to BigCommerce
1. Shopify
Shopify is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that lets people sell online, ship, and process payments from anywhere. Shopify runs on its servers as a hosted solution, and merchants don’t have to buy web hosting services or install software or scripts to use it.
Over 5.77 million stores currently run on Shopify, and the platform has generated over $496 million within the last 16 years.
Shopify Features
- Over 6,000 apps for robust customization
- Over 70 beautiful and SEO-friendly themes
- A free SSL certificate for store security.
- Advanced analytics and reporting capability
- Intuitive built-in marketing tools
- Inventory management tools
- Supports hundreds of integrations.
- Scalable web hosting
- Mobile app
- 24/7 support
Pros
- The Point of Sales enables merchants to connect offline stores to Shopify inventory.
- Shopify is highly customizable
- The stores are mobile friendly
- It’s easy to use and doesn’t require coding.
Cons
- Shopify doesn’t provide email hosting.
- The platform doesn’t natively support marketing automation.
Pricing
Shopify offers three monthly subscription plans.
- Basic plan: $29 per month
- Shopify plan: $79 per month
- Advanced plan: $299 monthly
Best Use Case: Shopify is the best alternative for merchants looking for a fully hosted eCommerce solution.
2. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that lets sellers run an eCommerce store on WordPress. As an open-source project, several developers regularly contribute to making it better.
The plugin powers nearly 3.5 million online stores and leads the global eCommerce platform market with over 23 percent market share.
WooCommerce Features
- Hundreds of extensions and themes to choose from
- Secured payment and configurable shipping options
- WooCommerce mobile app to manage the store on the go
- Drag and drop store builder and highly customizable
- Support hundreds of integrations
- Inventory management
- Amazon fulfillment
Pros
- You can build any store with WooCommerce.
- The plugin is entirely free to use.
- It’s self-hosted, so you have control over hosting and store security.
- A global online community that supports one another and shares ideas.
- You can connect your WooCommerce store to the FBA service to ship orders automatically to customers.
Cons
- You might need several extensions to run a functional store.
- Premium extensions add to the cost of operating WooCommerce stores.
- You’re responsible for your store’s security and hosting.
- Building a WooCommerce store requires expert-level knowledge
Pricing
The WooCommerce plugin is free. However, you’ll need to pay for hosting, SSL certificate, and extensions to run a store with WooCommerce. You can learn to build your WooCommerce store here.
Best Use Case: WooCommerce is the best BigCommerce alternative for merchants that want to run their store on WordPress.
3. PrestaShop
PrestaShop is an open-source eCommerce software that lets merchants build a self-hosted online store. The software supports nearly 300,000 websites, generating over 22 billion euros in online sales in 2020.
PrestaShop Features
- Over 200 premium themes and 10,000 modules.
- Secured payment and flexible shipping options
- Inventory management
- Supports unlimited language and multi-currency store
- Offers a Buy Now Pay Later option
- Built-in Google and social marketing capability
- Advanced real-time reporting and analytics
Pros
- You can customize and brand your store
- PrestaShop, like most eCommerce solutions, lets you seamlessly run an online store.
- The multilingual and currency features enable you to sell internationally with ease.
- PrestaShop is a thriving ecosystem of agencies, users, and developers with over one million helpful community members.
- You can offer installment payments to boost the conversion rate.
- It offers many free essential modules and add-ons.
- You’re in charge of your web hosting, and site security can change providers.
Cons
- Downloading and installing the PrestaShop requires more than basic web development knowledge.
- The solution offers limited scalability, making it suitable for only small and growing businesses.
- PrestaShop doesn’t have an official support team.
Pricing
Prestashop doesn’t have a monthly subscription fee. It’s free.
Best Use Case: PrestaShop is best for sellers that want enhanced international selling capabilities.
4. Ecwid
Ecwid is a fully hosted eCommerce solution that enables small businesses with minimal resources to add online stores to their website, social media channels, or mobile devices.
The solution currently serves 175 countries and powers more than 900,000 stores.
Ecwid Features
- A free plan
- Syncs seamlessly with a website, social media, and Amazon
- Inventory management
- 24/7 support
- Mobile app
- An app store to extend the store functionality
- Point of sale tool
- Over 50 languages supported
- Support over 86 payment gateways
Pros
- Ecwid offers a free plan and affordable premium plans.
- The platform allows merchants to sell virtually anywhere
- Ecwid supports hundreds of integrations
- It offers a lot of free essential add-ons
- Ecwid store is easy to use.
- The point-of-sale feature lets merchants take their business offline
- The multilingual and multiple payment gateway features allow you to sell internationally
Cons
- Ecwid offers limited store customization compared to other solutions.
- ItIt’smpossible to edit product URLs or create redirects.
- The free plan doesn’t offer SEO features
Pricing
Shopify offers three monthly subscription plans.
- Free plan: $0 per month
- Venture plan: $12.5 per month
- Business plan: $29.17 monthly
- Unlimited plan: $82.5 monthly
Best Use Case: Ecwid is an excellent option for small business merchants.
5. Magento Commerce
Magento, now Adobe Commerce, is an open-source eCommerce solution that allows merchants to build and operate multiple online stores on a single platform. It’s a content management system (CMS) and so doesn’t require third-party architecture to run.
The platform supports about 2.3 percent of global eCommerce stores.
Magento Features
- Drag and drop store builder
- Multiple storefronts
- High scalability
- Inventory and order management
- Live search
- Progressive Web Application (PWA)
- Free Amazon sales channel extension
- Self-hosted
- Over 3,500 extensions
Pros
- Magento can handle any store size
- You can build multiple stores with the platform
- The PWA functionality makes the store lightning fast
- It can integrate with several third-party platforms
- The AI-powered live search features make shoppers’ product discovery experiences seamless.
- Magento is highly customizable
Cons
- Store development on Magento is relatively expensive.
- Magneto store might require special web hosting.
- The platform has a steep learning curve.
Pricing
The Community Edition is free, while the Enterprise Edition is available for at least $22,000.
Best Use Case: Magento is the best alternative for scalability and large-scale eCommerce operations.
6. Squarespace
Squarespace is a professional website builder with eCommerce functionalities that let merchants build stores and sell online. ItIt’sully hosted and provides an all-in-one solution for small business owners.
The platform became operational in 2004. It has nearly 4 million subscribers.
Squarespace Features
- Built-in SEO tools
- Advanced blogging capabilities
- 24/7 customer support
- eCommerce functionalities with the point of sale features
- Large design templates
- Native analytics and reporting tools
- Third-party app integration
- Mobile app
- Video maker
- Fully managed web hosting
- Built-in email marketing solution
- Free SSL
Pros
- Besides physical and digital products, you can sell services with the platform.
- The native analytics and reporting tools let you monitor store performance in real-time.
- You can customize your store with numerous themes.
- The blogging functionalities enable you to create helpful articles and tips for customers.
- The built-in video maker lets you use videos to grow your audience and drive sales.
- Easily integrates with over 20 social platforms.
- You can host a podcast on the platform and publish it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
- You can run email campaigns without third-party services.
- The annual plan offers a one-year free domain.
Cons
- You can only sell online with the Ecommerce plan.
- The templates limit your customization options because you can’t drag and drop elements.
- As a fully managed solution, you’re responsible for hosting and security.
- It has limited plugins and extensions.
- The editor doesn’t autosave changes.
- It’s not an eCommerce-only solution.
Pricing
Squarespace offers four subscription plans:
- Personal plan: $23 monthly
- Business plan; $33 monthly
- Basic Commerce plan: $36 monthly
- Advanced Commerce plan: $65 monthly
Best Use Case: Squarespace is great for photographers, artists, and merchants that want to sell digital products.
Explore other online store builders for small businesses.
7. Volusion
Volusion is an all-in-one eCommerce platform. It also provides studio services, including marketing and design-related solutions, to help users improve sales and grow their business.
Over 7,300 live stores currently run on the platform.
Volusion Features
- Built-in SEO tools
- Configurable shipping options
- Inventory management
- Fully managed
- Store security and customizable firewall settings
- In-house design services
- Customizable storefront
- Built-in CRM tool
- Supports third-party integration
- Free slideshows
- 24/7 support
Pros
- With the studio services, you can focus on running your business while experts take care of marketing.
- The platform is highly customizable and easy to use.
- Volusion provides extensive support.
- The eCommerce platform doesn’t charge transaction fees.
Cons
- Volusion doesn’t have blogging features.
- The analytics and reporting feature might need improvement.
- It offers limited customization and third-party integration.
- The themes are not as responsive as promised.
- You might experience unusual downtimes.
Pricing
Volusion offers four subscription plans:
- Personal plan: $35 monthly
- Pro plan: $79 monthly
- Business plan: $299 monthly
- Prime plan: Based on gross merchandise volume
Best Use Case: Volusion is the best option for sellers that need professionals to handle their marketing and designs.
Wrapping It Up
We have reviewed seven BigCommerce alternatives for your eCommerce store.
Most offer basic eCommerce functionalities like inventory management, order processing, configurable shipping options, and online checkouts. However, they can also integrate with many essential third-party solutions, making them highly extensible. So, picking a clear winner will be quite challenging.
You can go for the fully managed options if you don’t want to worry about hosting and SSL certificates.
But if you want to self-host your store to have complete control over server performance and store security, this resource can guide you in choosing the best hosting service for your eCommerce store.
