BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a hosted ecommerce platform for creating and operating online stores. It combines storefront hosting, catalog management, checkout, payments, order workflows, SEO tools, and multichannel selling features.

The platform supports direct-to-consumer and B2B commerce. It also provides multi-storefront management, headless commerce options, and integrations for marketplaces, social channels, payment providers, shipping, tax, accounting, CRM, and ERP systems.

BigCommerce was founded in 2009 and serves merchants in more than 150 countries. Its corporate headquarters are in Austin, Texas.

BigCommerce includes hosted storefronts, mobile-responsive themes, a visual page builder, product and catalog management, one-page checkout, discounts, promotions, SEO controls, and analytics.

Its B2B capabilities include company accounts, customer-specific pricing, quote workflows, purchase orders, payment terms, buyer accounts, approval workflows, and buyer portals.

Merchants can manage multiple storefronts, connect external sales channels, and distribute products through marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay. The platform also supports social and marketing channels.

Developers can use REST and GraphQL APIs, webhooks, checkout tools, widgets, scripts, and SDKs. BigCommerce also supports headless storefront development with its GraphQL Storefront API and Catalyst framework.

The BigCommerce App Marketplace lists more than 1,200 apps. Available integration categories include marketing automation, B2B, point of sale, marketplaces, shipping, tax, order management, wish lists, and fraud prevention.

BigCommerce offers four current plan levels. Core costs $39 per month when billed monthly or $29 per month when billed annually. Growth costs $105 monthly or $79 annually. Scale costs $399 monthly or $299 annually. Performance uses custom pricing starting at $1,499 per month billed annually.

Plans use trailing twelve-month gross merchandise value thresholds. Accounts can automatically move to a higher plan when sales exceed the applicable threshold. Open payment provider fees may apply, while eligible embedded payment providers do not incur BigCommerce payment fees.

BigCommerce provides a fully functional 15-day free trial. A credit card isn’t required, and the trial can support a live store after a payment partner is configured.

Pros:

• Broad native ecommerce functionality reduces reliance on third-party extensions.
• Strong support for B2B selling, multi-storefront management, and multichannel commerce.
• REST and GraphQL APIs support custom applications, integrations, and headless storefronts.
• Eligible embedded payment providers can avoid additional BigCommerce payment fees.
• G2 reviewers report positive experiences with ease of use, support, and integrations.

Cons:

• Pricing increases as stores exceed sales thresholds or require higher tiers.
• Open payment providers can create additional platform fees.
• Advanced customizations may require development work or third-party apps.
• Enterprise and complex B2B implementations can require professional services.
• Some G2 reviewers report customization limitations and a learning curve.

Shopify is a comparable hosted ecommerce platform with a large app ecosystem and a strong beginner-oriented setup experience. Adobe Commerce suits organizations seeking extensive customization and enterprise commerce control.

WooCommerce is a WordPress-based option for organizations that want control over hosting and site code. commercetools targets composable commerce projects with API-first architecture. Salesforce Commerce Cloud is another enterprise-focused alternative for organizations already using Salesforce products.

Does BigCommerce offer a free plan?
BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial but does not list a permanent free plan on its current pricing page.

Does BigCommerce provide an API?
Yes. BigCommerce provides REST and GraphQL APIs for catalog, orders, customers, content, payments, storefronts, accounts, and other commerce functions.

What integrations does BigCommerce support?
The platform supports apps and integrations for payments, accounting, ERP, CRM, marketing, shipping, tax, marketplaces, social channels, point of sale, analytics, and order management.

Can BigCommerce support B2B commerce?
Yes. Its B2B capabilities include company accounts, customer-specific pricing, quoting, purchase orders, payment terms, approval workflows, and buyer account management.

Can developers build headless stores with BigCommerce?
Yes. Developers can use the GraphQL Storefront API, REST APIs, checkout tools, SDKs, and Catalyst, a composable storefront framework based on Next.js and React.

Does BigCommerce have a mobile app?
The verified product materials describe a responsive web platform. A separate native mobile administration application was not confirmed in the researched sources.

BigCommerce is best suited to growing retailers, B2B sellers, and organizations needing built-in commerce functionality with extensible APIs. Its main trade-offs are sales-based plan upgrades, possible open-payment-provider fees, and development effort for highly customized experiences.