If you’ve spent any time comparing e-commerce platforms, you’ve probably seen a ton of feature charts. Every platform claims to have “everything you need” — but when you dig a little deeper, you start realizing how much of it depends on third-party apps.
That’s one of the biggest differences between BigCommerce and most of its competitors.
I’ve worked with hundreds of merchants over the years, and here’s what I can tell you: what’s built-in matters. It saves you money, it reduces complexity, and it gives you room to grow — without duct-taping your store together with plugins.
In this post, I’ll break down what makes BigCommerce’s feature set different, what it does well out of the box, and how it compares to the “just add another app” approach you’ll find on other platforms.
And if you’re still not sure what makes sense for your business, I offer a free platform evaluation to help you figure it out — no pressure, just straight-up advice.
Built-In vs. Bolt-On: Two Very Different Philosophies
Some platforms (like Shopify) are designed around an app-store model. You start with a clean slate — and then you add apps to get the features you need.
BigCommerce takes a different approach. A lot of what other platforms treat as optional add-ons are baked right into the core product.
Here’s what that means in practice:
- Fewer apps to install
- Fewer vendors to manage
- Fewer things to break
- And fewer surprise fees over time
It also means you can spend more time building your business — and less time chasing down plugins or hiring someone to keep your site stable.
Features That Actually Matter (and BigCommerce Does Right)
Here are some standout features that come built into BigCommerce — no extra apps required.
Native Product Filtering (Faceted Search)
This is huge if you have a large or complex catalog. Shoppers can narrow down by size, color, style, price range — whatever makes sense for your products.
On BigCommerce, this comes included on the Pro plan and above. On other platforms? You’ll need a paid app, and some of them aren’t cheap.
Multi-Storefront Management
If you want to run multiple stores under one backend — say, one for retail and one for wholesale, or separate stores for different regions — BigCommerce makes that possible without jumping through hoops.
No need to log into three different dashboards or pay for three different plans.
Customer Groups & Custom Pricing
Perfect for B2B, wholesale, loyalty tiers, or special customer segments. You can set up different pricing rules and catalog access for different groups — all natively.
Open APIs & Headless Capabilities
BigCommerce is dev-friendly. If you want to go headless or customize your storefront experience, the APIs are solid and well-documented. You’re not boxed into a templated setup unless you want to be.
No Transaction Fees
This one’s big. Shopify charges extra fees if you don’t use their payment processor (ShopPay). BigCommerce doesn’t care who you use — and doesn’t take a cut.
When Relying on Apps Becomes a Problem
Look, apps aren’t inherently bad. Sometimes you do need a third-party tool to solve a specific problem.
But I’ve seen too many stores rely on 10–20 apps just to get basic functionality — and it turns into a mess:
- Conflicts between apps
- Expensive subscription stacking
- Random breakages after updates
- And slow site performance from all the scripts loading
When key features come built-in, you don’t have to worry about any of that. It’s one less thing to maintain, and one more thing that “just works.”
What I Tell My Clients
Don’t just compare feature checklists. Ask this instead:
“Can I run my store effectively without having to piece it together from a dozen plugins?”
If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track. BigCommerce gives you more out of the box, which often means less time troubleshooting and more time selling.
That’s why I recommend it to merchants who want stability, flexibility, and room to grow.
Final Thoughts
There’s no such thing as the perfect platform — but there is a platform that’s right for your business. And if you’re tired of patching things together or relying on a stack of plugins just to get your store to function, BigCommerce might be the upgrade you’ve been looking for.
Still not sure? I offer a free platform evaluation where we look at your goals, tech stack, and what you actually need — and I’ll give you a recommendation you can feel confident about.