One of the first questions I hear from merchants is: “How much does BigCommerce cost compared to Shopify or other platforms?”
It’s a fair question — but also a tricky one. Because pricing isn’t just about the monthly plan fee. It’s about the real cost of running your store day-to-day, month-to-month, and year-over-year.
In this post, I’ll break down how BigCommerce pricing actually works, how it compares to Shopify and others, and what to consider when figuring out what you’ll really be paying. And if you want someone to walk through your options with you, I offer a free platform evaluation that takes your specific needs into account.
BigCommerce Pricing: The Basics
BigCommerce has four plan tiers:
- Standard: $39/month
- Plus: $105/month
- Pro: Starts at $399/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Plans are based on your store’s trailing 12-month revenue, so if you’re growing fast, you may get bumped to the next tier automatically. Some people find this frustrating, but in exchange, BigCommerce includes more advanced features out of the box compared to platforms like Shopify.
Here’s what you get natively (no extra apps required):
- Real-time shipping quotes
- Faceted search
- Customer groups and segmentation
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Built-in B2B tools on Pro and Enterprise
- Multi-storefront support
That’s important — because with other platforms, you’ll often be paying for third-party apps to get the same functionality.
BigCommerce vs. Shopify: What You Really Pay
At first glance, Shopify’s plans look the same:
- Basic: $39/month
- Shopify: $105/month
- Advanced: $399/month
But here’s what many merchants don’t realize: you’ll likely need several paid apps to match what BigCommerce includes. For example:
- Want product filtering? That’s an app.
- Abandoned cart recovery? Not on the Basic plan.
- B2B features? Not really built-in — you’ll need workarounds or pricey add-ons.
On top of that, Shopify charges transaction fees if you use any payment gateway other than their own (ShopPay). That’s 0.5% to 2% of every sale, depending on your plan.
BigCommerce? No transaction fees. Use whatever payment processor works best for your business.
So while Shopify may cost the same per month on paper, BigCommerce often ends up being more cost-effective over time — especially for stores with higher volume or complexity.
Need help choosing between the two? Here’s a direct comparison of BigCommerce vs Shopify.
What’s the Total Cost of Ownership?
When I work with clients, we don’t just look at pricing tables — we look at everything that affects the cost of running their store:
- Monthly platform fees
- App/plugin subscriptions
- Payment processing
- Developer costs
- Maintenance and upgrades
- Scaling up as the business grows
BigCommerce tends to win in terms of long-term value. Fewer apps to manage, more features included, and a stronger foundation for scale. If you’re planning to grow — or you’re already outgrowing your current setup — BigCommerce can save you money and time.
Who Gets the Most Value from BigCommerce?
I recommend BigCommerce to merchants who:
- Sell complex or customizable products
- Want to run B2B and B2C stores under one roof
- Need fewer moving parts and third-party apps
- Plan to scale or add storefronts/marketplaces down the road
- Want advanced features but don’t want to go fully custom
That doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone — but if any of the above sounds like your situation, it’s worth taking a closer look.
You can learn more about what BigCommerce does well (and where it might fall short) in this pros and cons breakdown.
Before You Choose Based on Price, Ask Yourself:
What features will I actually use — and are they built-in?
How many paid apps will I need to run my store the way I want?
Will this platform grow with me, or will I hit limitations fast?
Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Look at the Price Tag
If you’re only comparing monthly plan costs, it might seem like Shopify is cheaper. But once you factor in transaction fees, app costs, and future limitations, BigCommerce often wins on long-term value — especially for growing or complex stores.
Still not sure? Let’s talk it through. I offer a free platform evaluation where I’ll look at your business goals, product catalog, and future plans — and help you figure out which platform makes the most sense. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just straight advice.