BigCommerce vs Shopify Comparison 2026
BigCommerce and Shopify both start at $29 a month, but a different number actually separates them. BigCommerce's Core plan covers up to $30,000 in yearly sales before the account moves itself to a $79 tier, while Shopify's Basic plan has no sales ceiling and instead charges a card rate from 2.9 percent plus 30 cents that falls as the plan rises. BigCommerce adds no fee on top of whatever payment provider is used; Shopify adds a transaction fee to any gateway other than its own. The card rate, not the subscription, is where these two actually diverge.
A hosted store priced against how much you sell
A storefront whose card rate falls by plan
At a glance
- Neither has a free tier.
Side by side
BigCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $29 | From $29 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free trial, then paid | Paid subscription |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing | Not stated | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Yes | Yes |
BigCommerce
A hosted store priced against how much you sell
BigCommerce is a hosted storefront whose tiers are drawn around sales volume rather than around features, so the question at signup is what a shop turns over rather than which capabilities it needs. Crossing a tier's ceiling moves the account up on its own, which is worth knowing before the first busy quarter. The platform adds no transaction fee of its own on top of the payment provider's. Anybody below the first threshold is paying for headroom they will not use for a while.
Our note
The automatic upgrade is the thing to plan for, because a good quarter moves you a tier without anybody approving it and the jump from $29 to $79 arrives at $30,000 of sales. Compare with Shopify on the card rate rather than the subscription, since that is where the two platforms actually differ.
Shopify
A storefront whose card rate falls by plan
Shopify runs the shop itself, the checkout and the card processing, which is why its pricing has two numbers rather than one: a monthly plan and a card rate that drops as the plan rises. Selling on social, in person and through a site all report into the same catalogue and stock count. The plans are otherwise similar enough that most people choose on the card rate and the staff seats. Using a payment provider other than Shopify's own adds a transaction fee on top, so the cheap plan is not always the cheap option.
Why people weigh these two
- Shopify instead of BigCommerce
- The default hosted storefront at the same $29, with tiers drawn around features and falling card rates where BigCommerce's are drawn around sales volume.
- BigCommerce instead of Shopify
- BigCommerce is also a full hosted store with plans priced against sales volume, starting at $29, the closer like-for-like alternative among hosted platforms.
Which one should you pick
Choose BigCommerce if the plan should stay flat no matter which payment provider processes a card. Core is $29 a month for up to $30,000 in yearly sales, Growth is $79 up to $100,000, and neither adds a fee on top of the processor's own rate. It is wrong for anyone who wants card rates to fall as they grow, since BigCommerce prices tiers by sales volume rather than by a declining percentage.
Choose Shopify if card volume is high enough that a falling rate matters more than a flat fee. Basic starts at $29 a month with cards from 2.9 percent plus 30 cents, dropping to 2.7 percent on the $89 Grow plan and 2.5 percent on Advanced at $359. Every other gateway costs extra. It is wrong for anyone set on a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, because that choice adds a transaction fee on top of the plan.
Common questions
- BigCommerce and Shopify are both $29 a month. What actually differs?
- The card rate and the sales ceiling. BigCommerce's $29 Core plan covers up to $30,000 in yearly sales and charges nothing extra on any payment provider. Shopify's $29 Basic plan has no sales ceiling but charges 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per card transaction, a rate that only falls on pricier plans.
- Does Shopify charge more if I do not use Shopify Payments?
- Yes. Using a payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a transaction fee on top of the card rate. BigCommerce adds no such fee regardless of which processor handles the payment, which is the main reason to compare the two on cards rather than on the subscription.
- What happens when a BigCommerce shop passes $30,000 in sales?
- The account moves itself to the $79 Growth plan, which covers up to $100,000. Shopify has no equivalent sales ceiling. Its plans are separated instead by staff seats, features and a card rate that drops as the monthly fee rises.
- Which is cheaper for a shop selling in person as well as online?
- Shopify includes point of sale as an $89-a-month add-on per location and shares stock across online and in-person sales in one catalogue. BigCommerce has no matching in-person retail product, so a shop selling face to face has more to compare before choosing either.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.