BigCommerce
Hosted commerce without transaction fees
BigCommerce is the value alternative to Shopify for larger catalogues, and it trades ecosystem for included features.
Where it wins. No transaction fees on any payment processor, which removes Shopify's most disliked charge. A lot arrives native: faceted search, customer groups, B2B price lists, multi-currency, and unlimited product variants, all of which are paid apps elsewhere. It handles large catalogues without the performance problems that afflict cheaper platforms, and its headless and API story is genuinely strong for custom builds.
Where it falls short. The app ecosystem and theme selection are far smaller than Shopify's, so an unusual requirement may simply have no solution. Plans carry annual sales thresholds — cross one and you are moved to a higher tier automatically, which is an unwelcome surprise. The admin is less polished, the learning curve steeper, and the community much smaller when you need an answer.
Our call. Worth comparing seriously if you have a big catalogue, B2B needs, or object to transaction fees. Otherwise Shopify's ecosystem wins.
Best for
Stores with large catalogues or B2B requirements that want native features and no transaction fees.
Key takeaways
- 1No transaction fees on any payment processor
- 2Faceted search, customer groups, and B2B pricing are native
- 3Handles large catalogues without slowing down
- 4Strong headless and API support
- 5Much smaller app and theme ecosystem than Shopify
- 6Annual sales thresholds bump you to a higher tier automatically
BigCommerce competes with Shopify by including natively what Shopify sells as apps, and by charging no extra transaction fee whichever processor you use. For a store with a large catalogue or B2B requirements, that combination lowers the real monthly bill meaningfully.
What we like
- No added transaction fees
- Extensive native functionality
- Good for large catalogues and B2B
- Solid headless commerce story
Worth noting
- Limited app and theme choice
- Automatic tier upgrades on revenue
- Less polished admin
- Smaller community
Plans
Pricing
Standard
per month
- No transaction fees on any processor
- Unlimited products and staff
- Faceted search
- Multi-channel selling
- $50k annual sales limit
Plus
per month
- Everything in Standard
- Customer groups and segmentation
- Abandoned cart saver
- Stored credit cards
- $180k annual sales limit
Pricing verified Aug 14, 2026. Prices shown are billed annually where available and may change — always confirm on the vendor site.
From real users
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Frequently asked questions
Does BigCommerce charge transaction fees?＋
No, on any payment processor. That is its central pitch against Shopify, which charges extra unless you use its own payments.
What are the sales thresholds?＋
Each plan has an annual sales limit, and crossing it moves you to the next tier automatically. Model your expected revenue against those thresholds before choosing.
BigCommerce or Shopify?＋
BigCommerce for large catalogues, B2B, and avoiding transaction fees. Shopify for the ecosystem — its app and theme selection is far larger when you need something unusual.
BigCommerce
From $29/mo