At a glance
Best for
Stores with multi-channel or complex catalog needs that want more commerce capability included natively—and teams willing to learn a platform that is less “tutorial saturated” than Shopify.
Not ideal for
Absolute beginners whose primary goal is the simplest dropshipping launch with the widest supplier-app menu. That remains [Shopify](/reviews/shopify)’s home turf.
In this review
BigCommerce has always sold a clear pitch against Shopify: more built in, less dependence on a third-party app tax. Multi-currency, channel selling, and B2B-leaning tools show up earlier in the native feature set. For the right catalog, that reduces subscription sprawl.
2026 fee dynamics matter. BigCommerce historically marketed no transaction fees; self-service plans now include open payment provider fees when you use gateways outside its embedded list (commonly discussed around 2% / 1% / 0.6% by plan). Shopify’s own third-party gateway fees are the parallel concept. Model total cost of ownership—not slogan pricing—before you choose.
How BigCommerce works
You run a hosted storefront with products, categories, checkout, and channel connections from one admin. Themes and apps extend the platform, but more operational features live in-core than on a minimal Shopify setup before apps.
Plan tiers are not just feature gates—they also carry annual online sales thresholds on self-service plans (commonly discussed bands that force upgrades as GMV rises). That is a structural difference from Shopify’s “grow without a hard sales cap on standard plans” model.
- Native multi-channel toolsSell beyond a single web storefront with marketplace and channel integrations that BigCommerce treats as core commerce, not optional extras.
- Catalog & B2B leaning featuresStronger out-of-box support for complex catalogs and wholesale-style needs than beginner website builders.
- Plan sales thresholdsSelf-service plans typically include annual sales caps—budget for the tier that matches projected GMV, not only monthly sticker price.
Fees, apps, and the Shopify comparison
If you use embedded-approved payment providers, you avoid BigCommerce’s open payment provider fee on those transactions; use other gateways and the plan’s percentage can apply. Shopify removes its extra transaction fee when you use Shopify Payments. Different mechanisms, same homework: calculate effective take-rate on your real gateway mix.
For dropshipping, Shopify still usually wins on ecosystem density—AutoDS, Zendrop, page builders, upsells, and creative tools all cluster there. BigCommerce can run product businesses well; it is simply less often the default in dropshipping content and app marketplaces. See Shopify vs Wix vs BigCommerce.
- Choose BigCommerce whenNative multi-channel and catalog depth matter more than maximum third-party app choice.
- Choose Shopify whenYou want the deepest dropshipping/CRO/email app graph and the lowest platform-switch risk as you grow.
- Avoid basing the decision on one fee sloganBoth platforms have plan rules and payment nuances that change total cost of ownership.
BigCommerce pricing
BigCommerce self-service plans (names evolve: Core / Growth / Scale or similar) start higher than the cheapest website builders and include online sales thresholds. Enterprise/Performance is custom. Confirm current pricing and fee tables on BigCommerce before you commit.
Core
$39/mo
Entry self-service commerce tier with the lowest sales threshold band.
- Hosted storefront and core commerce features
- Multi-channel starting points
- Open payment provider fee commonly ~2% if not using embedded providers
- Best for validating the platform with real catalog structure
Growth
Popular$105/mo
Mid tier for expanding GMV and channel complexity.
- Higher annual sales allowance than Core
- Lower open payment fee band (often ~1% on non-embedded)
- More staff and operational headroom
- Common home for growing multi-channel stores
Scale
$399/mo
High self-service tier before enterprise contracts.
- Highest public sales threshold band among self-service plans
- Lowest open payment fee band (often ~0.6%)
- Built for larger catalogs and teams
- Still evaluate Enterprise if you need custom contracts
Fee percentages and plan names reflect widely reported 2026 self-service structures and can change. Embedded providers (e.g. major gateways on BigCommerce’s list) may avoid the open payment fee—verify against official docs for your gateway.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Strong native commerce feature set for complex catalogs
- Multi-channel and multi-currency oriented without extreme app dependency
- Credible Shopify alternative for structured retail ops
- Clear upgrade path as GMV and channel count grow
Cons
- Less beginner mindshare and fewer dropshipping-centric tutorials than Shopify
- Sales caps on self-service plans force upgrades with success
- Open payment provider fees complicate the old “no transaction fees” story
- App ecosystem still thinner than Shopify for specialized CRO/dropshipping tools
Key takeaways
- BigCommerce is commerce-first with more native structure than Wix.
- Model 2026 payment fees and sales caps—not marketing slogans alone.
- Shopify still leads for dropshipping app density and beginner ecosystem.
- Growth/Scale tiers are where many serious catalogs actually live.
- Pick platforms by ops shape (channels, catalog, apps), not homepage demos.
Frequently asked questions
For some multi-channel or complex catalog stores, native features can win. For dropshipping and maximum app choice, Shopify usually wins. Compare in Shopify vs Wix vs BigCommerce.
The verdict
BigCommerce is a serious hosted commerce platform for structured, multi-channel retail—not a toy builder and not automatically the dropshipping default.
If you are launching a typical dropshipping or app-heavy DTC store, Shopify remains the highest-probability start. If your catalog and channels need native depth, BigCommerce earns a real evaluation—with fees and sales caps modeled honestly.