BigCommerce vs WooCommerce

An honest side-by-side comparison of two of our top e-commerce tools picks — pricing, strengths, weaknesses, and who each one is really for.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce

Ranked #2 of 22 in this directory

Enterprise e-commerce without enterprise complexity

Paid
WooCommerce

WooCommerce

Ranked #3 of 22 in this directory

The open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress

Free

Our pick: BigCommerce. Our editors rank BigCommerce higher overall in E-commerce Tools — but WooCommerce can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case below. How we review

Compare the details

BigCommerceWooCommerce
Pricing modelPaidFree
Starting priceSee websiteFree
CategoryStore BuildersStore Builders
Editorial rank#2 of 22#3 of 22

Strengths

BigCommerce

  • Zero transaction fees on all plans
  • Built-in multi-currency and multi-storefront support
  • B2B features included — price lists, bulk pricing, corporate accounts
  • Headless capabilities for custom frontends
  • More built-in features than Shopify at the same price

WooCommerce

  • Free core plugin — no platform fees or transaction fees
  • Unlimited customization with thousands of themes and plugins
  • Full data ownership with self-hosted solution
  • Largest community and developer ecosystem in e-commerce

Watch out for

BigCommerce

  • !Annual sales thresholds trigger mandatory plan upgrades
  • !App ecosystem smaller than Shopify's
  • !Steeper learning curve than Shopify for beginners

WooCommerce

  • !Requires WordPress hosting and maintenance
  • !Security updates and backups are your responsibility
  • !Premium extensions can get expensive

Best use cases

BigCommerce

  • Run a B2C and B2B store simultaneously with separate pricing rules
  • Build a custom storefront in React while keeping BigCommerce as the commerce engine
  • Expand to international markets with local currencies and tax rules per region

WooCommerce

  • Add a fully functional online store to an existing WordPress blog or website
  • Build a niche e-commerce site with completely custom functionality via plugins
  • Sell digital downloads, subscriptions, or memberships without any platform fees

About each tool

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is the open-SaaS e-commerce platform that gives enterprise-level features without the enterprise price tag. Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce charges zero transaction fees on all plans and includes features like multi-currency, faceted search, and B2B functionality that competitors charge extra for. Its headless commerce capabilities let brands build custom storefronts with any tech stack while using BigCommerce as the backend. Preferred by larger merchants, BigCommerce handles up to $400M in GMV per year and has been named a Gartner Magic Quadrant leader.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the most installed e-commerce platform in the world, powering 36% of all online stores. As a WordPress plugin, it's completely free and gives unlimited customization with no transaction fees. Thousands of themes and extensions extend its capabilities for every use case imaginable. WooCommerce is ideal for businesses that already have a WordPress site, want maximum control over their store, or need a self-hosted solution. The trade-off is that it requires more technical management than hosted platforms like Shopify.

Still deciding? Browse all 22 options with honest pros, cons, and pricing.

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