WooCommerce vs BigCommerce (2023 In Depth Comparison)

The introduction of technology and the Internet sparked an E-commerce revolution, fundamentally altering consumer purchasing habits. Retailers and wholesalers have adapted their online storefronts to cater to knowledgeable online shoppers, even as physical retail remains relevant.However, selecting the ideal platform for creating an online store poses a significant challenge for retailers venturing into online sales. BigCommerce and WooCommerce are among the most frequently used systems, each offering many benefits and drawbacks.

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‍Starting an E-commerce business is complex, and a crucial initial step is choosing a robust platform to automate and streamline operations. Finding a platform that provides automation and flexibility tailored to your offerings is essential. In this comparison, we evaluate WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce in terms of cost, usability, features, capabilities, customer support, and user reviews, assisting you in making an informed decision. Later in the blog, we'll delve into the advantages of the Fynd Platform.

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Introduction

By the end of this article, you'll better understand the pros and cons of BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce. This comparison will help you decide whether migrating from BigCommerce to WooCommerce or vice versa is worthwhile. Your familiarity with design and specific needs will dictate your choice between these two E-commerce systems.

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While WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin installed once your website is live, BigCommerce functions as a website builder. Both platforms provide storefronts and templates but differ in their included features. Whether creating a dedicated E-commerce website or seeking a way to sell products alongside your other business pursuits, both options offer great potential.

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Overview: WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce

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Among the prominent E-commerce platforms available, WooCommerce and BigCommerce stand out. WooCommerce, dominating 36% of the global E-commerce market, holds the position as the most widely used platform, as per Statista. In contrast, the survey shows BigCommerce only accounts for 1% of the market share. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that BigCommerce should be dismissed. The online landscape is vast, and trends can shift. Comparing the search terms "BigCommerce" and "WooCommerce" using Google Trends reveals a similar pattern of "interest over time." While WooCommerce has seen rapid growth in search trends, BigCommerce has been catching up recently. Although it still has ground to cover, its popularity is rising.

What is BigCommerce?

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Introduced in 2009 as a hosted platform for creating online stores, BigCommerce has evolved into a robust contender in the E-commerce industry. A monthly subscription fee is required to maintain your online business on BigCommerce. Boasting numerous built-in features, diverse functions, support for various payment methods, and more, it has effectively accommodated the needs of many rapidly expanding organisations. BigCommerce functions as a fully hosted E-commerce platform.

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This means that BigCommerce offers comprehensive services encompassing hosting, design, content, SEO, payments, and marketing tools for establishing an E-commerce store. Essentially, it's an all-in-one platform or Software as a Service (SaaS), allowing you to swiftly construct a BigCommerce store by subscribing to a membership plan. One limitation of opting for BigCommerce is that store customisation is confined to the tools provided by the BigCommerce platform. However, the BigCommerce WordPress plugin offers a significant advantage, enabling you to seamlessly host a fully functional BigCommerce store alongside your existing WordPress website.

What is WooCommerce?

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WooCommerce is an open-source WordPress plugin developed in 2011 by the WooThemes developers. It facilitates rapidly transforming an existing WordPress website into a powerful online store. This platform suits businesses of all sizes, ranging from small-scale merchants to large corporations. WooCommerce is the preferred choice for WordPress users among the array of E-commerce plugins available. This tool seamlessly converts any WordPress blog or website into a fully functional E-commerce store. To launch a WooCommerce store, you must purchase, set up, and install WordPress, WooCommerce, and various marketing tools. Although the initial process might seem daunting, it's easier than it appears.

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Selecting The Suitable E-Commerce Platform for Your Business

Choosing the perfect E-commerce platform for your company is akin to selecting the ideal foundation for a home. It determines the level of benefit your business can derive from a hosting provider. Each platform boasts unique features, advantages, and costs. However, making the wrong choice could lead to budget waste, additional expenses, and missed growth potential just like with the Fynd Platform, which offers nearly all the features above, including

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• Easy accessibility

• 24/7 customer support,

• Extensive reach,

• Online presence

• One-month free trial

• Data insights and much more

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On the contrary, dedicating time to choosing the right platform for your business can yield several benefits. Among these advantages are a reliable online presence, a consistent user experience, swift lead generation, and improved ROI. Launching your E-commerce venture aims to create an online shopping experience for your customers, enabling sales regardless of their location or preferred purchasing method. An E-commerce platform goes beyond online selling it constitutes an entire ecosystem supporting and granting you greater control over your business. In selecting an E-commerce platform, numerous factors from web hosting and bandwidth to inventory management and delivery partnerships come into play. Here are a few noteworthy considerations in this regard.

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Security

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The requirement for internet security is evolving in tandem with changes in consumer shopping habits. E-commerce platforms must prioritise safeguarding customer privacy and data integrity. To effectively address these concerns and ensure optimal user privacy protection, E-commerce platforms need to implement robust security measures by 2023. Verifying that your chosen platform incorporates PCI compliance, fraud prevention, SSL certification, and data backup capabilities is vital. Given the enhanced security protocols inherent in object-oriented programming languages, opting for a platform utilising one of these security measures is recommended.

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SEO capabilities

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Customers will only visit your website if they can find it in search results while searching for similar products. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential for enhancing your site's visibility and search engine ranking. Therefore, the platform you select should provide a range of SEO-related features. These include enabling users to incorporate blogs into their websites, utilising custom domain names, incorporating customer reviews, and supporting Google site maps. Including these functionalities in the platform will directly influence your site's performance in search engine results. Several excellent SEO-friendly E-commerce platforms include Onveos, Magento, OpenCart, and WooCommerce.

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Responsive Web Design

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In E-commerce, catering to a substantial portion of mobile-using clients is essential, given that over half of American online shoppers fall into this category. Ensuring these customers can seamlessly navigate websites and make purchases using mobile devices is paramount. Opting for separate desktop and mobile websites means managing distinct marketing campaigns, banners, product information, catalogues, etc. This can lead to increased expenses and resource utilisation for E-commerce stores. Responsive web design comes to the rescue by automatically adapting a site's layout to fit various screen widths, encompassing desktops, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets. 

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This cost-effective approach provides users with an excellent browsing experience across devices. When selecting a platform, prioritise those that endorse responsive web design. Various responsive themes and templates are available for crafting vertically stacked websites through the Fynd Platform, Magento, WooCommerce, and Shopify. Shopify users have the additional benefit of directly modifying HTML and CSS. This allows them to adjust element colours, sizes, and positions on the platform's pages to their liking.

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Supports Multiple Selling Channels

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Expanding revenue opportunities, an E-commerce store can thrive by offering products and services through diverse sales channels. Consequently, when choosing a platform, opt for one that empowers you to present your offerings across various online marketplaces, including Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Amazon, and others. Leading multi-channel E-commerce platforms, such as Fynd Platform (a standout choice), PrestaShop, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Shopify, and WooCommerce, aid you in creating multiple selling avenues across online marketplaces. These technologies facilitate the development of various sales options and centralised inventory control, leading to amplified revenue generation.

Integrations

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While an E-commerce platform comes with the essential tools for running an online store, additional integrations and plugins are often necessary to provide crucial functionalities such as payment gateways, accounting tools, tax calculators, and email marketing solutions. Every E-commerce platform necessitates a few plugins and connectors. However, choosing a platform that supports integrations and plugins relevant to your industry and boasts an active user community is important. Moreover, the platform should consistently address concerns and improve functionality.

Technical Support

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Unforeseen events like software failures, server outages, and breakdowns can hinder customers from accessing your website and completing purchases at any moment. These occurrences lead to loss of income and can significantly impact your brand's reputation. Having rapid technical support from your chosen E-commerce platform is vital to swiftly resolve such issues and maintain the normal functioning of your store. Hence, opting for a platform that provides timely and effective support is crucial. Before selecting, inquire about these aspects from the platform's customer support team.

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Scalability

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Anticipate the growth of your E-commerce business over time. Hence, select a platform that can scale alongside your company. Furthermore, ensure that the platform offers reasonable pricing for adding extra functionality and storage, enabling it to accommodate your expanding business requirements.

Price

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Price is crucial in selecting the right platform for your store. Various factors contribute to an E-commerce platform's cost, including design, configuration, self-hosting vs. hosting, custom development, and maintenance. The costs of different E-commerce platforms vary. For instance, Basic Shopify at $29 per month, Shopify at $79 per month, and Advanced Shopify at $299. Volusion has four price plans: The personal plan at $29 per month, the Professional plan at $79 per month, the Business plan at $299 per month, and the Prime Custom plan. 

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BigCommerce's pricing plan options include Standard ($39/month), Plus ($105/month), Pro ($399/month), and Enterprise plans with pricing based on a customer's online sales. 3dcart's pricing starts at $17.10 per month (Startup plan), Basic plan at 26.10 per month, Plus plan $71.10 and Power plan at $116.10. The Fynd Platform offers various features and add-ons, while Volusion focuses on a sales-centric experience. BigCommerce excels in SEO, and 3dcart provides valuable features for developing and managing E-commerce stores. When choosing the best platform for your business, compare pricing, benefits, and drawbacks carefully. 

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Assess your organisation's unique needs, such as cost, customer service, availability of learning materials, and usability for modern D2C brands. Traditional enterprises moving online should consider inventory management, offline shop connectivity, and analytics. For forward-looking businesses aiming to expand, capabilities like headless commerce, sales channel integration, platform availability, and app customisation are vital. Even the most popular platforms have their flaws and drawbacks that need consideration. Apart from the top contenders, there are other platforms available. Many retailers opt for simplicity and cost-effectiveness. However, making pricing the sole criterion for selecting an E-commerce platform could be costly in the long run. 

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Choose a platform that consistently invests in technical advancements to remain at the forefront. E-commerce platforms can be more than just tools for selling; they can accelerate and fortify your company's journey into the future. Choosing the right E-commerce platform is crucial for your company's success and growth. Making a wrong choice might lead to the need to migrate to a new platform, a process that's time-consuming and costly. By comparing the features of various platforms, you can select the ideal foundation for your store's website and set yourself up for E-commerce success.

BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce: Features

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Investing time, money, and effort into software that needs more essential capabilities is counterproductive. Let's delve into the crucial features shared by both BigCommerce and WooCommerce. 

BigCommerce's Core Features

Building Your Website

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BigCommerce offers a selection of 12 free themes to choose from. Additionally, there are 50 paid themes available, ranging from $150 to $300 as a one-time fee. Once you've chosen a template, you can customise your website's design to align with your company's style using BigCommerce's intuitive drag-and-drop editor. The user interface is user-friendly, and all templates have a polished and professional appearance. With BigCommerce, creating a visually appealing website takes just minutes.

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Marketing Features

Once your E-commerce store is established, marketing becomes a top priority. BigCommerce offers a plethora of built-in tools to help you achieve just that. Here are a few options to aid your marketing efforts: 

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• BigCommerce provides a range of SEO-friendly features, including automated sitemaps, site-wide HTTPS, and search-friendly themes across all templates. You have full control over metadata, header tags, title tags, and URLs.

• Omnichannel marketing and sales are encouraged by BigCommerce. You can sell on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, eBay, Amazon, and Google. Your BigCommerce store seamlessly integrates with these channels, allowing centralised inventory management from a single dashboard.

• With built-in blogging functionality, BigCommerce supports your content marketing initiatives.

• BigCommerce offers advanced email marketing resources. Notably, you can create and manage automated abandoned cart campaigns. Higher-tiered subscriptions also enable email list segmentation.

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Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that BigCommerce plans encompass features for discounts, coupons, and gift cards all valuable tools for promoting your products.

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Streamlined Checkout and Payment Options

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BigCommerce ensures a seamless purchasing journey with its streamlined checkout pages, offering customers a swift buying experience. Account creation is simplified into a single step, complete with security assurances. The platform offers a selection of 65 payment gateways, including well-known options such as PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net. It's worth noting that BigCommerce doesn't impose transaction fees. Moreover, there are provisions for integrating mobile and digital wallets for added convenience. 

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Store Management

BigCommerce offers a range of features to streamline store management. Its inventory management tools allow you to:

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• Easily manage stock levels across online and offline sales channels.

• Identify patterns.

• Anticipate demand.

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The BigCommerce Mobile App

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With the BigCommerce mobile app, you can efficiently manage your online store anywhere. Whether tracking your store's performance or staying connected with customers, you can handle it all using your mobile device.

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WooCommerce's Core Features

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While WooCommerce offers fewer built-in functionalities than BigCommerce, it equips you with everything you need to establish your online shop using WordPress for online sales. In addition to the essentials, you can enhance its capabilities by incorporating and utilising third-party plugins. In this regard, WooCommerce provides a wealth of freedom and flexibility.

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Building Your Website

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WooCommerce offers a selection of 20 themes with 14 designed storefront templates. While only three are free, the remaining options are priced between $39 and $129. Compared to BigCommerce's themes, WooCommerce's templates are generally more customisable. However, the modification process can be slightly more intricate due to the absence of a straightforward drag-and-drop interface. To harness this capability, you can utilise third-party applications. If you're accustomed to editing websites using WordPress, you'll quickly adapt to WooCommerce's workflow. Ultimately, WooCommerce offers remarkable design flexibility, assuming you possess technical skills. 

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Sell Anything on WooCommerce

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WooCommerce is a versatile platform suitable for all retailers. It empowers you to sell various products, including physical and digital goods and members-only content. Furthermore, you can offer single items, product bundles, and subscription packages, with the potential for limitless product permutations.

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Marketing

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WooCommerce simplifies the process of advertising products on platforms like Facebook and listing them on Google Shopping. You can integrate with MailChimp or utilise WooCommerce's built-in email marketing features for email marketing. These features allow you to initiate automated campaigns, send newsletters, and even launch abandoned cart emails. 

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WooCommerce offers 'Coupons' and 'Gifting' functionalities to incentivise customer support. Moreover, you can establish 'Points' and 'Rewards' systems for exchanging coupons in the future. WooCommerce also comes with an integrated blogging feature. While this is essentially a standard WordPress function, it's undoubtedly valuable, given that WordPress is the industry standard for blogging platforms. Additionally, you can utilise WooCommerce's 'Product Blocks' to implement upselling and cross-selling strategies. However, many of WooCommerce's marketing-related tasks might come with additional costs, as they often involve outsourcing to external contractors.

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Flexible and Secure Payments

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WooCommerce allows you to accept customer payments through various methods, including major credit cards, bank transfers, cheques, and cash on delivery. For credit card transactions, a small transaction fee applies. You can utilise WooCommerce's built-in payment gateway or seamlessly integrate with one of the nearly 140 region-specific gateways available. These options include well-known providers such as Amazon Pay, Square, Paypal, and Stripe.

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Order Management

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WooCommerce's dashboard employs the familiar WordPress interface. This platform allows Store owners to efficiently manage inventory, update product details, and fulfil orders. Moreover, you can access real-time shipping quotes from top carriers, automated tax calculations, and the convenience of printing shipping labels. Similar to BigCommerce, WooCommerce offers a mobile app for iOS and Android. This app empowers you to manage your store's operations while you're on the move. 

Why Compare WooCommerce and BigCommerce?

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Despite the substantial gap in active platform users, BigCommerce offers many remarkable features that are hard to overlook. BigCommerce provides an easily set-up store on a hosted platform for individuals seeking simplicity. Moreover, it alleviates the burden of tackling technical issues that could otherwise hinder performance. Conversely, some enjoy delving into the technical intricacies and seek advanced store functionality. They aim to construct their store from the ground up to achieve optimal performance, naturally pointing them towards a self-hosted solution. These factors, among others, contribute to the compelling nature of the BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce debate. Let's dive into it and explore the advantages and disadvantages.

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BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce: Pros & Cons

BigCommerce

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WooCommerce

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Similarities between WooCommerce and BigCommerce

1. Built-in Blogging Functionality: Both platforms include built-in blogging features, allowing you to integrate content marketing into your E-commerce strategy.

2. Premium Themes: Both companies provide the option to purchase premium themes, enhancing your store's visual appeal and branding.

3. Quick Storefront Setup: With user-friendly webpage editors, both platforms facilitate the rapid creation of storefronts, requiring only a matter of minutes.

4. Google Shopping and Social Media Selling: BigCommerce and WooCommerce enable you to sell products on platforms like Google Shopping and various social media sites.

5. Wide Usage: Both systems are extensively used across the globe, powering millions of online stores and catering to a diverse user base.

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Difference Between BigCommerce and WooCommerce

BigCommerce is an E-commerce website builder that offers a comprehensive solution for creating, managing, and growing online stores. Think of it as having all the necessary tools and a helpful user guide, akin to assembling a set of shelves. On the other hand, there's WooCommerce. It functions as a plugin designed for WordPress websites, transforming your existing WordPress site into a functional online store. Developed by Automattic, the same company behind WordPress, WooCommerce is renowned as the 'most well-known and adaptable E-commerce platform on the web.'

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BigCommerce is an excellent choice for new businesses seeking an online store. With abundant built-in functionality and scalability-enhancing tools, it reportedly contributes 28% annual growth among its merchants. For individuals who intend to build their store using WordPress, WooCommerce is the perfect solution. It seamlessly integrates and offers complete customisation. It thrives with a reliable web host like Bluehost and suits large stores anticipating substantial traffic. Remember that setup may take longer compared to BigCommerce.

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 To summarise:

• BigCommerce is recommended for users seeking an all-inclusive solution, especially for newcomers with limited coding experience.

• WooCommerce is best suited for those comfortable with WordPress and looking to create an online store. It serves as a plugin, adding E-commerce capabilities to WordPress sites.

• BigCommerce suits established companies looking for rapid online expansion and willing to invest at least $29 per month.

• WooCommerce is suitable for the technically adept who want to leverage WordPress. As a plugin, it empowers WordPress websites with E-commerce capabilities.

• WooCommerce excels in creating substantial stores with high traffic expectations due to its scalability and potential cost-effectiveness as the store grows. 

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Let us check some of the significant differences:

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Ease of Use

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Comparing plugins like WooCommerce to website builders like BigCommerce, we often find plugins are more complex. While website builders provide a solid foundation for growth and continuous support, how does this distinction apply to BigCommerce and WooCommerce? Our investigation revealed a remarkable insight. We engaged a group of everyday individuals to create their online stores, aiming to evaluate the user-friendliness of BigCommerce. The outcomes for BigCommerce were diverse. Participants appreciated the myriad features embedded in the themes and found the onboarding process straightforward and intuitive.

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Yet, BigCommerce positions you for success, albeit with a slight learning curve. If you're comfortable with the language they employ, you'll possess all the tools required to craft a top-tier online store a noteworthy perk being the opportunity to learn coding! Interestingly, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that WooCommerce is surprisingly straightforward, especially if you opt for a web host like Bluehost, which installs WooCommerce seamlessly. WooCommerce employs a setup wizard that efficiently guides you through onboarding post-installation.

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This wizard streamlines tasks like payment setup, currency selection, configuring shipping and tax preferences, and building pages. Notably, WooCommerce offers a more accessible experience for beginners compared to BigCommerce. Despite its greater capability, WooCommerce's setup is less intricate, and its supportive setup wizard readily addresses any initial confusion.

Ease of Use: The Verdict

When it comes to user-friendliness, WooCommerce takes the lead over BigCommerce. While setting up hosting and configuring settings may be your responsibility with WooCommerce, it offsets this by offering a beginner-friendly setup wizard. On the other hand, BigCommerce boasts an array of built-in features, but understanding its intricacies is still essential.

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Design Flexibility

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First impressions are crucial, and your website's design creates a positive user experience. Both BigCommerce and WooCommerce offer options for design flexibility, but they differ in themes and customisation.

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BigCommerce:

BigCommerce provides a range of themes, including 12 free options and over 50 paid themes. While the paid themes come at a cost, they can help convey your brand identity and leave a lasting impression on visitors. The themes are relatively easy to customise, allowing you to adjust text, layout, fonts, and banners. However, the customisation options are less extensive compared to WooCommerce.

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WooCommerce:

WooCommerce offers 20 themes, including 14 storefront themes. Three themes are free; the rest range from $39 to $129. Additionally, WooCommerce allows storefront extensions that enhance your website's design. If you choose a WooCommerce hosting plan with a provider like Bluehost, you might receive the storefront theme pre-installed, saving you some design costs. WooCommerce themes are more configurable and cost-effective compared to premium BigCommerce templates.

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However, customisation often requires a certain level of technical knowledge. Regarding mobile-friendliness, both platforms offer responsive themes that adapt to different devices. BigCommerce previews how your website will appear on tablets and mobile devices within the editor. Ultimately, your choice between BigCommerce and WooCommerce for design flexibility will depend on your budget, technical expertise, and desired level of customisation. 

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Design Flexibility: The Verdict

WooCommerce takes the lead in design flexibility due to its superior customisation options, affordability, and ease of modification compared to BigCommerce themes. While both platforms offer opportunities for creating visually appealing and functional online stores, WooCommerce's versatility and accessibility make it a preferred choice for those seeking greater control over their store's design.

Build Time

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The time it takes to create an online store can differ significantly between WooCommerce and BigCommerce. It depends on whether you already have a WordPress website. WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin allowing you to add E-commerce functionality to an existing website quickly. However, customising WooCommerce can be time-consuming. Editing it to your preferences may take a while, and if you still need to set up a WordPress website, your construction time will increase significantly. On the other hand, BigCommerce offers an all-in-one solution. 

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Everything is in one place, making it much easier to learn and use. It has all the necessary tools for building an online business built-in. With BigCommerce, you can open your online store in one or two days if you're focused. To start with BigCommerce, you only need to sign up, choose a theme, and start customising. This means you can start seeing results almost immediately. To use WooCommerce, you must create a WordPress website and handle technical aspects like web hosting independently. While it's undoubtedly more challenging and time-consuming than BigCommerce, it's ideal if you require complete control.

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For powering your WooCommerce store, consider using a web hosting company like Bluehost. They can simplify the setup process, saving you time and effort. Bluehost's WooCommerce hosting options include a free 2-hour installation call with a specialist who guides you through the setup from start to finish. With BigCommerce, everything you need to start building your E-commerce website is readily available. As we all know, BigCommerce is a simpler platform to use, and it's undeniable that development time and ease of use are closely related.

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Build Time: The Verdict

BigCommerce wins this battle. Setting up with WooCommerce will take significantly longer unless you already have a WordPress website and coding experience. BigCommerce offers a pre-packaged, user-friendly solution.

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Ecommerce Tools & Features

You will utilise many essential built-in capabilities that are readily available. Among the most significant are the following:

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1. SSL Security: This secures payments and adds a small padlock icon to your URL to assure clients that their online transactions are safe.

2. Multi-Channel Integration: This feature enables you to conduct business directly from your website on social media platforms like Facebook and online marketplaces like Amazon.

3. Abandoned Cart Recovery: When customers leave items in their shopping carts without completing the transaction, this feature automatically sends them a reminder email.

4. Analytical Tracking and Reporting Tools: These tools help you monitor visits, purchases, email campaigns, and more, allowing you to evaluate your website's performance.

5. Create Promotional Codes and Discounts: You can generate promotional codes and discounts for customers at checkout as you promote product specials and deals.

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The above are essential for effectively managing and expanding your E-commerce business.

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Just a few of BigCommerce's features are listed above. 

However, this is not to suggest that WooCommerce doesn't also have some cool features. Although there are many fewer options available, WooCommerce still offers the following:

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• Blogging - built-in article writing, publishing, and sharing functionality.

• Unlimited Customisation - There are no limitations if you know how to code. From the storefront through the checkout page, you can customise everything.

• One-Click Refunds - Enable immediate money back for returns for your consumers. 

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WooCommerce's platform has extremely few functionalities built into it, compared to BigCommerce, which has more built-in capabilities than any other E-commerce website builder. It is due to WooCommerce's heavy reliance on extensions, which let you pick and select the specific functionalities your store needs. You must install plugins to use essential capabilities, such as stock management and abandoned cart recovery, which are not built-in.

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Furthermore, you can integrate products and checkouts into various store pages. WooCommerce undoubtedly provides some helpful capabilities, but it lacks BigCommerce's comprehensive offering. Imagine it as a round of golf. WooCommerce and BigCommerce provide clubs, but one has a broader selection. While BigCommerce also features an iron, wood, and wedge, WooCommerce offers a driver and putter. Both let you play 18 holes, but BigCommerce provides a definite advantage.

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Ecommerce Tools and Features: The Verdict

WooCommerce cannot compete with BigCommerce's E-commerce capabilities. The platform enjoys having all the necessary tools, from multi-channel Integration to abandoned cart recovery, to set up and run your online business. Although WooCommerce has several excellent capabilities, such as blogging and one-click refunds, its reliance on plugins prevents it from competing with BigCommerce's built-in E-commerce functionality. 

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Plugins and Integrations

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A distinctive feature or more firepower may make your store run more efficiently and impress customers. Plugins and integrations have a role in this. Without further ado, WooCommerce destroys BigCommerce in this area. As you learned in the E-commerce features section of our comparison, plugins and integrations play a significant role in how WooCommerce functions. Because the aim is for you to install the plugins you desire as you construct your business, WooCommerce has few built-in functions. WooCommerce offers a sizable marketplace chock full of extensions that cover everything from payments and analytics to marketing and shipping! 

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WooCommerce includes an add-on marketplace full of useful E-commerce tools and innovative features exclusively for online stores. The WooCommerce Extensions Store offers free and paid extensions, with the price of paid versions ranging from $30 to $250 a year. There are connectors with major marketplaces, shipping suppliers, marketing services, and payment processors, including Amazon. The most often used extensions for WooCommerce are those for shipping, security, analytics, and bookings. However, don't let this fantastic array of plugins and integrations make you completely forget about BigCommerce.

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Although BigCommerce doesn't win this round, it does offer a good selection of integrations and applications. However because many of its functions are built-in, it only requires so many extensions. BigCommerce offers a wide range of apps and integrations with other services to assist you in expanding your store. You may still discover about 800 third-party apps and integrations to add to your store in the BigCommerce marketplace.

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The finest BigCommerce connectors include shipping services, tax automation, and marketing tools. The three most popular BigCommerce apps free and paid integrations are marketing, accounting, and shipping. Ultimately, WooCommerce's plugins are essential to create and scale your store, whereas BigCommerce's apps are primarily there to help you expand your store. Because of this, WooCommerce has a wider variety of connectors. The possibilities are unlimited!

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Plugins and Integrations: The Verdict

WordPress's open-source E-commerce plugin WooCommerce prevails in the competition for plugins and integrations. It offers an infinite variety and robust integrations with all the major E-commerce providers. While BigCommerce does a fantastic job of providing useful apps, it needs to catch up to WooCommerce. 

Marketing Tools

You need marketing tools if you want the right customers to see your store. They are essential for maintaining those clients and attracting new ones. BigCommerce recognises the value of marketing for shops of every size and form. All of its programs offer crucial marketing elements like All of its programs offer essential marketing elements: 

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• Blogging tools 

• Coupons, discounts, and gift cards

• Integrations with eBay and Amazon 

• Integrations with eBay and Amazon 

• Product evaluations and ratings

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On all plans except the most affordable, you also receive included abandoned cart recovery and Google customer reviews. BigCommerce includes marketing resources to aid in the expansion of your shop. Install one of the 213 marketing integrations BigCommerce offers in its app marketplace if you require more marketing features than those. Google Shopping, Facebook Ads, and Mailchimp are popular options. BigCommerce's app store offers a wide variety of marketing applications. WooCommerce has 129 marketing extensions in its marketplace, but unlike BigCommerce, it has fewer built-in marketing capabilities. Thanks to this, you have more power over personalisation, but additional work may result. 

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For instance, WooCommerce requires a separate plugin for the abandoned cart recovery feature and additional extensions to send emails and follow-up messages. Still, BigCommerce's plans include abandoned cart recovery. With WooCommerce, adding marketing features may add up quickly. Amazon, Pinterest, and Instagram are three more expensive social media connections for WooCommerce; however, Facebook integration is free. It's simple to understand how these plugins might start to mount up, given that WooCommerce's eBay and Etsy connections cost $199 annually. WooCommerce's marketplace only has 129 marketing integrations, fewer than BigCommerce's! The ability to create discounts or provide free delivery as a perk for your consumers is one thing WooCommerce supports without installing extensions.

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Marketing Tools: The Verdict

BigCommerce defeats WooCommerce in contesting marketing tools since it makes promoting your website more straightforward and economical. While you can certainly add many marketing plugins to your WooCommerce store, BigCommerce comes with many essential marketing tools already included, saving you time, money, and effort. 

Payment Options and Fees

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When selling to a wide range of customers, accepting various payment methods is essential. BigCommerce and WooCommerce support credit and debit cards and major payment gateways like PayPal, Apple Pay, and Stripe. Researching the transaction fees associated with each payment gateway is important before deciding.It's worth noting that neither WooCommerce nor BigCommerce imposes their transaction costs. Instead, any additional processing fees are the responsibility of the payment gateways or card companies.

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WooCommerce offers WooCommerce Payments, a payment gateway exclusive to WooCommerce, which can be installed without any upfront or ongoing costs. However, please note that it is only available to US retailers who accept US currency. In addition to the mentioned payment gateways, WooCommerce supports over 100 more options, including Authorize.Net. BigCommerce, while offering several payment gateways, has a somewhat more limited selection, with a few additional options and virtual wallets like Chase Pay and Venmo.

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Payment Options and Fees: The Verdict

Both BigCommerce and WooCommerce provide essential payment options, but WooCommerce comes out on top due to its comprehensive range of choices. Like BigCommerce, it accepts over 100 payment methods and does not charge a transaction fee. Its built-in payment system lets you manage all your payments from a single location.  

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SEO

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The success of any online store relies heavily on SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO impacts how search engines like Google rank your store and, consequently, the traffic your website receives. Even if you have exceptional products, they are of little value if hidden from potential customers. When comparing WooCommerce and BigCommerce, it's a close call. Both platforms offer tools to enhance your website's SEO, giving you a better chance to rank highly on Google. Here's how they compare:

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BigCommerce:

• Allows you to edit meta titles and descriptions to modify the link and text displayed in Google search results.

• Simplifies the customisation of URL slugs to ensure they are relevant to the current page, like "/men's/tops/white-shirts/."

• Enables you to add alt text to images for Google's understanding.

• Offers keyword support, providing suggestions for language to use in product descriptions to improve your online store's search engine rankings.

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WooCommerce:

• Empowers you to adjust meta descriptions and titles.

• Allows you to create custom URL slugs.

• Provides the capability to add image alt text.

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However, there's a difference regarding SSL security: An SSL certificate is crucial for informing Google that your website is secure. BigCommerce includes this certificate as a standard feature, while WooCommerce requires an additional fee. However, reputable web hosting companies like Bluehost offer a free SSL certificate when subscribed to one of their plans. Bluehost's cheapest WooCommerce-specific package costs just $12.95 per month, which is $17 less than the least expensive plan from BigCommerce. 

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SEO: The Verdict

Once more, it's a closely contested battle. While both BigCommerce and WooCommerce offer similar SEO features, BigCommerce gains an edge due to its extensive built-in capabilities, including an SSL security certificate. Therefore, BigCommerce comes out on top in this area. 

Help and Support

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Everyone occasionally needs assistance, and there's a clear winner in this category. WooCommerce has relatively limited support resources, but if you choose a web host like Bluehost, you can access top-notch help. We gave WooCommerce a perfect score when used with Bluehost for its assistance and support. When you select any of Bluehost's WooCommerce hosting plans, you receive free WordPress-specific support and a two-hour setup call with a WooCommerce professional. 

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Bluehost offers live chat, email support tickets, and round-the-clock phone assistance. It's essential to note that WooCommerce's support options heavily depend on your web host choice, making it crucial to select a high-quality host. BigCommerce also offers robust support options. They provide live chat, email, 24/7 phone assistance, and a well-stocked help centre with informative guides and a user forum. BigCommerce offers a variety of support channels, and its help centre guides tasks ranging from simple to complex. The enterprise package from BigCommerce even includes a dedicated account manager and onboarding counsellor. These are BigCommerce specialists who can assist you with any issues you encounter while using the system.

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Help and Support: The Verdict

WooCommerce wins the help and support competition, but it's important to note that this victory is largely attributed to the support options provided by its web host. Regarding customer service, WooCommerce's standalone support is underwhelming, but when combined with Bluehost, it surpasses BigCommerce's support options!

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Pricing

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Pricing for BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce can be complex. BigCommerce offers three primary pricing tiers: Standard ($29/month), Plus ($79/month), and Pro ($299/month), while an Enterprise plan is available but requires direct consultation with BigCommerce for pricing. BigCommerce provides a 15-day free trial, allowing you to test the software without providing credit card information, which is a great way to determine if it's the right fit for you. All BigCommerce plans include unlimited staff accounts and bandwidth and do not impose transaction fees.

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However, the Standard plan has one significant drawback: it does not include the abandoned cart feature, which is essential for any professional retailer. On the other hand, WooCommerce's pricing is a bit more nuanced. The platform itself is a free WordPress plugin. However, you'll need to purchase other elements such as themes ($0 - $39), SSL security ($9/year), and hosting ($83/year) separately. This makes it challenging to calculate your monthly expenses. WooCommerce offers excellent value for money and lets you control expenses if you choose a reliable web host with reasonable rates. 

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WooCommerce is budget-friendly so you can set your prices according to your budget. In contrast, BigCommerce has fixed pricing, making budgeting more structured but less flexible. Think of it this way: With BigCommerce, everything is covered by a single cost, like paying rent and other monthly expenses. With WooCommerce, it's more like managing separate bills for utilities like gas, electricity, and water in addition to your rent. 

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Pricing: The Verdict

WooCommerce outperforms BigCommerce in terms of pricing and value. Although WooCommerce is free and gives you control over your operating costs, BigCommerce's pricing is dependable and fair, making WooCommerce an even more cost-effective choice. 

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BigCommerce or WooCommerce: Conclusion

As you can see, WooCommerce and BigCommerce are two very distinct e-commerce platforms best suited for diverse user bases. Let's take a quick look at which platform won each category to review:

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BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce: Which Will You Opt For?

In conclusion, BigCommerce doesn't compromise on features, even with its Standard plan, making it an excellent option for those seeking a comprehensive solution. Furthermore, it handles hosting and security and offers numerous native social media and payment gateway integrations. However, it's worth noting that as your store expands, so will the pricing. As your profits increase, your costs will also rise. I prefer WooCommerce. It offers advanced payment features and is much easier to operate. With its extensive ecosystem of plugins and capabilities, starting free (and remaining  if needed), WooCommerce provides a more accessible and customisable option.

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BigCommerce or WooCommerce Which is Better: Conclusion

For an E-commerce business, choosing a platform is just as crucial as selecting a specialisation. Before deciding between the top E-commerce platforms, thorough research and analysis of the pros and cons of each are necessary. WooCommerce emerges as the winner in this BigCommerce vs. WooCommerce comparison thanks to its flexibility, ownership, scalability, security, and more. WooCommerce, like BigCommerce, is an open-source platform providing many possibilities.

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Regarding scalability and flexibility, WooCommerce outperforms BigCommerce, making it an excellent and secure choice for small enterprises. BigCommerce is better suited for users with larger or rapidly expanding businesses. Its integrated tools and capabilities support your online business's growth. In contrast, WooCommerce is the best option for small businesses with a WordPress website. Choosing the right platform, like The Fynd Platform, combines the benefits of both options. Consider exploring this option for even more advantages. In summary, WooCommerce is a fantastic alternative, but thorough research is essential before starting. This way, you can ensure that you have all your options open.