WooCommerce vs BigCommerce Which One Should You Choose
Detailed Comparison of WooCommerce vs BigCommerce
WooCommerce:
- WooCommerce vs BigCommerce is a plugin for WordPress CMS. So, you need to install it [WordPress] first to power the WooCommerce platform. You will need a reliable ecommerce hosting providers to host it.
- Just install WordPress and WooCommerce and your very ‘own’ ecommerce platform is live where you’re the owner of everything from customers sensitive data to order details.
- It lets you switch to any of your preferred hosting solution provider within minutes through the migration system.
- You’re not tied to any third party rules or obligations.
BigCommerce:
- BigCommerce is a hosted ecommerce application and you can’t host it anywhere else. I have discussed this previously in our Magento vs BigCommerce post.
- You’re not the sole owner of the hosted space, in fact, it is shared with other BigCommerce stores.
WooCommerce vs BigCommerce Security
WooCommerce:
- I would repeat this point from the previous face-offs betweenWooCommerce and Big Cartel, “WordPress core is rarely the cause of hacking and most of the susceptibility is due to the third-party plugins.”
- The security of your WooCommerce store is mainly based on your hosting provider and most of the hosting services are PCI compliant. A majority of them also offer free SSL certificates and CDNs for your store.
BigCommerce:
- BigCommerce is a certified PCI compliant platform that ensures you don’t lose your sensitive customer data. It has an option for a dedicated SSL certificate that comes at an additional cost.
Simple and Transparent UI
WooCommerce:
- Unlike Magento, WooCommerce is really easy to use and setup through a point-and-click installation process.
- If you have ever run a WordPress site or if you are familiar with its interface then managing WooCommerce store would be pretty easy for you.
- Even if you’re a newbie then you won’t find it difficult to learn and your learning curve would definitely be shallower.
BigCommerce:
- BigCommerce is certainly the one which is really easy to use and start off. You don’t have to worry about the technical aspect of your BigCommerce store, as all these are taken care of by the BigCommerce support.
Scalability
WooCommerce:
- WooCommerce is an open source ecommerce application that’s really easy to scale.
- It is built for small and medium-sized ecommerce stores but you can even go beyond that as it can handle up to 100,000+ products and thousands of transactions per minute.
- As it is self-hosted, you only need to increase server storage space on your hosting provider to scale it up. Cloud hosting is preferred in this case, as it is the easiest to scale and provides impenetrable security.
BigCommerce:
- BigCommerce is a great choice for startups and small business. The only drawback is that if you’re dreaming of scaling your store further then you should definitely consider an open source application like Magento or WooCommerce.
- Please note that every BigCommerce plan comes with an annual sales threshold which means that you’ll be automatically upgraded to a higher pricing plan if your annual sales limit exceeds.
Pricing
WooCommerce:
- It’s FREE. WooCommerce and it’s CMS, WordPress, are completely free. They are easy to download and install in minutes.
- Whereas, there are no hidden cost or charges. You just need to host it on a reliable and secure WooCommerce hosting provider.
- Considering cloud hosting, an average cloud hosting provider bills you between $5 to $10.
BigCommerce:
- A basic BigCommerce plan starts at $29.95. It has a with processing fee for debit and credit card starting at 2.9%, with $0.30 per transaction [applies to all plans].
- It includes both free and paid themes. You can also get other extensions for BigCommerce website, which are charged on a monthly basis.
Customization Options
WooCommerce:
- WooCommerce is the most customizable ecommerce application.
- It offers hundreds of free and paid extensions, themes and plugins.
- There are multiple tutorials available online for WooCommerce customizations.
BigCommerce:
- BigCommerce allows you to customize your store but the play field is limited.
- It offers a large number of free and paid themes and plugins but it can’t compete with WooCommerce.
Community & Support
WooCommerce:
- It has an active community offering extensive content in the form of blogs, vlogs, podcasts, and Wordcamps.
- It includes hundreds of forums entirely dedicated to discussing WooCommerce and its issues.
BigCommerce:
- BigCommerce has an active community forum that provides answers to your queries.
- It also provides a 24/7 Phone, Email and Chat Support for all plans.
BigCommerce is no-doubt a simple and secure solution for small sized businesses but when it comes to scaling and customization, then WooCommerce ranks higher in security, scalability, pricing, and customization
