BigCommerce Review: Shaping the Future of Online Retail

At a Glance

Established in 2009 in Austin, Texas, BigCommerce has become a global leader in eCommerce website building. They offer an open SaaS platform that serves tens of thousands of merchants in over 150 countries. The company is recognized for providing enterprise-grade functionality and flexibility, making them a preferred choice for mid-market and enterprise-level businesses. With a workforce of over 1,200 employees, BigCommerce has built a strong partner network of more than 2,800 agencies and technology providers.

BigCommerce aims to help businesses succeed by offering powerful, customizable eCommerce website design solutions. The platform supports B2C and B2B markets, focusing on scalability, performance, and integration capabilities. BigCommerce is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work culture and continues to lead the eCommerce industry by constantly evolving and enhancing their platform to meet the dynamic needs of online businesses.

Features

Drag-and-drop editor: BigCommerce’s drag-and-drop editor streamlines web design, allowing users to customize their online store without coding. This intuitive tool enables quick, real-time changes, making it simple for beginners to create a visually appealing and brand-aligned storefront.

No transaction fees: BigCommerce differentiates themselves from competitors by not charging additional fees when using leading payment gateways. This feature is particularly beneficial for businesses with high sales volumes, as it enables merchants to retain more of their revenue without being penalized for choosing their preferred payment provider.

Robust online store features: BigCommerce offers an all-inclusive platform that provides everything needed to run an online store. This includes tools for product management, order processing, inventory control, and more. The platform is designed to be scalable, accommodating both small businesses and large enterprises.

Multi-currency (display, transact, and settle): This feature allows businesses to sell globally by displaying, transacting, and settling payments in multiple currencies. It’s part of BigCommerce's broader efforts to support international sales.

24/7 technical support: BigCommerce offers round-the-clock technical support to their users. This ensures merchants can get assistance whenever needed, helping them resolve issues quickly and maintain smooth operations​.

Sales channels: BigCommerce integrates with major sales channels like eBay and Amazon, as well as POS systems, allowing businesses to manage all their sales from one central platform. This helps streamline operations and expand reach across multiple marketplaces​.

Headless capabilities and integrations: The platform provides robust headless commerce capabilities, allowing businesses to decouple the front-end and back-end for greater customization and flexibility. This feature supports complex, high-performing storefronts tailored to unique business needs​.

Abandoned cart recovery: BigCommerce offers an abandoned cart recovery feature that automatically sends follow-up emails to customers who leave items in their cart without completing the purchase. This is an effective tool for recovering lost sales and increasing overall revenue.

Pricing & Plans

BigCommerce offers a range of pricing plans designed to meet the needs of businesses at every stage of growth. All plans receive a 25% discount upon annual subscription, so you can choose the best fit for your business while maximizing value.

Standard plan 

This entry-level plan, priced at $39/month, is ideal for startups with up to $50K in annual online sales. It includes essential features such as unlimited products and file storage, bandwidth, and staff accounts. Additionally, the plan offers basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools, support for up to three multi-storefronts, a mobile app, and up to four inventory locations. Users also gain access to responsive website templates, a blog, and a mobile-friendly checkout process with automatic URL adjustments, making BigCommerce a comprehensive solution for growing businesses.

Plus plan

This $105/month plan enhances the Standard plan by offering advanced marketing tools for businesses generating up to $180K in annual online sales. It includes features like customer segmentation, support for up to four inventory locations, abandoned cart recovery, and a persistent cart. It integrates with Google Shopping and provides advanced SEO tools to boost online visibility, making it a comprehensive solution for growing eCommerce businesses.

Pro plan

Ideal for businesses with up to $400K in annual online sales, the Pro plan is priced at $399/month and offers advanced features beyond the Plus plan. It includes Google Customer Reviews integration, internet-based security protocols such as SSL certificates, and custom product filtering to enhance product discovery on your site. The plan also supports unlimited API calls and provides enhanced product filtering options, making it an essential choice for scaling eCommerce operations effectively.

Enterprise plan

This custom-priced plan is tailored for large businesses exceeding $1M in sales. It includes all Pro plan features and enterprise-grade solutions like priority support, advanced API access, and unlimited scalability. Additional benefits include advanced security features, custom templates, and extensive SEO options to optimize your online store's visibility and performance.

Advantages & Pros

Scalability

BigCommerce is designed to grow with your business. Whether you’re starting small or expanding into a large enterprise, the platform can handle increased traffic, product catalogs, and transactions without compromising performance. The flexible architecture allows businesses to scale up their operations seamlessly, accommodating higher sales volumes and more complex business needs as they grow.

Robust security

Security is a top priority for BigCommerce. The platform offers enterprise-grade security features, including sitewide HTTPS, which ensures that all data transmitted between your site and customers is encrypted. Custom SSL certificates are also available, adding an extra layer of trust and protection. BigCommerce is compliant with the highest industry standards, such as PCI DSS, ensuring that your business and customer data are safeguarded against breaches.

24/7 support

BigCommerce provides round-the-clock customer support to ensure that help is available whenever needed. This support includes live chat, phone support, and a comprehensive online help center with resources and guides. Whether it’s a technical issue, a billing question, or advice on optimizing your store, BigCommerce’s support team is ready to assist.

Free trial

BigCommerce offers a free trial that allows potential customers to explore the platform’s features before committing. This trial provides full access to the platform’s tools and functionalities, enabling businesses to test the interface, design options, and eCommerce capabilities. The trial period is a risk-free way for businesses to determine if BigCommerce meets their needs, ensuring they can make an informed decision before investing.

Tailored to eCommerce and online stores

BigCommerce is built specifically for eCommerce, with features that cater to online sales. The platform provides customizable templates designed to optimize user experience and conversions. It includes robust eCommerce tools like product management, SEO optimization, and integrated payment gateways. BigCommerce also supports omnichannel integration, allowing businesses to manage sales across multiple platforms like eBay, Amazon, and social media.

Robust third-party integration

BigCommerce integrates with a wide range of third-party applications and services, enhancing the platform’s functionality. These integrations include marketing tools, accounting software, payment gateways, and more. The platform’s open API allows easy integration with custom solutions, ensuring businesses can extend their store’s capabilities as needed.

Mobile app availability

The BigCommerce mobile app allows users to manage their online store on the go. The app allows merchants to monitor store performance, manage orders, update products, and view customer details directly from their mobile devices. This convenience ensures business owners can stay connected to their eCommerce operations anytime and anywhere, making it easier to respond to customer needs, track sales, and manage inventory without being tied to a desktop computer.

Disadvantages & Cons

Annual sale limit on all plans

Each BigCommerce plan has a maximum annual sales threshold, beyond which you are required to upgrade to a higher plan. For example, the Standard Plan supports up to $50K in yearly sales, the Plus Plan to $180K, and the Pro Plan to $400K. If your sales exceed these limits, you must move to a more expensive plan, which could increase costs as your business grows.

No free version

Unlike some other eCommerce platforms, BigCommerce does not offer a permanently free version of their software. While there is a 15-day free trial available, after this period, you must choose one of their paid plans to continue using the platform. This can be a limitation for startups or small businesses looking for a low-cost entry into eCommerce.

No refund available

BigCommerce’s payment policy does not include refunds for its plans. Once you subscribe and make a payment, you cannot receive a refund if you decide to cancel your subscription. This policy means that businesses must be sure of their commitment to the platform before making any payments, especially since some plans can be a significant investment.

Customer Reviews

BigCommerce has received mixed reviews across various platforms. Trustpilot users have rated them an average of 1.3 out of 5, while G2 presents a high level of customer satisfaction with a rating of 4.2 out of 5. Finally, TrustRadius users have rated BigCommerce 7.4 out of 10, reflecting a mix of opinions but generally positive feedback online.

Positive reviews

Customers frequently praise the platform's ease of use, especially for small businesses and those new to eCommerce. Many appreciated the robust SEO features and the responsive customer support, often highlighted as a key advantage over competitors. For instance, one user mentioned how BigCommerce's SEO functionality significantly helped increase their website traffic, contributing to the growth of their online presence. Another customer noted that the platform's customization options allowed them to create a unique online store without needing extensive technical knowledge.

Negative reviews

Despite the positive reviews, the services are not flawless. Some customers expressed frustration over billing practices and customer service issues. Many users reported unauthorized charges or difficulties canceling services, leading to disputes and financial losses. One customer recounted their experience of being billed for an entire month after canceling their service, only to receive no help from customer support and having to dispute the charge through their credit card company. Another user cited ongoing refund issues and customer support’s lack of accountability.

How Can I Contact BigCommerce?

To get in touch with BigCommerce, you have several options depending on your needs. For sales inquiries, you can call them toll-free at 1-888-248-9325 in the USA and Canada or +1-512-758-7588 internationally, available Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM CST. For support, you can access their Help Center or fill out contact forms for general inquiries, starting a free trial, or billing and account issues directly on their website. You can also connect with them on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

Conclusion

Founded in 2009 in Austin, Texas, BigCommerce has established themselves as a leading eCommerce platform, offering a robust and flexible SaaS solution tailored to businesses of all sizes. Known for their enterprise-grade functionality, BigCommerce provides a range of features, including no transaction fees, multi-currency support, and 24/7 technical support, making them a preferred choice for scaling businesses. They offer comprehensive pricing plans with a 25% discount on annual subscriptions, catering to startups and large enterprises. Despite the platform's many advantages, such as scalability, robust security, and extensive third-party integrations, customer reviews reveal mixed experiences, with some users praising their ease of use and others expressing concerns over billing practices and customer service.

Looking for more options? Explore our list of top website builders. If you’re unsure which to choose, use our comparison tool to simplify your decision-making. Finally, visit our blog for more industry insights.