Coming up with a suitable ecommerce solution might be the missing element to the success of so many brands. Whether your company is small and seeking to increase its presence on the market or a large multinational corporation exploring new options to access greater community, picking the right ecommerce platform for your online shop is not a type of decision to be taken lightly.
BigCommerce and Magento are undoubtedly two of the largest ecommerce platforms offering a wide set of features for online sellers. They are among the most established platforms that can help you start your eCommerce business almost without the need to contact a specialized BigCommerce or Magento development company. At the same time, the choice Magento vs BigCommerce might not be an easy one.
In this article, we have decided to find out which solution is the ultimate ecommerce champion. So let the matchup between these two ecommerce gladiators begin!
Table of Contents
BigCommerce vs. Magento
What is BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a hosted, end-to-end, SaaS-based ecommerce solution founded in 2009. It supports all scale businesses with B2B functionality, omnichannel, product management and cloud-based site. BigCommerce can coordinate fulfilment/shipping, supports integration with numerous popular applications, and is capable of accepting payments. In addition, this software requires no modification/configuration and no to little installation.
What is Magento
Founded in 2007, Magento is an open source ecommerce software that comes with a fully customizable framework and powerful functionality to help you create your online shop from the ground up. It offers total flexibility to its users in terms of personalization. With Magento, you can have any functionalities you want with little coding skills required.
BigCommerce vs Magento: Pros and Cons
Advantages of BigCommerce
- Minimum go-to-market time
BigCommerce development needs relatively less time to complete (3-5 months compared to approx. a year with Magento)
- Built-in security feature
BigCommerce provides powerful protection against hacking. It secures your sensitive customer data with built-in tools.
- Custom app development
BigCommerce enables 3rd-party app development to enhance website functionality (just like Magento extensions).
- Easy to use
Creating a BigCommerce shop requires minimal technical knowledge.
- Lower cost
Pricing for BigCommerce development is dependent on your business complexity/size. However, standard package is already enough to launch your online shop.
Disadvantages of BigCommerce
- Limited blogging capability
Want to have a blog on your BigCommerce website to generate traffic? You’d better go with WordPress. Really.
- Limited free themes
Actually, BigCommerce provides only 7 themes for free. You want more, you get your wallet ready.
- Annual sales threshold
Upgraded subscription plans require additional payment.
Advantages of Magento
- Saves your time and money
No hassle of creating an online store from the scratch.
- Intelligent search
Magento utilizes a dynamic search that significantly improves the UX.
- Customizable security permissions
Multiple levels of security allow you to manage internal access and keep your website safe.
- 3rd-party integrations
You can easily connect your ecommerce website with Google Shopping, Mail Chimp, Paypal, Ebay, and much more.
- Advanced SEO
This software was built with efficiency in mind, allowing for a better product appearance on Yahoo, Bing, Google, etc.
- Convenient content management
With Magento, you can customize your online store on the fly.
Disadvantages of Magento
- Time-consuming
Magento typically takes more time to develop an ecommerce website.
- Technical knowledge required
You may need to hire a genuine developer to build your Magento store.
- Higher cost
This is probably the biggest drawback of Magento.
BigCommerce vs Magento: Criteria on How to Choose
Functionality
BigCommerce has numerous built-in selling features, such as SSL certificate, analytic tools/reporting, and abandoned cart recovery. Magento also prides itself on a considerable amount of features. Besides, its functionality can be further extended with more than 3k of paid and free extensions.
Development and Maintenance
Updating/maintaining Magento website requires some level of technical knowledge. In contrast, BigCommerce makes it easy to create a beautiful online store even if you have never done it before.
Security
Both ecommerce solutions ensure a high level of security. As a SaaS software, BigCommerce already comes with multiple layers of security. With Magento, your security totally depends on your requirements/standards.
Cost
Looking at cost alone, BigCommerce is the better option than on-premise Magento platform.
Conclusion
After considering all the key areas, it’s time to draw some conclusions in this Magento vs BigCommerce battle. You should go with BigCommerce if all you need is a small online store, you value easy setup, and you are ready to pay a bit more for support and dedicated help. You should use Magento if you have a middle or large-scale project where more than basic functionality is required, and you look forward to developing your business. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Good luck!
