BigCommerce vs Magento: How to find the Perfect Platform for Your E-commerce Journey in 2024

You’ve decided to move your business to an online platform! That’s a great decision!

This shift opens doors to a wider audience. The result? Increased sales potential. You can offer your customers 24/7 shopping.

However, you can find so many e-commerce platforms in the market. Thus, selecting the right one can be tricky. Two industry giants, BigCommerce and Magento, often top the list. 

The Magento extension store presents several functionalities for your website. And BigCommerce offers an easy store setup. So which one should you pick?

Let's take a quick look at their strengths and weaknesses. 

What are your requirements?

Take a moment to identify your specific needs. Consider factors like:

• Technical Expertise: Are you comfortable with some technical aspects? Or do you prefer a user-friendly solution? 
• Budget: How much are you willing to invest in platform fees? You also need to consider development, and ongoing maintenance expenditure. 
• Scalability: Do you anticipate considerable growth in the near future?
• Customization: How important unique experience is for your brand? 

It is always recommended that you hire a BigCommerce or Magento development company to make your e-commerce store setup smooth and easy. 

What Does The Numbers Say?

• 7% of active websites within the top one million sites use Magento. While BigCommerce accounts for 3%.
• According to BuiltWith 733,326 websites have been powered with Magento till date. BigCommerce, on the other hand, powers almost 50,000 live stores. And thousands of new stores are being added every year.
• Approximately 10.39% of Magento stores operate within the Lifestyle industry. Meanwhile, 15.6% of BigCommerce stores specialize in Home & Garden products. 13.6% focus on Apparel products.

With BigCommerce and Magento 2 extensions, you can create a custom store. Custom stores resonate with your brand image and your target audience preferences. 

BigCommerce Vs Magento: Which One to Choose?

Now, let's consider the features and functionalities of both platforms:

Ease of Use

BigCommerce:

BigCommerce shines in terms of user-friendliness. It's a hosted platform. Thus, BigCommerce takes care of server maintenance. You can also enjoy security updates, and other technical aspects without manual intervention. 

You can focus on what matters most-- setting up your online store and selling products. 

BigCommerce have a user-friendly interface. It offers a drag-and-drop store builder. Therefore, you don’t need extensive coding knowledge to design a professional-looking store.

Magento:

Magento represents a self-hosted platform. With Magento you can enjoy complete control and flexibility. However, Magento store setup also requires more technical expertise.

Magento offers a steeper learning curve. You might need to hire a Magento development company for custom development.

Customization

BigCommerce:

With BigCommerce you can enjoy customization options but to a lesser extent.  

You can visit the app marketplace to browse through themes and apps. But you won't get the similar level of control as with Magento. 

However, BigCommerce's presents built-in features. It covers most e-commerce needs. 

Magento:

Magento presents an open-source platform. Therefore, it offers exceptional flexibility.  

You can fine tune the functionality of your store. 

Such custom development can help you perfectly match your brand identity. You can als address your unique customer needs. 

There's a vast  Magento extension store with thousands of extensions available. You can add several features. These include advanced product filtering, loyalty programs, and marketing automation. 

Have a unique vision for your online store? Magento is the ideal platform. Ensure to hire the necessary techl resources to develop custom functionalities.

Scalability

BigCommerce:

BigCommerce can accommodate your business growth. 

Their pricing plans increase with your sales volume.  This ensures you only pay for the resources you need. 

BigCommerce handles server upgrades and infrastructure maintenance. So you can focus on extending your product offerings and customer base. 

Magento: 

Magento is also highly scalable. As your business grows, you can upgrade your hosting plan and leverage Magento 2 extensions to add functionalities for handling larger product catalogs and increased traffic.  

Some of the most popular Magento 2 modules include: 

• Shop By Brand Magento 2
• Testimonial Magento 2
• Advanced Blog Extension Magento 2
• Product Inquiry Magento 2
• 360 Degree View Of Product Magento 2 
• Price Negotiation Magento 2
• Review Reminder for Magento 2
• Multiline Discount Magento 2
• PayPal Multicurrency Magento 2

You can go through our Magento extension store for more extensions. 

Cost Comparison

BigCommerce:

BigCommerce offers tiered pricing plans based on your sales volume. This makes it easy to predict your e-commerce platform costs.  

There are no additional fees for hosting, security, or maintenance. Thus you can enjoy straightforward budgeting.

Magento: 

Magento is free to download and install. You'll need to pay for web hosting. 

Additionally, you need consider costs of security certificates and ongoing maintenance. Apart from that you’ll require a Magento development company for customization.  

These costs can vary depending on your unique preferences and needs.

Marketing Tools

BigCommerce: 

BigCommerce boasts a wide range of built-in features. These include:

• product management tools, 
• SEO optimization, 
• multi-channel selling capabilities, and
• built-in marketing tools. 

However, for highly specific needs, you might find limitations compared to Magento's extensive customization options.

Magento: 

Magento offers unmatched customizability for your marketing endeavors. You can enjoy several options from Magento extension store. You can add almost endless features and functionalities to your store. 

Create tailored shopping experience for your visitors. 

Which is the right platform for you? 

Here's a quick breakdown to help you decide:

Choose BigCommerce if:

• You're new to e-commerce and have limited technical experience.
• You prioritize ease of use and a fast setup process.
• You don't require extensive customization.

Choose Magento if:

• You have a developer on your team, or are you comfortable working with a Magento development company. 
• You need a highly customized shopping experience to reflect your unique brand.
• You anticipate rapid growth and require a scalable platform.

The Final Word

Ultimately, the most optimal platform depends on your specific needs and resources. 

Carefully consider your tech expertise, budget and growth projections. You also need to think about the desired level of customization.