WooCommerce vs BigCommerce: 2026 Comparison Guide

The numbers tell a powerful story. US e-commerce sales hit $1.23 trillion in 2025, making up 16.4% of total retail sales.¹ To claim a share of that revenue, you need an e-commerce platform, such as WooCommerce or BigCommerce.

This guide compares WooCommerce and BigCommerce so you can see what each one offers.

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WooCommerce vs BigCommerce: Quick Overview

Here's a side-by-side look at how the two platforms compare on the basics that matter most to US merchants.

Note: As of June 1, 2026, BigCommerce renamed its plans and changed how it charges for payment processing. The former Standard, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans are now called Core, Growth, Scale, and Performance. Base prices stayed the same, but the sales thresholds that trigger a plan upgrade got lower, and a new fee now applies if you don't use one of BigCommerce's "embedded" payment providers.³ We cover both details below.

What Are the Main Differences Between WooCommerce and BigCommerce?

WooCommerce and BigCommerce are both popular e-commerce platforms. The main difference is how each one is delivered. You install WooCommerce directly on your website. BigCommerce gives you a platform you log into and customize online. That difference alone pushes some merchants toward one option or the other, but there's more to consider.

WooCommerce: The WordPress Plugin

WooCommerce is a free plugin that turns your WordPress website into a full online store.² That doesn't mean it's free to run. You'll still pay for hosting, a domain, and often a custom theme. You can also add premium extensions, a feature that makes WooCommerce popular with developers.

BigCommerce: The All-in-One Hosted Solution

BigCommerce is a hosted Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. Your monthly subscription includes hosting, security, and software updates, which makes it attractive if you want a low-maintenance setup. As of mid-2026, BigCommerce's plans are named Core, Growth, Scale, and Performance.³ BigCommerce can cost more at scale, but it offers real-time shipping quotes and professional reporting tools.

Key Comparison Factors

Price is only one factor when you compare e-commerce platforms. If you want to maximize profit, look at these other areas too.

Ease of Use and Setup

You can set up BigCommerce and start taking payments the same day. It offers a 15-day free trial and a range of store themes. WooCommerce setup takes more steps: you need to register a domain, buy hosting, install WordPress, and add a theme. If you already know WordPress, this process feels simple.

WooCommerce pricing vs. BigCommerce pricing

BigCommerce uses tiered subscription pricing based on your trailing 12-month gross merchandise value (GMV). As of June 2026, the plans are:

• Core (formerly Standard): $29/mo annually or $39/mo monthly, for stores with up to $30K in trailing 12-month GMV
• Growth (formerly Plus): $79/mo annually or $105/mo monthly, up to $100K GMV
• Scale (formerly Pro): $299/mo annually or $399/mo monthly, up to $33,333 in GMV per month, then a 0.9% overage rate on GMV above that cap
• Performance (formerly Enterprise): custom pricing starting around $1,499/mo billed annually, for high-volume merchants

These GMV thresholds are lower than BigCommerce's previous caps of $50K, $180K, and $400K, so some stores may now reach the next tier sooner than expected.

BigCommerce also introduced an Open Payment Provider Fee. This is a separate monthly charge on the share of your sales processed through a payment gateway that isn't on BigCommerce's "embedded" provider list (which includes BigCommerce Payments, Stripe, PayPal, Adyen, and several others). The fee is 2.0% on Core, 1.0% on Growth, 0.6% on Scale, and 0% on contracted Performance plans. It comes on top of whatever your payment processor already charges, so it's worth checking which gateway you plan to use before you pick a plan.

WooCommerce itself is free, but the pieces around it cost $200 to $1,500 per year. That typically covers hosting, a domain, an SSL certificate, and a custom theme. A free theme lowers your costs; premium plugins and extensions raise them.

Customization and Flexibility

WooCommerce wins on customization. It's open-source and built on WordPress, so any decent developer can edit the code and design a custom storefront. Thousands of free and paid plugins add features, and APIs connect your store to other apps.

Scalability and Performance

BigCommerce scales automatically as you grow, but your bill rises each time you cross a GMV threshold, and the Open Payment Provider Fee can add up if you use a non-embedded gateway at high volume. WooCommerce can scale without extra platform costs, as long as your hosting has enough bandwidth to support growth. Shared hosting can limit that growth, so choose your host carefully.

Security and Compliance

This depends on your team's technical skill. BigCommerce builds security in for you. WooCommerce leaves it up to you: you'll need an SSL certificate, regular plugin updates, and a security plugin to flag threats. None of this is hard, but it takes ongoing attention, and a missed update can turn into an expensive problem.

WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce Features and Functionality

BigCommerce's base plan includes unlimited products, real-time shipping quotes, gift cards, multi-currency support, and built-in product reviews.

WooCommerce keeps its core plugin lean and adds features through extensions like abandoned cart recovery and advanced shipping. Subscriptions and bookings are available too, often through paid plugins.

Both platforms support selling on Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Instagram.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Capabilities

WooCommerce inherits WordPress's SEO strengths. Plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math give you control over meta titles, schema markup, and content optimization.

BigCommerce includes built-in SEO tools, customizable URLs, meta tags, microdata, and automatic sitemaps, but it doesn't match WordPress's depth for content-driven stores.

Customer Support and Community

BigCommerce offers 24/7 phone, live chat, and email support on its Growth, Scale, and Performance plans (chat and email only on Core, with phone support as a paid add-on).³

WooCommerce relies on community forums, documentation, and your hosting provider for technical help. Premium extension developers often provide direct support for their products, and many respond by email or chat faster than you'd expect.

What to Consider When Choosing Between BigCommerce vs WooCommerce

Advantages and Considerations of WooCommerce

Pros:

• Free core plugin with no monthly subscription
• Unlimited customization through WordPress and plugins
• No sales caps or forced plan upgrades
• Strong SEO and content-marketing capabilities
• Full ownership of your data and code

What to consider:

• Steeper learning curve, especially for non-developers
• You handle hosting, security, backups, and updates
• Costs can add up across hosting, themes, and premium plugins
• Performance depends on your hosting choice

Advantages and Considerations of BigCommerce

Pros:

• All-in-one hosted solution with predictable monthly pricing
• Generous built-in feature set at every tier
• 24/7 customer support included on Growth, Scale, and Performance plans
• No platform fee if you use one of BigCommerce's embedded payment providers
• PCI compliance and security handled for you

What to consider:

• GMV thresholds now force plan upgrades sooner than before
• Open Payment Provider Fee (0.6%–2.0%) applies if you use a non-embedded payment gateway
• Less flexibility for deep custom development
• Smaller third-party app ecosystem than some rivals
• Fewer theme choices than WordPress's library

Who Should Choose Which Platform?

When to Choose WooCommerce

If you know WordPress, WooCommerce will feel intuitive. It gives you full control over your store and lets you buy only what you need. WordPress sites are also content-friendly, so you can use your blog to promote your store. Comparisons like Shopify vs. WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce usually favor WooCommerce when flexibility and long-term cost control matter most.

When to Choose BigCommerce

BigCommerce suits merchants who want a quick launch with little maintenance. It also works well if you don't want to hire developers. BigCommerce stands out for its native features at every tier, and you can avoid its Open Payment Provider Fee entirely by processing orders through one of its embedded payment gateways, such as BigCommerce Payments, Stripe, or PayPal.

Conclusion: Making Your Decision

There's no single winner in the WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce debate. The right choice depends on your team's strengths.

WooCommerce suits merchants who want to customize their shop through WordPress development.

BigCommerce suits merchants who want fast setup, hands-off usability, and predictable scaling. Budget matters too, especially once you factor in BigCommerce's GMV thresholds and payment provider fees, or WooCommerce's long-term hosting and plugin costs.

People Also Ask

Is BigCommerce easier than WooCommerce?

BigCommerce is easier if you have no WordPress experience. Developers tend to prefer WooCommerce because its content management system is flexible and its customization options are nearly unlimited.

Is WooCommerce cheaper than BigCommerce?

It depends on your store's stage. WooCommerce is free to start, but you'll pay for hosting and a domain. A functional WooCommerce store typically costs $200 to $1,500 per year. BigCommerce's entry-level Core plan starts at $29 per month with annual billing, and the cost rises as your sales grow and you cross each plan's GMV threshold.

Which is better for small businesses: WooCommerce or BigCommerce?

If you have WordPress experience, WooCommerce is usually the better choice for a small business. If you don't, and you want built-in support, BigCommerce may suit you better, especially in your first months. Just note that phone support isn't included on BigCommerce's entry-level Core plan.

Does BigCommerce have transaction fees?

BigCommerce doesn't charge a platform fee if you process orders through one of its embedded payment providers, such as BigCommerce Payments, Stripe, or PayPal. If you use a different ("open") gateway, BigCommerce charges an extra Open Payment Provider Fee of 2.0% on Core, 1.0% on Growth, or 0.6% on Scale, on top of your processor's own fees.³ Performance plan customers pay 0% under their negotiated contract.

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Sources

1. US Census Bureau — Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales
2. Omnisend — WooCommerce Pricing: How Much It Really Costs in 2026
3. BigCommerce — Pricing and Plan Information (effective June 1, 2026)
4. Wise — Wise Business: The international business account
5. Wise — Receive interest on USD, GBP and EUR balances