When it comes to building an online store, choosing the right platform is crucial.
Two options that often come up in the discussion are Ecwid and BigCommerce. But which one is better for your business?
Do you prioritize features, pricing, or ease of use? And can these platforms really help you create a successful online store?
In this article, we will delve into the details of Ecwid and BigCommerce. We will debunk common beliefs and provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision.
Are you ready to find out which platform reigns supreme in the world of online stores?
Let’s dive in!
Overview
Let’s discuss Ecwid first.
Ecwid
Ecwid is a versatile and budget-friendly ecommerce platform that caters to the needs of businesses, offering features like store design, app store, themes, instant site, and abandoned cart functionality.
It stands out for its affordability, responsive design optimized for mobile devices, easy integration with major website platforms, support for multiple languages, automated tax calculations, and a fully loaded app store for various purposes.
The platform is praised for its user-friendly interface, with a straightforward dashboard and easy navigation, making it suitable for small business owners, solopreneurs, and social sellers.
Additionally, Ecwid is commended for its free plan, comprehensive multilingual selling features, and the ability to add an online store to existing websites or social media profiles effortlessly.
The platform provides multiple selling tools and features to help you manage your online store effectively.
Also read: Ecwid Review, Pros And Cons
Ge free FOREVER plan. Set up your free account once, and keep it as long as you like.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a robust ecommerce platform designed for larger businesses that need advanced features and customization options.
It has gained popularity in North America with over 80,000 users and is known for its extensibility despite limitations like server access restrictions and lack of native multi-store capabilities.
BigCommerce stands out for its comprehensive feature set, multi-storefront functionality, support for multiple currencies, real-time shipping calculations, and no transaction fees.
The platform provides APIs for customization, a checkout SDK for flexibility, and partnerships with technology providers like Bloomreach, Attraqt, Klevu, and Algolia. Notable brands like Skull Candy, Avery Dennison, Woolrich, and Paul Mitchell use BigCommerce Enterprise.
The platform is praised for its SEO features, multi-currency selling capabilities, and built-in blog, but it has room for improvement in template variety, typeface selection, and page builder functionality.
It is a powerful ecommerce platform providing a comprehensive set of tools to manage and grow your online store, ensuring a seamless shopping experience for your customers.
Also read: Jumpseller vs Shopify
Pricing Plans
Ecwid
Ecwid offers different pricing plans to suit the needs of businesses of all sizes. These include:
Free Plan: The free plan allows you to add up to 10 products to your online store. It includes a free Starter Site which is a one-page ecommerce website, as well as the ability to add Ecwid to an existing website. It has no transaction fees.
Venture Plan: Priced at $25 per month or $21 per month if billed annually, this plan enables up to 100 products in your store. It also facilitates selling on Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, it provides a mobile app for managing your store on-the-go.
Business Plan: This plan costs $45 per month or $39 per month if paid annually. It allows up to 2,500 products and enables selling on Amazon and eBay in addition to your own website.
Plus, it Includes marketing tools like abandoned cart emails and Mailchimp integration. The plan provides more advanced inventory management, wholesale pricing, and staff accounts in addition to phone, chat, and email support.
Unlimited Plan: Priced at $105 per month or $89 per month if billed annually, this plan has no product limits and includes a custom branded mobile app for iOS and Android. It also provides 12 hours of free store customization services and offers unlimited staff accounts.
Ecwid does not charge any transaction fees on any of its plans.
Check out: Ecwid vs Volusion – Which is Better?
Ge free FOREVER plan. Set up your free account once, and keep it as long as you like.
BigCommerce
The pricing plans available from BigCommerce include:
Standard Plan: Priced at $39 per month or $29 per month when paid annually, this plan includes a drag-and-drop page builder, 12 free templates, unlimited staff accounts, unlimited file storage and bandwidth, ability to sell unlimited number of products, point-of-sale system integration, up to 3 online storefronts, real-time shipping quotes, and more.
Plus Plan: This plan costs $105 per month or $79 per month when paid annually. It is suitable for growing stores, offers features like abandoned cart recovery, and is ideal for boosting conversions and enhancing marketing efforts.
Pro Plan: Priced at $399 per month or $299 per month when paid annually, this plan has been designed for large online stores needing scalable features to support continued growth.
Enterprise Plan: This plan comes with custom pricing based on requirements. It has been tailored for fully established stores needing advanced features and support, including custom product filters, price lists, unlimited API calls, and more.
These plans cater to different business needs, from new online stores to large established businesses, offering a range of features and pricing options to suit various ecommerce requirements.
Also read: Shopify vs Gumroad
Interface & Dashboard
Both Ecwid and BigCommerce provide user-friendly interfaces and intuitive dashboards for managing your online store.
Ecwid
Ecwid’s interface is known for its simplicity and ease of use. The dashboard allows you to set up your store quickly and efficiently.
With Ecwid, you can easily navigate through different sections, manage products, customize your storefront, and track orders without any complexity or confusion.
The interface is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for beginners to start selling online.
Explore: 7 Best Ecwid Dropshipping Apps
BigCommerce
On the other hand, BigCcommerce offers a more feature-rich interface with advanced capabilities.
While it may have a steeper learning curve compared to Ecwid, it provides a comprehensive dashboard that caters to the needs of larger businesses.
BigCommerce’s interface allows you to access a wide range of tools and functionalities, including inventory management, marketing features, and analytics.
Once you familiarize yourself with the interface, you’ll find it powerful and efficient in managing your online store.
Both platforms prioritize user experience and strive to provide a streamlined interface that simplifies store management.
Whether you choose Ecwid or Bigcommerce, you can expect an interface that is designed to enhance your overall user experience, allowing you to navigate effortlessly through the various features and functionalities.
Check out: Exploring Ecwid’s Free Plan
Inventory Management
Effective inventory management is crucial for running a successful online store. Both Ecwid and BigCommerce offer inventory management capabilities, but they differ in terms of mobile apps and integration with selling channels.
Ecwid
Ecwid understands the importance of flexibility and convenience for merchants. That’s why they provide mobile apps that allow you to manage your store while on the go.
With the Ecwid mobile app, you can easily update your store profiles, manage products and orders, and stay connected with your customers.
The mobile app also integrates seamlessly with various selling channels, enabling you to reach a wider audience and expand your business.
Read this too: Ecwid vs Wix – Which is Better?
Ge free FOREVER plan. Set up your free account once, and keep it as long as you like.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers a mobile app that focuses on providing push notifications for sales and order status, giving you real-time updates on the performance of your store.
However, it lacks certain features like product updates and managing multiple selling channels, which can limit your ability to efficiently manage your inventory and reach potential customers.
Store Design & Flexibility
In terms of store design and flexibility, both Ecwid and BigCommerce offer different options to cater to your needs.
Ecwid
Ecwid provides limited design options with only one theme available for stores starting from scratch. However, this doesn’t limit your ability to create a visually appealing store.
Ecwid allows you to integrate its functionality seamlessly into your existing website and customize the design using paid themes from the App Market.
This means you can maintain the visual brand consistency of your website while enjoying the benefits of Ecwid’s powerful ecommerce features.
Also read: Is Ecwid Good For Dropshipping?
BigCommerce
If you’re looking for a wide range of design options, BigCommerce has you covered. It offers over 150 themes, including both free and paid options.
These themes can be easily customized to fit your brand’s visual merchandising needs. In addition to the pre-built themes, BigCommerce provides a visual merchandising tool called Store Design.
The tool allows you to customize various elements on your website, ensuring that your store reflects your unique brand identity.
Explore: Is Shopify Good For Dropshopping?
Ge free FOREVER plan. Set up your free account once, and keep it as long as you like.
Selling Channels & Integration
When it comes to selling products online, integrating your store with various channels is crucial to reaching a wider audience.
Both Ecwid and BigCommerce offer seamless integration with social media channels and popular marketplaces, providing you with multiple selling opportunities.
Ecwid
Ecwid, being a versatile ecommerce platform, supports integration with platforms like WooCommerce and Wix.
This means you can easily expand your reach and sell your products directly through these channels, leveraging their user base and traffic.
With Ecwid, you have the flexibility to sell anywhere, whether it’s on your own website or on other platforms, while managing everything from a centralized dashboard.
BigCommerce
BigCommerce offers integration with WordPress through a plugin, enabling you to combine the power of WordPress’s content management system with BigCommerce’s robust ecommerce capabilities.
This integration allows you to seamlessly manage your products, inventory, and orders, all within the WordPress environment.
Additionally, both Ecwid and BigCommerce provide integration with popular marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. This allows you to expand your product visibility and tap into the vast customer base of these platforms.
By listing your products on marketplaces, you can reach customers who prefer shopping on these platforms and take advantage of their built-in trust and credibility.
Marketing & Email Automation
Both Ecwid and BigCommerce provide robust marketing features to help you boost your online store’s visibility and drive customer engagement.
With features like discount coupons, social selling, and SEO optimization, these platforms ensure that you have the tools you need to effectively market your products.
One of the key aspects of marketing automation is the ability to send automated emails to potential customers who have abandoned the checkout process.
Both Ecwid and BigCommerce offer this feature, allowing you to capture the attention of those who showed interest but didn’t complete their purchase.
By sending personalized and timely emails, you can encourage them to come back and complete their order.
It’s important to note that BigCommerce restricts the number of automated reminder emails based on the pricing plan.
In contrast, Ecwid provides this feature at a lower cost, giving you more flexibility in reaching out to potential customers and recovering potentially lost sales.
In addition to automated emails, both platforms offer various marketing features to help you improve your customer engagement.
From targeted email campaigns to customer segmentation, you can tailor your marketing efforts to specific customer groups, ensuring that your message reaches the right audience.
To further enhance your marketing strategy, both Ecwid and BigCommerce provide integration with popular marketing tools and platforms.
This allows you to leverage your existing marketing stack and streamline your marketing efforts across channels.
By utilizing the marketing and email automation features of Ecwid or BigCommerce, you can drive more traffic to your online store, increase conversions, and build lasting relationships with your customers.
Ge free FOREVER plan. Set up your free account once, and keep it as long as you like.
Help & Support
When it comes to providing support, both Ecwid and BigCommerce prioritize their users’ needs.
They offer assistance through various channels, ensuring that you can easily reach out for help. Whether you prefer email, live chat, or phone support, both platforms have got you covered.
The level of support available may vary depending on your pricing plan, so it’s essential to consider your specific needs and budget when choosing between these options.
In addition to direct support channels, Ecwid and BigCommerce offer extensive online resources and tutorials. These resources are designed to help you navigate the platforms and address common issues. With step-by-step guides and documentation, you can find the answers you need quickly and efficiently.
If you prefer to connect with other merchants and learn from their experiences, both platforms provide community forums.
These forums serve as vibrant communities where you can ask questions, share insights, and engage with like-minded entrepreneurs.
Connecting with others who use Ecwid or BigCommerce can provide valuable insights and foster a sense of belonging within the ecommerce community.
Whether you prefer direct support, self-help resources, or community engagement, both Ecwid and BigCommerce offer comprehensive solutions to ensure you can receive assistance whenever you need it.
Conclusion
Ecwid is an excellent choice for small businesses with a tight budget, offering affordability without compromising on essential features.
However, if scalability and advanced features is what you require, BigCommerce is better.
When making a decision, consider factors like pricing, features, ease of use, and support options. Additionally, analyze your specific needs and budget to determine which platform aligns with your business goals.
By doing so, you will be able to select the best ecommerce platform that empowers your online store, increases sales, and supports your growth in the competitive online marketplace.
Daniel is an ecommerce expert specializing in the print-on-demand and dropshipping industry. With a background in software development, he has successfully turned his tech-savvy insights into a thriving 6-figure dropshipping business. He is a contributing writer for numerous top-tier tech & ecommerce blogs.