Choosing the right eCommerce platform is essential whether you are a small business or a large enterprise.
You will run your business through the platform and deliver an engaging customer experience. This, in turn, directly impacts the revenue you generate.
When searching for eCommerce platforms, some big names bound to pop up are Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento. These platforms command an impressive market share in the eCommerce space.
Before exploring these platforms, it would be best to understand your unique business requirements. For example, business objectives include increased sales or improving brand reach, current business scale, and available resources.
Many other eCommerce platforms are available in the market, but today's article will compare the three big names in the industry.
Shopify Vs. BigCommerce Vs. Magento
Let us look at a few factors that may help you select the most viable platform for your business.
| Factors | Shopify | BigCommerce | Magento |
| Costing | Affordable | Affordable | Expensive |
| Market Share | 21% | 3% | 9% |
| Ease of Use | Easy-to-use | Easy-to-use | Complex |
| Theme Diversity | Many | Many | Many |
| Features | Basic native features with a small repository for extensions | Feature-rich with extensions available in premium versions | Feature-rich with several third-party extensions available |
| Security | Secure | Highly-secure | Secure, but merchants responsible for backend updates |
| Hosting | Cloud-based | Cloud-based | Cloud-based, On-premise |
Costing
Considering the cost, consider factors like the initial setup, maintenance, hosting, and security.
Cost should certainly not be the only factor to be examined as the platforms offer features and return on investment will differ. But as some options are affordable and some are pricey, setting up a budget would be a good idea.
Shopify offers affordable pricing models. Its Basic plan starts at $29/month. The Shopify and Advanced plans can go up to $69 – $299/month. In addition, large enterprises can opt for ShopifyPlus, which is available at $2000/month.
BigCommerce offers Standard, Plus, and Pro plans. These are priced at $29.95/month, $79.95/month, and $299.95/month. They offer custom pricing for enterprise plans.
Magento is the most expensive of the three. You can download Magento Open Source for free, but you still need to cover costs like hosting domain, developer, and transaction fees. The price can vary, but the annual charges can range between $22,000 and $125,000.
Market Share
According to a recent Kinsta research, the market share of websites using eCommerce technologies stands at – Shopify 21%, Magento 9%, and BigCommerce 3%.
Affordable plans and ease of installation and use could be reasons for Shopify's market hold. But if we look at Magento, several high-traffic websites and major brands like Coca-Cola run on the platform.
BigCommerce is comparatively a smaller platform, but if you are looking for a feature-rich and affordable venue, it is one of the best options available.
Ease of Use
Shopify is the most accessible eCommerce platform to use of all three. Its drag-and-drop functionality makes it easier for even non-technical people to set up a store and start running it. Even with the premium versions, setting up the store will be relatively quick.
BigCommerce is also intuitive by nature, offers drag-and-drop capabilities, and is easy to use. It also has pre-built plug-ins to CMS and DXP systems, allowing you to continue with platforms you are familiar with.
Magento is the most complex platform on this list. You will need a developer or a team to help set the site up and manage integrations. Magento offers a range of customizable features, and you will need technical expertise to make the most of it.
Theme Diversity
There are over a hundred themes available on the Shopify platform. Currently, Shopify offers 11 free and 103 paid articles on its platform. The themes are mobile-optimized and allow for easy integration.
BigCommerce currently offers 12 free themes and about 158 paid themes. All these themes are highly customizable. You can seek help from IT help desk providers to help with the initial design and setup.
Luma and Blank are the two themes available on Magento. But these themes act more like a proof-of-concept than the ones you can use.
You will either have to buy the Magento themes from third-party websites or have a developer design them from scratch.
Features
Shopify is easy to use, but it is comparatively restrictive regarding features. It does offer several native components, but you will end up using third-party apps for more functionality which can prove to be expensive in the long run. It is best suited for small businesses.
On the other hand, BigCommerce is suited for small to medium-sized businesses. It comes with several native features in terms of SEO, sales, and marketing and reduces the dependence on third-party apps.
If a fully functional, customizable solution is what you are looking for, then Magento is the winner here. BigCommerce reaches its limit when your product range goes beyond 100.
But with Magento, you can easily list thousands of products and manage them. But, of course, you will need technical expertise and a budget to help you along the way.
Security
Shopify is a secure platform that is PCI compliant and comes with an SSL certificate.
BigCommerce is PCI DSS 3.2 and Level 1 certified. In addition, it comes with sitewide SSL security and provides additional firewalls and intrusion detection protection.
Magento is secure, it will release security patches for known issues, but you are responsible for maintaining the website and keeping it up-to-date. Your developers can add checks and features, but you must protect your website.
Hosting
Shopify and BigCommerce both offer cloud-based hosting, which comes with your subscription.
With Magento, the hosting choice is up to you. The platform offers cloud-based and on-premise hosting. Or you can also opt for third-party hosting.
Summary
Shopify can be a good choice if you are a beginner with limited to no technical background. It is easy to use and affordable.
BigCommerce can work for small to medium-sized companies. It is budget-friendly and offers several levels of customization.
If you want to scale your business and have the resources to spend, then Magento is the best eCommerce platform with excellent functionality and customization.
So, the answer depends on your unique business requirement regarding the question of which is the best eCommerce platform.
