Magento vs BigCommerce

Magento vs BigCommerce: Which Takes the Gold?

1 in 4 online retailers uses Magento, an open-source, PHP-based eCommerce software, classified also as PaaS (Platform as a Service). BigCommerce is a SaaS platform (Software as a Service) and powers over 150,000 websites that sell items online and process payments. It’s estimated that Magento 2.0 is the latest version of the popular eCommerce platform.

BigCommerce vs Magento main differences

Magento is an open-source platform providing more control over eCommerce, huge possibilities of customizations fulfilling perfectly dynamic business needs. That also means higher pricing because of the third-party solutions and tailored features often required by Magento users.

While BigCommerce is a closed environment with built-in features and rigid frameworks designed in the same way for all users. BigCommerce store is ready to use right away and requires lower pricing at the beginning in comparison with Magento. 

Online sales are more and more demanding. Magento apart from the Community version (free of charge) offers also an Enterprise edition called Adobe Commerce Cloud. It has options of Saas solution e.g. customer service and cloud server which are additionally charged resembling BigCommerce.

Magento vs BigCommerce – Hosting

Magento is self-hosted, meaning customers will have to pay a third-party company. BigCommerce is a hosted solution, so there is no need to worry about hosting costs. Unlike Magento, BigCommerce does not permit self-hosting.

While sharing content with their provider is fine for small businesses, for larger or established businesses, you will almost certainly want the freedom to host your own site, giving you the security of content and peace of mind.

Magento as an on-premise eCommerce platform

On-premise solutions like Magento and WooCommerce require servers that host and maintain a platform. The merchants also care about security, database space, and software.  On-premise Magento commerce requires systematic expenses on development, security patches, software upgrades.

As all is up to the store owners Magento eCommerce platform is extremely flexible and scalable which is a great opportunity and advantage over the SaaS platform.

BigCommerce vs Magento – Design

Both platforms come with free design templates. Magento allows for customization of pretty much all aspects of design. BigCommerce only allows for certain design options, so the site you make will have a lot less customization.

With Magento however, free versions can be downloaded allowing you to try it out before taking a final decision. By contrast, BigCommerce is a closed proprietary system, and therefore harder to access and tweak with the open-source version of Magento. It is much harder to get a sense of how the platform works.

Hyvä Themes – a revolutionary solution for Magento frontend

In 2021 a new frontend solution for Magento appeared which is Hyvä Themes. It allows simplifying the development process and the code structure, which shortens the time to start and lowers Magento costs. You should certainly consider this option when planning Magento store development. If you are interested read more in:

• a blog article: Hyvä Themes a new Magento e-commerce frontend software
• an Ebook: How to keep the Core Web Vitals up to date no matter if Magento is actualized

Magento vs BigCommerce – Ease of use

BigCommerce is much more beginner-friendly than Magento. It comes with a website builder that allows users to create and manage the store without web coding knowledge. The editing interface is split between the storefront (what your customers see) and inventory (the back-end).

On the other hand, updating and maintaining Magento 2 can be a challenge if you are not a developer. Starting up and overall maintenance require development support, which translates to additional costs.

It’s all up to you as a merchant. This is why Magento 2 is a better option for more advanced and conscious store owners. If you know what feature or functionality you need, it will take a certain amount of time and money to make it happen but the effect will be outstanding and will meet your business needs for sure. 

BigCommerce vs Magento – Security you can count on

BigCommerce automatically applies all security patches for you.  With Magento, you are responsible for all security updates and patches. Nevertheless, both platforms are PCI compliant which means that software suppliers no matter if it’s BigCommerce or Magento software houses will be able to secure your online store well enough.

PCI compliant means Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, followed by all trustful eCommerce platforms to secure payment gateways. With BigCommerce hosting security is delivered out of the box. Magento online stores should treat them as one of their business needs. 

Magento vs BigCommerce – Plugins, and extensions

Both Magento and BigCommerce have marketplaces with features and extensions you may apply to your store. Magento’s marketplace has a wider offer with over 5 000 plugins delivered by the Magento Community that counts 260 000 developers. BigCommerce marketplace is not so rich, but all basic extensions can be easily found.

The main difference is in the way of plugin implementations. While BigCommerce allows instant installation while downloaded, they are also updated automatically, Magento requires resources such as time and money to arrange the development and customization process.

BigCommerce has a more user-friendly process while Magento engages additional forces to get high flexibility and tailored solutions.

Magento vs BigCommerce – Help, and support

BigCommerce as all SaaS solutions offers solid customer support 24/7 with phone and chat connections. The help desk will support all problematic situations, the store owner is led step by step in all necessary issues.  

This option exists also in Magento Enterprise (Adobe Commerce) a paid version while the Magento Community edition a free one is supported by Community. You should realize it consists of programmers who solve problems at the expert level. 

BigCommerce vs Magento – Multi-Store Capabilities

Online stores often operate in different areas and markets simultaneously. This situation forces all eCommerce platforms to satisfy international online retailers.  Magento 2  doesn’t require handling multiple instances allowing it to run multi-store from the same admin panel. 

With multi-store and multi-country functionality, brands can host stores on different domains, use different languages, offer different payment methods, and more from one location. This centralization reduces headaches for entrepreneurs that manage multiple stores across the world.

Multi-store benefits delivered by BigCommerce and Magento

Magento lets users customize the experience to local customs and shopper expectations. Users can integrate most local business and custom systems, with no trouble. Multi-currency, multi-language, multi-store, and multi-brand solutions also offer international options for shipping and taxes through their platform.

Magento offers multi-store functionality in the same installation – allowing users to create and access multiple stores on different URLs. BigCommerce doesn’t let complexity slow them down either – offering multi-currency, multi-payment, and multi-language options.

BigCommerce and Magento blogging (dis)advantages

CMS (Content Management System) is one of the crucial functionality on the website.  The content supports SEO and increases organic traffic, and takes a significant part in the sales funnel. Magento 2 has an extension supporting blogging activity without a need to integrate an external platform for that issue. 

Many BigCommerce users integrate WordPress or HubSpot to manage content on the blog. It’s worth following their experiences and recommendations.

Magento has the SEO support features in the market among all other platforms. There is no other powerful solution to boost CTR and sales. 

What e-commerce platform for high-volume SKUs?

If you have a product volume of over 10 000  items in the catalog or you plan to scale, Magento 2 will be suitable for you and easy to use for years. Magento 2 allows scaling the e-commerce without much additional care and hosting support.

With BigCommerce scaling means different price plans, higher plans give you more and more features and bring higher expenses. What is important is that BigCommerce has no transaction fees like other SaaS solutions on the market. 

Magento vs BigCommerce – Pricing

BigCommerce is an out-of-the-box platform that doesn’t require as much professional help as Magento. BigCommerce offers several pricing plans depending on your store size. Magento is free to use, and users only need to pay for hosting and development support.

The Magento pricing depends on the customization and complexity of the store.  SaaS platforms differ from PaaS platforms when considering pricing, and also business needs.

It’s a choice between a rigid structure with a closed ecosystem and total freedom of scalability, customization, and unique customer experience. 

Conclusion 

Magento is considered to be one of the most powerful and robust eCommerce platforms giving you full control over the store. The flexibility and agility can not be underestimated in the changing online circumstances.

The success depending on differentiation and unique customer experience requires huge technical support, reliable and trust with prospects for the future. 

If you want to check if your business is ready for Magento opportunities –  ask Szymon Niedziela. He will give you business-oriented recommendations on that issue.