Dropshipping

Shopify vs. BigCommerce: Which one is better for dropshipping in 2024?

Nedina Gjorgjieva

Nedina Gjorgjieva

Dec 13, 2023 · 13 minutes

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Shopify and BigCommerce are two mega-popular options for building eCommerce stores, each with its own set of tools, strengths, and limitations. 

With that being said, it might be difficult to decide which platform is better for starting a dropshipping business. 

Then, let’s compare the advantages and disadvantages as well as features of both platforms and see which one will outweigh the other.

What will we compare?

• Basic features
• Design options
• Pricing plans
• Third-party extensions
• SEO tools
• Hosting solutions
• Ease of use

Main features

Shopify features

• Product Listing: Showcase an unlimited number of products in your online store.
• Blogging platform: Maintain a blog directly on your site.
• Staff management: Create multiple user accounts for your team members.
• Web hosting: Easily configure your domain within Shopify without the need to find a hosting solution.
• Diverse sales channels: Extend your store to various platforms, including Amazon and eBay.
• Extensive payment options: Supports over 100 different dropshipping payment gateways.
• Customizable shipping rates: Manually set your shipping rates as needed.
• App compatibility: Seamlessly integrates with numerous dropshipping apps.
• SSL certificate: Protect your online store with an included SSL certificate at no extra cost.
• Analytics and reporting: Gain insights with comprehensive statistics and reports on your website and product performance.
• Promotional tools: Create and apply discount codes, and offer gift cards to enhance marketing strategies.
• Automatic currency conversion: Accommodate global customers with a currency converter for localized pricing experiences.
• Multiple languages: Feature your store in various languages with a multi-language translator.
• Marketing tools: Streamline your marketing efforts with over 8,000 app integrations.

Check out: How to start dropshipping on Shopify?

BigCommerce features

• User-friendly storefront: Use an easy-to-navigate platform with detailed guidance, making it simple to create an appealing and functional online store.
• Unlimited staff accounts: Get access to unlimited staff accounts, allowing for extensive team collaboration.
• Integrated hosting service: Benefit from in-built hosting services, making it super convenient to set up your dropshipping store’s domain name.
• Store customization options: Tailor your store’s appearance and provide customers with a personalized shopping experience.
• Blogging feature: Engage customers with quality content you can publish on your built-in blog.
• Secure payment processing: Supports more than 60 secure payment gateways.
• Optimized for mobile users: Responsive designs to mobile devices, ensuring a seamless shopping experience across all types of devices.
• Compatibility with third-party apps: Install a wide range of third-party apps, including email marketing, CRM, and accounting software.
• Support for multiple currencies: Handle transactions in over 100 different currencies, facilitating global business operations.
• Marketing and SEO tools: Get access to various marketing tools and SEO optimization features to enhance your store’s visibility and drive more traffic.

Check out: How to start dropshipping on BigCommerce?

Key difference

Both Shopify and BigCommerce have a good offer of basic web-building features that cater to the needs of dropshipping businesses. Whether you prioritize a user-friendly interface, multiple payment gateways, or advanced SEO optimization, both platforms have something to offer. 

Design and customization

Shopify design

When it comes to design, Shopify stands out with its vast collection of visually appealing templates. 

• Shopify provides more than 100 different themes.
• The pricing begins at approximately $300, but there are also numerous free options available. 
• Each template is designed to be mobile-friendly.
• Templates are fully customizable – you can modify colors, fonts, and layouts to create a store that reflects your brand’s personality and values.
• You don’t need any coding knowledge to make any of these customizations.

BigCommerce design

BigCommerce also offers a range of intuitive themes that can be customized without any technical expertise. 

• Choose from more than 100 free and paid templates.
• The prices for the paid themes start at around $200.
• If you have coding knowledge of HTML and CSS, you can take your store’s design to the next level by editing the code directly. 
• For the less tech-savvy users, BigCommerce also offers template customization via features that don’t require any coding skills such as the drag-and-drop editor.

Key difference

Shopify’s paid themes might be slightly more expensive than those of BigCommerce. However, both platforms offer free templates as well as tools to create a fully customized storefront.

Pricing plans

Shopify pricing plans

Shopify offers three main plans: Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify. These are designed to accommodate businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.

Basic plan: 

• Price: $32/month
• Best for: beginners in dropshipping and small business owners
• Key features: It includes all the essential features needed to set up and start running an online store.

Shopify plan: 

• Price: $92/month
• Best for: dropshippers with growing businesses that start expanding
• Key features: It includes all the features offered in the Basic plan with one difference – it allows up to 5 staff accounts.

Advanced plan: 

• Price: $399/month
• Best for: more advanced dropshippers running medium to large businesses
• Key features: It provides more advanced features such as up to 15 staff member accounts, estimated duties and import tax calculation at checkout, and third-party calculated shipping rates.

BigCommerce pricing plans

BigCommerce also offers a range of plans to suit different business needs. Let’s explore the pricing options available:

Standard: 

• Price: $39/month
• Best for: beginners in dropshipping and smaller businesses
• Key features: Users have access to all of the basic features to create an eCommerce store from scratch.

Plus: 

• Price: $105/month
• Best for: growing small to medium-sized dropshipping businesses experiencing increasing sales
• Key features: It includes all the features of the Standard plan, along with additional features like customer segmentation, abandoned cart saver, and stored credit cards.

Pro: 

• Price: $399/month
• Best for: scaling dropshipping businesses with high-volume traffic and sales
• Key features: It offers advanced features such as Google customer reviews and product filtering.

Enterprise: 

• Price: customized pricing
• Best for: large-scale dropshipping businesses and enterprises with significant online operations
• Key features: The plan includes all features from the previous plans and provides personalized solutions tailored to the unique needs of large-scale businesses.

Key difference

BigCommerce’s pricing plans are slightly on the more expensive end. Nevertheless, both platforms offer plans that can cater to the needs of businesses in different growth stages.

Third-party extensions

Shopify extensions

Shopify users can benefit from over 8,000 different types of extensions available in the Shopify App Store. 

You can find apps for social media, email marketing, analytics, product reviews, customer service, SEO, and many more. 

For instance, apps like Firepush can help you create retargeting marketing campaigns, Sixads assist you in running ads on Google and social media, while Google Shopping Feed optimizes your product feeds across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, Google, and Bing.

BigCommerce extensions

Similarly, BigCommerce’s App Marketplace offers a wide selection of apps for financing, payments, CRM, marketing, AI, and more. 

You can find apps like Google Analytics, which provides in-depth insights into your website’s performance, Yotpo, which allows you to collect and display customer reviews, and LiveChat, which allows you to engage with visitors in real time.

Key difference

Shopify’s app library is much richer in third-party extensions. Despite that, whether you’re looking to improve marketing strategies or optimize customer experience, you can find the right apps to meet your needs in both respective app marketplaces.

SEO optimization

Shopify SEO optimization

Shopify assists in enhancing your store’s visibility on search engines by providing you with:

• Built-in SEO features to handle URLs, meta descriptions, title tags, and image alt texts, among others;
• an auto-created sitemap;
• plenty of free and paid SEO third-party extensions in the Shopify App Store;
• availability of complimentary tutorials on eCommerce SEO.

Check out: Best SEO practices for Shopify stores

BigCommerce SEO optimization

BigCommerce offers almost the exact same features:

• Customizable URLs to include keywords relevant to your products and categories; 
• Easily changeable meta titles and descriptions and title tags;
• SEO guides are available in the BigCommerce Help Center;
• BigCommerce’s App Marketplace for numerous SEO apps and tools.

Key difference

Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer dropshippers built-in SEO tools, free resources, as well as a variety of apps they can install for additional costs.

Hosting solutions

Shopify hosting service

One of the major advantages of using Shopify is that Shopify handles all of your hosting requirements. This means you don’t have to worry about managing servers or dealing with complicated technical issues. 

But what exactly does Shopify’s hosting entail? Well, for starters, you can either buy your domain name directly from Shopify or use an already existing one.

Furthermore, Shopify provides excellent security measures to protect your store and customer data by offering a free SSL certificate.

BigCommerce hosting service

BigCommerce also offers a reliable hosting service option with SSL certificates, making sure your store is well-guarded. 

Like Shopify, BigCommerce also allows you to choose between setting up a new domain name right from your store’s dashboard or using one you’ve bought from a third party.

Key difference

Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer equally reliable hosting solutions that can support your dropshipping store. 

Ease of use

Shopify ease of use

Shopify’s user-friendly interface makes it easy for users of all levels of technical expertise to set up and manage their stores, especially for beginners in dropshipping. 

From a built-in hosting solution to a convenient drag-and-drop editor, Shopify allows dropshippers to set up their online stores within minutes.

If you still find yourself experiencing some issues, Shopify offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone, and email. They also have an extensive help center with detailed articles and video tutorials that cover various aspects of the platform.

BigCommerce ease of use

Similarly, BigCommerce is renowned for its user-friendly interface, making it an excellent choice for dropshipping beginners as well. 

With a clean and organized dashboard, you can effortlessly navigate through various settings and create an eCommerce store quickly and easily.

BigCommerce goes the extra mile in providing step-by-step tutorials and guides to help you make the most of their platform. 

Responsive customer support is another area where BigCommerce shines. Their support team is readily available to assist you at any time. Additionally, they offer a dedicated account manager for enterprise-level businesses, ensuring that you receive personalized assistance when needed.

Key difference

Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer user-friendly interfaces that cater to dropshipping beginners and let you have all the necessary tools and assistance at your disposal.

Shopify: pros and cons

Pros

• ✅ User-friendly interface
• ✅ Reasonably priced pricing plans
• ✅ Customizable templates
• ✅ Robust features and built-in tools
• ✅ Wide range of third-party apps
• ✅ Hosting service included
• ✅ 24/7 customer support

Cons

• ❌  A limited number of free themes

BigCommerce: pros and cons

Pros

• ✅ Easy dashboard to navigate through
• ✅ Powerful built-in features 
• ✅ Unlimited number of staff accounts for every plan
• ✅ Advanced customization options
• ✅ Built-in hosting solution
• ✅ 24/7 customer support

Cons

• ❌  Limited features on cheaper plans. If you need advanced tools, you’ll have to upgrade to a more expensive plan

Dropshipping with BrandsGateway on Shopify vs. BigCommerce

Sure, a great web-building eCommerce software can give you impressive tools to build an insanely stunning and functional online store but what can’t do is supply it with dropshipping winning products. 

So, here’s what you can do – you partner with a dropshipping supplier that happens to offer both the latest trending products and a plugin for your eCommerce platform of choice.

You’re in luck because BrandsGateway supports dropshippers on Shopify as well as on BigCommerce and provides a dropshipping service that includes:

• A vast selection of more than 20,000 luxury fashion products from over 100 well-known designer brands.
• A rich catalog that includes designer apparel, shoes, bags, jewelry, accessories, watches, and sunglasses.
• Automated dropshipping that provides real-time inventory updates and streamlines order processing.
• The ability to determine your own profit margins, with potential profits reaching up to 250%.
• Rapid global delivery of 1-3 days within Europe and 5-7 for the rest of the world, shipping to over 170 countries.
• A 14-day policy for returns.
• Access to high-quality marketing resources.
• Dedicated customer support for dropshippers via email, phone, WhatsApp, and demo calls.

Dropshipping with Shopify and BrandsGateway

To start dropshipping with BrandsGateway all you need to do is download the BrandaGateway Shopify App from Shopify’s app marketplace and complete the integration in 5 easy steps:

• STEP 1: Sign up as a customer at https://brandsgateway.com/register/.
• STEP 2: Access the BrandsGateway App for Shopify.
• STEP 3: Choose ‘Add App’ and install it into your Shopify store.
• STEP 4: Choose your preferred dropshipping package.
• STEP 5: Import the product catalog from BrandsGateway.

Dropshipping with BigCommerce and BrandsGateway

For BIgCommerce users, the process is quite similar – dropshippers need to access BrandsGateway’s app for BigCommerce and from there, follow these steps:

• STEP 1: Register for a free account at BrandsGateway’s registration page.
• STEP 2: Open the BrandsGateway App for BigCommerce.
• STEP 3: Click on ‘Add App’ and install it into your BigCommerce store.
• STEP 4: Pick a dropshipping package.
• STEP 5: Import the product catalog from BrandsGateway.

Quick comparison: Shopify vs. BigCommerce

Final verdict: Dropship with Shopify or BigCommerce?

Unfortunately, we can’t make the choice for you. Fortunately, we can vouch for both platforms! 

Shopify is a great option if you’re new in dropshipping and don’t have a clue on how to create and launch an eCommerce store. BigCommerce is friendly for beginners as well but might need the help of a developer for certain tasks.

With both platforms offering tree trials, you are free to experiment and see which one will ultimately be the best platform for your business.

So, carefully go through your budget, business plans and requirements, and long-term goals before deciding which platform is better for your dropshipping store.

FAQ

Continue reading other platform comparisons

• Shopify vs. Amazon
• Shopify vs. WooCommerce
• Shopify vs. Shift4Shop
• WooCommerce vs. Wix
• eBay vs. Amazon

About the Author

Nedina Gjorgjieva

Proud bookworm, passionate content writer and devoted Arctic Monkeys fan. Always in the mood for travel and sightseeing.

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