BigCommerce: What It Is, What It Really Costs, and Who It Suits
But your sales choose your plan.
The short answer
BigCommerce is a hosted online store platform, like Shopify. Plans cost $29–$299 a month billed yearly, but you don’t fully choose your plan: your last 12 months of sales do. Pass $30,000 a year and you are moved up automatically.
It suits mid-sized, B2B and multi-channel sellers who want features like reviews and Amazon and eBay selling built in. Small stores that are growing past $33,000 a year often pay less on Shopify.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Type | Hosted (SaaS). No servers to manage. |
| Plans | Core $29, Growth $79, Scale $299 a month billed yearly; Performance from $1,499 |
| How your plan is set | By trailing 12-month sales, checked monthly |
| Extra payment fee | 0% with 21 embedded providers; 0.6–2% with any other |
| Card fees | Set by your provider, typically 2.5–2.9% + 30¢ |
| Product limit | 600 SKUs per product |
| Best for | B2B and B2C together, multi-channel sellers, mid-sized stores |
| Skip it if | You are a small, growing store watching every dollar |
What BigCommerce is
BigCommerce runs your whole store for a monthly fee: hosting, checkout, catalogue, orders and security. You manage it from a browser, like Shopify.
Its pitch is “more built in”. Product reviews, real-time shipping quotes, selling on Amazon, eBay and social channels, and unlimited staff accounts are included on every plan, where rivals often need paid apps. It also handles wholesale (B2B) and retail selling from the same system.
Plans and prices in 2026
BigCommerce renamed its plans and lowered its sales limits on 1 June 2026. Prices stayed the same, but stores now reach the more expensive plans sooner.
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | Sales limit | Old name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core | $39 | $29 | $30,000 a year | Standard |
| Growth | $105 | $79 | $100,000 a year | Plus |
| Scale | $399 | $299 | 0.9% on sales above $33,333 a month; moves up at $2M a year | Pro |
| Performance | Custom, from $1,499 | 0.6% on sales above $250,000 a month | Enterprise | |
Before June 2026, the limits were $50,000 for Standard and $180,000 for Plus. Many reviews still quote those older figures. Core also lost phone support, leaving chat and email.
The tax and shipping trap
BigCommerce measures your sales as “Inclusive GMV”: your gross order value, including tax and shipping, minus 10%. That means a store can cross a limit without selling more products.
What you really pay compared with Shopify
Because BigCommerce sets your plan by sales and Shopify lets you choose, their platform fees split apart as you grow. Here is the monthly platform fee at five sales levels.
That is not the whole story. BigCommerce includes reviews, multi-channel selling and unlimited staff that can cost $50–$200 a month in Shopify apps, and you can use Stripe or PayPal directly with no extra fee. But for a store selling $60,000–$600,000 a year, the platform fee alone runs $50–$325 a month higher on BigCommerce.
The new open payment provider fee
BigCommerce was famous for having no transaction fees. Since 1 June 2026, that is only true if you use one of its 21 “embedded” payment providers.
For most stores using Stripe, PayPal or BigCommerce Payments, everyday card sales avoid this fee. The stores most affected are B2B sellers who take purchase orders or bank transfers, and stores using a local provider that isn’t on the list.
How setting up a BigCommerce store works
- Start the free trial, then pick a plan that fits your expected sales, not just your features.
- Add products with variants, prices, stock and images. Each product can have up to 600 SKUs.
- Choose a theme and customise it in the visual editor.
- Connect an embedded payment provider, such as Stripe or PayPal, to avoid the extra fee.
- Set shipping and tax. Real-time carrier quotes are built in.
- Connect sales channels like Amazon, eBay, Google and social media.
- Place a test order, then launch.
BigCommerce’s limits that most reviews skip
- Forced upgrades. You can’t stay on a cheaper plan once your sales pass the limit.
- Its sales figure won’t match yours. Inclusive GMV includes tax and shipping, so it will differ from your own reports.
- 600 SKUs per product, and no more than 250 values per option. Stores with many size, colour and style combinations can hit this.
- A smaller app library. There are about 1,300 integrations, against roughly 17,900 apps for Shopify.
- No phone support on Core since June 2026.
- Offline payments now cost extra on self-serve plans, which affects B2B.
BigCommerce vs Shopify vs WooCommerce
| BigCommerce | Shopify | WooCommerce | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Hosted | Hosted | Self-hosted WordPress plugin |
| Platform fee | $29–$299 a month, set by sales | $29–$299 a month, you choose | Free, plus hosting |
| Extra fee for other payment providers | 0.6–2% outside 21 embedded providers | 0.6–2% outside Shopify Payments | None |
| Built-in reviews and multi-channel | Yes | Partly, more apps needed | Through plugins |
| B2B tools | Strong | Mainly on Plus | Through plugins |
| Best for | B2B and multi-channel sellers | Fast launches, most small stores | Content-led stores with technical help |
Is BigCommerce worth it?
For mid-sized, B2B and multi-channel sellers who would otherwise pay for several apps, yes. For a small store growing past $33,000 a year, check the staircase first: the forced upgrade to Growth and then Scale can cost more than everything it includes.
Thinking about a custom front end? Our guide to going headless on BigCommerce covers the costs. Still comparing? See our best ecommerce platforms for small business.
Frequently asked questions
How much does BigCommerce cost per month?
Core is $29 a month billed yearly ($39 monthly), Growth $79 ($105) and Scale $299 ($399). Performance starts around $1,499. Your sales decide which plan you need.
Does BigCommerce charge transaction fees?
Not if you use one of its 21 embedded providers, such as Stripe or PayPal. Since June 2026, other providers and offline payments cost an extra 2% on Core, 1% on Growth and 0.6% on Scale.
What happens when I pass my plan’s sales limit?
BigCommerce checks your last 12 months of sales on the first of each month and moves you up a plan automatically. On Scale, you pay 0.9% on monthly sales above $33,333 instead.
Do tax and shipping count towards the sales limit?
Yes. BigCommerce uses gross order value, including tax and shipping, minus 10%.
Is BigCommerce cheaper than Shopify?
Below about $33,000 a year, the platform fees are the same. Above that, BigCommerce’s platform fee is usually higher, but it includes features that need paid apps on Shopify.
Is BigCommerce good for B2B?
Yes. Customer groups, price lists and wholesale features are among its strengths. Note that purchase-order payments now attract the open payment provider fee on self-serve plans.