Pick BigCommerce if you sell to other businesses as well as consumers, want full API and code access, and need a built-in feed tool for listing on Amazon, Walmart, eBay and the big social channels. Pick Shopify if you want the quickest route to a live store and one place to run online, in-person, social and AI-chat selling. Both state a free trial.
If some of your buyers are other businesses, ordering in bulk or on account, that one fact will push you harder than anything else on this page. If they're all shoppers clicking a buy button, the decision is far closer, and it comes down to how much control you want over the plumbing behind your store.
I'll keep this practical. You'll get the one thing both platforms now say that you can safely ignore, a short checklist, a side-by-side table, then the themes where they pull apart.
Ignore the AI shopping pitch, both are making it
Read either home page and you'll come away thinking the big news is selling inside AI chat. It's news, but it won't help you choose, because both vendors are telling the same story. Shopify talks about Agentic Storefronts, where the vendor says shoppers can check out inside an AI conversation, plus AI tools to build the store for you. BigCommerce talks about catalog enrichment and brand agents, so AI search tools can answer shopper questions using your product data.
So if a sales rep leads with AI, nod and move on. What separates them is what each one puts first on its own pages. The open platform leads with B2B, open APIs and a bundled product feed tool. The speed-first one leads with how fast you can get going and an AI prompt that sets up your store. That's the real fork in the road, and the rest of this page follows it.
Five questions to answer before you sign up
- Do you sell to trade or wholesale buyers as well as consumers? If yes, note that one platform names B2B up front and the other speaks to everyone.
- Will a developer need full API and code access, or would you rather never touch code?
- Do you plan to list products on Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Google, Meta or TikTok from one feed?
- Do you sell in person as well as online, and want both run from one central place?
- How much does checkout layout matter to you, for example a one-page checkout with wallets and buy now, pay later options?
If most of your answers lean towards trade buyers, code access and channel feeds, the open platform is probably your match. If they lean towards speed, in-person sales and one dashboard, the speed-first one probably suits you better.
Six differences side by side
| Point | BigCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Calls itself an open platform for B2C and B2B brands | Pitched at anyone, from first-time entrepreneurs to large brands |
| Checkout | Customisable one-page checkout, digital wallets, one-click and buy now, pay later | Payments, shipping, retail and inventory bundled in one command centre |
| Developer access | Developer docs, an MCP Toolkit, full API and code access | An AI toolkit route that sets up a store through an agent |
| Channel feeds | Feedonomics Surface, with listing on Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Google, Meta and TikTok | Says it helps you sell on every channel, online and in person |
| International | Multiple languages from one storefront | Shopify Markets for localising and cross-border selling |
| AI commerce | Catalog enrichment and brand agents for AI search | Agentic Storefronts and AI store building |
Where they pull apart
Who each platform is talking to
One platform's pages are written for growing and enterprise brands, and they name B2B sellers directly. That matters if you've got trade customers, because a platform that leads with B2B is telling you it expects those workflows. The other's line is that you can get started fast and grow as big as you want. That's a wide net, aimed as much at someone opening their first store as at a large brand.
Checkout and the back office
The B2B-first platform's features page opens with checkout: a customisable one-page layout, digital wallets, one-click buying and buy now, pay later. Its standout claim, per the vendor, is 250+ local payment methods across 100+ countries and 65+ payment providers. The other platform frames things differently. Its home page bundles payments, shipping, retail and inventory into one command centre, which suits an owner who wants everything in a single place rather than lots of choice at the till.
Code, APIs and agents
This is where the gap is clearest. One vendor links developer docs, an MCP Toolkit, and says full API and code access is available. If you've got a developer, or plan to hire one, that's a strong signal. The other offers an AI toolkit that lets you set up a store through an agent. That's handy if you'd rather describe your shop than build it, but it's a different promise from open code access.
Selling beyond your own site
The open platform names a specific tool, Feedonomics Surface, and a specific list of channels: Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Google, Meta and TikTok. Its rival says it helps you sell on every channel, online and in person, locally and globally, without spelling out a feed tool in the same way. If channel listings are a big part of your plan, the named tool is worth a closer look. If you also run a shop counter or pop-ups, the in-person angle is worth weighing.
Selling abroad
Both cover international selling. One says it runs multiple languages from one storefront. The other has a named product for localising and cross-border selling. Neither page gives enough detail to call a winner here, so check the countries you care about on each sign-up flow.
My advice for different kinds of seller
Choose BigCommerce if you sell B2B, or need deep API control and channel feed tooling to list across big retail and social channels. Choose Shopify if you want the quickest start and one place for online, in-person and AI-channel selling. Neither vendor's pages crown an overall winner, and nor will I: the right pick is the one that matches how your customers buy.
If you're still unsure and want a wider view, my roundup of other store platforms worth comparing covers more options, and if you already run WordPress it's worth reading how WooCommerce compares with its alternatives before you leave it.
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Other store builders worth a look
WooCommerce
Best for: Open source commerce for WordPress, which calls itself the most flexible ecommerce platform. A natural pick if your site already runs on WordPress.
Wix eCommerce
Best for: A website builder with an online store, part of a wider Wix range covering domains, hosting and business email.
Squarespace
Best for: Creators and small shops wanting a site builder with ecommerce, memberships, email and SMS campaigns, SEO tools and an AI Visibility feature.
Do you make an ecommerce platform or store builder? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this page.
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Frequently asked questions
Is BigCommerce better than Shopify for B2B selling?
Its pages name B2B brands directly and stress open APIs, so it's the more natural fit if you sell to trade buyers. The other platform's pitch is broader, aimed at anyone from new sellers to large brands.
Do both platforms offer a free trial?
Yes, both state a free trial. Check what's included on each sign-up page before you move products across.
Which one is easier to start with if I can't code?
The speed-first platform leads with getting started fast, prebuilt themes and an AI prompt that sets up your store. The open platform stresses code and API access, which matters more if you've got a developer.
Can I sell on Amazon and TikTok from either platform?
The open platform names Feedonomics Surface and listing on Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Google, Meta and TikTok. Its rival says it helps you sell on every channel without naming the same tool.
Can shoppers buy from my store inside an AI chat?
Both are pushing AI shopping. One sells Agentic Storefronts for checkout inside AI chats, and the other offers catalog enrichment and brand agents so AI search can answer shoppers.
