Wix vs BigCommerce comparison: Which is Better?

It’s used to be that only the most talented coders could create their own websites, or those wealthy enough to hire professional programmers to do it for them! However, nowadays, with the assistance of some Ecommerce platforms, it is possible for everyone to build their own website without knowing a single line of code.

So you want to start an online store or company, choosing the best eCommerce website builder to create the most fantastic, eye-catching, and useful website is a major decision because each one has its own set of features and benefits.

How do you know which website builder is right for you when there are so many to choose from?

In this article, we compare two widely used eCommerce platforms to see which is the better choice in the case of Wix vs BigCommerce. We hope that by reading our article, you will be able to save a tremendous amount of time investigating on your own and reduce the risk of getting a headache.

An overview about Wix and BigCommerce

1. Wix overview

Wix is a cost-effective, easy, and painless way to make your own website in minutes used by 100 million people in 190 countries. Wix’s versatile template editor allows you absolute artistic freedom – regardless of your ability level – without the need to know a single line of code.

To begin with, it supports hundreds of businesses such as small businesses, musicians, photographers, graphic designers, cafes and restaurants, and hotels. Wix models and software can be customized to suit any niche. Wix combines a traditional template website designer with an AI platform. You can select from over 500 industry-specific models and use the drag-and-drop editor to build your own. Alternatively, you can use Wix ADI to get Wix to build a website for you!

Now, let’s take a look at BigCommerce!

2. BigCommerce overview

Similar to Wix, BigCommerce is also a website builder. At the time of this writing, the company has claimed that more than 90,000 online stores in 65 countries use their e-commerce software platform. Their clients vary from small businesses starting up new online stores to popular brands like Toyota and Martha Stewart.

BigCommerce is an eCommerce solution to build digital shops for users to sell their products. As long as users have a connection to a web browser and the Internet, they can create and run their online stores without purchasing web hosting and other applications.

BigCommerce’s target customers are mostly individuals without experience with operating websites; BigCommerce initiates a user-friendly interface that can help untrained users create their online store. With the help of various personalized models and offering tools, building a digital shop is no longer a difficult task for store owners.

It is, however, valuable software for technologically sophisticated consumers and developers who need to change the HTML and CSS of their online stores.

Wix vs BigCommerce comparison

1. Wix vs BigCommerce: Pricing & Plans

Wix

Wix offers a free service (which we rate as the best free website builder) as well as a two-week money-back guarantee for all of its paying services. Wix also sells Wix Enterprise, a high-end market solution with a personalized pricing package tailored for large companies.

The more time you sign up ahead of time, the cheaper your paid Wix package would be. When you pick an annual rate package, for example, you’ll spend less per month. Here are the distinctions in each Wix plan:

Plan	Paid Monthly	Paid Yearly
Combo	$18/month	$14/month
Unlimited	$23/month	$18/month
Pro	$28/month	$23/month
VIP	$47/month	$39/month
Business Basic	$28/month	$23/month
Business Unlimited	$33/month	$27/month
Business VIP	$56/month	$49/month

BigCommerce

BigCommerce offers 4 different plans to fit your business’ needs, from starting out to ready for advanced features like Product Filtering or increased API calls corresponding to 4 price ranges which are suitable for every customer’s pocket. Besides, it also provides customers with a special offer of a discount of 10% and a free trial for 15 days for annually “Plus” and “Pro” plans.

The system will automatically upgrade your plan based on your trailing sales volume during 12 months. If you wish to take advantage of the features available in other plans, feel free to upgrade your plan anytime.

While individuals and small firms would find it ideal to purchase the first three plans for their company or certain part of their product range, the last plan is geared towards serving large companies and businesses.

Plan	Paid Monthly
Standard	$29.95/month
Plus	$79.95/month
Pro	$299.95/month
Enterprise	based on business’s requirements

2. Wix vs BigCommerce: ECommerce Features

Both Wix eCommerce and BigCommerce are ecommerce websites, but they cater to various consumer groups. However, we would like to believe that each website is more suitable for distinct kinds of enterprises.

Wix is an eCommerce website for small and independent companies that is simple to use. BigCommerce is a feature-rich ecommerce website designed for larger and growing companies.

With that in mind, let’s compare the ecommerce capabilities of the two companies.

Wix

Wix eCommerce may be a more basic ecommerce website, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of plugins and applications to help you optimize your profits.

1. Numerous clever eCommerce add-ons

Wix’s ecommerce models come with a range of valuable ecommerce platforms and applications.

This basics “kick-starter pack” will assist you in

• Orders tracking
• Taxes configuring
• Cost shipping setting
• Connect payment methods
• Get your store found online

These simple tools will help handle your market and increase the store’s online presence for the vast majority of small business owners.

That’s not to suggest Wix doesn’t have more sophisticated eCommerce functionality – it certainly does! Many BigCommerce themes have these features as usual, but you can find the majority of these third-party features by searching the Wix App Market. Some of these apps are free, but most apps that offer additional eCommerce features are only available to paying subscribers.

2. Best apps for you:

It’s comforting to know that Wix has additional capabilities if you need them, so what are the best eCommerce applications for newbie entrepreneurs? These below list includes some of them:

• Etsy Shop (free)
• Paypal buttons (free and premium versions):
• Live Chat (30 days free-trial):
• Web-Stat (free and premium versions)
• McAfee (free and premium versions)

BigCommerce

As we can see, the reputation of BigCommerce is built from themes’ useful apps and plugins which produce a range of functions. When it comes to Ecommerce features from the app marketplace to the ability to write custom HTML, BigCommerce can assist you well.

1. Build new tools

Fortunately, the majority of sales and marketing features you need are contained by BigCommerce themes. This is such a time-efficient and money-saving solution that you no longer have to spend your precious time finding extra features for your online store.

Some core features that can be found on a BigCommerce theme are:

• Integrations with other Ecommerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Google Shopping
• Inventory tracking
• Warranty information
• Stock management – including editing product description
• Abandoned cart recovery settings and analytics
• Coupon code generation
• Additional “core features” in Theme Editor toolbar.

2. Making choices without complication

BigCommerce also provides users extra features in its App Marketplace, even when you are unlikely to need it. While some of them are free to use (SurveyMonkey), others require purchasing after a free trial period. Practically, free trials are an incredible way to test out different features and functions to see whether they are worth spending money on.

Both Wix and BigCommerce offer a large number of add-on apps to bring up a professional image for your online store. However, compared to Wix, the choice of BigCommerce may not be as wide, but it is more focused and has far more built-in eCommerce features.

Each app is tailored to assist you in clarifying your eCommerce store and improve profits. Therefore, BigCommerce is not only a massive help in building your store faster but should also save you a lot of time and money hunting for additional features in the app store.

3. Wix vs BigCommerce: Themes

A great eCommerce website must have an appealing and user-friendly interface. A well-designed website not only makes a good first impression, but it also makes it easier for the clients to browse and allows them to keep shopping.

Both Wix and BigCommerce understand this, but who has the upper hand? Let’s see what we can figure out!

Wix

Wix has a sample gallery of over 500 professionally designed models, including hundreds of specialized eCommerce shop designs. The great thing about Wix’s models is that you don’t need to know how to code to edit them as much as you can!

1. Quick Templates

Starting with a blueprint will save you a lot of time and effort. You not only get an appealing ecommerce shop interface that is designed for your clients, but you also save time that can be put to better use in other areas of your market.

Wix ecommerce models typically provide a collection of core tools that allow you to add goods, handle pricing and delivery, and link payment methods, among other things.

Wix’s templates are always downloadable, but others are only open to Wix eCommerce or VIP plan subscribers. Certain models may need payment to use, but you can be assured that they are much more streamlined than the free ones – ideal for the aspiring web entrepreneur who wants to get off on the right foot.

Note that if you’ve chosen a design on Wix and joined the editor, you’re stuck with it and can’t change it!

BigCommerce

BigCommerce themes may lack the eye-catching animation of Wix models, but they illustrate the fact that it caters specifically to users who want to create ecommerce websites.

Although BigCommerce themes aren’t as pretty as Wix’s (at least the free ones), many come with online trading functionality that you’d have to apply to a Wix prototype yourself or forego altogether if you’re eager to start selling or don’t have the time to fully design and create a store from a more simple template. This can be a real time saver if you’re eager to start selling but don’t have the time to fully design and develop a store from a

1. Customized templates designed to sell

BigCommerce has over 100 themes, many of which have been hand-picked and crafted specifically for ecommerce pages. This is particularly useful for ecommerce beginners or independent traders because you can not only customize a store theme to best represent your company (for example, by changing the colors and images), but you can also use them as a source of design inspiration if you’re stuck for ideas.

One of the most irritating aspects of Wix is that if you’ve chosen a design, you can’t alter it. On the other hand, BigCommerce allows you to swap themes whenever you want, which is very convenient for modifying or rebranding your website.

Switching themes also relieves the burden of trying to choose the correct one straight away, allowing you to take your time and make sure you’ve selected the appropriate theme for your business.

The gorgeous new “Stencil” themes, which allow you to create interactive storefronts without having to code, have especially impressed us! The Stencil collection would be familiar to Wix users since it was created to allow you to design your site in a WYSIWYG editor – ideal for fine-tuning your site’s design.

Using a WYSIWYG editor is a much quicker and more effective way of operating that will save you a lot of time – time you might be spending learning email marketing or social media ads to boost website traffic!

Contrary to Wix, the majority of BigCommerce themes are not free. You’ll want to pick your theme carefully because prices will reach $230+ (on top of your BigCommerce subscription!). Starting with a free theme and updating later if necessary is our recommendation.

2. HTLM for themes

BigCommerce also allows you complete control of the website’s HTML and CSS. You can do this by downloading a theme to your computer, editing the code with Notepad or another program offline, and then uploading it to the Theme Editor.

It’s interesting to remember that knowing how to code isn’t needed to get the best out of a BigCommerce template!

4. Wix vs BigCommerce: Time for store setup

It’s critical to get online and start creating a profile as soon as possible while launching an ecommerce shop.

Since time is of the essence, a website builder is an excellent way to get online quickly and easily. This means you’re looking for a forum that can:

• Is easy to learn and use
• Offers good value for money
• Provides a large selection of attractive Ecommerce models from which to choose, as well as practical software to help you enhance your workflow.
• Cover all your needs

So, how do Wix and BigCommerce stack up against each other?

Wix

First and foremost, to run an eCommerce shop on Wix, you must subscribe to either the ‘eCommerce’ or ‘VIP’ plans, giving you access to ‘Wix Stores’ (their eCommerce and payment processing add-on). Once that’s done, you’re able to start designing your site.

1. Quick start Templates

Wix has an incredible number of models (over 500), many of which are specifically designed for ecommerce shops. These models were created with ecommerce best practices in mind, such as easy consumer navigation choices, indicating that they are designed for sales. This saves a lot of time because you can only pick a prototype and edit it as needed.

There’s nothing keeping you from making as many or as little changes as you want! You should simply change the imagery and headings and call it a day – an ecommerce shop has been designed and submitted to the internet – easy!

2. Wix’s Editor

While creating your ecommerce page, you’ll invest the majority of your time in Wix’s editor. The editor is extremely user-friendly in both desktop and smartphone mode, allowing you to build a visually appealing shop for users at home and on the go, ensuring that you never miss a discount.

The Wix Editor is easy to use and it is a ‘What You See Is What You Get’ editor, which means you can update the website in real time. Simply drag and drop text, photos, and features where you like them, and your live site will look just the same. This will free up a lot of time for you to focus on other, more critical aspects of your company.

3. Wix’s ADI

For a slightly more guided route to go live your eCommerce store, you might want to consider Wix ADI.

Wix ADI is a quick-start web design platform that uses Artificial Intelligence (or something similar) to create a website’s first draft for you. Wix ADI will create a page of content that you can use as a starting point in the Wix Editor by answering a series of multi-choice questions, such as about items you want to market. It’s a useful, time-saving tool that’s especially useful for smaller, more intimate websites.

BigCommerce

You know you have an eCommerce expert the moment you open BigCommerce. There’s no need to double-check the schedule because BigCommerce is solely focused on helping you sell.

However, how easily does it assist you in getting online?

1. Slow start set up

When you sign up for BigCommerce, you’ll get an introductory email with your store’s web address (or URL, if you like the technical term), as well as a link to a Store Launch Guide and Control Panel Tour to help you get your site up and running quickly.

BigCommerce will also send you a Support PIN and follow up with a phone call from the team a few days later. This is a thoughtful gesture that makes you feel as if your business is appreciated.

2. Integrate products from somewhere else

The ability to import your stock inventory – and possibly your customer list – from other sites directly through your new BigCommerce store using a CSV file (a CSV file is a type of spreadsheet that can be interpreted by a computer and converted into tables of data, such as product lists or customer details) is a very useful and time-saving function.

If you’re an experienced eBay or Etsy vendor, BigCommerce could be the quickest forum to get you up and running.

3. Big Commerce Theme Editor

If you’re beginning a company from the ground up, setting up a shop on BigCommerce is a little more difficult. Before picking a design (or ‘theme’ in BigCommerce lingo), you’ll be able to use a variety of options to help you arrange your goods, payment methods, and even marketing.

Furthermore, almost all BigCommerce themes have ecommerce functionality that you will have to manually apply to most Wix models (if you choose a non-ecommerce template).

BigCommerce’s Theme Editor, on the other hand, does not sound as inviting or intuitive as the Wix Editor. The tools are a little harder to come by, and while drag-and-drop is assisted, it isn’t particularly intuitive.

Although BigCommerce’s in-depth editor may assist you in creating a visually stunning ecommerce shop, you might want to wonder how long it would take you to design your shop in the first place if you can’t find the resources you need!

5. Wix vs BigCommerce: Payment gateways and fees

In this case, Wix offers a wide variety of local and international payment options and gateways. Wix will also bind your store to the most suitable payment solution for your place. Of course, you can adjust anything, but you’ll have to manually integrate the changes.

All BigCommerce models, on the other hand, come pre-installed for the most popular global payment platforms, such as Amazon Pay and PayPal. Even if the options are minimal, the simplicity of incorporation has its benefits. BigCommerce also optimizes each payment portal for smartphones, and there are no extra processing costs for third-party payment solutions.

Both sites offer a wide range of options; however, BigCommerce’s ease of integration makes it the clear winner.

6. Wix vs BigCommerce: Integration

Integrations are a must-have feature for any good online store creator. There is a significant contrast between Wix and BigCommerce.

Wix integrates with a variety of services, including Hubspot, MailChimp, and Quickbooks, among others.

BigCommerce, on the other hand, allows for integration of a much smaller number of third-party apps. BigCommerce invests in a more curated experience in which consumers know what to expect from any app linked to their online store in terms of functionality and stability. Nonetheless, some of the most popular can be seen here. Both lack integrations with a complete delivery solution or delivery tracking software such as Track-Pod, which allows you to handle all things delivery-related in one tool.

7. Wix vs BigCommerce: Security

Consumers are becoming more concerned with online protection, so it should be a top priority for you when opening an online shop. Regardless of how safe you believe your store is, our latest findings revealed that everyone is vulnerable to cybercrime.

When running an ecommerce shop, the primary security considerations should be:

• How to keep the customers safe?
• How to keep myself safe and secure?

So which of the two eCommerce platforms is the best fit for you?

Wix

1. Safety for customers

How does Wix keep you safe for so many clients all around the world?

For clients: SSL and HTTPS encryption are available for free. Wix sites are now fitted with Transport Layer Security (TLS) and HTTPS (Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol), all of which encrypt all data sent and retrieved from pages on the website, in accordance with Google regulations. This ensures that all data sent to or from your website is corrupted, making it impossible for hackers and other snoopers to read it.

Using HTTPS to protect your ecommerce shop is one of the safest ways to show consumers that your platform is safe, trustworthy, and competent. If you want people to feel safe sharing their money with you, this is important.

To apply HTTPS to your store, you need to switch on an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. Wix typically does this for you automatically upon setting up your store. You can check whether your website is protected by HTTPS by looking at the address bar (URL bar). You’re safe if you see a green lock and a web address that begins with a green “https” – it’s that easy!

2. Safety for you

Customers aren’t the only ones that can be harmed by cybercrime; you must protect yourself as well.

So it’s great to see that Wix’s Help Center has a section dedicated to ensuring your own safety. For example, there are several sections on phishing security (stopping bogus Wix emails attempting to defraud you of credit card information), several of which have gone viral in recent years. Wix has already passed stringent industry audits to ensure the security of your credit card information and personal information.

The software is ISO 27018 compliant and PCI DSS Level 1 certified (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards). Both certifications mean that Wix is safe enough to store sensitive information including credit card numbers.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce prioritizes the protection of your online shop, which one might expect from an ecommerce expert.

1. Full-site encryption and automatic backups for customers

The whole BigCommerce platform is PCI DSS accredited for full peace of mind, and these criteria are immediately applied to your online shop.

Since sorting this credential on your own can be an expensive headache, the fact that BigCommerce, like Wix, does it for you is comforting and a major plus in its favour. Subscribers to BigCommerce will even get a free PCI DSS Compliance certificate to apply to their page, which informs consumers about their security.

BigCommerce, like Wix, offers a free dedicated SSL certificate to guarantee that the consumers’ data is encrypted using HTTPS through the whole shop. You may also implement extra security mechanisms to secure the customers’ data that Wix eCommerce does not currently have.

From your own online shopping journeys, you’re already familiar with 3D Security (‘verified by’) and its password-protected payment processing mechanism. It’s something BigCommerce takes care of for you, and it’s a perfect way to protect your clients, even though it does bring an extra step to the checkout process.

2. Automatic backups and multiple preventive measures for you

BigCommerce automatically backs up your data to keep your company safe, ensuring that your store remains operational even if you go offline. That means if your power goes out during a hurricane, you can be assured that all of the modifications you’ve just spent hours making are safe and sound on a BigCommerce server somewhere.

Other security procedures, considering the defense they offer, can seem a little excessive.

You might find that you keep getting signed out when creating your site. This is due to BigCommerce’s strict PCI DSS requirements (Requirement 8 of Version 3.2, to be exact), which require it to sign you off after 15 minutes of inactivity. If it really bothers you, you should increase the timeout window to two hours.

If you leave your machine unattended for whatever excuse, this auto-logout will protect you (not that we recommend doing that in a public place). The guidelines also ask you to change your password every 90 days, which is a useful security feature that keeps you alert.

8. Wix vs BigCommerce: Customer support

If you’re having trouble building your website or something isn’t working well, it’s good to know what sort of assistance is available. This is especially critical when money, time, and your life are on the line. As a result, customer service is a critical consideration when choosing a site for your ecommerce shop.

Wix

With over 100 million subscribers worldwide, it’s no surprise that Wix devotes a significant amount of resources to ensuring that its clients are well served and know where to turn if they run into problems.

1. Editors full of tips and guidance for you

Wix understands that everyone requires assistance at some stage, and that getting lost while creating a website with a significant effect on your ecommerce venture. As a result, using tooltips in the editor is immensely helpful. When you hover your mouse over an object, these small informative speech bubbles appear.

There are also a slew of support buttons that open pop-up help articles about particular products, which is ideal for keeping you on track when things get rough.

2. Dedicated full service customer support

The searchable Wix Help Center might not be necessary because Wix’s editor is so full of advice, but it’s a fantastic resource on a range of topics.

You may also contact Wix support to ask for a callback (though this isn’t a 24-hour service) or issue a support ticket. Your ticket will be moved to the front of the line if you are a paid subscriber.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce can only have a fraction of Wix’s user base, but be assured that it understands that consumers may need assistance for its more complex platform.

1. Detailed Guided Tour

You can’t deny that BigCommerce’s editor is more intimidating than Wix’s.

Sure, you get a guided tour when you first sign up, but there are no dynamic tooltips to help you, so you might find yourself slipping a little more. There’s also a single, lonely link to support pages at the bottom of the interface side bar, which some people may find difficult to find.

It’s worth mentioning that, while 24/7 phone support and live chat options are available, BigCommerce customer ratings and comments have been mixed – so be aware!

2. A Large Community of Support

Thankfully, BigCommerce Support has a fantastic information base. Look for blogs, read in-depth manuals, and watch BigCommerce University videos for entertainment and education.

We also recommend the BigCommerce Community forum, where people are eager to share their knowledge and answer questions. If you can’t get through to the BigCommerce support staff, this is a great fallback option. In reality, it could be worth missing customer service and going straight to the forums!

Wix vs BigCommerce: Which platform is better?

Let’s get this out of the way right away: Wix is more affordable and simpler to use than BigCommerce.

Wix’s editor is simpler to use, more intuitive, and supportive, thanks to tooltips. The eCommerce plans available are more affordable and a friendly environment for integrations and application integrations. Wix also has a wider selection of eye-catching models to give your shop a polished yet exclusive look.

In fact, it features a drag-and-drop interface that is much easier to use than any other platform in the Ecommerce industry. If you’re a small company, startup, or independent trader starting from scratch, Wix is the obvious option. If you’re a seasoned eBay seller, it’s also a viable choice.

BigCommerce, on the other hand, is a more serious Ecommerce site targeted at small and medium-sized companies. BigCommerce, although good for beginners, does require some technological and support assistance from time to time. Besides, some features of the BigCommerce platform, such as the language used or some input options, can be difficult for first-time users.

BigCommerce is worth the extra investment if you want a scalable store to fit your ambitious goals, have a strong understanding of ecommerce features, and possibly know HTML as well.

With this time comparison, we’re hoping that you find out which website builder suit your company better and are now willing to entrust one of them to make your work easier, and yet more professional and profitable.

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