If you’ve decided to use BigCommerce as your platform of choice for your eCommerce store – congratulations! It’s a powerful platform chock-full of features, and according to BigCommerce, it has 90,000 online stores in 65 countries. Out of the other big platforms (Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, etc), it is the one that offers the most payment options.
But how much does BigCommerce cost? Every eCommerce platform sets its own rules on how to charge its rulers, and BigCommerce’s pricing system is a little different than others. Check how it looks for your ecommerce store
We’re here to explain the initial and running costs of using BigCommerce for websites using bigcommerce.
This includes the starting fees, monthly costs, and any other possible costs you may incur in setting up and running your eCommerce store.
And if you read to the end, you will learn how to make your BigCommerce shop even more flexible with a headless storefront.
Who Will Benefit The Most From Bigcommerce? Best examples.
BigCommerce targets those who are just starting out or are already established and want to accelerate their growth. Once you reach $400K in sales, you may want to consider a different platform. Ultimately, BigCommerce’s target market is mid-market businesses, not those whose yearly profits are in the millions.
BigCommerce is great for scaling and growth, and if you foresee your business expanding, it will offer the technology you need as you grow, but up to a point. Once your business reaches a certain size you may want to replatform.
BigCommerce has 4 tiers, and functionality and pricing plans are different for each one. All 3 plans include no transaction fees, unlimited products, file storage and bandwidth, unlimited staff accounts, and several other features.
The Cost of Launching BigCommerce. How much will you pay for the ecommerce store?
You’re probably asking yourself how much bigcommerce is.
The main difference between BigCommerce's cost and other platforms is that BigCommerce charges its customers based on online sales per year.
For example, the first tier allows store owners to sell to $50k worth per year (calculated on a 12-month basis). Once they go over that number, they are automatically upgraded to the next tier and a higher monthly price.
The basic Bigcommerce cost of ownership includes your monthly payment to BigCommerce and hosting your domain. BigCommerce has 4 plans that cater to eCommerce business owners. They are as follows:
Standard: $29.95 per month
Up to $50K in yearly sales
Plus: $79.95 per month
Up to $180K in yearly sales
Some features that aren’t included in the Standard plan are:
- Customer groups and segmentation
- Abandoned cart saver
- Persistent Cart
- Stored Credit Cards
Pro: $299.95 per month
Up to $400K in yearly sales
In this plan, in addition to all the features of Plus, you also get:
- Google customer reviews
- Product filtering
- Custom SSL
Enterprise: Pricing depends
This is where you get the white glove service! An enterprise plan from BigCommerce means a tailored plan and total customization for your store. According to BigCommerce, you’ll also get “Express routing, priority support, and strategic account management.”
So, if you’re launching on the basic plan for a year, your total cost will be $371.67, including hosting. However, remember that BigCommerce gives you a 10% discount when you pay annually!
Domain Hosting
Another cost is hosting your domain.
All BigCommerce plans come with unlimited products, file storage, and bandwidth. But you do need to host your domain name either through BigCommerce or another provider.
You can use BigCommerce hosting for $12.27 annually or host your domain elsewhere. It will cost roughly $100+.
Additional Costs of Bigcommerce Store to Be Aware Of
Costs can add up in the process of a project! For example, if you need to build a new site – you pay for the obvious, like your eCommerce plan, hosting, etc. But in the process, other expenses appear. Every business plan must include a breakdown of anticipated costs. Let’s look at what you might need to spend money on.
Themes
While BigCommerce offers plenty of free themes for website design, should a paid theme catch your eye, expect to pay anywhere from $125 to $250 as a one-time fee.
Professional Photography
Do you want your products to look as appealing as possible? Of course, you do. That’s why having them professionally photographed should be factored into your budget. Many people fancy themselves photographers, but are you able to edit the photos using the right software and make sure all the color variants look the same?
Depending on where you live, professional photography costs can range anywhere from $25-$250 per hour. Another thing to consider is how many products you have to photograph and retouch.
Graphic Design
Even if you build your own store using BigCommerce’s open platform, you might need the skills of a professional graphic designer to create your logo, splash page images, etc.
You can find graphic designers for as little as $15 per hour, but the average hourly rate hovers around $45 per hour.
Copywriting
You know your product best, but not everyone is a wordsmith and are articulate enough to concisely describe what they’re selling and their brand story. For professional results, a copywriter can work with you to create the wording for your website, or at the very least, proofread and amend what you have written.
Costs for professional copywriting can range from $25-$100 per hour.
Ecommerce site Web Development
Using the templates provided by eCommerce sites is a wonderful start, but what if you want something more? Some custom work or functionality not provided by your plan? That’s when you could turn to eCommerce specialized web developers who can improve your store’s look and functionality.
Rates vary on expertise but expect to be charged starting at $50 per hour.
Third-Party Apps
There are 100s of apps in the BigCommerce marketplace. Some are free, but some are not. From 3D and virtual photography apps to accounting and reporting apps, it’s a great place to browse to customize your store.
Local Business Fees
If you’re a small retailer, you will have to register yourself as a small business. You don’t want to get a visit from the IRS for not paying your taxes!
These regulations vary state by state, but after a certain amount of yearly sales, you must register for a business number or license. It could be a one-time fee or one that must be renewed yearly.
Remember that when hiring professionals like graphic designers, copywriters, and web developers – you get what you pay for. Sure, it may be tempting to save on costs when it comes to this but don’t forget the risk involved.
Recurring Costs
There are the one-time costs mentioned above, and then there are recurring monthly or yearly costs that are associated with running an eCommerce store. Some of these include:
- Monthly BigCommerce Payment
- Third-Party Apps – some have upfront fees, but many bill you monthly. Prices can range from $5-$500+ per month, depending on the app.
- Product Costs – whatever you’re selling, whether you’re manufacturing or buying a ready product, will of course, incur costs.
- Shipping – The farther the shipping, the higher the cost, as the saying goes! Don’t forget to factor in the expense of sending your products around the globe.
- Hosting – This is a yearly recurring cost, so best to set it to ‘auto-renew’ and forget about it!
BigCommerce Competitor Comparison
How does BigCommerce pricing compare to the other big players on the scene?
Platform | 1st Level | 2nd Level | 3rd Level | 4th Level |
BigCommerce | $29.95/month | $79.95/month | $299.95/month | Custom |
Shopify | $29/month | $79/month | $299/month | Custom |
As you can see Shopify and BigCommerce’s prices are practically the same. Competitors like WooCommerce and Magento are a little tricker to price because their software is free to use – it’s the development that tends to rack up the costs. According to some sources, a Magento website can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000. The benefit is, of course, complete and total control of your website. The downside is that you have to be a developer yourself or hire one to create it. The same goes for WooCommerce.
What can Headless eCommerce do for your BigCommerce store?
BigCommerce has many features and functionalities, but at the end of the day you are tied to a template that may not look or function exactly as you want it. With Headless eCommerce you can design your store without compromising on functionality, unlock SEO potential than what BigCommerce provides and many other ways to boost your basic store to the next level.
From integrated marketing campaigns to omnichannel shopping experience, Headless eCommerce can take your basic plan and elevate it to something amazing.
Read more about how Headless eCommerce can help your store succeed here.
Conclusion
So how much should you allocate towards starting your BigCommerce store?
According to our BigCommerce pricing review, a minimum of about $3600 a year if all you pay for is your BigCommerce subscription and domain hosting.
But that would be unrealistic and this number must be calculated based on how many products you need to photograph, where you’re shipping your wares and what extras your site needs.
Finding the right eCommerce for you can be overwhelming and not something to be done hastily. Do your research and find out as much as you can before you commit!
We recommend incorporating Headless eCommerce into your budget so that instead of spending hours into complicated back-end development or searching for a BigCommerce theme, you have complete separation and control of your front-end and back-end dev. Think of it as an investment! Ready to find out more? Schedule a demo.
