E-Commerce SaaS: Shopify vs BigCommerce Fees Compared

Choosing the right e-commerce SaaS platform is a pivotal decision for any online business. In the fierce landscape of Shopify vs BigCommerce, understanding their pricing, transaction fees, and value for money is vital. This guide unpacks their fees in detail, helping you determine which platform best suits your business needs in 2025.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Fee Structure Overview

Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer similar monthly subscription pricing, but they diverge significantly when it comes to transaction fees and how features are unlocked across pricing tiers.

Subscription Pricing

• Annual plans for both platforms provide around 25% savings, making each platform's entry-level cost about $29/month when billed yearly.

Transaction Fees and Payment Gateway Costs

The main difference shows up in how each platform handles transaction fees:

• Shopify charges additional transaction fees if merchants use third-party gateways:
  • 2% on the Basic plan
  • 1% on the Standard plan
  • 0.5% on the Advanced plan
• Shopify Payments (their proprietary gateway) waives these extra fees, but standard payment processing fees still apply (typically around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction).
• BigCommerce does not charge platform-specific transaction fees, regardless of the payment gateway you choose. You only pay standard gateway processing fees (typically 2.59% + $0.49 per transaction for PayPal with Braintree).

Example: Fees on a $100 Sale

• If you use Shopify Payments, costs are nearly identical to BigCommerce.
• If you use a third-party gateway on Shopify, your costs can be considerably higher.
• BigCommerce fee structure is more predictable with no hidden transaction fees.

Plan Features and Upgrade Triggers

While both platforms start at a similar base price, the way features are distributed and how upgrades are triggered differ:

• Shopify limits staff accounts based on your plan (e.g., five on the $105 plan, 15 on the $399 plan).
• BigCommerce allows unlimited staff accounts at all tiers.
• BigCommerce automatically moves you to a higher plan once your annual sales exceed certain thresholds (e.g., $50,000 for Plus, $180,000 for Pro).
• Advanced features (such as product filtering) in BigCommerce are only available on higher-tier plans, while Shopify grants more features across all plans but relies more heavily on third-party apps.

Feature Unlocks at a Glance

• Abandoned Cart Recovery

  • Shopify: Available on Basic
  • BigCommerce: Available on Plus

• Unlimited Product Variants

  • BigCommerce: Included standard
  • Shopify: Standard, but with variant limitations

• Multi-Storefront and B2B Toolkit

  • BigCommerce: More advanced out-of-the-box at higher tiers
  • Shopify: Available via apps or Shopify Plus

Recent High-Volume Search Trend: "Shopify Payments Disputes vs. BigCommerce Chargebacks"

A trending topic in the last few days has been the comparison of payment disputes and chargeback management between Shopify and BigCommerce, with many merchants seeking transparent fee structures for refunds and fraud protection.

• Shopify Payments offers integrated dispute management, streamlining chargebacks and potentially lowering their costs. Merchants are seeing improved processing times and are benefiting from Shopify's recent upgrades to fraud analysis tools.
• BigCommerce relies on the features of third-party gateways (such as PayPal or Stripe) for chargeback management. While this provides flexibility, processing times and support levels may vary.

This has impacted seller decisions, especially for mid-to-large businesses seeking streamlined financial operations and minimizing costs associated with fraud and disputes.

Key Pros and Cons

Shopify

Pros:

• Highly scalable for fast-growing businesses
• Massive app ecosystem
• Lower fees with Shopify Payments
• Access to advanced features on lower-tier plans

Cons:

• Extra transaction fees with third-party gateways
• Limits staff accounts unless you upgrade
• Can become expensive if you rely on paid apps

BigCommerce

Pros:

• No additional transaction fees, regardless of gateway
• Unlimited staff accounts on all plans
• Suits complex catalogs and multi-storefront
• Predictable fees for scaling businesses

Cons:

• Revenue triggers can force plan upgrades
• Advanced features require higher-tier plans
• Smaller app selection compared to Shopify

FAQ: Shopify vs BigCommerce

1. Which platform is cheaper for small businesses?
Shopify is often cheaper if you use Shopify Payments and do not need many staff accounts. BigCommerce may be less expensive if you rely on third-party gateways, need unlimited staff, or want no surprise transaction charges.

2. Do either Shopify or BigCommerce have hidden fees?
Shopify has additional transaction fees if you use third-party gateways; BigCommerce does not. Both platforms may require purchases of third-party apps for added functionality as your business grows.

3. Which is better for international selling?
Both platforms offer multi-currency and multi-language support, but Shopify’s built-in tools and larger selection of localization apps often make it more flexible for global sales.

4. Can I switch between Shopify and BigCommerce easily?
Migrating between the two is common, and there are reputable migration tools available, but expect some manual setup for design, apps, and integrations.

5. Is there a trial period?
Both Shopify and BigCommerce offer free trials so you can test features before committing to a paid plan.

When choosing between Shopify vs BigCommerce, fees, scalability, and feature access for your unique business model should guide your decision. For established brands focused on growth and cost control, understanding these differences will help you unlock the true value of your e-commerce SaaS investment.