Every eCommerce build we scope starts with the same question: Shopify or BigCommerce? Both platforms can power a fast, secure, conversion-ready store, so the real decision comes down to catalog complexity, B2B requirements, and how much custom logic you expect to need down the road.
Shopify shines for brands that want a polished checkout, a massive app ecosystem, and the flexibility to go headless with Hydrogen when the storefront needs to break away from a standard theme. BigCommerce, on the other hand, has native multi-currency, more flexible product options out of the box, and an open API that many mid-market and B2B catalogs prefer — especially when paired with a Stencil-based theme or a fully headless front end.
Our rule of thumb
If you need rapid iteration, a huge app marketplace and a lean team managing the store, Shopify (or Shopify Plus for higher volume) is usually the faster path to revenue. If you’re running a complex catalog with tiered pricing, multiple currencies, or want to avoid transaction fees tied to a specific payment processor, BigCommerce often wins.
We build production stores on both, including custom Shopify apps, Ruby on Rails services that sit behind Shopify via the Admin API, Hydrogen storefronts, custom Stencil themes, and headless BigCommerce builds on React/Next.js. If you’re stuck deciding, send us your catalog and growth plan — we’ll give you a straight recommendation, not a sales pitch for whichever platform we’d rather build on.