WooCommerce vs BigCommerce
WooCommerce vs BigCommerce. An Honest Comparison for Australian Online Stores.
Open source vs SaaS, transaction fees, Australian integrations, customisation, and total cost of ownership — compared with real numbers. Updated for 2026.
BigCommerce is a capable ecommerce platform. Unlike some SaaS competitors, it offers reasonable built-in features, decent API access, and a more flexible approach to customisation. It’s a legitimate option for mid-market online stores.
But “legitimate option” and “best option for your business” are different things. This comparison examines the areas that matter most for Australian ecommerce: ownership, fees, integrations, customisation depth, and what it actually costs to run a store at scale.
We’re a WooCommerce agency. That’s our bias. We’re also honest about where BigCommerce has advantages. Use this comparison to make the decision that fits your business — not ours.
Last updated: March 2026
Includes a platform assessment — we’ll recommend the best path forward, even if that means staying where you are.
The 60-second summary.
WooCommerce is likely the better choice if:
- You want to own your store — code, data, hosting, everything
- Customisation depth matters — you need business logic that no SaaS app store can provide
- Australian integrations are critical — deep Xero, Shippit, Australia Post, Afterpay integration
- Transaction fees matter — WooCommerce charges zero platform fees at any revenue level
- You’re building for the long term and want a platform with no ceiling
BigCommerce is likely the better choice if:
- You want a managed SaaS platform with reasonable built-in features and less technical overhead
- Your ecommerce needs are well-served by BigCommerce’s native functionality
- You don’t need deep customisation beyond what the platform and its app ecosystem provide
- You prefer an all-in-one platform where hosting, security, and PCI compliance are managed for you
- Your team doesn’t have (or want) a technical partner for ongoing store management
What BigCommerce does well.
BigCommerce is a solid mid-market platform. Acknowledging its real strengths makes this comparison honest.
More Built-In Features Than Most SaaS Platforms
BigCommerce includes features that Shopify charges extra for — real-time shipping quotes, multi-currency support, faceted search, customer groups with pricing rules, and unlimited staff accounts on all plans. For a SaaS platform, it’s genuinely generous with its native feature set.
B2B Capabilities Out of the Box
BigCommerce offers decent B2B features natively — customer groups, custom price lists, quote management, and purchase order support. For businesses that need basic B2B functionality without heavy customisation, BigCommerce handles this better than most SaaS alternatives.
No Transaction Fees (on Standard Gateways)
Unlike Shopify, BigCommerce doesn’t charge additional platform transaction fees when you use a third-party payment gateway. You pay your gateway directly. This is a notable advantage over Shopify, though WooCommerce matches this — neither charges platform fees.
Headless Commerce Option
BigCommerce’s headless commerce capabilities are well-developed. Using BigCommerce as a backend with a custom frontend (React, Next.js, or similar) is a supported and documented approach. For teams that want SaaS ecommerce backend management with a custom frontend, this is a genuine option.
Managed Infrastructure
Like Shopify, BigCommerce handles hosting, PCI compliance, security patches, and platform updates. Store owners don’t manage servers or worry about infrastructure. For businesses that want zero involvement with technical operations, this simplicity has real value.
WooCommerce vs BigCommerce — feature by feature.
A direct comparison across the features that matter most for established Australian ecommerce businesses.
| Feature | WooCommerce | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Platform type | Open-source (self-hosted) | SaaS (cloud-hosted) |
| Platform transaction fees | None | None (with supported gateways) |
| Product limits | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Staff accounts | Unlimited | Unlimited on all plans |
| Customisation | Unlimited — full code access | API-based + theme customisation within boundaries |
| Plugin/app ecosystem | Thousands of extensions | ~1,000 apps in marketplace |
| Hosting | Your choice — any provider, location, configuration | BigCommerce-managed only |
| Data ownership | Full — your database, your server | BigCommerce’s systems, exportable via API/CSV |
| B2B features | Deep customisation via plugins and custom code | Good native B2B features |
| Multi-currency | Plugin-based, full control over implementation | Native multi-currency support |
| SEO control | Full technical SEO control | Good SEO basics, some structural limitations |
| Checkout customisation | Full control over checkout flow | Checkout customisation limited to supported modifications |
| Australian integrations | Deep native integrations (Xero, Shippit, Afterpay, Australia Post) | Available via apps, varying depth |
| Content management | WordPress — industry-standard CMS | Basic blog/content pages |
| Revenue caps | None | Plan-based thresholds — exceed them, forced to upgrade |
| API access | Full REST API, custom endpoints, webhooks | Comprehensive REST API |
Ownership vs rental. The decision behind the decision.
The WooCommerce vs BigCommerce comparison comes down to a fundamental question: do you want to own your ecommerce platform or rent it?
WooCommerce is open-source software. You download it, install it on your hosting, and own it completely. The code is yours. The database is yours. The customer data is yours. Every line of code can be modified, every process can be customised, and every piece of data can be accessed directly. No one can change your pricing, remove features, or restrict what you build.
BigCommerce is a SaaS platform. You subscribe to it, and BigCommerce operates the infrastructure. Your store runs on their servers, your data lives in their system, and your capabilities are defined by what they offer. In exchange, you get managed infrastructure and less technical overhead.
Neither model is inherently wrong. The question is which model serves your business better as it grows.
SaaS simplicity comes with trade-offs: you’re subject to BigCommerce’s pricing changes, feature decisions, and platform limitations. If BigCommerce raises prices (which SaaS platforms regularly do), you pay more or migrate. If they deprecate a feature you depend on, you adapt or leave. Your customer data lives in their system, accessible via their API, on their terms.
Open-source ownership comes with responsibilities: you manage hosting, security, and updates (or hire someone to). In exchange, no one can change the rules on you. Your platform, your data, your choice.
What it actually costs to run a store.
BigCommerce and WooCommerce both avoid platform transaction fees — a genuine advantage both have over Shopify. But total cost of ownership goes beyond transaction fees.
| Cost Factor | WooCommerce (DP Managed) | BigCommerce Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Platform/hosting fee | $399 AUD/mo (Growth plan) | ~$399 USD/mo ($599+ AUD/mo) |
| Platform transaction fees | None | None |
| Payment gateway fees | Gateway direct (e.g., Stripe 1.7% + 30c) | Gateway direct (similar rates) |
| Extensions for business logic | Mix of free and premium plugins | Mix of free and paid apps |
| Custom development | One-time project costs | One-time project costs |
| Content management | WordPress (full CMS included) | Basic CMS, may need separate content platform |
| Staging environment | Included | Available on higher plans |
| Revenue caps | None | Standard: $50K USD/yr | Plus: $180K USD/yr | Pro: $400K USD/yr |
The revenue cap issue.
BigCommerce plans include revenue thresholds. The Standard plan caps at $50K USD/year. The Plus plan caps at $180K USD/year. The Pro plan caps at $400K USD/year. Exceed these thresholds, and you’re automatically moved to a higher-priced plan. WooCommerce has no revenue caps — your platform cost stays the same regardless of how much you sell.
For growing stores, this matters. A store that starts on BigCommerce Pro at $399 USD/month could be pushed to Enterprise pricing if it grows beyond $400K USD/year in sales. On WooCommerce, your hosting cost stays the same whether you sell $100K or $10M.
Australian business tools — the integration gap.
Australian businesses run on specific tools. How well your ecommerce platform integrates with them directly affects operational efficiency.
| Integration | WooCommerce | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Xero (accounting) | Deep, two-way sync with real-time invoice/payment matching | Available via third-party apps, varying quality |
| MYOB (accounting) | Native integration options with real-time sync | Limited app options |
| Shippit (shipping) | Native integration with full feature access | Available but less mature integration |
| Australia Post | Native shipping integration with full rate/tracking support | Available via apps |
| Afterpay / Zip | Native payment integration | Available as payment options |
| Tyro (in-store payments) | Integration available | Limited support |
| Square POS | Native integration | Available via apps |
The difference isn’t whether the integration exists — it’s the depth. WooCommerce integrations with tools like Xero and Shippit can be built deep into the store’s operations: real-time two-way data sync, custom field mapping, automated workflows, and error handling tailored to your business processes. BigCommerce integrations are typically delivered via third-party apps with standardised functionality that may not handle your specific operational requirements.
When your store’s accounting integration needs to handle complex GST scenarios, partial payments, deposits, or multi-entity billing, the depth of a custom WooCommerce-Xero integration outperforms a standardised BigCommerce app.
What happens when you need something the platform doesn’t do.
Every SaaS platform has a ceiling. Here’s what that means in practice.
WooCommerce Customisation
WooCommerce customisation means modifying any part of the store. Custom checkout flows. Bespoke pricing logic based on customer type, order history, time of day, or any other variable. Complex shipping rules that account for product dimensions, delivery zones, carrier-specific requirements, and business rules no app anticipates. Multi-warehouse inventory management with location-based fulfilment logic. Custom admin interfaces for your team’s specific workflows.
BigCommerce Customisation
BigCommerce offers reasonable customisation for a SaaS platform. Its API is comprehensive, its theme architecture supports modifications, and its headless commerce option allows custom frontends. Compared to Shopify, BigCommerce is more flexible. But when your business logic doesn’t fit the API’s assumptions, your options narrow. Checkout customisation is limited to supported modification points. Complex business logic often requires workarounds or external services rather than native implementation.
For stores with standard ecommerce operations, BigCommerce’s customisation may be sufficient. For stores with operational complexity — B2B wholesale with bespoke pricing rules, mixed retail/wholesale/subscription models, industry-specific compliance requirements, or complex multi-channel operations — WooCommerce’s open codebase provides capabilities that SaaS platforms can’t match.
Data Ownership
Your customer data — who really controls it?
On BigCommerce, your data is accessible via their API and exportable as CSV files. But “accessible via API” and “owned” are different things.
With WooCommerce, your data lives in your own MySQL database, on your own server, in Australia if you choose. Every customer interaction — searches, cart activity, browsing patterns, purchase history, abandoned checkouts — is stored locally. You have direct database access. You can query it with SQL, build custom reports, feed it into your own analytics or AI models, and use it however your business needs.
With BigCommerce, you access your data through BigCommerce’s API, subject to their rate limits, their data structure, and their terms of service. You can export it, but you can’t query your own database directly. And if BigCommerce changes their API, your data access changes with it.
As first-party data becomes the most valuable asset an ecommerce business holds, the question of whether you truly own and control that data — or merely access it through someone else’s API — is a business-critical decision.
Already on BigCommerce? Here’s what a migration looks like.
If you’ve outgrown BigCommerce’s capabilities, hit revenue cap thresholds, or want to own your store fully, migrating to WooCommerce is a well-documented process.
What transfers
- Products (including variants, images, descriptions, prices)
- Customers (accounts, order history, addresses)
- Orders (complete transaction history)
- Categories and taxonomy structure
- SEO elements (URLs preserved via 301 redirects)
What you gain
- Full ownership of your store and data
- No revenue caps or forced plan upgrades
- Deep Australian integrations (Xero, Shippit, Australia Post)
- A platform with no customisation ceiling
- Australian hosting with local data centres
A typical BigCommerce-to-WooCommerce migration takes 6–10 weeks depending on catalogue size and integration complexity. Your BigCommerce store stays live until WooCommerce is ready — no downtime, no lost sales.
Common questions about WooCommerce vs BigCommerce.
Does BigCommerce charge transaction fees?
BigCommerce does not charge additional platform transaction fees when you use a supported payment gateway — unlike Shopify. You pay your gateway directly. WooCommerce also charges no platform transaction fees. On this point, both platforms are equal.
What are BigCommerce’s revenue caps?
BigCommerce plans include revenue thresholds: Standard caps at $50K USD/year, Plus at $180K USD/year, Pro at $400K USD/year. If your store exceeds these thresholds, you’re moved to a higher-priced plan or Enterprise pricing. WooCommerce has no revenue caps — your platform cost stays the same regardless of sales volume.
Is WooCommerce harder to manage than BigCommerce?
WooCommerce requires hosting management, plugin updates, and security maintenance — either your time or a managed care plan. BigCommerce handles infrastructure management for you. The trade-off is control: WooCommerce gives you full ownership and unlimited customisation; BigCommerce gives you simplicity within platform boundaries.
Can I migrate from BigCommerce to WooCommerce?
Yes. Products, customers, orders, and content migrate cleanly. Store design is rebuilt as a custom WooCommerce theme. SEO equity is preserved through proper 301 redirects. Your BigCommerce store stays live during migration — no downtime or lost sales. Learn more about our migration process.
Is BigCommerce good for B2B?
BigCommerce offers decent native B2B features — customer groups, price lists, quote management. For standard B2B requirements, it works. For complex B2B scenarios — tiered wholesale pricing with custom rules, multi-entity accounts, trade portals with document management, ERP integration — WooCommerce’s open codebase provides deeper customisation.
Which is better for SEO — WooCommerce or BigCommerce?
WooCommerce on WordPress provides more SEO control — full URL structure customisation, unlimited schema markup options, complete robots.txt management, and the industry-standard content publishing platform. BigCommerce handles basic SEO well but has structural limitations for advanced technical SEO. If organic search is a primary revenue channel, WooCommerce offers more levers to pull.
Is BigCommerce popular in Australia?
BigCommerce has a presence in Australia but a smaller market share than Shopify or WooCommerce. This means fewer Australian-specific apps, fewer local developers, and a smaller community for support and knowledge sharing. WooCommerce and WordPress have the largest developer community in Australia.
Own Your Store
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Whether you’re evaluating WooCommerce for a new online store or considering a move from BigCommerce, we can help you make an informed decision. Our free Store Health Check includes a platform assessment — we’ll review your current setup and recommend the best path forward.
Ready to switch? Discuss a migration → | Building a new store? See our WooCommerce builds →