Last updated August 2026
BigCommerce is a hosted ecommerce platform competing with Shopify in the mid-market and enterprise space. Its data model is more structured than WooCommerce or Magento, making certain migration paths simpler, but its API differs significantly from Shopify's.
| Entity | BigCommerce | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Structured product with variants, options, custom fields, and modifier options | Product with up to 3 options, 2,048 variants, metafields |
| Variants | Options + modifier combinations per product | Variant with SKU, price, inventory, barcode |
| Categories | Tree-based category hierarchy | Collections (manual or smart), no deep nesting |
| Customers | Customer entity with address book, customer groups, store credit | Customer with addresses, tags, metafields |
| Orders | Order with line items, shipments, payments, refunds, taxes | Order with line items, fulfillment, payments |
| URLs | /product-name/ or /category/product-name/ with custom URL capability | /products/slug, /collections/slug |
Platform-specific guidance for the most common BigCommerce to Shopify migration issues:
Not necessarily. While BigCommerce has some built-in B2B features, Shopify offers a larger app ecosystem, better checkout customization (Shopify Plus), and a more extensive POS system. The right choice depends on your B2B requirements and channel mix.
These technology indicators can identify a BigCommerce storefront:
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