BigCommerce vs. Magento: Which eCommerce Platform Is Right for You?

Running a successful eCommerce business involves many moving parts, but nothing is more critical than the platform you choose. Simply put, no matter how high-quality or in-demand your product is, a difficult platform can prevent your business from growing effectively and profitably.

Two major players in the eCommerce platform space are BigCommerce and Magento (now Adobe Commerce). Both platforms have a reputation for being powerful eCommerce solutions that can help you set up an online store, source and manage products, and increase revenue. Let’s take a closer look at the key differences between these two market leaders.

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels

For those unfamiliar with BigCommerce, it is a privately held, U.S.-based technology company that provides leading SaaS eCommerce solutions. It enables entrepreneurs and businesses to create and manage their own online stores. Notably, BigCommerce is one of the few SaaS eCommerce platforms that allows businesses to sell physical, digital, and service-based products without relying on third-party apps—resulting in a smoother experience and lower costs. Its clients include fast-growing businesses and established brands such as Toyota, Kodak, and Ben & Jerry’s.

Recently, BigCommerce made headlines and generated significant buzz in the eCommerce industry. The platform was named a “Strong Performer” by Forrester Research, one of the world’s leading research firms. Forrester evaluates top B2B and B2C commerce platforms, scoring them based on performance across multiple criteria. In its reports, BigCommerce earned the highest scores in six categories: A/B and multivariate testing, delivery model, expanded sales channels, platform architecture, platform integration, and technology partners and marketplace.

Magento (now part of Adobe Inc.), on the other hand, is an open-source eCommerce platform that is undergoing a major transition toward a SaaS (Software as a Service) model. This shift aims to keep pace with the rapidly evolving eCommerce landscape. Its latest offering is a cloud-based solution that gives merchants the option of working with a single vendor for both software and hosting services.

Magento is not the only provider of open-source eCommerce solutions. BigCommerce is also advancing in this space, positioning itself as an open SaaS platform that offers extensive customization and integration capabilities. Additionally, BigCommerce has introduced incentives for Magento users considering a switch, including four months of free service for those migrating from Magento—particularly timely for businesses facing the end-of-life of Magento version 1.

For Magento users exploring alternative platforms, BigCommerce presents a compelling option—potentially even a lifeline for those affected by Magento V1’s sunset. If you’re still unsure which platform is right for your eCommerce business, let’s take a deeper dive into both solutions to understand what they truly offer. We’ll start with BigCommerce, often considered the heavyweight of the eCommerce industry.

Product Highlights and Differences

BigCommerce

• BigCommerce stands out for offering one of the most comprehensive sets of built-in features among today’s eCommerce platforms. These include cost-saving tools like abandoned cart recovery, a modern visual merchandising system, robust data reporting capabilities, and advanced shipping solutions through the BigCommerce Shipping app.
• All updates and security patches are applied automatically, ensuring users always operate on the latest version of the platform. This not only delivers a smoother, more reliable experience with minimal downtime, but also reduces the need for ongoing maintenance—allowing businesses to focus on growth rather than technical upkeep. Whenever new features are released, they are instantly available to users without additional effort.
• Each of BigCommerce’s plans—Standard, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise—includes a drag-and-drop page builder and phone support, features that are often limited or unavailable on competing Magento setups. 
• Additionally, BigCommerce provides built-in hosting with no bandwidth caps, making it especially attractive for high-volume businesses.

Magento 

Magento (now Adobe Commerce), an open-source platform acquired by Adobe in 2018, offers flexibility but comes with notable trade-offs. 

• Security patches and version updates can be time-consuming and often add complexity rather than simplifying the platform. As a result, businesses frequently become more dependent on developer support.
• Magento can also be costly to maintain. Users must account for expenses such as hosting, infrastructure, and ongoing maintenance, all of which can add up quickly. 
• The transition from Magento 1 to Magento 2 has also presented challenges, as the two versions are built on different architectures and technologies—resulting in a steep learning curve for many users.

Wayne Ainsworth, eCommerce Manager at Awesome GTI, a UK-based auto parts specialist, shared his experience:

“We’d been on Magento for several years, but there came a point when we realized that the platform wasn’t optimized for what we were trying to do anymore. We also weren’t fully confident in the accuracy of our data. We needed a hosted platform that allowed us to focus on marketing and sales instead of constant system maintenance. BigCommerce stood out as a major opportunity for us. As we expanded into B2B and transformed our online operations, BigCommerce played a key role in helping us get to where we are today.”

Final Thoughts

In this comparison, BigCommerce emerges as a strong contender, offering a user-friendly, feature-rich platform that supports multi-channel selling, seamless integrations, and multi-currency capabilities—all at a competitive price point.

For businesses considering a switch, BigCommerce is currently offering incentives, including four months free and special discounts for users migrating from Magento. If you’re looking for a platform that balances performance, scalability, and ease of use, BigCommerce is well worth considering.