Webflow vs BigCommerce: Which Is the Better Ecommerce Platform?

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Webflow vs BigCommerce: Overview
  3. Core Features
  4. Ease of Use and Customer Support
  5. Conclusion

Introduction

In the digital age, choosing the right platform to launch and manage your online store is crucial. With countless options like Shopify, Wix, and more, making an informed decision can be overwhelming. However, today we delve into a more focused comparison: Webflow vs BigCommerce. Both of these platforms offer unique features and capabilities, catering to different user needs.

Webflow is celebrated for its design flexibility and robust hosting services, making it a favorite among professional designers. On the other hand, BigCommerce stands out for its scalability and powerful ecommerce tools, particularly its extensive inventory management and multi-channel selling capabilities.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll dissect the core features, pricing, usability, and more, providing you with an in-depth comparison of Webflow and BigCommerce. By the end, you'll have a clearer understanding of which platform aligns with your ecommerce goals.

Webflow vs BigCommerce: Overview

Before diving into the nitty-gritty, let's touch on the primary strengths and challenges each platform presents.

Webflow is ideal for those who prioritize design and customization. It offers an extensive library of templates and a drag-and-drop interface, allowing for intricate website designs without needing deep technical expertise—albeit with a bit of a learning curve.

BigCommerce, conversely, is tailored more towards comprehensive ecommerce functionality, boasting robust tools for inventory management, multi-channel selling, and a wide range of payment options. However, its design flexibility is somewhat limited compared to Webflow.

Pricing and Fees

Pricing is a significant factor for any business decision. Here’s how the platforms stack up:

  • Webflow:

    • Offers a free plan (not suitable for ecommerce).
    • Paid plans with ecommerce features start at $42/month.
    • Higher-tier plans can reach up to $235/month.
    • 2% transaction fee on the lowest paid plan.
  • BigCommerce:

    • No free plan, but a 15-day free trial is available.
    • Paid plans start at $39/month and can go as high as $399/month.
    • Enterprise solutions with custom pricing.
    • No transaction fees on any plans.

Both platforms impose certain limitations on sales volumes or the number of products you can sell, which can influence the suitability depending on your store's scale.

Core Features

Website Building and Design

Webflow shines with its design capabilities. The platform offers over a thousand templates and a highly flexible drag-and-drop editor. Customizability is virtually unlimited, whether you’re using pre-built templates or starting from scratch, catering perfectly to those with a design-centric approach.

BigCommerce provides around 200 responsive themes optimized for ecommerce. While these themes are functional and modern, they may lack the versatility seen in Webflow’s offerings. Customization can also be more challenging, often requiring more time and technical know-how.

Ecommerce and Selling Features

When it comes to ecommerce functionalities, BigCommerce is the more formidable option. It allows for:

  • Unlimited products (though sales are capped based on plan tiers).
  • Robust inventory management tools.
  • Integration with over 65 payment processing solutions.
  • Multi-currency and multi-channel selling.

However, Webflow is no slouch. It offers:

  • Comprehensive customization for carts and checkout pages.
  • Custom transactional emails.
  • Support for physical and digital goods.
  • Integration with fulfillment services like Printful and Shippo.
  • Multiple payment options.

Though BigCommerce might have an edge with its extensive ecommerce features, Webflow delivers a surprisingly flexible suite that's ideal for those wanting to blend unique design with commerce.

Marketing Tools and Analytics

For marketers, Webflow offers more in terms of SEO and content marketing. Features include:

  • Control over titles, meta tags, and alt text.
  • Great blogging tools for content marketing.
  • Quick creation of sitemaps and management of 301 redirects.

BigCommerce, while not as strong in SEO, excels with its promotional tools:

  • Gift cards, vouchers, and sales banners.
  • Integrated partnerships to save on transaction fees.
  • AI predictive analytics for personalized product recommendations.

From an analytics standpoint, both platforms provide essential insights into sales metrics, user behavior, and inventory. BigCommerce’s addition of AI tools pushes it slightly ahead in offering predictive analytics and customer recommendations.

AI Capabilities, Integrations, and Apps

Both platforms leverage AI technologies effectively. BigCommerce boasts its “BigAI” suite, which offers:

  • Content creation tools.
  • AI-powered search and chatbots.
  • Predictive analytics for customer interactions.

Webflow’s AI capabilities assist primarily with design and optimization, ensuring smoother workflows for content creation and SEO optimization. BigCommerce takes the lead in integrations, connecting with a broader range of external apps and tools, making it more versatile for larger, complex ecommerce operations.

Ease of Use and Customer Support

Both Webflow and BigCommerce have steep learning curves.

  • Webflow’s designer tool, while powerful, requires a bit of technical knowledge to fully utilize.
  • BigCommerce has simplified its development processes, but managing immense inventories or custom fields can still be a challenge.

On the support front:

  • Webflow offers 24/7 live chat and email support, complemented by a plethora of educational resources (video tutorials, eBooks, webinars).
  • BigCommerce provides 24/7 live chat, email, and phone support, along with various self-help resources.

Conclusion

Choosing between Webflow and BigCommerce heavily depends on your priorities. Webflow is ideal if you seek cutting-edge design and a visually stunning website. BigCommerce is the go-to for robust ecommerce functionalities and seamless integration with various sales channels.

Both provide stellar AI features and extensive support, making them viable contenders in the ecommerce platform space. Understand your business needs, assess which strengths are most critical to you, and make an informed decision.

FAQs

1. Which platform is more cost-effective for a small business? BigCommerce tends to be more cost-effective due to its lower entry-level pricing and zero transaction fees.

2. Can I switch between platforms easily? Switching can be complex due to data migration challenges. Thoroughly evaluate both platforms before committing.

3. Which platform offers better customer support? Both offer robust support, but BigCommerce provides additional phone support which might be a deciding factor for some users.

4. Is Webflow good for large-scale ecommerce businesses? Webflow is suitable for well-designed, content-integrated sites, but for large-scale operations focused on extensive inventory, BigCommerce may be more appropriate.

5. Do both platforms support multi-language and multi-currency features? Yes, both platforms support multi-language and multi-currency, with BigCommerce offering more out-of-the-box solutions for expansive international retail operations.