Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing, Features, Pros, and Cons

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Pricing and Fees
  3. Website Building and Design
  4. Ecommerce and Selling Features
  5. Marketing Tools and Analytics
  6. AI Capabilities
  7. Integrations and Apps
  8. Ease of Use and Customer Support
  9. Final Verdict
  10. FAQs

Introduction

Choosing the right ecommerce platform can be the difference between a fledgling business and a roaring success. But with so many options available, each with different pricing models, features, and target audiences, it’s challenging to make the right choice. Today, we delve into two popular platforms—Weebly and BigCommerce—to help you determine which platform is best suited for your business needs.

Weebly touts itself as a user-friendly and budget-friendly option for smaller businesses, while BigCommerce positions itself as a robust solution for larger enterprises looking to scale. By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear understanding of what each platform offers, its strengths and weaknesses, and how they stack up against each other.

Pricing and Fees

Weebly

Weebly is notably known for its "free forever" plan, allowing users to create a basic ecommerce store without any upfront costs. This makes it an appealing option for startups and hobbyists.

  • Free Plan: Includes a shopping basket and support for unlimited items.
  • Paid Plans: Range from $10 to $26 per month.
    • Personal Plan ($10/month): Supports custom domains and offers unlimited storage.
    • Professional Plan ($12/month): Adds additional ecommerce features.
    • Performance Plan ($26/month): Provides advanced ecommerce insights and abandoned cart emails.

BigCommerce

While BigCommerce does not offer a free plan, it provides a 15-day free trial. Post-trial, the pricing begins at $39 per month and escalates up to $399 per month.

  • Standard Plan ($39/month): Suitable for small businesses with up to $50k annual sales.
  • Plus Plan ($79/month): Includes additional features like segmented customer groups.
  • Pro Plan ($399/month): For larger stores with advanced features and higher sales limits.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom-priced based on specific business needs.

Though more expensive than Weebly, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees, which can be a significant cost-saving feature for high-volume businesses.

Website Building and Design

Weebly

Weebly offers a simple drag-and-drop website builder that is ideal for beginners with little to no coding experience. It provides several hundred templates that are responsive and suitable for various industries. Whether you're creating a portfolio, blog, or ecommerce site, Weebly’s intuitive design tools make it easy to get started.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce also offers numerous themes tailored specifically for ecommerce, although many look quite similar. The platform allows more granular customization through CSS and HTML. Advanced features like global widgets and detailed product category sections give users more control, but the complexity can result in a steeper learning curve.

Ecommerce and Selling Features

Weebly

Weebly features robust ecommerce tools that include:

  • Support for Unlimited Products: Even on free plans.
  • Inventory Management and Automatic Tax Calculation: Available on paid plans.
  • Delivery Options: Such as in-store pickup.
  • Abandoned Cart Emails: Available only on the Performance plan.
  • Shopping Cart and Filtered Search Capabilities

However, to accept PayPal payments, users must upgrade to the Performance plan.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce excels in ecommerce features. Key offerings include:

  • Omni-channel Selling: Integrations with marketplaces and social media.
  • Discount Transaction Rates: Through its partnership with PayPal.
  • Real-time Shipping Quotes and Multi-currency Selling
  • Advanced Inventory and Product Management: Including detailed product variants and unique shipping rules.
  • B2B Features: Tailored plans for wholesale businesses.

BigCommerce also supports a wider array of payment gateways beyond just PayPal, making it versatile in terms of payment options.

Marketing Tools and Analytics

Weebly

Weebly shines in content marketing with its superior blogging capabilities. Additional features include:

  • Pop-up Notifications and Customizable Instagram Feeds
  • Lead Capture Forms
  • Basic SEO Tools: Limited compared to BigCommerce

However, for SEO, BigCommerce stands out as it provides more comprehensive options to optimize for search engines.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce offers advanced marketing tools:

  • Customizable Dashboards and Detailed Analytics: Track inventory, sales, and customer preferences.
  • Promotion Toolkits: Create vouchers, gift cards, and showcase product reviews.
  • Email Marketing Integrations: Though native capabilities are basic, integrations enable advanced drips and automated campaigns.

AI Capabilities

Weebly

Weebly currently lacks native AI capabilities but does support AI tools through third-party integrations available in its marketplace.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is integrating AI into its platform through its "BigAI" toolkit, which includes features like:

  • AI Content Generation and Predictive Analytics
  • Personalized Product Recommendations and AI-powered Search

These tools can significantly enhance user experience and conversion rates.

Integrations and Apps

Weebly

Weebly offers around 100 apps in its App Center, catering to various needs from ecommerce functionalities to marketing tools. However, the selection is relatively limited compared to other platforms.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce offers over 850 apps classified into collections such as "Shipping Essentials" and "Marketing Tools." The platform supports open API options for creating automated workflows between business apps.

Ease of Use and Customer Support

Weebly

Weebly is lauded for its ease of use, ideal for beginners. However, customer support on free and personal plans is limited to forums, chat, and email.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce has a steeper learning curve but excels in customer support, offering 24/7 chat, email, and phone support on all plans. Its extensive learning resources, community forums, and video tutorials provide comprehensive guidance for users.

Final Verdict

Ultimately, your choice between Weebly and BigCommerce will hinge on your business size, needs, and growth ambitions.

  • Weebly: Best for small businesses or solo entrepreneurs seeking affordability and ease of use. Its straightforward design tools and basic ecommerce features are perfect for those just getting started.

  • BigCommerce: Ideal for growing businesses or established enterprises needing advanced ecommerce functionalities, scalability, and robust customer support. If you're aiming for long-term growth, BigCommerce offers a more comprehensive solution despite the higher cost.

FAQs

1. Does Weebly offer a free plan?

Yes, Weebly provides a "free forever" plan that includes a shopping basket and supports unlimited items.

2. How long is the BigCommerce free trial?

BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial.

3. Can I use PayPal on both platforms?

Yes, but Weebly requires you to upgrade to its Performance plan to accept PayPal payments. BigCommerce offers integrated PayPal options on all plans.

4. Which platform is easier to use?

Weebly is generally easier to use, thanks to its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it suitable for beginners.

5. Does BigCommerce support API integrations?

Yes, BigCommerce offers open API options, allowing for extensive integrations and automated workflows.

In conclusion, both Weebly and BigCommerce have their unique strengths and target different market segments. Your choice will depend on your specific business requirements, growth goals, and budget constraints.