Introduction

In today’s bustling digital economy, selecting the right eCommerce platform can be a pivotal decision for your business. It can affect everything from customer experience to inventory management, as well as the potential for future growth. Two noteworthy contenders in this space are Weebly and BigCommerce. Each platform offers distinct features and caters to different business needs. In this blog post, we will delve into a comprehensive comparison between Weebly and BigCommerce, examining their pricing, features, advantages, and disadvantages. By the end of this article, you'll have a clearer understanding of which platform might be the best fit for your business.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: An Overview

Weebly is often praised for its user-friendly interface and affordability, making it an excellent choice for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs. On the other hand, BigCommerce offers advanced features and scalability options, which are more suited for larger businesses with ambitions of growth. But beyond these broad strokes, there are several nuances in pricing, functionality, and usability that potential users need to consider.

Pricing and Fees

Weebly Pricing Structure

One of the most enticing aspects of Weebly is its “free forever” plan, which includes a shopping basket and the capability to sell unlimited items, albeit with some limitations. Weebly’s paid plans range from $10 to $26 per month, offering more advanced features like custom domains and abandoned cart emails as you move up the pricing tiers.

BigCommerce Pricing Structure

BigCommerce lacks a free plan, but it does offer a 15-day free trial. After this period, the pricing starts at $39 per month for the Standard plan and goes up to $399 per month for the Pro plan. Custom enterprise solutions are also available. While more expensive than Weebly, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any plan and includes advanced features like omnichannel and international selling tools, which can justify the higher cost for larger businesses.

Core Features Comparison

Website Building and Design

Both platforms offer a variety of responsive, professional templates suitable for various industries. However, BigCommerce slightly outshines Weebly when it comes to design. It offers more advanced customization options, including the ability to manipulate CSS and HTML files, which allows for greater flexibility. Weebly's drag-and-drop editor is more intuitive and easier to use, making it ideal for beginners who may not have coding skills.

eCommerce and Selling Features

Weebly offers a range of basic eCommerce tools at an affordable price, including unlimited product listings, inventory management, and automatic tax calculation. However, for advanced features like abandoned cart emails and the ability to accept PayPal payments, you’ll need to opt for the higher-tier plans.

BigCommerce excels in eCommerce capability with robust inventory management, marketplace integrations, and multi-currency selling features, which are accessible on all plans. Moreover, BigCommerce provides specialized plans for B2B and wholesale companies, making it a versatile option for different types of businesses.

Marketing Tools and Analytics

Weebly offers useful tools for content marketing, such as better blogging capabilities and customizable Instagram feeds. However, it lacks advanced SEO features, limiting its potential for higher search engine rankings.

BigCommerce, conversely, provides more extensive SEO customization and includes advanced marketing features such as email marketing integrations and more detailed analytics. These analytics allow you to create custom dashboards to track various aspects of your business, from inventory and sales to customer behavior.

AI Capabilities

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a cornerstone in eCommerce platforms. BigCommerce has taken significant steps in this area, offering AI-driven tools for predictive analytics, personalized product recommendations, and even AI-powered search functionalities through its “BigAI” toolkit.

Weebly currently lags behind in this aspect, providing no native AI features. While third-party integrations can fill some gaps, the lack of built-in AI capabilities is a shortfall for tech-savvy users looking to leverage AI for enhancing user experience and optimizing operations.

Integrations and Apps

BigCommerce excels with its extensive app store offering over 850 applications covering various business needs, from marketing to fulfillment and analytics. The open API options allow for the creation of automated workflows that interlink different business processes seamlessly.

Weebly also provides an app center but with fewer options—around 100 apps—which might limit your ability to integrate advanced functionalities into your eCommerce store. However, for smaller operations, the available apps might suffice.

Ease of Use and Customer Support

Weebly’s Ease of Use

Weebly wins hands-down in terms of ease of use with its intuitive drag-and-drop builder, which requires no coding knowledge. This makes it an excellent choice for beginners or those looking for a straightforward setup process.

BigCommerce’s Customer Support

While BigCommerce also offers a user-friendly interface, it comes with a steeper learning curve compared to Weebly. However, when it comes to customer support, BigCommerce takes the lead. It offers chat, email, and phone support on all plans, along with comprehensive resources like tutorials, guides, and an active online community.

Weebly’s customer support is limited on its free and lower-tier plans, offering primarily forum, chat, and email support. For more personalized support, users would need to upgrade to higher-tier plans.

Conclusion

Choosing between Weebly and BigCommerce depends significantly on your business needs and future aspirations. If you are a small business owner looking for an affordable, easy-to-use platform with basic eCommerce features, Weebly is likely the better choice. However, if you aim for rapid growth and require advanced features, scalability, and robust customer support, BigCommerce is the superior option.

In essence, your choice boils down to the scale of your business and the complexity of features you require. While Weebly is excellent for getting started quickly and affordably, BigCommerce is designed to support business expansion and advanced eCommerce needs.

FAQ

What is the primary difference between Weebly and BigCommerce?

The primary difference lies in their target audience and feature sets. Weebly is user-friendly and affordable, best suited for small businesses and independent entrepreneurs. BigCommerce offers advanced features like AI tools and robust inventory management, making it ideal for larger businesses.

Does Weebly offer a free plan?

Yes, Weebly offers a “free forever” plan which includes a shopping cart and the capability to sell unlimited products, though with some limitations.

Does BigCommerce charge transaction fees?

No, BigCommerce does not charge any transaction fees on any of its plans.

Which platform provides better SEO tools?

BigCommerce offers more extensive SEO capabilities compared to Weebly, allowing for higher customization and potentially better search engine rankings.

Can I use PayPal with Weebly?

Yes, but only if you upgrade to Weebly’s “Performance” plan.

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

Table of Contents

Introduction

Weebly vs BigCommerce: An Overview