Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing, Features, Pros and Cons

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Pricing and Fees
  3. Core Features Overview
  4. Marketing Tools and Analytics
  5. Integrations and Apps
  6. Ease of Use and Customer Support
  7. Conclusion
  8. FAQs

Introduction

When it comes to building an ecommerce platform, choosing the right service can make or break your online business. Two popular options in the market today are Weebly and BigCommerce. Although both platforms offer robust ecommerce capabilities, they cater to different business needs. Whether you are a small business owner looking for an affordable, user-friendly option or a large enterprise requiring powerful tools for scalability, understanding the key differences between Weebly and BigCommerce can help you make an informed decision.

This comprehensive blog post aims to guide you through an in-depth comparison of Weebly and BigCommerce, exploring their features, pricing structures, advantages, and disadvantages. By the end of this read, you'll have a clear sense of which platform aligns best with your business objectives.

Pricing and Fees

Weebly Pricing

Weebly is renowned for its accessible pricing, including a "free forever" plan that even comes with a shopping basket and permits unlimited sales. The paid plans are quite affordable:

  • Personal Plan: $10 per month, supports a custom domain and provides unlimited storage.
  • Professional Plan: $12 per month, adds features like site search and password protection.
  • Performance Plan: $26 per month, includes advanced features like abandoned cart emails and detailed ecommerce insights.

These plans provide a budget-friendly way to launch a functional online store with essential ecommerce features.

BigCommerce Pricing

BigCommerce, on the other hand, doesn't offer a free plan but allows a 15-day free trial. After that, the pricing is considerably higher:

  • Standard Plan: $39 per month, with features for small businesses.
  • Plus Plan: $79 per month, adds more advanced features.
  • Pro Plan: $399 per month, designed for large-scale ecommerce operations.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing based on specific needs.

While BigCommerce plans come with no transaction fees—a big plus—the platform does set annual sales limits, which might restrict business growth unless higher-tier plans are adopted.

Comparison of Pricing

For startups or smaller businesses, Weebly's lower cost and free plan can be quite appealing. However, BigCommerce offers more sophisticated tools that justify its higher price points for businesses looking to scale.

Core Features Overview

Website Building and Design

Weebly:

  • Offers a couple of hundred templates, suiting varied needs like portfolios and blogs.
  • Provides an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, ideal for those without coding skills.

BigCommerce:

  • Also offers numerous themes, mainly designed for ecommerce, making it more specialized for online stores.
  • Most themes are responsive and look professional, but the customization does require some technical know-how.

Ecommerce and Selling Features

Weebly:

  • Supports unlimited products and inventory management.
  • Offers basic ecommerce tools like automatic tax calculation and delivery options.
  • Advanced features like abandoned cart emails are restricted to the higher-tier plans.

BigCommerce:

  • Provides extensive ecommerce tools, including marketplace and social media integrations, real-time shipping quotes, and multi-currency selling.
  • It accommodates both physical and digital products, alongside services.
  • It supports B2B and wholesale operations with specialized features.

AI Capabilities

Weebly:

  • Lacks native AI capabilities.
  • Relies on third-party integrations for adding AI functionalities.

BigCommerce:

  • Excels with its "BigAI" toolkit offering solutions like AI content generation and predictive analytics.
  • Constantly expanding its AI features in collaboration with partner companies.

Marketing Tools and Analytics

Weebly

Weebly's blogging capabilities make it a solid choice for content marketing. It includes useful tools like pop-up notifications, customizable Instagram feeds, and lead capture forms. However, it offers limited SEO customization, which might hinder your search engine rankings.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce, on the other hand, offers more advanced SEO tools, giving you greater control over optimizing your site for search engines. Both platforms provide functionalities for creating vouchers, gift cards, and abandoned cart emails. However, BigCommerce's reporting tools are more sophisticated, offering customized dashboards to track various metrics, including sales and customer behavior.

Integrations and Apps

Weebly:

  • Provides about 100 apps in its app center, ranging from marketing tools to analytics.
  • Great for integrating basic functionalities.

BigCommerce:

  • Offers over 850 apps, organized into collections like "Shipping Essentials."
  • Supports open API options for customized workflow integrations.

Comparison of Apps

The vast and well-organized app marketplace in BigCommerce makes it a better choice for businesses needing a comprehensive suite of tools. Weebly's app selection, although smaller, covers essential needs and is easier to navigate for beginners.

Ease of Use and Customer Support

Weebly

Weebly undeniably wins in ease of use. Its drag-and-drop interface is straightforward, requiring no technical skills. When it comes to customer support, Weebly offers 24/7 assistance, but the level of service depends on your plan. Free and personal plans are limited to forum and chat support.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce has improved its user interface considerably, though it still has a steeper learning curve. In terms of support, BigCommerce shines with extensive resources like tutorials, guides, and an active online community. Moreover, it provides 24/7 support via chat, email, and phone, regardless of the plan.

Conclusion

When choosing between Weebly and BigCommerce, your business needs will dictate the best option. For small businesses and startups, Weebly's cost-effective plans and user-friendly design could be perfect. In contrast, BigCommerce is better suited for large enterprises or businesses anticipating rapid growth, thanks to its robust set of advanced features and scalable plans.

Ultimately, both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, but knowing your specific requirements can guide you to the right choice.

FAQs

1. Which platform is more cost-effective for small businesses?

Weebly is generally more cost-effective, especially for startups and small businesses with its lower pricing and free plan.

2. Can I scale my online store with Weebly?

While Weebly is great for small businesses, you may find it limited as you scale. At this point, migrating to a platform like BigCommerce might be necessary.

3. Does BigCommerce offer any free trials?

Yes, BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial for new users to explore the platform.

4. What kind of customer support do these platforms offer?

Both platforms offer 24/7 support, but BigCommerce provides more comprehensive options, including phone support on all plans.

5. Can I integrate third-party apps with these platforms?

Yes, both Weebly and BigCommerce offer a variety of third-party integrations, but BigCommerce has a more extensive app marketplace.

By considering these factors, you can better determine whether Weebly or BigCommerce is the right choice for your ecommerce needs.