Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing, Features, Pros and Cons

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Weebly vs BigCommerce: Overview
  3. Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing and Fees
  4. Core Features Comparison
  5. Ease of Use and Customer Support
  6. Final Verdict
  7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Introduction

In the ever-evolving digital marketplace, choosing the right ecommerce platform is a pivotal decision for any business owner. With a multitude of options available, the choice between platforms like Weebly and BigCommerce can be daunting. Whether you're a solo entrepreneur looking to launch a small online store or a large enterprise aiming to scale your ecommerce operations, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of these platforms is crucial.

So, how do you decide which platform suits your business needs? This blog post aims to provide an in-depth comparison of Weebly and BigCommerce, covering their pricing, core features, ease of use, and more. By the end of this article, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of what each platform offers, helping you make an informed decision tailored to your business requirements.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: Overview

Weebly

Weebly is known for its user-friendly interface and affordability, making it an excellent choice for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs. It offers a decent range of ecommerce tools, attractive design options, and strong blogging capabilities. However, as your business grows, you might find Weebly somewhat restrictive in terms of scalability and advanced features.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce, on the other hand, is a robust ecommerce platform designed for larger companies that demand advanced features and scalability. It boasts comprehensive inventory management, state-of-the-art AI capabilities, and omnichannel selling options. While it comes with a higher price tag, its extensive feature set offers substantial value for larger enterprises.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing and Fees

Pricing is often a critical factor when choosing an ecommerce platform. Here’s how Weebly and BigCommerce compare:

Weebly Pricing

Weebly offers a "free forever" plan that includes a shopping basket and the ability to sell unlimited items. Paid plans range from $10 to $26 per month:

  • Personal Plan: $10/month, supports a custom domain and unlimited storage.
  • Professional Plan: $12/month, removes Weebly ads.
  • Performance Plan: $26/month, includes abandoned cart emails and advanced ecommerce insights.

BigCommerce Pricing

BigCommerce does not offer a free plan but provides a 15-day free trial. The paid plans are:

  • Standard Plan: $39/month, includes basic features.
  • Plus Plan: $79/month, adds customer segmentation and abandoned cart saver.
  • Pro Plan: $299/month, provides advanced features and prioritizes support.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, tailored for large-scale operations.

Unlike Weebly, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any plan but has annual sales limits on certain plans (e.g., $50k per year on the Standard plan).

Core Features Comparison

Website Building and Design

Both platforms offer hundreds of templates that are responsive and professional-looking. However, their focus differs:

  • Weebly: Ideal for a range of websites including portfolios and blogs. Its drag-and-drop editor is intuitive and easy to use, even for those without coding knowledge.
  • BigCommerce: While its themes are more oriented towards ecommerce and might have a steeper learning curve, it allows greater customization through CSS and HTML.

Ecommerce and Selling Features

When it comes to ecommerce capabilities, BigCommerce stands out:

  • Weebly: Provides essential ecommerce features at an affordable price, such as support for unlimited products, inventory management, and automatic tax calculation. Higher-tier plans offer features like abandoned cart emails and PayPal payment integration.
  • BigCommerce: Offers advanced features across all plans, including marketplace and social media integrations, point of sale solutions, real-time shipping quotes, and multi-currency selling. It also provides detailed product variants and custom fields for enhanced product management.

Marketing Tools and Analytics

Marketing and analytics tools are essential for driving sales and understanding customer behavior:

  • Weebly: Excels in basic content marketing with solid blogging features and additional tools like pop-up notifications and lead capture forms. However, it lacks advanced SEO capabilities.
  • BigCommerce: Superior in providing comprehensive SEO tools and advanced reporting features. With customizable dashboards, you can monitor inventory, sales, and customer data in-depth.

AI Capabilities

AI is becoming increasingly important in the ecommerce space:

  • Weebly: Does not offer native AI capabilities. Third-party integrations are available but limited.
  • BigCommerce: Leading the way with its BigAI toolkit, offering AI content generation, predictive analytics, personalized recommendations, and AI-powered search functionalities.

Integrations and Apps

The variety and quality of integrations can significantly enhance an ecommerce platform’s functionality:

  • Weebly: Offers around 100 apps in its App Center, suitable for essential functions.
  • BigCommerce: Provides over 850 apps, including comprehensive categories for point of sale, marketing, dropshipping, fulfillment, and analytics. Open API options are available for custom automated workflows.

Ease of Use and Customer Support

Ease of Use

  • Weebly: Highly accessible for beginners with its intuitive drag-and-drop builder and minimal learning curve.
  • BigCommerce: While it has become more user-friendly over the years, it remains more complex due to its extensive range of features.

Customer Support

  • Weebly: Offers 24/7 support, but true 24/7 live support is limited to higher-tier plans.
  • BigCommerce: Provides 24/7 chat, email, and phone support on all plans, along with comprehensive learning resources and community forums.

Final Verdict

Choosing between Weebly and BigCommerce should align with your business size and growth plans:

  • Weebly: Best for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs seeking a budget-friendly, user-friendly platform with essential ecommerce features.
  • BigCommerce: Ideal for larger businesses that require advanced capabilities, greater customization, and extensive integration options.

Both platforms have their strengths and are catered toward different types of users. Assessing your specific needs and future growth plans is essential to making the right choice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is Weebly suitable for large businesses? A: While Weebly is excellent for small businesses, it may be limited for large businesses that require advanced ecommerce features and scalability.

Q: Does BigCommerce charge transaction fees? A: No, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any of its plans.

Q: Can I use third-party apps with Weebly? A: Yes, Weebly offers around 100 apps through its App Center for additional functionality.

Q: Which platform offers better SEO tools? A: BigCommerce provides more comprehensive SEO tools, making it easier to optimize your site for higher search engine rankings.

Q: Do both platforms offer free trials? A: Weebly offers a "free forever" plan, while BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial.

By considering the features, pricing, and unique needs of your business, you can choose the platform that best aligns with your goals and ensures your ecommerce success.