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

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing
  3. Weebly vs BigCommerce: Core Features
  4. Weebly vs BigCommerce: Ease of Use and Customer Support
  5. Final Verdict
  6. FAQs

Introduction

In today’s digital age, choosing the right ecommerce platform can significantly impact your business's ability to scale and excel online. With numerous options available, entrepreneurs often find themselves comparing platforms to identify which best meets their needs. Two of the most popular choices, especially for small to medium-sized businesses, are Weebly and BigCommerce. But how do they stack up against each other?

This comprehensive guide delves into the nitty-gritty of Weebly and BigCommerce, examining their pricing, features, pros and cons, and overall usability. By the end of this blog post, you'll understand which platform might be the ideal fit for your online store.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing

Weebly

One of Weebly’s most appealing aspects is its affordability. The platform offers a "free forever" plan that includes basic ecommerce capabilities such as a shopping cart and the ability to sell unlimited items. For businesses needing more advanced features, Weebly provides several paid plans:

  1. Personal Plan: Starting at around $10 per month, this plan supports custom domains and offers unlimited storage.
  2. Professional Plan: At approximately $12 per month, this plan adds advanced site stats and video backgrounds.
  3. Performance Plan: For about $26 per month, businesses can access abandoned cart emails and advanced ecommerce insights.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce, while more robust, is notably pricier than Weebly:

  1. Standard Plan: Priced at $39 per month, it offers numerous ecommerce features but caps annual sales at $50k.
  2. Plus Plan: For $79 per month, you get additional capabilities and a higher sales limit.
  3. Pro Plan: At $399 per month, this plan provides extensive features suitable for rapidly scaling businesses with sales up to $400k annually.
  4. Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing based on specific, high-volume needs.

While BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees, a significant advantage, it does set sales limits on each pricing tier, requiring upgrades as your business grows.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: Core Features

Website Building and Design

Weebly:

  • Offers hundreds of responsive and professional-looking templates.
  • Themes are diverse, catering to various industries from portfolios to blogs.
  • Simple drag-and-drop editor that requires no coding knowledge.

BigCommerce:

  • Also provides hundreds of themes, primarily focused on ecommerce needs.
  • Allows for detailed customization through CSS and HTML.
  • Has a steep learning curve but provides more design freedom and advanced editing tools.

Ecommerce and Selling Features

Weebly:

  • Supports unlimited products and includes inventory management tools.
  • Offers automatic tax calculation and different delivery options.
  • Advanced features like abandoned cart emails are only available on the most expensive plan.

BigCommerce:

  • Features robust inventory management and multi-currency selling.
  • Integrates seamlessly with marketplaces, social media, and various point-of-sale systems.
  • Allows extensive product customization and rating/review features.

Marketing Tools and Analytics

Weebly:

  • Better suited for content marketing with its superior blogging features.
  • Limited SEO capabilities but offers basic email marketing and lead capture forms.
  • Analytics tools are somewhat basic but sufficient for small businesses.

BigCommerce:

  • Superior SEO editing capabilities to boost site rankings.
  • Advanced marketing tools, from vouchers and gift cards to omnichannel selling.
  • Detailed analytics and customizable dashboards for tracking sales, inventory, and customer behavior.

AI Capabilities

Weebly:

  • Lacks native AI features but can integrate third-party AI tools via its marketplace.

BigCommerce:

  • Emerging as a leader in ecommerce AI, offering AI-powered content generation, predictive analytics, and personalized product recommendations.
  • Continually expanding its AI toolkit, integrating features that help streamline ecommerce operations.

Integrations and Apps

Weebly:

  • Offers around 100 apps through its App Center, covering basic ecommerce functionalities.

BigCommerce:

  • Offers over 850 apps, categorized into collections like "Shipping Essentials" for easier navigation.
  • Open API options for creating custom workflows and integrations.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: Ease of Use and Customer Support

Ease of Use

Weebly:

  • Renowned for its user-friendliness, ideal for beginners with its intuitive interface.
  • Quick and easy setup, allowing you to start selling with minimal effort.

BigCommerce:

  • Though it has improved in usability, it still requires a learning curve due to its advanced features.
  • Suitable for users who need extensive ecommerce capabilities and are willing to invest time in mastering the platform.

Customer Support

Weebly:

  • Provides solid learning resources, though direct support (like chat and email) is limited on lower-tier plans.

BigCommerce:

  • Offers comprehensive support across all plans, including 24/7 chat, email, and phone support.
  • Extensive documentation, tutorials, and a vibrant online community to help users navigate issues.

Final Verdict

Choosing between Weebly and BigCommerce largely depends on the scale and specific needs of your business.

  • Weebly is perfect for small businesses or solo entrepreneurs looking for an easy-to-use, affordable solution with essential ecommerce features.
  • BigCommerce shines for more extensive operations that require advanced inventory management, AI capabilities, and broad scalability. Its robust features come at a higher price but offer significant value for growing businesses.

FAQs

1. Can I start with Weebly and migrate to BigCommerce later?

  • Yes, you can start with Weebly to build and grow your initial business and migrate to BigCommerce as your needs expand.

2. Does BigCommerce offer a free plan like Weebly?

  • BigCommerce does not offer a free plan but does provide a 15-day free trial.

3. Which platform has better SEO capabilities?

  • BigCommerce offers more advanced SEO tools and customization options compared to Weebly.

4. Is it necessary to know coding to use BigCommerce?

  • While not required, having some coding knowledge can help take full advantage of BigCommerce’s customization capabilities.

5. What kind of support can I expect from Weebly and BigCommerce?

  • Weebly provides basic support and extensive resources, whereas BigCommerce offers around-the-clock support and a wealth of detailed, expert-level resources.

In sum, assess your current business size and future growth plans carefully. Both Weebly and BigCommerce offer unique benefits, and your choice should align with your long-term business strategy.