Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing, Features, Pros and Cons

Table of Contents

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

Introduction

Choosing the right ecommerce platform can significantly impact your business success. The right platform will streamline operations, enhance customer experience, and support your business growth. Among the popular options are Weebly and BigCommerce. These platforms cater to different business needs and come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these differences will help you make an informed decision tailored to your business requirements.

Whether you are a solo entrepreneur or running a large-scale enterprise, this comprehensive comparison of Weebly and BigCommerce will give you insights into pricing, features, and overall suitability based on your business needs.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: An Overview

At their core, both Weebly and BigCommerce are designed to help businesses build and manage their online stores. However, the target audience and the capacities greatly differ.

  • Weebly offers an entry-level platform ideal for small businesses or entrepreneurs who seek simplicity and affordability.
  • BigCommerce stands out as a more advanced solution focusing on larger businesses looking for extensive functionalities and scalability.

This blog post will provide a detailed comparison across several critical aspects such as pricing, core features, user experience, customer support, and more.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing and Fees

Weebly Pricing

Weebly's pricing structure is straightforward and budget-friendly:

  1. Free Plan: Includes a shopping cart and unlimited product listings but lacks advanced features.
  2. Personal Plan: Priced at around $10/month, offers a custom domain and unlimited storage.
  3. Professional Plan: Mid-tier plan priced at approximately $12/month, adds more ecommerce tools and functionalities.
  4. Performance Plan: For about $26/month, it includes features like abandoned cart emails and advanced ecommerce insights.

Key Points:

  • Affordable
  • Offers a free plan with basic ecommerce capabilities
  • Higher plans provide more advanced tools and features

BigCommerce Pricing

BigCommerce's pricing reflects its robust capabilities and advanced tools:

  1. Standard Plan: Starts at $39/month, offering a comprehensive set of ecommerce features.
  2. Plus Plan: Mid-tier plan at $79/month, adds more advanced marketing automation and customer segmentation tools.
  3. Pro Plan: Priced at $299/month, tailored for higher volume businesses with additional features like Google customer reviews.
  4. Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing based on specific business needs.

Key Points:

  • No free plan, but a 15-day free trial is available
  • Plans encompass several advanced tools and integrations
  • No transaction fees, but annual sales limits apply per plan

Core Features Comparison

Website Building and Design

Weebly:

  • User-friendly with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface
  • Ample selection of templates covering various industries
  • Easy customization without needing extensive coding skills

BigCommerce:

  • Offers a larger selection of ecommerce-focused templates
  • More advanced customization options with access to CSS and HTML
  • Slightly steeper learning curve but powerful design tools once mastered

Ecommerce and Selling Features

Weebly:

  • Solid ecommerce capabilities considering its pricing
  • Support for selling both physical and digital goods
  • Advanced features like abandoned cart emails reserved for higher plans

BigCommerce:

  • Extensive ecommerce features even on the basic plan
  • Advanced inventory, product management, and omnichannel selling
  • AI-driven tools and multi-currency support available on all plans

Marketing Tools and Analytics

Weebly:

  • Decent blogging capabilities for content marketing
  • Basic SEO tools and marketing features like pop-up forms and email marketing
  • Limited in-depth analytics

BigCommerce:

  • Comprehensive SEO tools, aiding in higher search rankings
  • Advanced analytics and customizable dashboards
  • Supports AI capabilities for predictive analytics and personalized recommendations

Integrations and Apps

Weebly:

  • Moderate range of integrations available through its App Center
  • Around 100 apps spanning across different functionalities

BigCommerce:

  • Extensive app marketplace with over 850 integrations
  • Organized into collections making it easy to find relevant apps
  • Strong API functionalities for custom integrations

AI Capabilities

Weebly:

  • Lacks native AI tools but allows third-party AI integration through its marketplace

BigCommerce:

  • Robust AI toolkit called “BigAI”
  • Integrates AI content generation, predictive analytics, and personalized product recommendations
  • Future development plans to bring more AI-driven functionalities

Ease of Use and Customer Support

Ease of Use

Weebly:

  • Highly intuitive and easy to use
  • Perfect for beginners with little to no technical know-how

BigCommerce:

  • More complex but highly capable interface
  • AI tools assist in easing the learning curve

Customer Support

Weebly:

  • Basic support options with 24/7 service on paid plans, limited on the free plan
  • Knowledge base, community forum, chat, and email support

BigCommerce:

  • Comprehensive support with 24/7 chat, email, and phone support on all plans
  • Extensive learning resources including tutorials, guides, and a strong community forum

Final Verdict

Ultimately, your choice between Weebly and BigCommerce should be based on your business's current scale and future aspirations. Weebly provides an accessible entry-point for small businesses and entrepreneurs who need a straightforward, cost-effective ecommerce platform. BigCommerce, on the other hand, caters to larger businesses or those anticipating significant growth, offering more advanced tools, scalability, and robust support systems.

By evaluating your specific needs against the capabilities of each platform, you can make an informed decision that ensures your ecommerce venture has the foundation it needs to succeed and grow.

FAQ

1. Can Weebly handle a large number of products?

  • Weebly is best suited for smaller stores, although it can handle unlimited product listings. However, its features become limited as your business scales.

2. Does BigCommerce charge transaction fees?

  • No, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees. However, annual sales limits are placed on each pricing plan, encouraging businesses to upgrade as they grow.

3. Is there a free trial for BigCommerce?

  • Yes, BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial, allowing you to explore its features before committing to a monthly plan.

4. Which platform offers better SEO tools?

  • BigCommerce provides more comprehensive SEO tools than Weebly, allowing for deeper optimization to improve search engine rankings.

5. Can I integrate AI tools with Weebly?

  • While Weebly doesn’t have native AI capabilities, you can integrate third-party AI tools through the Weebly marketplace to enhance your store's functionality.

By thoroughly assessing your business requirements and the detailed features each platform offers, you can choose the one that aligns best with your ecommerce goals.