Weebly vs BigCommerce: Comprehensive Comparison of Pricing, Features, Pros and Cons

Table of Contents

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

Introduction

In the rapidly evolving world of ecommerce, selecting the right platform can make all the difference for your online business. With numerous options available, the choice often comes down to fine details. Two popular contenders in this space are Weebly and BigCommerce. While both offer powerful tools to set up and manage an online store, they cater to different types of businesses with distinct needs.

This blog post delves into a thorough comparison of Weebly and BigCommerce, evaluating their pricing, features, pros, and cons, to help you decide which one aligns best with your business goals. Whether you're a small business owner seeking an easy-to-use platform or a large enterprise looking for robust ecommerce capabilities, this guide will provide valuable insights.

By the end of this comparison, you'll understand the key differences between Weebly and BigCommerce, making it easier to choose the platform that best suits your requirements.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: An Overview

Weebly and BigCommerce both offer comprehensive solutions for building and managing ecommerce stores, but they target different customer segments. Weebly is known for its user-friendly interface and affordability, making it ideal for smaller businesses and individuals. On the other hand, BigCommerce is tailored for larger companies with advanced inventory management needs and a focus on scalability.

Key Takeaways:

  • Weebly: Best for small businesses needing basic ecommerce functionality, ease of use, and budget-friendly pricing.
  • BigCommerce: Suited for larger businesses requiring advanced ecommerce features, scalability, and integration capabilities.

Pricing Comparison

Pricing is a crucial factor when choosing an ecommerce platform. Weebly is more budget-friendly, offering a free plan as well as affordable paid options. BigCommerce, though more expensive, provides more advanced features tailored to larger businesses.

Weebly Pricing:

  • Free Plan: Includes basic features such as a shopping basket and the ability to sell unlimited items.
  • Paid Plans: Range from $10 to $26 per month.
    • Personal Plan ($10/month): Custom domain support and unlimited storage.
    • Performance Plan ($26/month): Advanced ecommerce insights and abandoned cart emails.

BigCommerce Pricing:

  • No Free Plan: However, a 15-day free trial is available.
  • Paid Plans: Range from $39 to $399 per month.
    • Standard Plan ($39/month): No transaction fees but capped at $50k annual sales.
    • Pro Plan ($399/month): Includes more advanced features and higher sales limits.
    • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing based on specific business needs.

Pricing Verdict:

While Weebly is more affordable and offers a free plan, BigCommerce provides more value for money with advanced features that justify the higher cost, especially for larger businesses.

Core Features Comparison

Both platforms provide essential tools for creating and managing an online store, but their functionality varies in depth and complexity.

Website Building and Design

  • Weebly: Offers an intuitive drag-and-drop builder that requires no coding skills. Provides a wide variety of templates suitable for different industries.
  • BigCommerce: More customizable with granular control over CSS and HTML. Templates are highly tailored for ecommerce needs but require a steeper learning curve.

Ecommerce and Selling Features

  • Weebly: Includes support for unlimited products, basic inventory management, automatic tax calculation, and basic delivery options. Advanced features like abandoned cart emails are available only in higher-tier plans.
  • BigCommerce: Comprehensive inventory management, support for various payment gateways including PayPal, omnichannel selling, real-time shipping quotes, and multi-currency support. Also supports B2B and wholesale selling.

Marketing Tools and Analytics

  • Weebly: Strong blogging capabilities and basic SEO tools. Includes features like pop-up notifications and lead capture forms but is limited in SEO customization.
  • BigCommerce: Advanced SEO tools, customizable analytics dashboards, and detailed insights into sales and customer behavior. Supports more comprehensive marketing strategies.

AI Capabilities

  • Weebly: Limited native AI capabilities. Some third-party AI tools can be integrated.
  • BigCommerce: Advanced AI tools such as predictive analytics, personalized product recommendations, and AI-powered search.

Integrations and Apps

  • Weebly: Approximately 100 apps in its App Center for various functionalities.
  • BigCommerce: Over 850 apps, including integrations for point-of-sale systems, marketing, dropshipping, and fulfillment.

Verdict on Features:

BigCommerce outshines Weebly with more advanced features and integration options, making it better suited for businesses with complex needs. Weebly, however, remains a strong choice for simpler, more straightforward ecommerce setups.

Ease of Use and Customer Support

Ease of Use

  • Weebly: Known for its simplicity and ease of use. The drag-and-drop editor is highly intuitive and ideal for users with no coding knowledge.
  • BigCommerce: While more complex, it has become more user-friendly over time. However, it still requires a learning curve, particularly when utilizing advanced features.

Customer Support

  • Weebly: Provides 24/7 support through chat, email, and forums, but limited on free and personal plans.
  • BigCommerce: Offers extensive support resources, including community forums, tutorials, guides, and 24/7 chat, email, and phone support on all plans.

Verdict on Ease of Use and Support:

Weebly wins in terms of ease of use, especially for beginners. BigCommerce excels in customer support and offers more comprehensive resources and assistance.

Final Verdict

When deciding between Weebly and BigCommerce, consider the scale and complexity of your business needs.

  • Choose Weebly: If you are a small business owner or individual looking for an easy-to-use, cost-effective solution with basic ecommerce features.
  • Choose BigCommerce: If you manage a larger, growing business requiring advanced features, robust support, and scalability.

FAQ Section

What are the main differences between Weebly and BigCommerce?

Weebly is more user-friendly and affordable, ideal for small businesses. BigCommerce offers more advanced features, better scalability, and is suited for larger enterprises.

Is there a free plan available for either platform?

Weebly offers a free plan, whereas BigCommerce does not. However, BigCommerce provides a 15-day free trial.

Which platform offers better customer support?

BigCommerce offers more comprehensive customer support with 24/7 assistance via chat, email, and phone, available on all plans. Weebly's support is more limited, especially on free and personal plans.

Can I use AI tools on both platforms?

BigCommerce provides native AI tools such as predictive analytics and personalized recommendations. Weebly has limited native AI capabilities but allows integration with third-party AI tools.

Which platform is better for SEO?

BigCommerce offers more advanced SEO customization and tools compared to Weebly, making it better for businesses focused on higher search engine rankings.