Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Weebly vs BigCommerce: Which is Best?
- Weebly: Pros and Cons
- BigCommerce: Pros and Cons
- Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing and Fees
- Weebly vs BigCommerce: The Core Features
- Ease of Use and Customer Support
- Conclusion
- FAQ
Introduction
As the digital marketplace continues to grow, choosing the right ecommerce platform becomes a crucial decision for businesses of all sizes. Both Weebly and BigCommerce offer unique advantages tailored to different types of users. Whether you are a small start-up or a large enterprise looking to scale your online presence, understanding the strengths and limitations of these two platforms can significantly impact your business's success.
Weebly is known for its ease of use and affordability, making it a favorite among small businesses and entrepreneurs. On the other hand, BigCommerce excels in providing robust, advanced tools suitable for larger companies aiming for scalability and extensive ecommerce functionalities. Through this blog post, we'll dive into the specifics of both platforms, comparing their pricing, features, pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.
Weebly vs BigCommerce: Which is Best?
Ultimately, the choice between Weebly and BigCommerce boils down to the specific needs of your business. Weebly is the go-to option for smaller enterprises looking for a straightforward and cost-effective ecommerce solution. In contrast, BigCommerce suits larger businesses requiring advanced capabilities for significant growth.
Weebly: Pros and Cons
Pros 👍
- User-Friendly Interface: Weebly provides an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, making it easy for users without technical expertise to build and manage their websites.
- Affordability: Weebly offers a "free forever" plan and affordable paid plans ranging from $10 to $26 per month.
- Blogging Capabilities: Strong blogging features make it easier for businesses to incorporate content marketing into their strategies.
- Responsive Design Options: A wide selection of customizable, responsive themes suitable for various niches.
Cons 👎
- Limited Scalability: Weebly may not meet the needs of rapidly growing businesses due to its basic feature set.
- Limited Payment Options: PayPal payments are only available on higher-tier plans.
- Fewer Advanced Features: Lacks advanced ecommerce functionalities such as sophisticated inventory management and omnichannel selling.
BigCommerce: Pros and Cons
Pros 👍
- Advanced Ecommerce Capabilities: Provides powerful tools for inventory management, omnichannel selling, and international sales.
- Scalability: Well-suited for larger companies with the need for advanced ecommerce features and growth potential.
- No Transaction Fees: Unlike many competitors, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any plans.
- AI Integration: Offers AI-powered tools for content generation, predictive analytics, and personalized recommendations.
Cons 👎
- Higher Costs: Plans start at $39 per month, significantly higher than Weebly.
- Steeper Learning Curve: Requires more time to get accustomed to its advanced features, even with built-in AI tools.
- Sales Limits on Plans: Each plan has a sales limit, which might restrict businesses with high transaction volumes.
Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing and Fees
Pricing is a key differentiator between Weebly and BigCommerce. Weebly offers a "free forever" plan that includes a shopping cart and unlimited items for sale. Paid plans range from $10 to $26 per month, with the most expensive plan providing features like abandoned cart emails and advanced ecommerce insights.
In contrast, BigCommerce's pricing starts from $39 per month, extending up to $399 per month for the Pro plan. There's also an enterprise option with custom pricing. Although BigCommerce does not have a free plan, it does offer a 15-day trial. Every plan includes advanced features, such as omnichannel selling tools and no transaction fees, providing significant value but at a higher cost.
Weebly vs BigCommerce: The Core Features
Both Weebly and BigCommerce are geared toward helping businesses build and manage ecommerce websites, but they cater to different business sizes and needs.
Website Building and Design
Weebly and BigCommerce offer various themes designed to suit different industries. Weebly focuses on ease of use with its intuitive drag-and-drop editor, which caters well to beginners. On the other hand, BigCommerce’s themes, though slightly more complex, are finely tuned for ecommerce and allow deeper customization through CSS and HTML.
Ecommerce and Selling Features
Weebly, despite its affordability, provides robust ecommerce features such as inventory management, automatic tax calculations, and delivery options. However, more advanced features like abandoned cart emails are confined to higher-tier plans, and PayPal payments are limited unless you upgrade.
BigCommerce offers a comprehensive suite of ecommerce tools, including advanced inventory management, real-time shipping quotes, multi-currency selling, and omnichannel integrations. This platform even supports B2B and wholesale sales with specialized plans, making it the better option for larger businesses.
Marketing Tools and Analytics
While Weebly excels in blogging and provides useful tools like pop-up notifications and lead capture forms, its SEO capabilities are relatively limited. BigCommerce, on the other hand, allows more in-depth SEO optimizations and offers robust analytics for tracking customer preferences, sales metrics, and repeat customers. For email marketing, both platforms are adequate, but BigCommerce offers a higher level of customization and integration options.
AI Capabilities
BigCommerce is ahead in integrating AI into its ecommerce platform. Its BigAI toolkit includes features for AI content generation, predictive analytics, and personalized search, enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency. Currently, Weebly lacks native AI capabilities but supports third-party integrations through its marketplace.
Integrations and Apps
Both platforms offer a range of integrations, but BigCommerce stands out with over 850 apps for various functionalities, from fulfillment to analytics. Weebly’s app center is more limited, with around 100 apps available. For businesses relying heavily on app integrations, BigCommerce offers a more extensive catalog and better-organized collections for ease of use.
Ease of Use and Customer Support
Weebly is generally easier to use, making it more suitable for beginners. Its simple interface allows users to build and manage their websites without a steep learning curve. BigCommerce, though more powerful, requires more time to master due to its advanced features.
Customer support is robust on both platforms. BigCommerce offers comprehensive resources, including a strong online community and extensive tutorial videos. Both offer 24/7 support, but BigCommerce includes phone support on all plans. Weebly limits its support options on lower-tier plans to chat, email, and forums.
Conclusion
Choosing the right ecommerce platform between Weebly and BigCommerce depends heavily on your business’s needs and growth potential. Weebly is an excellent option for small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking a user-friendly, affordable solution. It offers all the basic ecommerce features needed to get started and grow at a modest pace.
Conversely, BigCommerce shines in offering advanced ecommerce functionalities and scalability, making it a superior choice for larger businesses aiming for significant growth and complex operations. Its higher cost is justified by the comprehensive features and robust support system provided.
FAQ
Which platform is cheaper?
Weebly offers more affordable plans, including a free plan, making it more budget-friendly compared to BigCommerce, which starts at $39 per month.
Which platform offers better scalability?
BigCommerce offers better scalability with advanced features and support for higher sales volumes, making it ideal for larger businesses.
Is BigCommerce harder to use than Weebly?
Yes, BigCommerce has a steeper learning curve due to its advanced features, whereas Weebly is designed to be more intuitive and user-friendly.
Do both platforms support AI features?
BigCommerce has integrated AI capabilities, whereas Weebly lacks native AI features but supports third-party AI tools through its marketplace.
What kind of customer support do they offer?
Both platforms offer comprehensive customer support, but BigCommerce includes phone support on all plans, while Weebly limits this to its higher-tier plans.
