Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing and Fees
- Weebly vs BigCommerce: Core Features
- Weebly vs BigCommerce: Integrations and Apps
- Weebly vs BigCommerce: Ease of Use and Customer Support
- Final Thoughts
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Introduction
In the fast-paced world of ecommerce, choosing the right platform can make or break your online business. If you’re a small business dreaming of growth or a large enterprise aiming for scalability, you’ve probably come across Weebly and BigCommerce as potential options. But how do you decide which one is the best for your needs?
This blog post will provide a detailed comparison between Weebly and BigCommerce, carefully analyzing their pricing, features, pros, and cons. By the end of this article, you'll have a solid understanding of what each platform offers and which one aligns better with your business goals.
Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing and Fees
One of the most critical factors when selecting an ecommerce platform is pricing. Both Weebly and BigCommerce present unique pricing structures that cater to different business needs.
Weebly Pricing
Weebly is well-known for its user-friendly pricing model. The platform offers a "free forever" plan, allowing you to sell unlimited items with a shopping basket included. This makes it a great option for startups needing to minimize costs upfront.
Weebly's paid plans include:
- Personal Plan ($10/month): Supports custom domains and offers unlimited storage.
- Professional Plan ($12/month): Adds features such as site search and password protection.
- Performance Plan ($26/month): Includes abandoned cart emails and advanced ecommerce insights.
BigCommerce Pricing
BigCommerce, on the other hand, does not have a free plan but offers a 15-day free trial. Its pricing is structured as follows:
- Standard Plan ($39/month): Suitable for smaller operations, though it restricts annual sales to $50k.
- Plus Plan ($79/month): Offers advanced customer segmentation and abandoned cart saver tools, with a $180k annual sales limit.
- Pro Plan ($399/month): This tier includes Google customer reviews and custom SSL, which is ideal for growing businesses with up to $400k in annual sales.
Unlike Weebly, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees, and each plan offers omnichannel and international selling tools, providing more value despite the higher cost.
Weebly vs BigCommerce: Core Features
Both Weebly and BigCommerce offer comprehensive sets of tools for building and managing an ecommerce store. However, their core features cater to different types of users.
Website Building and Design
Weebly: Known for its simplicity, Weebly uses a drag-and-drop editor that is highly intuitive and requires no coding knowledge. Weebly offers a variety of templates suitable for smaller businesses or personal blogs, but it may lack the depth in customization that larger ecommerce operations need.
BigCommerce: While BigCommerce has a steeper learning curve, it offers more advanced customization options. Users can dive into CSS and HTML files to fine-tune their websites. This platform also provides specialized templates tailored specifically for ecommerce needs, which can significantly enhance user experience.
Ecommerce and Selling Features
Weebly: Despite its affordability, Weebly includes most ecommerce essentials like unlimited products, inventory management, and automatic tax calculation. However, you need to upgrade to higher-tier plans to access features like abandoned cart emails and PayPal payments.
BigCommerce: Known for its powerful ecommerce tools, BigCommerce supports extensive payment integrations, marketplace and social media selling, and robust inventory management. The platform excels in features like real-time shipping quotes, multi-currency selling, and detailed product variants, making it ideal for enterprises aiming for scalability.
Marketing Tools and Analytics
Weebly: Offers excellent blogging tools and essential marketing features like pop-up notifications and lead capture forms. However, its SEO capabilities are relatively basic compared to BigCommerce.
BigCommerce: Provides superior SEO tools, advanced analytics, and extensive reporting capabilities. You can track detailed metrics such as inventory levels, sales, and customer behavior more effectively, making BigCommerce preferable for data-driven businesses.
AI Capabilities
Weebly: Lacks native AI features. However, users can integrate third-party AI tools from the Weebly marketplace.
BigCommerce: Recently introduced "BigAI," a suite of AI tools for content generation, predictive analytics, and personalized shopping experiences. This feature positions BigCommerce as a frontrunner in AI ecommerce solutions.
Weebly vs BigCommerce: Integrations and Apps
Weebly: Offers around 100 apps in its App Center, covering essential integrations for smaller businesses.
BigCommerce: Boasts a more extensive app marketplace with over 850 apps. With organized collections like "Shipping Essentials," users can conveniently find what they need. Open API options also enable seamless integration of various business apps.
Weebly vs BigCommerce: Ease of Use and Customer Support
Ease of Use
Weebly: Known for its user-friendliness, Weebly's drag-and-drop builder offers an intuitive experience with minimal learning curve.
BigCommerce: Although BigCommerce has improved its interface, it remains more complex than Weebly. However, the advanced features justify the steeper learning curve for businesses requiring robust ecommerce functionalities.
Customer Support
Both platforms provide 24/7 customer support, but BigCommerce offers more comprehensive assistance, including chat, email, and phone support on all plans. Weebly's support is limited to forum, chat, and email on the lower-tier plans, which could be a drawback for users requiring immediate assistance.
Final Thoughts
Who Should Choose Weebly?
- Small Businesses and Startups: If you're running a small store needing basic ecommerce features and a user-friendly interface, Weebly is a suitable choice. It's affordable and easy to set up, making it ideal for entrepreneurs at the beginning of their online journey.
Who Should Choose BigCommerce?
- Medium to Large Enterprises: If you're looking for scalability, advanced AI capabilities, and superior ecommerce tools, BigCommerce is the better option. It's designed to handle complex requirements and high sales volumes, making it perfect for growing businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Weebly good for large businesses?
Weebly is typically better for small to medium-sized businesses due to its straightforward features and ease of use. For more advanced needs, BigCommerce is recommended.
Does BigCommerce offer a free plan?
BigCommerce doesn't offer a free plan but provides a 15-day free trial. After that, the lowest tier starts at $39 per month.
Can I integrate AI tools with Weebly?
While Weebly doesn’t offer native AI capabilities, third-party AI tools can be integrated through its marketplace.
What kind of customer support does BigCommerce offer?
BigCommerce provides 24/7 support via chat, email, and phone on all plans. Additionally, there are extensive learning resources and a supportive community available.
In the end, your choice between Weebly and BigCommerce comes down to your business's specific needs and growth plans. Assess your requirements carefully and choose wisely to pave your way to ecommerce success.
