Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing, Features, Pros and Cons

Table of Contents

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

Introduction

Choosing the right ecommerce platform is crucial for the success of your online store. With numerous options available, it can be daunting to determine which platform best suits your business needs. In this blog post, we'll compare Weebly and BigCommerce — two popular ecommerce platforms with distinct strengths and weaknesses. We'll explore their pricing structures, core features, ease of use, and customer support to help you make an informed decision.

Weebly vs BigCommerce: A Brief Overview

If you aim to understand the best fit between Weebly and BigCommerce, it largely depends on the scope and scale of your business. Based on extensive use of both platforms, BigCommerce emerges as a superior choice for larger enterprises focused on scalability. It offers advanced inventory management tools, cutting-edge AI capabilities, and omnichannel selling options.

On the other hand, Weebly wins in user-friendliness and is more cost-effective, making it an ideal pick for smaller businesses. It boasts a decent array of ecommerce tools, design functionalities, and excellent blogging capabilities. However, it lacks the comprehensive versatility of BigCommerce, which might prompt an eventual migration as your business evolves.

Pricing and Fees

Weebly

Weebly is known for its affordable pricing, including a "free forever" plan, making it an attractive entry-level option for small businesses. The free plan includes a shopping basket, enabling you to sell unlimited items. Paid plans range from $10 to $26 per month. The Personal plan is the cheapest, offering support for a custom domain and unlimited storage. The Performance plan, the most expensive, includes advanced ecommerce insights and abandoned cart emails.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce does not offer a free plan but provides a 15-day free trial. Post-trial, prices start at $39 per month for the Standard plan and go up to $399 per month for the Pro plan. An enterprise option with custom pricing is also available. BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any plan but restricts sales volume depending on the plan tier. For instance, the Standard plan allows sales up to $50k per year, but you gain access to more advanced tools compared to Weebly.

Core Features

Website Building and Design

Weebly

Weebly offers a robust drag-and-drop editor that is highly intuitive and requires no coding experience, making it easy for beginners to create attractive websites. It provides hundreds of responsive, professional templates, though not specifically tailored to ecommerce needs.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce, though more complex, excels in customization and functionality. It also offers hundreds of responsive, industry-focused templates. While the editor has become more user-friendly, it poses a steeper learning curve but allows for greater granular control over design and functionality, including access to CSS and HTML files.

Ecommerce and Selling Features

Weebly

Weebly's ecommerce capabilities are extensive considering its pricing. It includes support for unlimited products, inventory management tools, automatic tax calculations, and various delivery options. However, advanced features like abandoned cart emails are restricted to higher-tier plans. PayPal payments require the Performance plan.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce stands out with its partnership with PayPal, offering discounted transaction rates. It supports extensive payment systems, omnichannel selling, and integrates with POS solutions like Square and Clover. It also provides real-time shipping quotes, multi-currency capabilities, and advanced product page customization. BigCommerce tailored solutions for B2B and wholesale companies add to its versatility.

Marketing Tools and Analytics

Weebly

Weebly provides solid blogging capabilities and additional marketing tools like pop-up notifications and lead capture forms. However, it is relatively limited in SEO features. While it offers basic email marketing and abandoned cart emails, advanced analytics and detailed reporting are not its strong suits.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce excels here, allowing extensive SEO customization and advanced marketing tools. It integrates AI for content generation, predictive analytics, and personalized product recommendations. Comprehensive reporting features include custom dashboards, inventory tracking, and customer analytics, providing a more in-depth view of your business performance.

AI Capabilities

Weebly

Weebly lacks native AI capabilities but allows third-party AI tool integrations via its marketplace.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce leads with its "BigAI" toolkit, integrating AI for content generation, predictive analytics, personalized product recommendations, and AI-powered search. Its ongoing partnership integrations promise more advanced AI tools in the future.

Integrations and Apps

Weebly

Weebly offers around 100 apps in its "App Center," covering essential aspects like marketing and analytics.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce boasts over 850 apps, spanning POS management, marketing, dropshipping, and analytics. Its open API options enable automated workflows, offering greater flexibility and customization than Weebly.

Ease of Use and Customer Support

Weebly

Weebly shines in ease of use with its intuitive drag-and-drop editor, requiring minimal learning time. However, its customer support, particularly for the free and Personal plans, is limited to forums, chat, and email.

BigCommerce

While BigCommerce is more complex to use, its customer support is exceptional. It offers 24/7 phone, chat, and email support on all plans and provides extensive tutorials, guides, FAQs, and a vibrant online community.

Final Verdict

Who Should Choose Weebly?

Weebly is ideal for small businesses that prioritize ease of use and affordability. If you are looking to get your online store up and running quickly without needing advanced features or extensive customization, Weebly is a great start.

Who Should Choose BigCommerce?

BigCommerce is better suited for larger businesses aiming for scalability and requiring advanced features. If your business needs comprehensive ecommerce solutions, advanced AI capabilities, omnichannel selling, and robust inventory management, BigCommerce is the platform to go with.

FAQ Section

Which platform is better for a small business?

For small businesses, Weebly is usually the better choice due to its affordability and user-friendly interface.

Does BigCommerce offer a free plan?

No, BigCommerce does not offer a free plan but provides a 15-day free trial.

Which platform offers better customization options?

BigCommerce offers better customization options with access to CSS and HTML files, allowing for more detailed control over your site's design and functionality.

Are there transaction fees on either platform?

Weebly may include transaction fees depending on the plan, whereas BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any plan.

Is Weebly’s free plan sufficient for running a full ecommerce store?

Weebly’s free plan is sufficient for starting an ecommerce store but lacks advanced features available in paid plans.

Choosing the right ecommerce platform is critical for your online business's success. Carefully consider your business's current needs and future growth to make the best choice between Weebly and BigCommerce.