Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing, Features, Pros and ConsTable of ContentsIntroductionWeebly vs BigCommerce: Pros and ConsWeebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing and FeesWeebly vs BigCommerce: The Core FeaturesWeebly vs BigCommerce: Ease of Use and Customer SupportWeebly vs BigCommerce: Final VerdictFAQIntroductionIn the bustling world of eCommerce, selecting the right platform to build and grow your online store is crucial. Two prominent contenders in this space are Weebly and BigCommerce. While both offer powerful tools, they cater to different business needs and scales. This blog post provides an in-depth comparison to guide you in choosing the platform that best suits your business. By the end, you will understand the key differences, the strengths and weaknesses of each option, and which one might be the ideal fit for your business journey.Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pros and ConsWeebly Pros and ConsPros:User-friendly: Weebly shines with its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for beginners.Affordable pricing: Offers a free forever plan and competitively priced tiers.Great for small businesses: Robust enough for basic eCommerce needs without overwhelming features.Blogging capabilities: Excellent for integrating a blog into your store.Cons:Limited scalability: May not meet the needs of rapidly growing businesses.Fewer advanced eCommerce features: Lacks some high-end features found in other platforms.Limited AI capabilities: Does not support native AI tools.BigCommerce Pros and ConsPros:Advanced eCommerce features: Excellent inventory management and omnichannel selling tools.AI capabilities: Includes AI tools for content generation, predictive analytics, and personalized product recommendations.No transaction fees: Avoids extra costs per transaction across all plans.Strong scalability: Ideal for growing and large businesses with high-volume sales.Cons:Higher pricing: More expensive than Weebly, with no free plan available.Steeper learning curve: Requires a bit more technical understanding.Annual sales limits: Imposes limits on the annual sales volume per plan.Weebly vs BigCommerce: Pricing and FeesWhen it comes to pricing, Weebly and BigCommerce have significant differences that can influence your choice based on your budget and needs.WeeblyWeebly offers a free forever plan that provides essential features like a shopping basket, unlimited item listings, and a domain (albeit with Weebly branding). Their paid plans range from $10 to $26 per month:Personal ($10/month): Custom domain support and unlimited storage.Professional ($12/month): Removes Weebly ads, adds site search, and allows for expanded media.Performance ($26/month): Includes advanced eCommerce tools like abandoned cart emails and deeper analytics.BigCommerceBigCommerce does not offer a free plan but provides a 15-day free trial. Paid plans are priced from $39 to $399 per month, with an enterprise option for larger businesses that offers custom pricing:Standard ($39/month): Basic eCommerce features and up to $50k annual sales.Plus ($105/month): Includes customer segmentation, abandoned cart saver, and up to $180k annual sales.Pro ($399/month): Advanced features, Google customer reviews, and up to $400k in sales.Unlike Weebly, BigCommerce charges no transaction fees but imposes an annual sales cap per plan, which can add to costs as your business grows. However, you gain access to more sophisticated tools and features that can justify the higher price point.Weebly vs BigCommerce: The Core FeaturesWebsite Building and DesignBoth Weebly and BigCommerce provide a range of templates aimed at different industries. However, they diverge significantly in terms of customization and ease of use.Weebly:Ease of Use: Weebly’s drag-and-drop interface is highly intuitive, making it accessible without any coding knowledge.Design Flexibility: While offering decent customization, it remains somewhat limited in achieving highly unique designs.Templates: Suited for a variety of uses beyond just eCommerce, including blogs and portfolios.BigCommerce:Customization: Offers more extensive customization options, including access to CSS and HTML for more nuanced changes.Templates: Primarily optimized for eCommerce, with slight variations to suit different industry needs.Learning Curve: Somewhat steeper, especially if you plan to fully utilize the advanced customization tools.eCommerce and Selling FeaturesWeebly:Product Management: Includes basic inventory management tools, automatic tax calculations, and various delivery options.Restrictions: Paid plans are required to sell both physical and digital goods, with abandoned cart emails reserved for higher tiers.Payment Processing: Limited to certain methods on lower plans, with PayPal availability only on higher tiers.BigCommerce:Product Management: Extensive inventory management capabilities, detailed product variants, and customizable shipping rules.Payment Processing: Offers a variety of payment gateways, including discounted rates through a PayPal partnership.Omnichannel Selling: Supports sales through marketplaces and social media integrations like Facebook and Instagram.Advanced Features: Includes real-time shipping quotes, product reviews, and multi-currency support.Marketing Tools and AnalyticsWeebly:Content Marketing: Strong blogging tool, pop-ups, Instagram feed integration, and lead capture forms.SEO: Limited SEO capabilities compared to BigCommerce.Analytics: Basic tracking and reporting tools, suitable for simpler needs.BigCommerce:SEO Tools: Advanced SEO customization options to improve search engine rankings.Email Marketing: Native support for basic campaigns, with recommendations to integrate third-party tools for advanced features.Analytics: Comprehensive reporting capabilities, including custom dashboards and detailed customer insights.AI CapabilitiesArtificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming an important aspect of eCommerce, providing advanced functionalities that can significantly enhance user experience and streamline business processes.BigCommerce:BigAI Toolkit: Includes AI-driven content creation, predictive analytics, and personalized product recommendations.AI-Powered Search: Helps customers find products more efficiently.Partner Integrations: Works with various partners to expand AI capabilities.Weebly:AI Integration: No native AI tools but allows for third-party AI integrations through its marketplace.Integrations and AppsBoth platforms support a range of integrations to enhance functionality, but BigCommerce has the edge with a broader selection and more advanced capabilities.Weebly:App Center: Around 100 apps covering a variety of functions.Ease of Access: Simple and streamlined to find and install apps.BigCommerce:App Marketplace: Over 850 apps, organized into collections for easy discovery.API Support: Offers open APIs for creating automated workflows and deep integrations.Weebly vs BigCommerce: Ease of Use and Customer SupportWeebly:Interface: User-friendly interface with a minimal learning curve.Support: 24/7 support through forums, chat, and email for paid plans. More limited support options on the free plan.BigCommerce:Interface: More complex but offers helpful AI tools to ease use.Support: Comprehensive support including 24/7 chat, email, and phone support. Extensive resources such as detailed guides, tutorials, and community forums.Weebly vs BigCommerce: Final VerdictChoosing between Weebly and BigCommerce ultimately depends on the scale and specific needs of your business:Choose Weebly if:You are a small business or solo entrepreneur seeking an affordable and user-friendly platform.You need basic eCommerce features with strong blogging capabilities.You prefer a lower upfront investment.Choose BigCommerce if:You have a growing or large business that requires advanced eCommerce tools and scalability.You want powerful inventory management, AI capabilities, and omnichannel support.You are prepared to pay a higher price for more extensive features and support.In conclusion, both Weebly and BigCommerce are capable platforms with unique strengths. Weebly stands out for its simplicity and affordability, making it ideal for smaller operations. In contrast, BigCommerce excels in offering robust, scalable solutions suited for larger, more complex eCommerce needs.FAQ1. Can I use Weebly for free?Yes, Weebly offers a free forever plan with basic features, including a shopping cart and unlimited product listings. However, paid plans are required for more advanced eCommerce capabilities.2. Does BigCommerce charge transaction fees?No, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any of its plans, which can help save costs on high-volume sales.3. Which platform is better for SEO?BigCommerce provides more advanced SEO tools and customization options compared to Weebly, making it better suited for businesses looking to optimize their search engine rankings.4. Can Weebly handle high-volume sales?Weebly is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses. While it can manage moderate sales volumes, rapidly growing businesses may find its scalability and advanced feature set limited compared to BigCommerce.5. Does BigCommerce support omnichannel selling?Yes, BigCommerce supports selling across multiple channels, including marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, as well as social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.