Introduction
"Is BigCommerce actually good, or just another overhyped SaaS platform?" It's the question every aspiring entrepreneur asks before handing over a credit card number. With so many ecommerce platforms competing for attention, choosing one can feel paralyzing.
Here's why this matters: BigCommerce is the platform My Business Venture's certified developers build client stores on. Understanding its real strengths, and its real limitations, tells you exactly what you're getting when you launch a turn-key store.
To help you decide, this guide breaks down BigCommerce's core features, an honest look at its pros and cons, the brands already using it, current pricing, and how working with a done-for-you partner removes the technical guesswork.
Key Takeaways
- BigCommerce is a secure, established SaaS platform trusted by major global brands.
- Built-in SEO tools and native multichannel selling cut reliance on paid apps.
- Main drawbacks: limited theme flexibility and pricing tiers that scale with sales volume.
- A certified developer like MBV lowers the technical barrier for beginners.
What Is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce is a fully-managed, hosted SaaS ecommerce platform founded in 2009 by Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper. As of mid-2020, the company reported roughly 60,000 online stores across 120 countries. More recent company language describes BigCommerce as supporting "tens of thousands" of B2C and B2B companies across 150 countries, though an exact current merchant total isn't publicly disclosed.
The business model is simple: BigCommerce hosts, secures, and maintains the platform infrastructure. Merchants never touch a server, apply a patch, or worry about uptime themselves.
That's a meaningful contrast to self-hosted, open-source platforms like WooCommerce or Magento, where store owners (or their developers) manage hosting, updates, and security patches directly. For non-technical users, that difference alone shapes the entire ownership experience.
MBV builds client stores on this same hosted infrastructure as a certified BigCommerce developer, giving entrepreneurs that same hands-off simplicity.
Who Uses BigCommerce? Notable Brands
Several recognizable merchants run on BigCommerce, including Skullcandy and Ben & Jerry's, both named among the company's customers in official 2023 communications.
This brand roster matters for a simple reason: the same secure, scalable infrastructure available to Skullcandy is available to a first-time store owner. You're not getting a watered-down version of the platform. You're getting the same backend.
Is BigCommerce Good? Key Features Worth Knowing
BigCommerce packs a genuinely deep feature set into its core plans. Here's what stands out.
Product and inventory management. Unlimited product listings, variant handling (size, color, style), and bulk editing tools let you manage a full catalog without bolting on extra software.
Payment flexibility. BigCommerce supports 65+ pre-integrated payment solutions across more than 150 countries. One nuance worth knowing: the "no added fees" promise applies only to Embedded Payment Providers. Open Payment Providers carry 2.0%, 1.0%, or 0.6% platform fees, depending on your plan tier.
Built-in SEO tools. This is where BigCommerce clearly separates itself:
- Customizable, SEO-friendly URL structures with 301 redirect support
- Editable meta titles and descriptions across products, categories, and blog posts
- Automatically generated XML sitemaps that update when URLs change
- Embedded structured data on product pages, which Forbes Advisor identified as a genuine SEO advantage over Shopify
Multichannel selling. Selling across channels works differently depending on the platform:
- Facebook and Instagram connect through a direct Meta integration
- TikTok for Business connects through Channel Manager
- Amazon, Walmart, and eBay require a partner app such as M2E Cloud, though setup still happens inside your BigCommerce dashboard
Security and uptime. BigCommerce is PCI DSS 4.0 validated at Level 1, and the company publishes a 99.99% uptime figure (this is a performance track record, not a contractual guarantee).
App marketplace. Over 1,200 apps are available for everything from fraud prevention to marketing automation, letting stores scale without custom development. Every MBV client store runs on this same BigCommerce foundation, since MBV builds each site as a certified BigCommerce developer rather than from a generic template.
BigCommerce Pros and Cons: The Honest Truth
No platform is perfect. Here's the balanced picture.
The strongest pros:
- Zero platform fees when using Embedded Payment Providers
- Comprehensive native feature set, especially strong SEO tools
- Multi-currency support for international selling
- Strong out-of-the-box functionality that reduces app dependency
The most common cons:
- Limited free theme variety and a real learning curve for design customization
- Plan tiers that upgrade automatically as your sales volume grows
- Open Payment Provider fees that apply if you skip embedded payments
Review data backs this up:
| Platform | Rating | Volume | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| G2 | 4.2/5 | 581 reviews | Ease of use praised; Page Builder customization needs a developer or paid app |
| Software Advice | 4.4/5 | 331 ratings | Strongest score across the major review sites |
| Trustpilot | 1.2/5 | — | Mostly support and billing complaints |
Trustpilot's low score reflects individual customer disputes, not platform-wide performance.
The automatic upgrade issue is real, not just reviewer speculation. Core plans auto-upgrade above $30,000 in trailing-12-month gross merchandise value; Growth plans upgrade above $100,000. That's worth budgeting for as your store scales.
Most of these pain points (design limitations, technical setup, customization friction) apply mainly to merchants managing BigCommerce solo, though. A certified BigCommerce partner like MBV, which builds and optimizes every client's store, sidesteps nearly all of it.
The verdict: BigCommerce earns strong marks for scalability, security, and built-in tools, but it rewards users who have technical support or guidance behind them.
BigCommerce Pricing: Is It Good for Small Businesses?
BigCommerce runs four core plans, recently renamed Core, Growth, Scale, and Performance. Pricing scales with your trailing twelve-month sales volume, known as TTM GMV, rather than locking features behind fixed gates.
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Rate | Volume Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | $39 | $29 | Up to $30,000 TTM GMV |
| Growth | $105 | $79 | Up to $100,000 TTM GMV |
| Scale | $399 | $299 | Includes $33,333 monthly GMV; 0.9% above that |
| Performance | Custom, starting at $1,499 | Custom contract | Custom volume terms |
Zero platform fees remain a real differentiator versus per-sale fees on other platforms, but only when using an Embedded Payment Provider. Choose an Open Payment Provider and you'll pay 2.0%, 1.0%, or 0.6% depending on your tier.
Here's what first-time entrepreneurs often miss: the subscription is only one line item. Design work, apps, and ongoing development add up fast, and that's the gap a turnkey package like My Business Venture's one-time $3,995–$5,995 investment closes by bundling the build, products, and support into one price.
Why Build Your BigCommerce Store With MBV Instead of Going It Alone
My Business Venture is a Certified BigCommerce Developer, meaning clients get the platform's full technical power without ever touching backend setup, coding, or theme customization themselves.
That technical head start also means faster launch speed. MBV's turn-key model gets a professional store live in days. Client testimonials confirm this: one client noted their site was "operational in less than a week," running on BigCommerce's proven, always-on infrastructure.
The dropshipping model built on that BigCommerce backend gives clients:
- Access to 2,500+ curated products, with up to 1 million or more available through MBV's dropship partner
- Profit margins ranging from 35–200% on most products
- Zero inventory stocking, since fulfillment runs entirely through the dropship partner under the client's own brand
Ongoing training closes the gap. MBV University provides one-on-one coaching and business consulting, scheduled Monday through Friday, tiered by package (Enterprise, Premier, or Millennium). This directly addresses the customization and support gaps that solo BigCommerce merchants often run into.
MBV backs this with proven credentials:
- 30+ years in business, operating since 1992
- BBB A+ accreditation for service quality
- A strategic partnership with Shark Tank's Kevin Harrington
Package pricing runs from $3,995 to $5,995 as a one-time investment, not a recurring subscription. Hosting, a custom logo, and business consulting are built in from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What big companies use BigCommerce?
Recognizable brands including Skullcandy and Ben & Jerry's have been named among BigCommerce's merchants in official company communications. The platform supports businesses of all sizes on the same underlying infrastructure.
Is BigCommerce good for beginners with no tech experience?
The platform itself carries a learning curve, especially around design customization. Working with a certified partner like MBV removes that remaining learning curve entirely, since the technical build is handled for you.
Is BigCommerce better than Shopify?
It depends on priorities. BigCommerce generally offers stronger built-in SEO tools, while Shopify tends to be easier for total beginners. Fee structures vary by payment provider on both platforms, so compare based on your specific setup.
How much does BigCommerce cost per month?
Current plans start at $39/month for Core and scale up through Growth, Scale, and custom Performance pricing based on annual sales volume. Costs increase automatically as your store's annual sales cross certain thresholds.
Is BigCommerce safe and secure for online payments?
Yes. BigCommerce is PCI DSS 4.0 validated at Level 1, uses SSL encryption, and supports fraud prevention integrations. These are documented security baselines, not marketing claims.
Do I need coding skills to build a BigCommerce store?
No coding is required to use BigCommerce, though design customization can get technical. MBV's team builds and configures the entire store, so clients can run their business without ever opening a code editor.
