Adobe Commerce (Magento) vs. BigCommerce - Platform comparison Featured Image
Adobe Commerce (Magento) vs. BigCommerce - Platform comparison

Are you deciding between Adobe Commerce (Magento) and BigCommerce? Choosing an ecommerce platform doesn’t have to be difficult; it’s all about asking the right questions to determine what’s right for your business. We take an in-depth look at the two powerhouse platforms to help you make an informed choice that aligns with your strategic goals.

  • Biggest similarity: platform architecture
  • Biggest differences: hosting

Adobe Commerce (Magento) vs. BigCommerce

If you’ve narrowed down your contenders for your ecommerce platform to Adobe Commerce (Magento) and BigCommerce, you’ve done your research.

Biggest similarity: platform architecture

Both Adobe Commerce and BigCommerce are traditional ecommerce platforms with platform-based architecture. An ecommerce platform with platform-based architecture contains both the backend and the frontend (presentation layer), as opposed to a composable platform, such as commercetools, which only has the backend. Click hereto discover more about platform-based and composable architecture.

Biggest differences: hosting

BigCommerce offers a cloud-hosted platform, meaning they manage the hosting and technical maintenance. This means that BigCommerce is an excellent platform for you if you need assistance with implementation, development, and maintenance.

Adobe Commerce provides a self-hosted version of its platform, meaning you must provide the hosting and technical maintenance. This adds a layer of complexity to your ecommerce solution, but also provides more control over your ecommerce solution.

Adobe Commerce also offers a cloud-based solution called “Adobe Commerce Cloud.” This version of the platform is hosted on Adobe’s cloud infrastructure, which takes care of server management, security, and updates. It provides a more streamlined setup process and is often chosen by businesses that prefer to focus on their products and customer experience rather than technical infrastructure.

Both platforms have plenty to offer, which is why we’ve created this resource to help you make the right choice for your business. Click below to take a deep dive into every nook and cranny of Adobe Commerce.

More about Adobe Commerce »

Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Flexibility is more than just a feature; it’s a guiding principle that ensures Adobe Commerce remains an expansive playground for unbridled creativity. From refining design details to personalizing the customer journey, every aspect of your platform can be finely adjusted to mirror your distinct identity.

At its core, Adobe Commerce boasts a robust engine engineered to handle a high volume of visitors and transactions. Its architecture is built for scalability, making it an impressive choice for businesses anticipating rapid expansion.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce offers a versatile platform with a robust suite of features and an intuitive approach. Built on a foundation of innovation and efficiency, BigCommerce serves as a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking to establish or expand their online presence.

BigCommerce’s scalability ensures that as businesses grow, the platform can seamlessly accommodate increased traffic and sales volumes. Its user-friendly interface empowers entrepreneurs, startups, and established enterprises alike to easily set up and manage their online stores, without the need for extensive technical expertise.

Comparing Adobe Commerce (Magento) and BigCommerce

Let’s take a look at the features and functionalities of Adobe Commerce and BigCommerce, to see which one is right for your business.

Key features and benefits

Adobe Commerce (Magento)

  • Pricing: The Magento open-source edition is free, while Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento Enterprise) is turnover-based, and thus, the license fee will increase along with your GMV (gross merchandise value) and AOV (average order value). Hosting and domain fees are priced separately.

  • Ease of use: Provides an intuitive interface but requires a higher level of technical expertise.

  • Apps and extensions: With over 5,000 extensions, Adobe Commerce also allows you to customize its extensions.

  • Customization: Adobe Commerce allows for extensive customization, and provides many theme options.

  • Scalability: Supports scalability and growth

  • Built-in B2B functionality: yes

  • Support: Offers support via live chat and email, along with a community and forum.

BigCommerce

  • Pricing: Offers subscription-based pricing, with four separate plans: Standard, at $39/month, Plus, at $105/month, and Pro, at $399/month. The Enterprise plan is “custom” and must be negotiated with BigCommerce.

  • Ease of use: Provides a user-friendly interface and is easy to get up and running, without coding knowledge.

  • Apps and extensions: While BigCommerce comes with a plethora of features out-of-the-box, it also has over 600 paid apps available.

  • Customization: BigCommerce is easy to tailor, with 12 free themes and over 100 paid themes available.

  • Scalability: Supports scalability and growth

  • Built-in B2B functionality: yes

  • Support: Provides 24/7 support via live chat, email, and phone, and a higher level of specialty support for Enterprise clients.

Which platform is right for my business?

Let’s take a look at which platform suits your business needs. Consider your current situation and your future objectives: What are my business goals? Who is my target audience? What is my budget? What features do I need? All these elements are crucial when making a choice between the two platforms.

Adobe Commerce (Magento)

  • Companies in need of complex customization, specific functionalities, and personalized customer experiences

  • Large corporations and B2B enterprises with intricate pricing models, multi-tiered accounts, and personalized product catalogs.

  • Enterprises expecting substantial growth and preparing for high volumes of traffic and transactions

  • Businesses equipped with in-house development teams or access to an implementation partner for the initial setup and customization process

  • Corporations forecasting significant global expansion

  • Adobe Commerce customers include household names such as Helly Hansen, BAUHAUS, Rapala, Wimbledon Shop, and more. Go to our works page to see all of our case studies involving Adobe Commerce.

BigCommerce

  • Businesses seeking an easy-to-use platform that doesn’t require extensive technical skills

  • Startups, small to medium-sized businesses, or those aiming to launch quickly

  • Brands experiencing steady growth and aiming for scalability

  • Multi-channel retailers can benefit from BigCommerce’s seamless integration with various sales channels

  • Subscription and membership-based businesses

  • B2C and B2B businesses

  • BigCommerce users include Skullcandy, Yeti, Black Diamond, Badgley Mischka, and more.

The choice between Adobe Commerce and BigCommerce depends on factors such as your business size, the complexity of your operations, customization needs, technical resources, and growth ambitions. Evaluate these factors and align them with the strengths of each platform to determine the most suitable option for your online store.

In short: BigCommerce is a great choice if you’re looking for an easy-to-use platform with everything you need to start your online store. Adobe Commerce is a better option if you’re looking for more flexibility and complete control over your ecommerce platform.

To compare several more popular ecommerce platforms used by enterprise-level businesses, click on the link below!

Platform comparisons

Adobe Commerce Cloud (Magento) FAQs

Adobe Commerce Cloud, an integral part of the Adobe Experience Cloud, is a cloud-based ecommerce platform equipped with the tools and capabilities to craft extraordinary online shopping experiences. It features a cloud-native architecture ensuring superior availability and performance, making it an optimal choice for enterprises searching for a robust and trustworthy ecommerce solution.

Adobe Commerce Cloud (formerly Magento Enterprise) offers enterprise-level features including cloud hosting, advanced security, enhanced performance optimization, dedicated support, and seamless integration with Adobe's other solutions like Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Analytics, and Adobe Target. Magento Open Source is free to download but requires separate hosting and doesn't include the enterprise features and cloud infrastructure.

Adobe Commerce Cloud is known for its flexibility, scalability, and extensive customization capabilities. Key features include advanced SEO capabilities, PWA (Progressive Web App) support for mobile-first experiences, multiple third-party integrations and extensions available through the Adobe Marketplace, powerful content management, and seamless integration with other Adobe products for a comprehensive digital experience solution.

Adobe Commerce Cloud is often favored by medium to large-sized businesses looking for a comprehensive digital marketing and ecommerce solution with strong content management capabilities. While small businesses can use Magento Open Source (the free version), Adobe Commerce Cloud's pricing model based on GMV (gross merchandise value) and AOV (average order value) makes it more suitable for businesses with significant transaction volumes.

Yes, Adobe Commerce Cloud is known for its extensive customizability. Grounded on an open-source architecture, it allows you to fine-tune your online store to exact specifications, offering a high degree of customization and integration with third-party extensions available through the Adobe Marketplace.

Yes, Adobe Commerce Cloud offers PWA (Progressive Web App) capabilities, providing a mobile-first approach to ecommerce. This ensures that your online store delivers an optimized shopping experience across all devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Yes, Adobe Commerce Cloud is designed for scalability and can handle high volumes of traffic and transactions. Its cloud-native architecture ensures superior availability and performance, making it reliable for enterprises with demanding traffic requirements.

Yes, Adobe Commerce Cloud provides comprehensive multi-language and multi-currency support, making it suitable for businesses with global operations and international customer bases.

Adobe Commerce Cloud users benefit from a large community of developers and users, extensive documentation, dedicated Adobe support, and a wide range of third-party extensions available through the Adobe Marketplace. The platform has a thriving ecosystem of partners and consultants who can provide additional assistance.

Adobe Commerce Cloud pricing is turnover-based, with an annual license fee that depends on your GMV (gross merchandise value) and AOV (average order value). The Cloud version aptly includes hosting, while Adobe Commerce (without Cloud) requires separate hosting and domain fees. Magento Open Source is free to download but requires separate hosting arrangements.

Yes, Adobe Commerce Cloud is part of the larger Adobe Experience Cloud ecosystem. Adobe Experience Cloud is a comprehensive suite that provides a range of marketing, analytics, and advertising tools. Adobe Commerce Cloud integrates seamlessly with other Adobe Experience Cloud products like Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Analytics, and Adobe Target to provide a complete digital experience solution.

BigCommerce FAQs

BigCommerce is a versatile cloud-based ecommerce platform offering a robust suite of features with an intuitive approach. Built on a foundation of innovation and efficiency, BigCommerce serves as a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking to establish or expand their online presence. The platform is cloud-hosted, meaning BigCommerce manages the hosting and technical maintenance, making it an excellent choice for businesses that need assistance with implementation, development, and maintenance.

Yes, BigCommerce is highly suitable for small businesses, as well as startups and medium-sized enterprises. The platform provides a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to get up and running without extensive coding knowledge or technical expertise. BigCommerce offers subscription-based pricing with four plans: Standard at $39/month, Plus at $105/month, Pro at $399/month, and a custom Enterprise plan. This makes it accessible for businesses at different stages of growth.

Yes, BigCommerce is easy to tailor with extensive customization options. The platform offers 12 free themes and over 100 paid themes available, allowing businesses to customize their online presence to align perfectly with their brand identity and strategic goals. While BigCommerce comes with a plethora of features out-of-the-box, it also provides flexibility to create a unique shopping experience for your customers.

BigCommerce supports a wide range of payment options and payment gateways, providing flexibility for businesses to offer their customers various payment methods. The platform is designed to accommodate different payment preferences and can integrate with multiple payment processors, ensuring a smooth and secure checkout experience for customers worldwide.

BigCommerce is built with mobile responsiveness in mind, ensuring that online stores created on the platform deliver optimal shopping experiences across all devices. The platform's themes and templates are designed to be mobile-friendly, automatically adapting to different screen sizes and devices, which is crucial for reaching customers who shop on smartphones and tablets.

Yes, BigCommerce supports international selling with multi-currency and multi-language capabilities. The platform is designed to help businesses expand globally, offering the tools and features needed to manage international operations, reach customers in different markets, and handle cross-border transactions effectively.

Yes, BigCommerce includes comprehensive SEO tools and features built into the platform. These tools help businesses optimize their online stores for search engines, improve visibility, and drive organic traffic. The platform provides SEO-friendly features out-of-the-box, making it easier for businesses to implement best practices and improve their search engine rankings.

BigCommerce provides 24/7 support via live chat, email, and phone, ensuring that businesses can get help whenever they need it. Enterprise clients receive a higher level of specialty support. The platform also offers extensive documentation, a community forum, and educational resources to help users maximize their use of the platform.

Yes, BigCommerce's scalability ensures that as businesses grow, the platform can seamlessly accommodate increased traffic and sales volumes. The platform is built to support businesses experiencing steady growth and is suitable for enterprises aiming for scalability. BigCommerce can handle high volumes of transactions, making it a reliable choice for businesses with growth ambitions.

BigCommerce has over 600 paid apps available in its app marketplace, covering various functionalities and integrations. While the platform comes with many features out-of-the-box, these apps and extensions allow businesses to add specialized functionality, integrate with third-party services, and customize their online stores to meet specific business needs. The platform also offers seamless integration with various sales channels, making it ideal for multi-channel retailers.

How Vaimo can help

At Vaimo, we harness state-of-the-art digital platforms, robust tools, and top-tier partners to drive success for your online business. Leveraging our extensive 14+ years of experience in the ecommerce realm, we collaborate closely with our clients to select the most suitable platform, solution, and technologies tailored to their distinct requirements.

Our knowledge extends across a diverse spectrum of ecommerce platforms, digital experience platforms, and cutting-edge technologies. This enables us to deliver a customized solution aligned with your vision and business goals.

If you’re seeking the perfect ecommerce solution, reach out to our team of seasoned experts today!

Talk to us today