Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
BigCommerce
Score 7.5 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
BigCommerce is a SaaS platform that allows SMBs to develop eCommerce sites. Features include the capabilities to design the storefront, configure products, manage payments, generate traffic, and optimize conversion.
$29.95
per month
Shift4Shop
Score 1.9 out of 10
N/A
Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart) is a customizable eCommerce platform designed to build an online store. Some features include Level 1 PCI security compliance, the same level used by banks and large financial institutions, along with search engine optimized templates and no transaction fees. The former 3dcart was acquired by Shift4 Payments in November, 2020.N/A
Pricing
BigCommerceShift4Shop
Editions & Modules
Standard
$29.95
per month
Plus
$79.95
per month*
Pro
$299.95
per month*
Enterprise
Custom
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BigCommerceShift4Shop
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details*if paid annuallyShift4Shop offers a free enterprise-grade plan for US customers who use their payment processing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BigCommerceShift4Shop
Considered Both Products
BigCommerce
Chose BigCommerce
BigCommerce is way better than 3dcart, it was comparable to Shopify but with the new product promotions available it is better than Shopify now. It is better than Magento in that you do not need dedicated programmers to make simple changes to your store!!! The best part about …
Chose BigCommerce
I looked at these companies and some others to see what they offered and for how much. After watching lots of videos and reading lots of pages, I started to narrow down the list. I was still unsure so took a chance and took the free trial with BigCommerce; right away I was …
Chose BigCommerce
It is cleaner and easier but sacrifices apps and features. It includes SSL where 3dcart charges. Magento is just too bulky for one person to operate.
Chose BigCommerce
BigCommerce met more of the needs of our company than any other SaaS eCommerce option when I compared them on paper. Then I did a test of BigCommerce and 2 or 3 others, and there was no competition -- the customer service before the sale was exceptional with BigCommerce and …
Chose BigCommerce
When we started with BigCommerce we had to have a platform that would allow our customers to upload their images. This feature was not available on many platforms. Shopify was very feature rich but they had a transaction fee.
Chose BigCommerce
BigCommerce has no hidden fees like other services I have used, which is a big advantage.
Chose BigCommerce
I selected BigCommerce over competitors as the pricing seemed right for the options I received. BigCommerce seemed to have the best features and provided the best features.
Chose BigCommerce
BigCommerce was selected before my arrival. I believe Shopify likely has more robust capabilities. 3dcart is similar.
Chose BigCommerce
My personal business needs are small - I only sell 3 products (currently) online. Of the three solutions mentioned above that I interviewed, only BigCommerce provided me with a low cost, no fee shopping cart alternative that also gave me unlimited bandwidth, great support and …
Chose BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a robust machine. And that's what you need for your big business dreams. With all its advanced features, BigCommerce makes sure the learning curve is never steep. If you are new to e-commerce, that's the kind of platform that you need--the kind that offers an …
Chose BigCommerce
We have tried Yahoo, never again, the templates are boring and listing the products is a nightmare. We just tried 3dcart, again listing the products was not easy and it did not have as many good templates. But most of all, I noticed that most sites for the price we pay for …
Chose BigCommerce
I have tried Volusion, 3DCart, Zencart. I have found BigCommerce to offer equal or better features, less bugs, and an all-around better daily experience than any of these at a better price point.
Shift4Shop
Chose Shift4Shop
3dcart does not provide as much customization without having more knowledge of coding. The file structure takes some getting used to. Shopify is more of a jump start system. You can quickly get a Shopify website up and going in less than a day without any coding knowledge. BigCo…
Chose Shift4Shop
While Shopify is pretty slick in operation, Shopify's fees are way, way, way too expensive compared to 3Dcart.
Magento required a hefty redesign price Tag. BigCommerce seemed like overkill for our needs as an e-commerce company. Big Commerce has some very good material to help …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
BigCommerceShift4Shop
Online Storefront
Comparison of Online Storefront features of Product A and Product B
BigCommerce
7.3
417 Ratings
5% below category average
Shift4Shop
1.0
9 Ratings
154% below category average
Product catalog & listings7.8413 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Product management6.8410 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Bulk product upload7.4310 Ratings1.07 Ratings
Branding7.0361 Ratings1.08 Ratings
Mobile storefront7.3401 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Product variations7.3387 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Website integration7.6341 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Visual customization7.4403 Ratings1.09 Ratings
CMS7.0296 Ratings1.08 Ratings
Online Shopping Cart
Comparison of Online Shopping Cart features of Product A and Product B
BigCommerce
7.4
403 Ratings
2% below category average
Shift4Shop
1.4
9 Ratings
138% below category average
Abandoned cart recovery7.5361 Ratings1.47 Ratings
Checkout user experience7.4398 Ratings1.49 Ratings
Online Payment System
Comparison of Online Payment System features of Product A and Product B
BigCommerce
7.7
399 Ratings
8% below category average
Shift4Shop
1.4
9 Ratings
142% below category average
eCommerce security7.7399 Ratings1.49 Ratings
eCommerce Marketing
Comparison of eCommerce Marketing features of Product A and Product B
BigCommerce
7.1
404 Ratings
5% below category average
Shift4Shop
1.4
9 Ratings
137% below category average
Promotions & discounts7.2380 Ratings1.09 Ratings
Personalized recommendations6.8316 Ratings1.78 Ratings
SEO7.3375 Ratings1.69 Ratings
eCommerce Business Management
Comparison of eCommerce Business Management features of Product A and Product B
BigCommerce
7.2
409 Ratings
8% below category average
Shift4Shop
1.7
9 Ratings
128% below category average
Multi-site management7.5185 Ratings1.04 Ratings
Order processing7.1388 Ratings3.18 Ratings
Inventory management7.1344 Ratings1.07 Ratings
Shipping6.9349 Ratings2.48 Ratings
Custom functionality7.4344 Ratings1.08 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BigCommerceShift4Shop
Small Businesses
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus
Score 8.9 out of 10
Shopify Plus
Shopify Plus
Score 8.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
IBM Digital Commerce
IBM Digital Commerce
Score 9.0 out of 10
IBM Digital Commerce
IBM Digital Commerce
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
IBM Digital Commerce
IBM Digital Commerce
Score 9.0 out of 10
IBM Digital Commerce
IBM Digital Commerce
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
BigCommerceShift4Shop
Likelihood to Recommend
7.2
(436 ratings)
1.0
(10 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(53 ratings)
1.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
8.9
(26 ratings)
4.0
(1 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(5 ratings)
2.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
9.1
(5 ratings)
5.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
9.1
(25 ratings)
4.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
9.1
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(13 ratings)
2.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
9.1
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.7
(342 ratings)
2.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.1
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.1
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
BigCommerceShift4Shop
Likelihood to Recommend
BigCommerce
The ONLY reason we left Volusion was fear that Volusion was going to go out of business and our website/data would all be lost. I feel BigCommerce is lightyears behind Volusion in website/inventory control. In our experience, BigCommerce customer service severely lacks knowledge, at least compared to what we had in our 7-1/2 years with Volusion. There were times Volusion even helped us with stuff BigCommerce could not understand. I just feel sick about moving and that should not be the case. In my opinion, I downgraded heavily for the feeling BigCommerce would not be going out of business. I just feel sick.
Read full review
Shift4
At this point I would recommend looking elsewhere - 8 years with a platform and finally have to switch due to the unreliability is not something a business likes to do! They should sell the platform to a company that actually cares about owning an ecommerce builder. Research Shift4 - the parent
Read full review
Pros
BigCommerce
  • SEO - fast loading speeds, helps us rank on Google
  • Product customization - allows us to customize templates to our needs to fit all viable information
  • Integration with other platforms - seamless connection to other properties like Google Ads and Analytics
Read full review
Shift4
  • In my opinion, charge you too much for what it is worth
  • In my opinion, tech support is always blaming client and end up fixing it own issues
  • In my experience, make you believe client is important
Read full review
Cons
BigCommerce
  • Better and easier localisation for stores outside the US
  • Speed - it is not the fastest
  • Make sure that third-party theme developers update regularly and use best practice
  • Consider EU and country-specific rules and legal obligations and make customers aware of whether BC is actually fully compliant
Read full review
Shift4
  • Page structure is all over the place. It can be difficult to find where to go to make page edits.
  • Base platform isn't very robust and requires multiple add-ons in order to add CRM, Taxes, and other capabilities
  • Reporting isn't very strong, necessitating outside analytics
  • File system is also pretty wonky and feels very primitive
  • Customer service and technical help leaves MUCH to be desired.
  • Not as many supported add-ons/plug-ins as other platforms, and many of them cost additional fees. Many of them also don't seamlessly integrate, meaning you'll need to dev the integration yourself.
  • In general, what you see in the WYSIWYG is not what you get.
  • Order System is not very intuitive for the modern era
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
BigCommerce
I personally would not even consider another e-commerce website platform.
Bigcommerce may have the same (or close to the same) functionality and integrations as other SaaS platforms but they excel at customer service and tech support. At the end of the day you need a company that will answer the phone in less than a minute especially if you're having a 5 alarm issue. That said, we hardly ever have any issues. The site was down for a few minutes one time 5 years ago. Sometimes we have issues with coding or apps and they help me with that too. They even walked me through installing our new theme when the contracted developers told me that wasn't included in the development of our new website.
Bigcommerce comes out with new innovations every year, not including apps that other people write for the platform, and there are a lot of those and new ones all the time. And there are a LOT of awesome themes to choose from (Halothemes are the best).
And the price is reasonable!
I'd give Bigcommerce my business any time and recommend them to anyone looking to run an e-commerce website. You could even use them for a non-shopping site, we have one of those too!
Read full review
Shift4
Not applicable - as a franchisee, the franchiser took over the web site and shopping cart capabilities, so I no longer need the tool. But I would recommend it.
Read full review
Usability
BigCommerce
I think that overall it has a great front end for the customer. On the back end, it takes a little spin-up time, but in just a couple of hours you can really have your head wrapped around everything you're going to need 99% of the time. It takes me about 5 minutes to train a new user on how to interact with customer orders.
Read full review
Shift4
If you are looking for ultra basic interface ...
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
BigCommerce
So far in my time with BigCommerce I have not had any down time when it comes to my webstore or accessing it at any time I need to. Knowing that they have such a good uptime, it makes me feel comfortable that my customers can access things anytime, but also keep sales going 24/7
Read full review
Shift4
regular updates braking our site
Read full review
Performance
BigCommerce
I have not had any issues with pages loading slow or any real other issues, not that I have encountered so far. Speed of the site and images loading are fantastic and everything just seems to work nicely, which may seem like a simple thing to say about things, but when something just WORKS! Its rather nice vs fighting with things to work right.
Read full review
Shift4
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
BigCommerce
Because they are always there no matter how simple or complex the question is, if they don't know the answer they don't fake it and just make you go away feeling frustrated.. they get you to someone that does know the answer. I always appreciate their help and their honesty!
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Shift4
You always manage to fins someone, but, in my experience, resolving issues are not an easy task. Why do we pay for a service , and then spend time trouble shooting constantly with them ?? In my experience, they eliminate features , send you an email what you can use instead, with instructions most people cant do without an IT guy . It feel more like an open source than a true integrated service.
Read full review
Online Training
BigCommerce
They have a comprehensive online help file system that makes it easy to do almost anything. They cover just about everything you'd want to do with your online store with images, clear descriptions and in some cases video. I will, however, say the videos should be a little more professorially done and not sound like the employees are doing it in their cubical.
Read full review
Shift4
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
BigCommerce
A certified BigCommerce design and solution partner will usually comprise a team of highly experienced designers, developers and marketers. It is our view that in the vast majority of cases, this will pay dividends in the long-term - especially for those teams that could use the extra support.
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Shift4
Initially it was difficult to manage the UI to the client, and then hard to change anything , unless you used the boring and too generic templates . Their template selection is very limited , that are basically all the same with different background images and colours . If you are unfortunate to have been a long-time client, you will have to completely rebuild your store, because old templates are not supported anymore
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Alternatives Considered
BigCommerce
We switched from Shopify due to the restrictions they implemented on our industry. While we spent tens of thousands of dollars investing in our Shopify store, we can't have them cutting us off anytime they want. We reviewed WooCommerce, but didn't like the storefront or backend. Plus it seems like Wordpress/WooCommerce runs into tons of hacking issues and bugs.
Read full review
Shift4
We used them for 2 years and had minor problems up until the end. For the last 2 months, customers were unable to checkout, or connect to our payment processor. We put in like 3 to 5 hot tickets to get fixed and day after day nothing was fixed and support got ruder and ruder with us! We lost thousands of dollars online with this company and now they are chasing us for a renewal payment! Simply put, this is bad software with a poor customer care staff!
Read full review
Scalability
BigCommerce
I believe after seeing all of the parts of this platform, one is able to develop the business and keep adding on select features for the business. There are multiple options for purchase with the various platforms once the business grows more. The different features being offered by the platform can lead us to scalability.
Read full review
Shift4
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
BigCommerce
  • Provides a robust platform to sell a high-risk product.
  • Page Builder saves you time and money by negating the need to buy a template.
  • Includes robust promotion settings that allow for codes and automatic discounts, bulk discounts, and customer groups (i.e. military discount), all native options.
Read full review
Shift4
  • We have seen an increase in sales of 440% since starting with 3D cart.
  • We find that the 3D features of promotions, coupon codes, rewards points all make customers want to come to us or come back to us.
  • They made mobile conversion pretty easy, and our mobile traffic went from 33% to 54%.
Read full review
ScreenShots

BigCommerce Screenshots

Screenshot of Enterprise ecommerce for high-volume brands like Skullcandy.Screenshot of Our industry-leading integration will let you list your products on Amazon directly from the BigCommerce control panel, with centralized inventory and order processing and fulfillment.Screenshot of Easily customize the look and feel of your storefront.

Shift4Shop Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of