Comparing BigCommerce and Shopify Plus for Enterprises

BigCommerce and Shopify Plus are SaaS-based enterprise eCommerce platforms with unique architectural models and extensibility options. Both platforms provide multi-store support, API access, headless capabilities, and scalable infrastructure.

However, they differ regarding backend control, front-end flexibility, API depth, and customization scope. This focuses on platform behavior, development workflows, and architectural effects relevant to enterprise implementation.

Platform Architecture

BigCommerce

Built on a decoupled architecture where the backend handles product, order, and customer logic, while the frontend is independently deployable. The Storefront GraphQL API enables seamless headless integrations using frameworks like Next.js or Nuxt. Admin operations and storefront rendering are isolated for API-driven customization and theme-based content control.

Shopify Plus

Follows a monolithic model, where each storefront runs as an independent instance with its own database and configuration. Customization is applied at the store level using themes or Liquid templates. For headless scenarios, Shopify provides Hydrogen (React) and Oxygen (hosting) to decouple rendering, but business logic (checkout, pricing, and catalog) resides in separate store instances.

API Model and Extensibility

BigCommerce

Offers REST and GraphQL APIs for storefront, catalog, checkout, and order data. Supports OAuth 2.0, custom fields, and API-driven app extensions. Webhooks are available for product, order, and customer events.

Example: (GraphQL Product Query)

query GetProduct($id: Int!) {
site {
product(entityId: $id) {
name
customFields {
edges {
node {
name
value
}
}
}
}
}
}

Shopify Plus

Provides Admin REST and GraphQL APIs. Uses metafields and Function APIs for extensibility. Checkout UI and logic customization is gated behind Checkout Extensibility APIs and Plus-only features.

Example: (GraphQL Metafield Fetch)

query GetProductMetafields($id: ID!) {
product(id: $id) {
title
metafields(first: 5) {
edges {
node {
namespace
key
value
}
}
}
}
}

Frontend and Headless Support

BigCommerce

Stencil is the theme engine (Handlebars and SCSS). Storefront GraphQL API allows headless builds with frameworks like Next.js. It supports multi-storefront rendering under a single backend instance.

Example: (Stencil Video Embed)

{{#if product.custom_fields.video_url}}
<video controls width="100%">
<source src="{{product.custom_fields.video_url}}" type="video/mp4">
</video>
{{/if}}

Shopify Plus

Liquid is the default templating language. Hydrogen (React-based) enables a headless frontend with hosting on Oxygen. Each storefront maps to one store instance.

Example: (Liquid Video Embed)

{% if product.metafields.custom.video_url %}
<video controls width="100%">
<source src="{{ product.metafields.custom.video_url }}" type="video/mp4">
</video>
{% endif %}

Checkout Customization

BigCommerce

Offers Checkout SDK to override behavior in a decoupled frontend. Native hosted checkout is PCI-compliant but not fully customizable without the SDK.

Example: (SDK Event Hook)

checkoutService.subscribe(state => {
const shippingAddress = state.data.getShippingAddress();
console.log('Shipping address changed:', shippingAddress);
});

Shopify Plus

Checkout UI and logic are fully customizable via Checkout Extensibility APIs and Shopify Functions. It is also limited to Plus-tier merchants.

Example: (Shopify Function Stub)

export default function run(input, checkout, context) {
return {
operations: [
{
type: 'add_line_item_discount',
value: { percentage: 10 },
targets: [{ productVariantId: 'gid://shopify/ProductVariant/123' }],
}
]
};
}

Multi-Store and Localization

BigCommerce

A single backend instance supports multiple storefronts with isolated URLs, language, and pricing. Inventory and catalog can be shared or separated.

Shopify Plus

Multi-region setup requires managing separate store instances. Shopify Markets provides limited localization, multi-currency, and language support within each store.

B2B Features

BigCommerce

B2B Edition includes native support for price lists, purchase orders, quotes, account-based access control, Company hierarchies, and channel-specific pricing.

Shopify Plus

B2B on Shopify includes customer company profiles, draft orders, net payment terms, and access control. The feature set is expanding, but less mature than BigCommerce's native model.

Video Integration and Media Handling

BigCommerce

Supports storing video URLs (MP4, Vimeo, and YouTube) in product records or custom fields. These are exposed via the Catalog and Storefront GraphQL APIs. In headless setups, videos can be rendered with native HTML5 video players inside React components. In theme-based builds, Handlebars helpers conditionally embed video elements based on custom field presence. Assets can be hosted externally or stored locally in the content library.

Shopify Plus

Product videos are managed using metafields or the product media API. Liquid templates can conditionally render video blocks using stored metafield values. Hydrogen storefronts access video URLs via GraphQL and display content through standard tags or third-party React players. For CDN optimization or analytics, merchants integrate with Cloudflare Stream, Vimeo, or Mux.

Tooling and Developer Workflow

BigCommerce

Stencil CLI for theme development. Full local dev environment for headless builds. App SDK for embedded app development.

Shopify Plus

Shopify CLI supports theme and Hydrogen development. GitHub integration for versioned theme deployment. Custom apps built using OAuth and App Bridge.

Comparison Table: BigCommerce vs Shopify Plus