BigCommerce Software Reviews

“all metrics in one dashboard”

Pros

Having all the different metrics available to track and measure in a single dashboard is the biggest advantage for me and the interface is very user-friendly

Cons

Exploring the software can feel a bit confusing although it becomes much easier to navigate once you spend more time using it and get familiar with how it works.

“Stable storefront features”

Pros

Pretty much everything needed in an ecommerce platform is covered here, with more than enough tools to put together a full online store.

Cons

It just doesn't offer much that sets it apart from competitors like Shopify. The pricing is similar, the feature set feels lighter and it's honestly surprising that it still has such a sizable user base.

“user-friendly start for stores”

Pros

Creating a basic site live on this tool is pretty easy. It doesn't take a web developer to set up a simple store and have it running without much trouble.

Cons

Few useful features are missing such as bulk importing quantity pricing which would make a big difference for stores with large inventories. The included themes are fairly basic too and if you want your store to look more customized, you'll probably have to pay extra for a better theme and may also need a developer to help with the changes.

“scales brilliantly with erp”

Pros

There's a lot to appreciate here. Connecting it with NetSuite or Fishbowl ERP is fairly simple and that alone takes a lot of stress out of day-to-day work. We've been able to keep our company running on these platforms from the very early days with 4 employees and 1 customer all the way up to 70+ employees and more than 1,000 customers. It has made managing the business much simpler and has really helped us grow our e-commerce company more efficiently.

Cons

Early on, we definitely ran into some growing pains especially since we seemed to be one of the first companies trying to integrate Fishbowl. But after the initial setup was sorted out and the processes were worked through, things started running much more consistently.

“fantastic google shopping feed”

Pros

Putting together a Google Shopping feed with this has been the best experience I've had. The whole process is fast organized and the regular updates keep everything working really well.

Cons

There still aren't many third-party customization options available. It can feel a bit limiting since you're mostly restricted to what's included out of the box.

“Great choice for e-commerce”

Pros

Back when I moved from Joomla in 2011 it was one of the first platforms I started using and it has been an excellent experience ever since. I keep coming back to it for my clients because the dashboard is user-friendly for customers and the overall design stays simple and practical. Honestly I wouldn't choose any other platform for e-commerce.

Cons

I don't enjoy themes part that much since they can be frustrating at times. Even when paying for a design, the designers often take far too long to respond which can easily become a deal breaker. I can usually sort things out myself but for anyone who doesn't know how to code, that situation would be really frustrating.

“powerful platform with no fees”

Pros

The ease of starting out made a big difference for us. It's one of the biggest names in e-commerce and it feels very user-friendly right from the beginning. We also appreciated the 15-day free trial which gave us time to explore the platform before committing. Setup and installation were simple and a huge plus is that it doesn't take transaction fees the way some other e-commerce platforms do.

Cons

The monthly cost can add up pretty quickly especially for a smaller business. On top of that, the platform sometimes feels like it includes more features, options and add-ons than we actually need so it can be a bit more than necessary for a company our size.

“Customization that really delivers”

Pros

One thing that really stands out is how much customization designers can actually do. There are also plenty of really useful features built in that help improve load speeds on mobile devices which cuts down a lot on the need for custom code.

Cons

It still lacks a few important features like a built-in recurring billing option for customers. The native email system also isn't the strongest although connecting something like the MailChimp plugin works pretty smoothly.

“clear order tracking”

Pros

A feature I really enjoy is the "choose an action" option since it lets me take care of multiple tasks at the same time. It's also very convenient to sort and recognize orders by their status and the color coding makes everything much easier to follow and organize.

Cons

The part I'm not happy with is that it doesn't work with our order processing system. I really wish it could connect with our sales application because that would save a lot of time when entering orders.

“helpful support”

Pros

Whenever we've run into a few issues, the technical support team has been terrific and very responsive. The interface is easy to pick up while still offering enough depth to handle what we need.

Cons

Pricing is easily the least appealing part of this platform especially for a small business like ours.

“useful integrations”

Pros

Working with a local manufacturer to get their products selling online went really well with this software. It was simple to get started, felt easy to use and connected nicely with several other online services which made the whole setup even better.

Cons

The biggest downside is the cost which feels high and it can be somewhat limited in terms of functions. Compared with a custom WooCommerce setup on WordPress, it doesn't offer nearly the same level of flexibility or customization.

“simple setup and training”

Pros

Starting out with this software was very easy for us. The setup is simple, day-to-day management is uncomplicated and even teaching others how to use it has gone really well.

Cons

Program feels limited in terms of features. It would be better if there were more features and options available.

“excellent inventory control”

Pros

Having used this product at two different companies, it's easily been the best and most convenient platform for keeping a website up to date. The sales and inventory tracking is incredibly helpful on a daily basis and it's become something I wouldn't want to work without. Another big plus is that any updates we make to our listings go live immediately. It's such a reliable way to manage our site.

Cons

To be honest, there really isn't anything I dislike about it. Of course, any platform can always be improved in some way but for what we need it to do, I'm very happy with it.

“Useful SEO tools”

Pros

The pricing is really good for what you get. Setup was smooth, there are plenty of SEO integrations available and cart recovery is included instead of being charged as an extra feature.

Cons

Uploading and adding products takes a lot of time. The templates also don't look as polished or modern as some other shopping cart platforms but they still work well enough to get the job done.

“helpful training”

Pros

Bringing new hires up to speed has been much simpler with this software. The layout is very user-friendly and moving through the system is clear and easy. It has also been really helpful when working with customers. The webinars have been valuable too especially when we were exploring how to sell on Amazon and we made use of them often. On top of that, the support portal is clear and easy to work through whenever an issue comes up.

Cons

Analytics page is the part I struggle with most. I don't think it's very effective and I wish it were more simple and easier to use. It would be much better if the dashboard presented data in a clearer way. Customizing reports is also difficult and that whole process feels like it should be simpler.

“easy checkout options”

Pros

Adding products for sale is easy, customizing the overall design and feel is simple and taking orders is hassle-free. It also works well with PayPal Express Checkout.

Cons

There are still a few parts of the site that can't be customized and setting up products with multiple size or color variations can become a bit complicated.

“MY REVIEW”

Pros

One of the best things about it is that there are no setup or transaction fees which makes it much more appealing from the start. It's also really stable when it comes to the number of platforms you can sell on and the support team has been outstanding and quick to respond whenever needed. I'd describe it as the "WordPress" of ecommerce.

Cons

The free theme selection is pretty limited and the ones available at no cost aren't very impressive so it's worth expecting to pay extra for a better theme and setup. Pricing can also get expensive depending on the tier you end up needing.

“it's still improving”

Pros

Feature set is among the strongest you'll find in this category and starting out is quite simple. Another big plus is the pricing model since they don't take a percentage of your sales.

Cons

A lot of the more advanced features are either missing or locked behind extra costs, including things like filtered search and navigation. One frustrating part is how bugs and feature requests seem to be prioritized by how many people ask for them rather than how serious or necessary they are. Because of that some issues can hang around for years if only a small number of users report them. There also aren't proper release notes or much detailed information about updates. Overall the company still feels like it operates more like a startup than an established business that is fully accountable to its customers. It often seems more focused on headline-worthy announcements, marketing points and buzz than on the improvements customers actually need most. They can also be pretty out of touch with how retail works and what small businesses really need. That's disappointing because the platform clearly has a lot of potential. Honestly the main reason I've stayed is that the better options are too expensive for us right now, like Magento, Demandware, Netsuite or Miva, while similarly priced competitors such as Shopify and Volusion are missing key features or come with their own problems I can't work around. So at this point, I'm basically staying put until the business grows more. To be fair, they've improved a lot in the six years I've been using them but there's still a long road ahead.

“pricey upgrades”

Pros

More built-in features come included here than most shopping carts including Shopify. It handles a lot of the smaller details well, like letting you add custom product messages such as "ships in 1-2 days" on individual items. There are also plenty of product option settings that feel more like what you'd expect from larger retail websites. Pricing is fairly reasonable compared with other platforms and it connects with a wide range of third-party apps. On top of that, it's usually not too hard to find answers and resources that help you make the platform work well.

Cons

A frustration is the big jump between the mid-level plans and the enterprise tier. Some important features in Pro and Enterprise are locked behind a price that can be around three times higher. Faceted search is a good example since that's what helps create more of an Amazon-style browsing experience. Since moving to it, we've also seen an overall drop in site traffic. It's unclear whether that has to do with how Google ranks these sites or if more shoppers are simply buying through marketplaces now so it's tough to pin down the cause. The third-party app marketplace also feels a bit limited compared with some competing platforms.

“flexible order tracking”

Pros

Keeping up with every order is very efficient especially with status updates syncing through integrations for things like fraud checks and order processing. Pulling order data is also very quick. Another big advantage is how much you can customize the website template without needing a lot of coding knowledge which adds a lot of value.

Cons

My overall experience has been positive but customer support could definitely be better. Both the interface and the assistance provided can be disappointing at times especially when glitches come up. It would also be really useful to handle orders directly in the tool by simply forwarding the order details to a supplier but that function is not available right now.