BigCommerce Software Reviews

“Quick implementation”

Pros

Having most of the coding already handled is a huge plus. The platform is very user-friendly so just about anyone can get a website up and running within a day or two.

Cons

It already offers a really strong shipping setup for individual products. One thing I'd still love to see is an in-house dimensional weight shipping solution because that would give them a major edge over competing platforms.

“efficient channel control”

Pros

Familiarizing outselves with the upgraded management dashboard took some time. Being able to handle multiple sales channels from one dashboard is a real plus. The reporting is also very informative and helps a lot with tracking sales activity.

Cons

Setting up coupons and discount codes can be tricky at times, depending on the kind of promotion you want to run. It would also help to have the option to set an offer to expire at a specific time of day. One issue that came up for my client was customer IDs their customer already had one and it would be helpful if that could be added to align with offline accounting and shipping systems. On top of that, many of the features my customer wants would need a developer to implement.

“Limited flexibility”

Pros

Launching a store on this platform is a suitable option for anyone just starting out. With a lot of other e-commerce systems, you end up having to purchase, install and manage extra plugins or add-ons before the store feels complete. It already comes with most of the core e-commerce features you're likely to need built in.

Cons

Once you start dealing with more complex products or advanced product options, the flexibility, customization and available support can feel pretty limited unless you have a developer helping out. Right now, the app marketplace is also fairly underwhelming if you need extra features or deeper integrations. Most of the apps seem focused on marketing or inventory and many of them add another monthly cost. It's definitely worth using the trial first to confirm it actually fits all of your needs before committing.

“Helpful order automation”

Pros

Processing orders without any coding has been really convenient. It also handles order workflow well and when I update an order status, it automatically emails customers for us which saves time and keeps buyers informed.

Cons

The limitation is that our storefront can't be embedded directly into our non-profit website like a plugin. It only works as a separate link which isn't as smooth as we'd prefer.

“clean design and simple setup”

Pros

Exploring it is very easy, the interface has a clean, simple look and it gives us the freedom to customize the design the way we want.

Cons

Reaching customer support involves too many steps and the process feels unnecessarily drawn out. Flexible shipping rates are also missing which makes calculating accurate shipping costs harder than it should be.

“Many ways to customize features”

Pros

Broad set of features are offered in the tool with plenty of ways to customize things to fit our different needs.

Cons

Major gap is the complete lack of freight shipping (LTL) support and more detailed shipping options especially if you're sending products of different sizes and weights across the country or internationally. Another big downside is the absence of multi-language support which feels like a serious miss in a global economy.

“frustrating edits”

Pros

Pricing is affordable which is one of the the things I like about it.

Cons

Right from the first section there's no way to edit the design of the mobile site and while email templates can technically be edited now, it's still done only through that %global% jargon. The only way to actually see how the email will look is by creating a test account which ends up wasting a lot of time.

“Limited shipping”

Pros

This software seemed to be very easy but in practice its performance is average even when working for a small catalog.

Cons

Shipping calculation really only works properly for smaller items so it's okay for things like phone sleeves or swimwear but not much beyond that. On top of that, support regularly takes more than a week to deal with an issue and software bugs are slow to even get acknowledged, let alone fixed.

“flexible source code”

Pros

Having full access to the source code makes customization practically unlimited which is a huge advantage. The support team is knowledgeable, the documentation is very thorough and there are plenty of features to work with. The community discussions are also helpful and the way it handles photos is really nice.

Cons

A handful of features are still missing although they've been promised for future releases like 6.0 or later. At the moment, there's no integration with shipping carriers, no option for selective free shipping and fixed-dollar discount coupons per order aren't supported yet.

“efficient marketing tools”

Pros

Running my store through BigCommerce has been a really positive experience because I can set up my shopping cart, merchant account, shipping and marketing programs all in one place. They also keep putting out helpful webinars, tips and social media marketing ideas, including features like adding a shop tab to my store's Facebook page.

Cons

Couple of improvements would be welcome, like being able to upload a custom background for gift certificates or change the starting order number so it doesn't begin at 1. That said BigCommerce has already let me know they're working on those updates.

“budget friendly software”

Pros

My experience has been really positive. It's user-friendly, the design looks polished and elegant and customizing it is very simple. On top of that, the price is incredibly affordable which makes it even more appealing.

Cons

Only feature that really seems to be lacking is integration with shipping tools such as Endicia or Shiprush. That said I've heard this may be included in the next release.

“Positive experience overall”

Pros

A few things really stand out to me with BigCommerce: the YouTube integration is very convenient and being able to sell on Facebook through the social shop is a big plus. I also appreciate that there are no hidden fees. Most importantly, the platform is very simple to use and it feels like they actually listen to their users.

Cons

If I had to point out anything, it would be the live tech support hours being limited to 8 to 6pm which feels a bit restrictive especially coming from having no live support at all with osCommerce. That said they do offer tech support from 9 to 2pm and also provide 24-hour help through their online support system.