commercetools vs BigCommerce 2024: A Comprehensive Comparison for Enterprises

Choosing the right eCommerce platform can feel like a big decision, especially for medium to large enterprises with complex needs and growth ambitions. Two of the top contenders you’ve probably come across are BigCommerce vs commercetools. Both are well-known, but they serve different purposes and have distinct strengths.

In this article, we’ll break down the differences between these two platforms to help you decide which one is the best fit for your business. Let’s dive in and explore how these platforms stack up against each other in:

• Pricing model;
• Total cost of ownership (TOC);
• Architecture;
• Core features.

Overview of BigCommerce vs commercetools

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is one of the major players in the eCommerce world, particularly for mid-sized and enterprise-level businesses. Since its launch in 2009, it’s become a go-to for companies that want a powerful yet straightforward platform to manage their online stores. The focus is on providing businesses with everything they need right out of the box, so they can get up and running quickly without the need for heavy technical involvement.

Here’s what makes BigCommerce stand out:

• It’s a fully cloud-based platform, which means BigCommerce takes care of hosting, security, and maintenance for you.
• BigCommerce is flexible enough to handle both business-to-business and business-to-consumer models, which is great if you’re running a hybrid operation.
• BigCommerce has a range of third-party integrations available, so you can easily connect your store to other systems like CRM, ERP, and marketing platforms.

commercetools

On the other side, we have commercetools, a platform that’s been around since 2006 and is a pioneer in the headless commerce space. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, headless commerce is all about flexibility, it lets you build custom eCommerce experiences that aren’t tied to a specific front-end, giving you more freedom to create exactly what you need.

commercetools really takes headless commerce to the next level with its API-first, microservices-based architecture. This makes it a great choice for big businesses with complex needs and a focus on scalability.

Here’s why many companies choose commercetools:

• It’s built with APIs from the ground up, meaning you can create highly customizable and consistent experiences across all your channels, whether that’s web, mobile, or even in-store kiosks.
• With commercetools, you only use the components you need, like checkout, inventory management, or promotions.
• Designed for large-scale operations, commercetools supports growth across multiple regions and channels.
• Because it’s cloud-native, you get the benefits of performance, reliability, and dynamic scaling, ideal for businesses that want the freedom to grow without being held back by tech limitations.

Pricing Models Comparison

Both BigCommerce vs commercetools offer different models that cater to various business needs, and it really comes down to what fits best with your growth plans and budget. Let’s break down how each platform handles pricing and what that might mean for your business.

BigCommerce pricing model

BigCommerce operates on a subscription-based model, which is divided into several tiers designed to fit businesses at different stages of growth. The good thing about this approach is that it’s predictable, so you know what you’re paying for upfront.

Subscription tiers for monthly payment:

• Standard plan ($39/month): Perfect for small businesses, this plan includes all the basic features you’d need but caps annual sales at $50,000.
• Plus plan ($105/month): Ideal for growing businesses, it increases the sales cap to $180,000 per year and adds more features, such as customer segmentation and groups, which can be handy as your customer base expands.
• Pro Plan ($399/month): This plan is geared toward larger businesses, supporting up to $400,000 in annual sales and offering advanced capabilities like product filtering and integration with Google reviews.
• Enterprise plan (custom): For businesses that need a tailored solution, this plan comes with custom pricing based on your sales volume and specific needs, giving you access to premium features and dedicated support.

It’s important to note that while the base subscription covers a lot, you might encounter extra costs, especially if you use third-party payment gateways that charge transaction fees. Still, the fixed pricing model of BigCommerce offers transparency and predictability, which is ideal for businesses that prefer clear, upfront costs without the variable expenses tied to usage that may come with other platforms like commercetools.

commercetools pricing model

commercetools uses a usage-based pricing model, which is all about flexibility and scalability. Rather than locking you into a subscription tier, commercetools charges based on your business’s actual usage, things like API calls, transaction volumes, and product catalog size. This model allows businesses to scale costs in line with their growth, which is great if you want your expenses to match your activity levels.

However, it’s important to monitor usage carefully, as costs can increase if your traffic or API calls spike. Additionally, commercetools currently has some limitations with pricing models, particularly when it comes to customer/SKU combinations. If your business relies heavily on custom pricing contracts, you might find it challenging to map these in the system. commercetools is working to improve this flexibility, but it’s something to keep in mind if your pricing strategy is complex.

While commercetools offers flexibility, it comes with higher initial costs for setup and integration. Because it’s a headless platform, businesses need technical expertise to configure and connect it to other systems like ERPs. Data mapping and customization workshops are often required to align the platform with your order management, delivery, and billing processes.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Analysis

When deciding between eCommerce platforms like BigCommerce vs commercetools, it’s not just about the upfront cost, understanding the total cost of ownership (TCO) over time is crucial, especially for enterprise-level businesses. TCO includes everything from initial setup expenses to the costs involved in maintaining, customizing, and scaling your platform as your business grows.

TCO for BigCommerce

BigCommerce often has a lower entry point thanks to its subscription-based model. It’s designed to be user-friendly, with fixed monthly fees depending on the plan you choose. However, as your business scales, you might start seeing costs add up.

The predictable part of BigCommerce’s TCO is the subscription fee. Depending on the tier, Standard, Plus, Pro, or Enterprise, these costs vary. The good news is that everything’s bundled in, from hosting to security, which keeps things simple and easy to budget for. While the basic subscription includes a lot, you might encounter extra expenses. For instance, depending on which payment gateway you choose, there could be transaction fees.

For BigCommerce, the estimated cost components are as follows:

• Subscription fees: $360 – $3,600 per year
• Add-ons/Third-party apps: $500 – $2,000 per year

To calculate the minimum and maximum TCO for BigCommerce:

• Minimum TCO:
  • Subscription fees (min): $360
  • Add-ons (min): $500
  • Total: 360+500=860
• Maximum TCO:
  • Subscription fees (max): $3,600
  • Add-ons (max): $2,000
  • Total: 3,600+2,000=5,600

Thus, the TCO for BigCommerce ranges from $860 to $5,600 per year.

ROI for BigCommerce: The predictable costs and ease of setup make BigCommerce a great option for businesses that prefer a straightforward platform without high technical overhead. In real life, according to a Total Economic Impact™ study conducted by Forrester Consulting, merchants using BigCommerce achieved an impressive 211% ROI with a payback period of just eight months.

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TCO for commercetools

On the other hand, commercetools offers a much more flexible pricing model based on usage. Unlike the plug-and-play approach of BigCommerce, commercetools requires a custom setup. But the upside? You’re building a solution tailored precisely for your needs, and this flexibility can pay off as your business grows.

With commercetools, your costs depend on your usage, like API calls, transaction volumes, and the size of your product catalog. This means that your expenses scale with your activity, offering flexibility but also requiring careful management to avoid unexpected costs.

commercetools’ flexibility comes with the need for ongoing development. The benefit is that you can make updates and changes as your business evolves, but it’s important to factor these costs into your TCO.

For commercetools, the estimated cost components are:

• Setup & development: $20,000 – $100,000+
• Ongoing development: $10,000+ annually

To calculate the minimum and maximum TCO for commercetools:

• Minimum TCO:
  • Setup & development (min): $20,000
  • Ongoing development (min): $10,000
  • Total: 20,000+10,000=30,000
• Maximum TCO:
  • Setup & development (max): $100,000
  • Ongoing development (max): $100,000
  • Total: 100,000+100,000=200,000

Thus, the TCO for commercetools ranges from $30,000 to $200,000 per year.

ROI for commercetools: While the upfront costs and technical expertise needed for commercetools are higher, the platform’s flexibility and scalability offer significant long-term value. In real life, companies like Cargo Crew reported a 34% increase in online revenue, along with a 15% rise in conversion rates after migrating to commercetools.

Architectural Comparison

When it comes to picking the right eCommerce platform, the architecture behind it is a big deal. It affects everything, from how easily you can manage your store to how well it scales as your business grows.

BigCommerce architecture

BigCommerce uses what’s called an all-in-one SaaS model. Basically, this means everything you need is bundled together in a single package. The platform takes care of the hosting, security, and maintenance for you, so you don’t have to worry about managing any of the technical details. BigCommerce’s all-in-one approach ensures that enterprises don’t have to worry about integrating multiple services for hosting, security, and performance, allowing them to focus entirely on business operations and strategy.

BigCommerce SaaS model is great for businesses that want to get their online store up and running quickly without getting bogged down in the backend setup. With BigCommerce, you get a fully integrated system where both the front-end (what your customers see) and the back-end (your store’s management tools) are all managed together.

Even though BigCommerce keeps things simple, it doesn’t compromise on performance. The platform uses cloud technology to handle high traffic volumes, which means your store can handle busy periods, like big sales or promotions, without slowing down.

Pros:

• Super easy to manage as BigCommerce handles all the technical stuff.
• Quick setup and deployment, so you can launch fast.

Cons:

• Limited when it comes to deep customization.
• You might feel a bit locked in since you rely on BigCommerce’s infrastructure.
• Less flexibility for enterprises needing more advanced or multi-channel capabilities.

commercetools architecture

Now, commercetools goes in a totally different direction with its composable commerce model. It’s all about flexibility and customization, using an API-first and microservices-based approach. If that sounds like tech jargon, here’s what it means: instead of being tied to a single, pre-built system like BigCommerce, commercetools lets you pick and choose the pieces you need and build the rest yourself.

commercetools is built on MACH architecture, which stands for Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless. This architecture is designed to overcome the limitations of traditional monolithic platforms by providing a modular and scalable framework that can adapt to the specific needs of businesses. Here is a brief detail on MACH architecture:

• Microservices: Integrates independently deployable components.
• API-first: With 300+ APIs, businesses can build tailored solutions by integrating best-of-breed components for seamless integration with various tools
• Cloud-native: Using cloud infrastructure like Google Cloud and AWS provides scalable resources, reducing TCO as companies only pay for usage.
• Headless commerce: Separates front end and back end to create custom front-end experiences for rapid innovation and adaptation.

However, while commercetools offers extensive flexibility, it comes with high initial setup costs and ongoing development needs. This approach requires enterprises to have a dedicated technical team and resources, which can be a barrier for companies looking for quick implementation without high overhead.

Pros:

• Offers a ton of flexibility for building exactly what you need.
• Scalable and designed for large, complex enterprises that want to grow globally.
• Seamlessly supports omnichannel experiences, from web to mobile to in-store.

Cons:

• You’ll need a technical team to implement and manage everything—this isn’t a plug-and-play solution.
• Setting up commercetools can be time-consuming and might involve higher initial costs.
• More reliance on developers and ongoing support, which could increase long-term expenses.

Core Feature Comparison

When you’re comparing BigCommerce vs commercetools, it really depends on what you’re looking for in an eCommerce platform and how hands-on you want to be with the technical side of things.

1. Ease of use

BigCommerce is ideal for businesses seeking an easy-to-manage platform. Its drag-and-drop interface and built-in SEO and marketing tools make setup quick, even for non-technical users. It’s a great choice for those who want a simple, efficient solution with minimal technical effort.

However, commercetools is more technical. Its API-first, headless architecture offers flexibility but requires development skills for setup and management. It’s better suited for enterprises with a technical team and custom development needs.

2. Customization

BigCommerce offers customization through templates and its app marketplace, making it simple for businesses needing moderate customization. While it supports advanced customizations via APIs, the features are more limited compared to a fully headless solution.

So, what about commercetools? commercetools excels in customization with its API-driven, microservices-based approach. It’s perfect for building tailored solutions but requires substantial technical expertise and investment, making it a fit for enterprises with dedicated development teams.

3. B2B and B2C capabilities

BigCommerce supports both B2B and B2C models natively, offering features such as customer groups, bulk pricing, and quote management. These capabilities make it a solid option for businesses that want to manage diverse sales channels within a single platform without needing extra plugins. It also includes features like multi-storefront management, allowing businesses to operate multiple brands or markets from a single backend, simplifying management for enterprises with diverse product offerings.

Meanwhile, commercetools provides advanced support for complex B2B and B2C setups, thanks to its API-based model. You can customize their pricing structures, catalogs, and customer segments in detail, which is crucial for companies with intricate, multi-channel operations. Its modular design makes it especially effective for enterprises operating globally, as it can easily adapt to various markets, currencies, and tax regulations.

4. App marketplace

BigCommerce has an extensive app marketplace, offering CRM, ERP, and other third-party integrations. This makes it easy to expand platform functionality without needing deep technical expertise.

commercetools offers pre-built integrations for ERP and CMS platforms but requires technical involvement for configuration. Its API-driven structure supports custom integrations but demands development resources. While it may not have a traditional app marketplace like BigCommerce, its API-driven structure allows businesses to build custom integrations with nearly any third-party service, provided they have the development resources to implement them.

5. Omnichannel Support

BigCommerce offers basic omnichannel capabilities, including support for multi-storefront management and integration with various sales channels. These features make it a viable solution for businesses that want to manage multiple brands or expand into different regions while maintaining consistency across their storefronts. However, its capabilities are somewhat limited compared to commercetools, as it mainly focuses on integrating existing platforms rather than building custom omnichannel experiences from scratch.

On the other hand, commercetools really shines with its impressive omnichannel capabilities. It helps businesses deliver smooth shopping experiences across all channels, whether on the web or mobile. Plus, its headless architecture allows for flexibility in front-end design while keeping everything organized from a single backend.

6. Scalability

BigCommerce is designed to scale efficiently within the confines of its SaaS model. It uses cloud technology to manage high traffic volumes and support growth, making it suitable for mid-sized to large enterprises that want a reliable and easily managed platform for their growing needs.

In contrast, commercetools offers dynamic scalability through its cloud-native, microservices-based architecture. This setup is built for large enterprises that expect to expand globally or require the ability to adapt their platform to new markets and business models quickly.

BigCommerce vs commercetools: Summary of Key Differences & Recommendations

Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses, so understanding these differences can help you decide which one is the right fit for your goals and technical capacity. Let’s break down the key differences and what they mean for your business.

Here are my recommendations based on business needs!

1. For mid-sized enterprises wanting a quick and easy setup

If your business values speed, simplicity, and a platform that doesn’t require a lot of technical expertise, BigCommerce is a great choice. It offers an all-in-one solution with everything you need to launch quickly, and it’s designed for businesses that want to focus on growing without worrying about backend complexity.

2. For large enterprises requiring flexibility and scalability

If your company has complex needs or a global reach, and you want the freedom to customize your eCommerce experience, commercetools is the better option. It’s built for businesses that have technical resources and want to create a tailored solution that can evolve as they grow. Its API-first, headless architecture allows for more advanced customization and scalability, making it ideal for enterprises with long-term, dynamic growth plans.

3. For businesses focused on cost predictability

If you prefer a predictable pricing model with fixed costs, BigCommerce offers clear subscription tiers, which makes it easier to budget and plan. This model is especially useful if you want to avoid unexpected expenses and prefer to keep everything under one roof with managed services.

4. For enterprises prioritizing customization and long-term flexibility

If your business needs a platform that adapts as you grow and scales efficiently with your usage, commercetools is the way to go. The usage-based model aligns your costs with your actual business activity, and while it might require a larger investment upfront, it offers the flexibility to scale and customize without being tied to predefined plans.

BigCommerce vs commercetools: FAQs

Final Thoughts on Choosing the Right Platform

At the end of the day, both BigCommerce and commercetools offer fantastic solutions, but they cater to different kinds of enterprises and priorities.

If you want a user-friendly platform that's quick to set up and manage without much technical involvement, go for BigCommerce. It's great for fast launches and growth-focused businesses with built-in features and predictable pricing.

If your business is complex and needs a highly customized and scalable solution, consider commercetools. It's designed for enterprises with technical expertise to build a tailored eCommerce experience aligned with their brand and long-term strategy.

We hope you found this article insightful and now have a clear understanding of the BigCommerce vs commercetools. For more content like this, be sure to visit the eCommerce platform section and join our eCommerce community to gain further insights and connect with fellow business owners.