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BigCommerce starts at $29/month — $10 cheaper than Shopify. Zero transaction fees on all plans. Unlimited staff accounts. Built-in product reviews. Sounds perfect until you hit the revenue caps: Standard limits you to $50K/year in online sales. Go over, and you’re forced to upgrade. We broke down every plan, the revenue thresholds, and when BigCommerce’s hidden limits kick in.
All pricing verified March 2026 from bigcommerce.com.
Every BigCommerce Plan
| Plan | Price | Revenue cap | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $29/mo | $50K/year | Unlimited products, 0% transaction fees |
| Plus | $79/mo | $180K/year | Abandoned cart, customer groups, stored cards |
| Pro | $299/mo | $400K/year | Custom SSL, Google product reviews, faceted search |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited | Priority support, custom pricing, API calls |
The Revenue Cap Problem
This is what most BigCommerce reviews gloss over. Every plan has a revenue cap:
- Standard: $50,000/year ($4,167/month average)
- Plus: $180,000/year ($15,000/month)
- Pro: $400,000/year ($33,333/month)
Exceed your cap and BigCommerce forces an upgrade. A store doing $51K/year on Standard must jump from $29/month to $79/month — a 172% price increase for $1,000 more in revenue.
$29 → $79 at $50K revenue
At $49K/year: Standard $29/mo = $348/year
At $51K/year: forced to Plus $79/mo = $948/year
$2K more in revenue costs $600 more in subscription
Shopify has NO revenue caps on any plan.
What Each Plan Includes
Standard ($29/mo): Solid Foundation
Unlimited products, unlimited staff accounts, unlimited file storage. Zero transaction fees regardless of payment gateway. Multi-currency. Real-time shipping quotes. Built-in product ratings and reviews. Coupons and discounts.
Standard includes features that Shopify charges extra for: product reviews (free vs $10-25/month app), real-time shipping (free vs Shopify Advanced $399/month), unlimited staff (vs Shopify’s 2-15 limit).
Plus ($79/mo): Conversion Features
Abandoned cart recovery, customer groups with custom pricing, stored credit cards, persistent cart across devices. These are the features that directly increase revenue.
Abandoned cart alone justifies Plus. Recovering even 5% of abandoned carts at $50 average order on 100 monthly abandoned carts = $250/month recovered. The $79 plan pays for itself.
Pro ($299/mo): High-Growth
Custom SSL, Google Customer Reviews, faceted search (filter products by size, color, price), and $400K revenue cap. For stores approaching $200K+/year, Pro’s features are designed to scale conversion.
BigCommerce vs Shopify: True Cost
| Feature | BigCommerce Standard ($29) | Shopify Basic ($39) |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction fees (non-native gateway) | 0% | 2% |
| Staff accounts | Unlimited | 2 |
| Product reviews | Built-in (free) | App ($10-25/mo) |
| Real-time shipping | Built-in | Advanced ($399/mo) |
| Revenue cap | $50K/year | None |
| App ecosystem | 1,000+ | 8,000+ |
Who Should Pick What
Under $50K/year revenue: BigCommerce Standard ($29/mo). More built-in features than Shopify at $10/month less. Zero transaction fees save additional money.
$50K-180K/year revenue: BigCommerce Plus ($79/mo) or Shopify Basic ($39/mo). BigCommerce includes more features but costs $40/month more at this tier. Compare total cost including Shopify apps.
Over $400K/year revenue: Shopify (no revenue caps) or BigCommerce Enterprise (negotiated pricing). Pro’s $400K cap forces Enterprise upgrade at high volume.
Use a non-Shopify payment gateway: BigCommerce. Zero transaction fees on all gateways saves thousands annually.
B2B/wholesale: BigCommerce. Customer groups with custom pricing built into every plan. Shopify gates B2B behind Plus ($2,300/month).
Biggest app ecosystem matters: Shopify. 8,000+ apps vs BigCommerce’s 1,000+.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when I hit the revenue cap?
BigCommerce notifies you and requires an upgrade within 30 days. You’re not immediately cut off, but you can’t stay on the lower plan once you exceed the threshold.
Does BigCommerce have a free trial?
Yes, 15 days. No credit card required. Enough time to set up a basic store and evaluate the platform.
Is BigCommerce good for beginners?
Slightly harder than Shopify to learn. BigCommerce has more built-in settings to configure. But once set up, daily management is comparable. Allow 2-3 days for initial setup vs Shopify’s 1 day.
All pricing verified March 2026 from bigcommerce.com.
