Shopify vs WooCommerce vs BigCommerce (2026)
BigCommerce's June 2026 changes are now fully in effect — and they go further than "just a rename." GMV thresholds were cut: Core's cap dropped from $50K to $30K/year, Growth's from $180K to $100K/year, and Scale replaced its $400K/year cap with a $33,333/month threshold plus a 0.9% overage fee. The Open Payment Provider fee (2%/1%/0.6%) is now live, not just announced. Shopify's core pricing held steady, with two new tiers added: Starter ($5/mo) and a free Agentic plan for AI-assistant sales.
Find yourself first
Entrepreneurs launching a first store
Weighing fast, hosted setup against maximum flexibility and control.
WordPress site owners
Considering adding a store to an existing content-driven website.
DTC brands comparing before migrating
Especially those hitting BigCommerce's newly-lowered GMV caps.
B2B businesses needing wholesale pricing
Customer groups, price lists, purchase orders matter most here.
Current BigCommerce merchants
Needing to understand the now-live June 2026 fee and threshold changes.
Sellers exploring AI-assistant commerce
Shopify's new Agentic plan sells through ChatGPT, Gemini, and similar.
GMV caps got lower, not just renamed
The 10-second answer
Shopify
Basic $39/mo, Grow $105/mo, Advanced $399/mo. New: Starter $5/mo (checkout link) and free Agentic plan (AI-assistant sales). 8,000+ apps. Best POS for in-person selling. No revenue caps.
$5 → $39 → $105/moWooCommerce
Free plugin + hosting costs (~$10-250/mo depending on tier). Best SEO. Requires technical management. Zero platform transaction fees, no revenue caps.
Free + ~$10-250/mo hostingBigCommerce
Core $39/mo (30K GMV cap, down from 50K). Growth $105/mo (100K cap, down from 180K). Scale $399/mo ($33,333/mo threshold + 0.9% overage). New OPP fee on non-preferred gateways.
$39 → $105 → $399/moMatch your situation
| Your situation | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want to launch in days with no tech skills | Shopify Basic $39 | Fastest launch, hosting included, 24/7 support, 8,000+ apps. |
| You already run a WordPress website | WooCommerce (free) | Installs on your existing site, shares your content and SEO. |
| You sell B2B/wholesale alongside DTC | BigCommerce Growth $105 | Best native B2B features — but check your GMV against the new lower caps first. |
| You're a BigCommerce merchant near $30-50K GMV | Recheck your tier | Core's cap dropped to $30K/year — you may auto-upgrade sooner than expected. |
| You want to sell through AI shopping assistants | Shopify Agentic (free) | New 2026 plan — pay only per completed sale, no storefront needed. |
| You need the best SEO platform | WooCommerce + WordPress | Full WordPress SEO power including Yoast/RankMath, full content control. |
| You sell in-person AND online | Shopify | Best POS system, unified inventory, seamless omnichannel. |
| You use a non-preferred payment gateway on BigCommerce | Budget for the OPP fee | 2% (Core), 1% (Growth), 0.6% (Scale) now applies — live since June 1, 2026. |
What will your store actually cost?
Slide to set your monthly GMV to see which BigCommerce tier you'd qualify for under the new (lower) 2026 thresholds, then compare platform costs.
⚠️ WooCommerce cost includes estimated hosting only — extensions, premium themes, and developer time are additional. BigCommerce figures reflect the live 2026 GMV thresholds and Open Payment Provider fee; exceeding your tier's cap triggers auto-upgrade to the next plan.
The numbers that matter
was $50K — cut when renamed from Standard, June 2026
was $180K — cut when renamed from Plus, June 2026
now live — 1.0% Growth, 0.6% Scale, 0% Performance
checkout-link only, no full storefront
AI-assistant sales channel, pay-per-completed-sale
vs BigCommerce ~900 apps
Three platforms, three philosophies
Shopify — Fastest Launch, Now with an AI-Assistant Channel
$5 → $39 → $105 → $399/moShopify remains the default choice for most new ecommerce stores — launch a fully-hosted store in hours with no technical knowledge. Core pricing (Basic $39, Grow $105, Advanced $399, Plus $2,300-$2,500) is confirmed unchanged since the last verification. Two new tiers debuted since: Starter ($5/mo, a checkout link only, not a full storefront) and Agentic ($0/mo, sells your catalog through AI shopping assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini, charged per completed sale).
- Fastest launch — no hosting, security, or technical setup required
- 8,000+ apps in Shopify App Store — largest ecosystem in ecommerce
- Shopify Payments: zero transaction fees in supported countries
- New Agentic plan taps AI-assistant shopping at zero upfront cost
- Transaction fees: 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.5% (Advanced) on third-party gateways
- Apps can double or triple your monthly bill — often $50-200/mo extra
- Starter plan's checkout-link model isn't a full storefront
- Less flexible customization than WooCommerce — limited code access
WooCommerce — Free Core, Cost Scales with Hosting
Free + ~$10-250/mo hostingWooCommerce is free to install on any WordPress site, making it the most cost-effective starting point for businesses already running WordPress. There are no platform transaction fees and no revenue caps of any kind. The real cost lives in hosting (ranging from ~$10/mo shared hosting to ~$250/mo for premium managed WooCommerce hosting) plus premium extensions and developer time as your needs grow.
- Free core plugin — no monthly platform subscription fee
- Maximum customization — full code access, any theme, any plugin
- Best SEO — full WordPress content management, Yoast/RankMath
- No revenue caps and no platform transaction fees, ever
- Hosting cost is your responsibility — ranges widely by quality tier
- You manage security updates, backups, and performance optimization
- Total cost at scale with multiple premium plugins can match or exceed Shopify
- Steeper learning curve — WordPress + WooCommerce both require familiarity
BigCommerce — Best B2B, Now with Real Fees and Lower Caps
$39 → $105 → $399/moBigCommerce's core proposition — enterprise-grade features at mid-market prices — is still intact, but June 2026's changes are now fully live. Standard/Plus/Pro/Enterprise are now Core/Growth/Scale/Performance, GMV thresholds are meaningfully lower (Core: $30K, down from $50K; Growth: $100K, down from $180K), and Scale's cap became a continuous $33,333/month threshold with a 0.9% overage fee. An Open Payment Provider fee (2%/1%/0.6%) now applies on non-preferred payment gateways.
- Best native B2B features: customer groups, price lists, quote management, purchase orders
- Strongest built-in features — reviews, real-time shipping, reporting included without apps
- Multi-storefront (up to 5) included on Core and Growth — no per-store fee unlike Shopify Plus
- 15-day free trial — most generous trial in the category
- GMV caps significantly lower than before — re-check your tier now
- Open Payment Provider fee (2%/1%/0.6%) erodes the historic "zero transaction fee" pitch
- Scale's overage model (0.9% above $33,333/mo) is new and needs modeling in advance
- Smaller app marketplace: ~900 apps vs Shopify's 8,000+
Strengths at a glance
| Criteria | Shopify | WooCommerce | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $5/mo Starter (checkout link only) | Free plugin + hosting | $39/mo Core |
| Ease of launch | Best — live in hours | Slowest — WordPress setup needed | Good, but not as fast as Shopify |
| Revenue caps | None — sell any amount | None | Yes — lowered June 2026 |
| Transaction fees | 0% with Shopify Payments | None from platform, ever | OPP fee now live (2%/1%/0.6%) |
| B2B features | Plus plan and above | Via plugins | Best native B2B, all plans |
| App ecosystem | Best — 8,000+ apps | Thousands of WP plugins | ~900 apps |
🟢 STRONG · 🟠 ACCEPTABLE WITH CAVEATS · 🔴 WEAK / WATCH OUT
Feature by feature
| Feature | Shopify | WooCommerce | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Starter $5/mo (link only) · Basic $39/mo | ✓ Free plugin + ~$10-250/mo hosting | Core $39/mo (→ $30K GMV cap, corrected) |
| Transaction fees | ⚡ 0.5-2% on 3rd-party gateways, 0% Shopify Payments | ✓ None from platform | ⚡ OPP fee now live: 2%/1%/0.6% by tier |
| Hosting included | ✓ Fully managed | ✗ You provide and manage hosting | ✓ Fully managed |
| Revenue caps | ✓ None | ✓ None | $30K (Core) · $100K (Growth) · $33,333/mo (Scale) |
| App marketplace | ✓ 8,000+ apps | Thousands of WP plugins | ~900 apps |
| B2B / wholesale | ⚡ Plus plan and above | Via plugins | ✓ Best native B2B on all plans |
| SEO | Good | ✓ Best — full WordPress SEO | Strong built-in SEO |
| AI/agentic commerce | ✓ New Agentic plan, $0/mo, pay-per-sale | ✗ Not native | ✗ Not native |
Every plan, verified
BigCommerce's GMV thresholds and OPP fee are now confirmed live, not just announced. Shopify's core pricing held steady with two new tiers added. WooCommerce's cost structure is unchanged.
| Plan | Shopify | WooCommerce | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry / free | Starter $5/mo (link only) · Agentic $0/mo (new) | ✓ Free plugin · Hosting ~$10-15/mo | Core $39/mo · $30K GMV/yr cap (corrected, was $50K) |
| Small business | Basic $39/mo · 2% 3rd-party fee | $30-60/mo managed hosting + extensions | Core $39/mo, 2.0% OPP fee (non-preferred gateway) |
| Mid tier | Grow $105/mo · 1% 3rd-party fee | $60-150/mo with premium plugins | Growth $105/mo · $100K GMV/yr cap (corrected, was $180K), 1.0% OPP fee |
| Advanced | Advanced $399/mo · 0.5% 3rd-party fee | $150-250+/mo at scale | Scale $399/mo · $33,333/mo threshold + 0.9% overage (replaces old $400K/yr cap), 0.6% OPP fee |
| Enterprise | Shopify Plus $2,300 (3yr) / $2,500 (1yr)/mo | Custom hosting + developer costs | Performance from ~$1,499/mo · 0%/custom OPP fee (contracted) |
| Watch out for | Apps add $50-200+/mo. Transaction fees compound at scale without Shopify Payments. | Hosting, security, backups are your responsibility. Premium plugins $29-299/yr each. | GMV caps cut across the board June 2026. OPP fee now live on non-preferred gateways. |
Choose by fit
Choose Shopify if…
- You want to launch quickly without any technical setup
- You sell both online and in-person — POS is a priority
- You want the largest app ecosystem and 24/7 support
- You're exploring AI-assistant sales via the new Agentic plan
- Shopify Payments is available in your country
Choose WooCommerce if…
- You already run a WordPress website and want to add a store
- SEO and content marketing are your primary acquisition channels
- You need maximum customization and have developer access
- You want full control of your hosting, code, and data
- You want zero revenue caps and zero platform transaction fees, guaranteed
Choose BigCommerce if…
- You sell B2B or wholesale alongside DTC
- You want the strongest built-in features without app dependence
- Your annual GMV comfortably fits within the new (lower) plan thresholds
- You use one of BigCommerce's preferred payment gateways (avoiding the OPP fee)
- You want the longest free trial (15 days vs Shopify's 3 days)
Match the tool to your business
Fastest launch
ShopifyLive in hours. No hosting or technical setup.
Best SEO
WooCommerceFull WordPress SEO. Yoast/RankMath. URL control.
Best B2B / wholesale
BigCommerceNative price lists, customer groups, purchase orders.
Best POS / omnichannel
ShopifyBest-in-class POS, unified inventory and payments.
Lowest platform cost, no caps
WooCommerceFree plugin. Hosting from ~$10/mo. Zero revenue caps, ever.
AI-assistant commerce
Shopify AgenticNew $0/mo plan — pay only per completed sale.
Content + store
WooCommerceBlog and store deeply integrated on WordPress.
Longest free trial
BigCommerce15-day trial vs Shopify's 3 days.
What vendors won't lead with
📉 BigCommerce's GMV caps got quietly lower, not just renamed
Core's cap dropped from $50K to $30K/year. Growth's dropped from $180K to $100K/year. A merchant at $40K annual GMV who was safely within the old Standard cap is now over Core's new threshold and gets auto-upgraded to Growth — a jump they may not have planned for.
💳 BigCommerce's Open Payment Provider fee is now live
Orders processed through a gateway not on BigCommerce's preferred list (which does include Stripe, PayPal, Adyen, and others) now incur a 2% (Core), 1% (Growth), or 0.6% (Scale) fee. This partially erodes BigCommerce's historic "zero transaction fee" pitch against Shopify.
📐 BigCommerce Scale's cap changed from annual to monthly
The old $400K/year fixed cap is gone. Scale now has a $33,333/month threshold with a 0.9% overage fee on GMV above that, auto-upgrading to Performance at $2M trailing-12-month GMV. Model this monthly, not annually.
🛍️ Shopify apps can double or triple your monthly bill
The $39/month Basic plan covers only core functionality. Essential apps — subscriptions, reviews, email marketing, loyalty, analytics — typically add $50-200+/month. The true all-in cost for a growing Shopify store is commonly $100-300/month, not $39.
💵 Shopify transaction fees compound fast without Shopify Payments
At 2% on Basic with a third-party gateway, $10,000 monthly GMV means $200/month in fees — more than 5x the base subscription. Shopify Payments eliminates this entirely but is only available in supported countries.
🔧 WooCommerce "free" doesn't mean cheap at scale
A realistic budget includes hosting ($10-250/month depending on tier), a domain (~$12/year), security and backup plugins, and premium extensions ($29-299/year each). At scale, total WooCommerce cost often reaches $100-300/month — comparable to mid-tier Shopify or BigCommerce.
Quick answers
More than a rename. Standard, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise became Core, Growth, Scale, and Performance — but the GMV thresholds that decide your plan were also cut: Core's cap fell from $50K to $30K/year, and Growth's from $180K to $100K/year. Scale's old $400K/year fixed cap was replaced with a $33,333/month threshold plus a 0.9% overage fee. A new Open Payment Provider fee (2%/1%/0.6% by tier) is now live on orders through non-preferred payment gateways. Base subscription prices ($39/$105/$399) are unchanged.
Agentic is a new $0/month Shopify plan that sells your product catalog through AI shopping assistants — ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, and the Shop app — without a traditional storefront. You pay only per completed sale, making it a zero-upfront-cost way to test AI-assistant commerce alongside or instead of a full store.
Not entirely anymore. As of June 1, 2026, BigCommerce charges an Open Payment Provider fee — 2% (Core), 1% (Growth), or 0.6% (Scale) — on any order processed through a payment gateway not on its preferred Embedded Payment Providers list. Contracted Performance (Enterprise) customers are typically exempt. If you use one of BigCommerce's preferred gateways, you can still avoid this fee entirely.
The WooCommerce plugin itself is free to download and install, with no platform transaction fees and no revenue caps of any kind. However, you need WordPress hosting ($10-250/month depending on quality tier), a domain name (~$12/year), and often paid extensions. A realistic budget for a growing store is $30-150/month including hosting and a few paid plugins.
If you're near $30K, $100K, or $33,333/month in GMV on BigCommerce, re-run your numbers against the new June 2026 thresholds before your next billing cycle — you may auto-upgrade sooner than expected. If the forced-upgrade math doesn't work for your margins, Shopify (no revenue caps at all) or WooCommerce (no caps, no platform fees) are both worth comparing directly against your specific GMV trajectory.
Ready to build your online store?
Shopify offers a 3-day trial then $1/month for 3 months. BigCommerce has a 15-day free trial. WooCommerce is free to install on any WordPress site.