BigCommerce vs Shopify: Cost and Fees Calculator
Enter your volumes to compare estimated monthly costs and fees for BigCommerce and Shopify across the selling types both offer, using published US pricing.
Selling online (eCommerce)
Estimates combine processing fees and monthly subscriptions on the plans noted above. One-time hardware, setup, and add-ons are excluded. Rates are published or typical US pricing as of mid-2026 and may have changed.
How the BigCommerce vs Shopify calculator works, and how the two compare
BigCommerce is a hosted eCommerce platform pitched at growing and B2B merchants, with zero platform transaction fees on every plan. BigCommerce Standard is $39 per month with no platform transaction fee on any gateway; its default processing via PayPal powered by Braintree runs 2.59% + $0.49, and plans carry annual revenue caps. Shopify is the leading dedicated eCommerce platform in the US, which also sells in person through Shopify POS. Shopify Basic is $39 per month at 2.9% + $0.30 online with Shopify Payments (Grow $105 at 2.7% + $0.30); in-person processing is 2.6% + $0.10 with POS Lite included in every plan, and POS Pro adds $89 per month per location.
How they are similar: Where they overlap: both BigCommerce and Shopify cover selling online, which is what this calculator compares. They also share the same commercial model: both operate as a subscription platform where you pay a monthly plan plus payment processing. In both cases the bill is driven by a percentage of each sale plus any fixed per-transaction fee, which is why your average transaction size changes the effective rate as much as the headline percentage does.
How they differ: Only Shopify offers in-person card readers and a full POS system, so that side of the business is not part of this comparison. BigCommerce's zero-transaction-fee policy on any processor is its calling card, along with strong native B2B features, though its app and theme ecosystem is smaller than Shopify's. Shopify's strength is depth and ecosystem: the largest app store in commerce and true omnichannel selling, but third-party gateways trigger an extra 0.6% to 2% fee and app costs creep up at scale.
Assumptions used in this calculator
- BigCommerce is modeled on: Standard $39 per month, 0% platform fee, 2.59% + $0.49 via PayPal powered by Braintree.
- Shopify is modeled on: Basic $39 per month, 2.9% + $0.30 online with Shopify Payments.
- Rates are published or typical US pricing as of mid-2026 and change often; quote-based providers are modeled at representative rates. Always confirm current pricing with the provider.
- One-time hardware, setup, add-on apps, keyed-in transactions, international cards, and chargeback fees are excluded from the monthly figures.