BigCommerce vs. Shopify: Which eCommerce Platform is Right for Malaysian Businesses?

When it comes to choosing an eCommerce platform, Malaysian businesses have a range of options to consider. Two of the most popular platforms available today are BigCommerce and Shopify. As the leading BigCommerce partner in Malaysia, we understand the unique needs of Malaysian businesses and the importance of choosing the right platform for your specific needs.

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Overview of BigCommerce and Shopify

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BigCommerce and Shopify are two of the most popular eCommerce platforms available to businesses today. Both platforms offer businesses the ability to create and manage online stores, and both provide a range of features and functionalities to help businesses sell products online. 

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BigCommerce is a feature-rich platform that offers a range of powerful tools for eCommerce businesses, including a flexible shipping and tax calculator, a robust product management system, and a range of marketing and promotional tools. 

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Shopify, on the other hand, is a more streamlined platform that is easy to use and set up, and it offers a large selection of third-party apps to extend its functionality. 

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Ultimately, the choice between BigCommerce and Shopify will depend on the specific needs and requirements of a given business, but both platforms are strong options for eCommerce businesses looking to expand their online presence.

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Features and Functionality

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When it comes to features and functionality, both BigCommerce and Shopify offer a range of powerful tools for eCommerce businesses. 

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Product Management

One of the most important features of any eCommerce platform is the ability to manage products. BigCommerce offers a robust product management system that allows businesses to easily create, edit, and organize their products. It offers a range of features, including bulk product import and export, product variants, and product rules. 

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Shopify also offers a product management system, but it is more streamlined than Bigcommerce. It does offer some advanced features, such as product variants and product rules, but it lacks the bulk product import and export capabilities of BigCommerce.

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Payment Processing

Payment processing is critical for any eCommerce business, and both BigCommerce and Shopify offer a range of payment options. BigCommerce supports a range of payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Square. 

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It also supports offline payment methods, such as bank transfers and cash on delivery. Shopify also supports a range of payment gateways, including PayPal and Stripe, and it offers its own payment gateway, Shopify Payments. However, it charges an additional fee for using third-party payment gateways.

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Shipping and Fulfillment

Shipping and fulfillment are key components of any eCommerce business, and both BigCommerce and Shopify offer a range of shipping and fulfillment options. BigCommerce offers a flexible shipping and tax calculator that allows businesses to calculate shipping costs based on weight, location, and other factors. 

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It also offers real-time carrier rates, which means that businesses can show accurate shipping costs to customers during checkout. Shopify also offers a shipping calculator, but it is less flexible than BigCommerce. However, it does offer a range of third-party apps that can extend its functionality.

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Marketing and Promotion

Marketing and promotion are critical for any eCommerce business, and both BigCommerce and Shopify offer a range of tools to help businesses market and promote their products. 

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BigCommerce offers a range of built-in marketing tools, including abandoned cart recovery, customer segmentation, and email marketing. It also offers a range of promotional tools, including discounts, coupons, and gift cards.

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Shopify also offers a range of marketing and promotional tools, but it relies more heavily on third-party apps to extend its functionality.

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Pricing and Cost

One of the most important factors for Malaysian businesses when choosing an eCommerce platform is the cost. Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer a range of pricing plans to suit different business needs. 

BigCommerce Pricing

BigCommerce offers a range of pricing plans to suit different business needs. The plans are categorized into three tiers: Standard, Plus, and Pro. The Standard plan starts at $29.95 per month and offers a range of features, including unlimited products, storage, and bandwidth, as well as a powerful product management system and a flexible shipping and tax calculator. The Plus plan starts at $79.95 per month and adds features such as abandoned cart saver, customer groups, and product filtering. The Pro plan starts at $299.95 per month and offers advanced features, including custom SSL, Google customer reviews, and faceted search.

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Shopify Pricing

Shopify also offers a range of pricing plans, which are categorized into three tiers: Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify. The Basic Shopify plan starts at $29 per month and offers features such as unlimited products, storage, and bandwidth, as well as a website builder, product management, and shipping management. The Shopify plan starts at $79 per month and adds features such as gift cards, professional reports, and abandoned cart recovery. The Advanced Shopify plan starts at $299 per month and offers advanced features, including third-party calculated shipping rates, advanced report builder, and custom reports.

Additional Costs

In addition to the monthly subscription costs, both BigCommerce and Shopify charge transaction fees on each sale made through their platforms. BigCommerce charges a transaction fee of 1.5% for all plans, but this can be waived if businesses use one of BigCommerce's payment partners, such as PayPal or Square. Shopify's transaction fees vary depending on the pricing plan, ranging from 2.0% for the Basic Shopify plan to 0.5% for the Advanced Shopify plan.

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Design and Customization

When it comes to design and customization, both BigCommerce and Shopify offer a range of options. 

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Customizable Themes and Templates

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Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer a range of customizable themes and templates that businesses can use to build their online store. BigCommerce offers over 100 themes, each with a range of customization options, including color schemes, fonts, and layouts. Shopify also offers a large selection of customizable themes, but it's worth noting that many of these themes are paid options, and the free themes have fewer customization options.

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Drag-and-Drop Page Builder

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BigCommerce has a powerful drag-and-drop page builder that makes it easy to create custom pages for your online store. With the page builder, you can add and arrange different elements, including text, images, and product listings, to create a unique layout. Shopify also has a drag-and-drop page builder, but it's not as advanced as BigCommerce. Shopify's page builder is simple and intuitive, making it easy for beginners to use, but it has fewer customization options than BigCommerce's.

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Advanced Customization Options

For businesses that require more advanced customization options, BigCommerce is the better choice. BigCommerce has a flexible, open architecture that allows businesses to customize their online store to meet their specific needs. With BigCommerce, businesses can customize everything from the checkout process to the product catalog. Shopify, on the other hand, is a more closed system, and businesses have fewer options for advanced customization.

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Third-Party Apps

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Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer a range of third-party apps that businesses can use to extend the functionality of their online store. Shopify has a larger selection of apps than BigCommerce, but many of these apps are paid options. BigCommerce has a smaller selection of apps, but many of the most popular apps are free. It's worth noting that many of the third-party apps for both platforms offer additional design and customization options.

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Payment and Shipping Options

Payment and shipping options are critical for eCommerce businesses. Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer a range of payment and shipping options. 

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Payment Options

BigCommerce and Shopify both offer a range of payment options, including credit cards, PayPal, and other third-party payment gateways. BigCommerce has more built-in payment options than Shopify, including support for PayPal, Stripe, and Square. BigCommerce also offers a seamless checkout process that allows customers to complete transactions quickly and efficiently. Shopify also offers a range of payment options, but it relies heavily on third-party apps to extend its functionality. Shopify's checkout process is also streamlined and efficient, making it easy for customers to complete transactions.

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Shipping Options

Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer a range of shipping options, including real-time carrier rates and a flexible shipping and tax calculator. BigCommerce's shipping options are more advanced than Shopify's, as it offers a range of carrier integrations, including UPS, FedEx, and DHL. 

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BigCommerce also provides more shipping and handling options, such as flat rate, weight-based, and item-based shipping. Shopify, on the other hand, relies heavily on third-party apps to provide additional shipping functionality. 

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However, Shopify does offer a range of shipping options, including free shipping, carrier-calculated shipping, and local delivery.

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Payment and Shipping Integration

Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer seamless integration between payment and shipping options. BigCommerce integrates with a range of payment gateways, making it easy for businesses to manage transactions and shipping from a single platform. 

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Shopify also integrates with a range of payment gateways and shipping carriers, and its app store offers a large selection of third-party apps that provide additional integration options.

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Security and Fraud Prevention

Security and fraud prevention are crucial for eCommerce businesses. Both BigCommerce and Shopify offer advanced security features, including SSL encryption and PCI compliance. BigCommerce offers additional security features, such as fraud detection and prevention tools, to help businesses protect themselves against fraudulent transactions. Shopify also provides fraud prevention tools and offers chargeback protection for eligible transactions.

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Conclusion

When it comes to choosing an eCommerce platform, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Malaysian businesses need to consider their specific needs and requirements to choose the right platform. For businesses that require more advanced features and functionality, BigCommerce may be the better choice. For businesses that value ease of use and a large selection of third-party apps, Shopify may be the better choice. At our BigCommerce partners in Malaysia, we are here to help businesses make the right choice and provide all BigCommerce services. Contact us today to learn more.

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