BigCommerce: SaaS platform with extensive APIs and strong B2B capabilities

What is BigCommerce?

An e-commerce platform provides commerce logic, checkout, inventory. BigCommerce is a SaaS solution (you don't need to host anything yourself) with two faces: standard B2C shops run like Shopify ("here's your theme, here's your dashboard"), but you can also use the REST/GraphQL APIs for headless architectures and B2B environments. It is less flexible than Commercetools, but much more flexible than standard Shopify.

What makes BigCommerce different?

Larger API surface than Shopify, but not pure MACH. BigCommerce advertises "API-first" and MACH alignment, but technically it is still a monolith with API openings. This is not bad – it means you have enough control for headless, B2B and multi-channel – but you are still bound to BigCommerce's data model and release cycle.

Native B2B is BigCommerce's strong point. B2B Edition (aimed at wholesale, resellers, complex pricing models) is more mature than Shopify Plus B2B. Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ), multi-company hierarchies, advanced permissioning – this is real B2B functionality that many retailers need.

Dutch attention has decreased. BigCommerce invested heavily in the Dutch and European market years ago, but focus seems to have shifted to the US. This makes it less "top-of-mind" in the Netherlands than Shopify, but the platform itself is solid.

Strengths.

B2B functionality is mature – Multi-company accounts, CPQ (Configure-Price-Quote), bulk ordering, advanced permissioning natively built-in.

GraphQL Storefront API – Full headless capability. You can build your own frontend without Shopify theming restrictions.

Both REST + GraphQL available – Developers have a choice. REST for simple, GraphQL for complex queries.

Mid-market sweet spot – Less expensive than Commercetools, more flexible than Shopify, reasonable balance.

Who uses BigCommerce?

BigCommerce serves retailers from small to large. Well-known users include:

Puma – Sports brand, uses BigCommerce Enterprise for omnichannel e-commerce.

Ben & Jerry's – Ice cream brand, consumer B2C and wholesale operations.

Gibson – Guitar manufacturer, B2B partnerships and DTC via BigCommerce.

Toyota – Automotive, parts B2B commerce.

PROS + BigCommerce partnership – Announced strategic partnership to serve B2B digital commerce (2025).

Our vision.

BigCommerce is, in our experience, a solid choice for mid-market companies that find Shopify too limited but are not yet ready for Commercetools' complexity. B2B capabilities are genuinely impressive. The platform is maturing rapidly. It depends on your specific scenario:

Suitable for

B2B-focused retailers – Configure-Price-Quote, multi-company hierarchies, permissioning are really well implemented

Multi-channel retailers – REST/GraphQL APIs make headless (own frontend) feasible

Companies wanting faster than Commercetools, more flexibility than Shopify – BigCommerce sits nicely in the middle

International companies – Multi-currency, multi-language, multi-compliance well supported

Note upon

Less "echo" in the Netherlands – Shopify and Commercetools have more mindshare here. Support/partners less close by.

Monolith with API layer, not purely composable – You cannot expect the same flexibility as Commercetools. Data model, release cycle – you are bound.

Headless is good, but not like Commercetools – You build frontend yourself, but backend is still "BigCommerce". Customizations are harder.

Pricing scale problem – Self-service plans are cheap (€29-254), but enterprise can quickly become €50k+/month. Monitor your usage.

Is BigCommerce suitable for enterprise?

Yes, but with nuances. BigCommerce Enterprise is suitable for €10-500M turnover companies. For Fortune 500 hyper-complex multi-brand environments: Commercetools is better. For single-brand or dual-brand enterprise with good B2B requirements: BigCommerce is genuinely usable.

Summary: BigCommerce is the "Porsche" between Shopify (Volkswagen) and Commercetools (Formula 1 race car). Significantly more power than Shopify, not as overwhelming as Commercetools. B2B capabilities are genuinely strong. Risk: Dutch mindshare is low; you have fewer local experts than with Shopify.

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In practice.

Integrations & ecosystem

BigCommerce integrates with:

Payments: Stripe, Square, Amazon Pay, Klarna, Adyen, local gateways

Fulfillment: ShipBob, custom WMS via API

CMS: Headless CMS via GraphQL/REST (Contentful, Sanity, etc)

ERP/OMS: SAP, NetSuite, Oracle – custom via API

Analytics: Google Analytics 4, Segment, custom data pipelines

PIM: Akeneo, Salsify, custom via API

Accounting: Quickbooks, Xero integrations

BigCommerce Marketplace contains 300+ apps (fewer than Shopify's 5000+), but core use cases are covered. APIs are powerful enough for custom builds.

Implementation

Timeline: Self-service small plans: 2-4 weeks. BigCommerce Enterprise with custom development: 3-6 months.

Learning curve: Moderate. Standard dashboard is intuitive (comparable to Shopify). Headless/GraphQL development requires developer skills. Not as steep as Commercetools, not as easy as Shopify.

What to expect: Quick setup of basic shop (1-2 weeks). Custom frontend development if going headless (4-12 weeks). B2B configuration (2-4 weeks). Total: 3-6 months for mid-market enterprise.

Support & community

Support: Self-service tiers get email support. Enterprise gets dedicated account managers and 24/7 phone support.

Community: Smaller than Shopify. BigCommerce Developers forum, API documentation reasonably good, fewer third-party tutorials than Shopify.

Documentation: Solid. API docs are clear; B2B documentation is detailed. Tutorials are available but not as extensive as Shopify.

AI & further development

Current: BigCommerce AI assistant helps with product descriptions (nascent). B2B CPQ and permissioning receive attention in roadmap.

Roadmap: Focus on B2B maturation, headless improvement, AI product tools. BigCommerce has been an acquisition target (Permira ownership) – investments continue toward enterprise.

Compare with alternatives.

How does BigCommerce compare to Shopify?

BigCommerce offers more flexibility (GraphQL/REST headless, B2B) than Shopify Plus, but less complete API control than Commercetools. Shopify is faster to market and has a larger app ecosystem. BigCommerce wins on B2B capabilities and headless maturity. For pure B2C startups: Shopify. For B2B or complex multi-channel: BigCommerce. For hyper-flexible enterprise: Commercetools.

See also our analyses of other solutions:

Shopify – SaaS all-in-one, faster to market, less API surface

Commercetools – Fully API-first, maximum flexibility, more complex implementation

Frequently asked questions.

What is the difference between BigCommerce Standard and Enterprise?

Standard plans (€29-254/month) are for shops up to ~€2M GMV. Enterprise is custom-priced for larger operations, with dedicated support and custom features.

Is BigCommerce really API-first?

Partially. You can go headless via GraphQL/REST, but it is not purely API-first like Commercetools. It is a monolith with strong API surface.

How good is B2B on BigCommerce?

Excellent. B2B Edition natively supports multi-company accounts, CPQ, permissioning, custom pricing. Real B2B, not an afterthought.

Can I use BigCommerce for headless commerce?

Yes. GraphQL Storefront API is good for custom frontends (React, Vue, etc). Not as pure as Commercetools, but genuinely usable.

What about support in the Netherlands?

BigCommerce's Dutch presence has decreased. Fewer local experts than Shopify. International support is reliable, but timezone differences.

What does BigCommerce Enterprise cost?

Depends on your turnover, GMV, custom features. Typically €5k-50k+/month. Request quote from sales.

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