BigCommercevsStrikingly

Features Compared

BigCommerce and Strikingly serve fundamentally different use cases, and their feature sets reflect that divide. BigCommerce is built as an enterprise-grade e-commerce platform with multi-channel selling capabilities, headless commerce API support, and built-in SEO tools. It excels when businesses need to sell across multiple channels simultaneously and require sophisticated features like faceted search. Strikingly, by contrast, is a single-page website builder optimized for portfolios, landing pages, and personal sites. Its strength lies in immediate visual polish and beginner accessibility rather than complex commerce functionality.

Where BigCommerce differentiates itself is in transaction fee elimination—a significant cost advantage for high-volume sellers—and its headless commerce API, which allows developers to build custom storefronts. Strikingly's unique selling point is its single-page scroll format, which automatically optimizes for mobile and produces professional-looking sites with minimal effort. However, this same single-page constraint is also Strikingly's limitation for larger businesses needing multiple product categories and detailed content hierarchies. E-commerce on Strikingly remains basic, available only on Pro plans, while BigCommerce treats e-commerce as its core competency with comprehensive product management, inventory control, and multi-channel distribution out of the box.

Pricing & Value

BigCommerce starts at $39 per month and charges no transaction fees regardless of plan, making it cost-predictable for merchants. Strikingly offers a free tier that is genuinely usable, with paid tiers for those needing e-commerce or advanced features. The pricing strategy reveals the intended audience: BigCommerce targets growing businesses that need reliable scaling and cost transparency, while Strikingly attracts freelancers, creators, and small personal brands with minimal budgets.

• BigCommerce: $39/month minimum with zero transaction fees on all plans—ideal for merchants prioritizing predictable costs and avoiding percentage-based fees
• Strikingly: Free tier available with no credit card required—best for bootstrappers, portfolios, and creators testing an online presence
• BigCommerce: No annual sales limits on entry plans—transparent growth path for expanding businesses
• Strikingly: E-commerce features unlock on Pro tier—costs scale only when you need selling functionality

Ease of Use & Onboarding

Strikingly is explicitly designed as the easiest website builder for beginners. Its single-page format and automated mobile optimization mean users see professional results immediately, regardless of design experience. BigCommerce, by contrast, has a steeper learning curve. While it offers powerful multi-channel selling and headless commerce capabilities, these features require more technical knowledge and setup time. BigCommerce rewards users willing to invest in learning; Strikingly rewards users who want to launch fast. Teams with design or development resources will navigate BigCommerce more easily, while solo entrepreneurs and non-technical creators will find Strikingly's interface far more approachable.

Integration & Ecosystem

BigCommerce's headless commerce API and multi-channel selling features position it as a hub within larger ecommerce ecosystems. It can integrate with external systems, third-party marketplaces, and custom storefronts—valuable for businesses managing sales across multiple platforms simultaneously. Strikingly, as a closed-loop website builder, has fewer integration options and is primarily self-contained. It includes blog functionality and a simple online store but lacks the extensibility and third-party marketplace connections that BigCommerce provides. For businesses already invested in third-party tools or needing API access, BigCommerce offers far greater ecosystem flexibility.

Who Should Choose BigCommerce?

Choose BigCommerce if you are a growing e-commerce business, a team managing multiple sales channels (online store, marketplace, social commerce), or a merchant selling high-volume products where transaction fees would erode margins. It is ideal for companies with annual sales likely to increase, who need SEO strength and faceted search to organize large product catalogs, or who require a custom storefront built on headless commerce APIs. BigCommerce is also the right choice for businesses that have outgrown Shopify's feature set or want to avoid paying percentage-based transaction fees. Expect to invest time in onboarding, but the payoff comes in powerful, scalable infrastructure and predictable costs.

Who Should Choose Strikingly?

Choose Strikingly if you are a freelancer, artist, consultant, or personal brand building a portfolio or landing page. It is perfect for creators who want to launch a professional-looking site in minutes without design or code knowledge, and for small businesses testing e-commerce without significant upfront investment. Strikingly excels when your content fits a single-page format and when you prioritize speed of launch over feature complexity. Use it if you need a blog, simple online store for a handful of products, or a conversion-focused landing page. If you are non-technical, budget-constrained, and want your site to look polished immediately, Strikingly removes friction. It is not suitable for multi-channel selling, complex product hierarchies, or businesses needing deep integrations with external tools.