BigCommerce is a hosted (SaaS) e-commerce platform used by brands, retailers and B2B companies that want enterprise features without managing servers. In 2025 its parent company rebranded as Commerce (Commerce.com), with BigCommerce continuing as the e-commerce platform brand. This guide covers what BigCommerce development involves, when the platform is a good fit, how a typical project runs, and what to look for in a development partner.
What is BigCommerce?
BigCommerce provides hosting, security, checkout, catalog management and core commerce features out of the box. You customize the storefront and extend functionality through themes, apps and APIs, rather than maintaining your own commerce software.
Key features of BigCommerce
- Built-in commerce features: product variants, promotions, tax, shipping and multi-currency support without many paid add-ons.
- Open APIs: REST and GraphQL APIs for catalogs, orders, customers and checkout.
- Headless commerce: use BigCommerce as the back end with a custom front end (for example Next.js), or connect it to a CMS.
- Multi-storefront: run several brands or regional stores from one account.
- B2B capabilities: company accounts, price lists, quotes and purchase orders for wholesale buyers.
- Payments flexibility: support for many payment gateways.
- Hosted and secure: uptime, PCI compliance and platform updates handled by BigCommerce.
When is BigCommerce a good fit?
- Growing mid-market and enterprise brands that want SaaS simplicity with more flexibility than basic store builders.
- B2B and B2B2C businesses that need wholesale features alongside direct-to-consumer.
- Companies planning a headless or composable architecture.
- Merchants running multiple storefronts or international stores.
Comparing platforms? See our guide to Shopify vs. WooCommerce vs. BigCommerce and five reasons to build on BigCommerce.
The BigCommerce development process
- Discovery: business goals, catalog structure, integrations, SEO and migration requirements.
- UX and design: wireframes and designs for key pages: home, category, product, cart and checkout.
- Theme or headless build: customize a Stencil theme, or build a headless front end connected through APIs.
- Integrations: ERP, inventory, PIM, CRM, shipping, tax and marketing tools.
- Data migration: products, customers, orders and URL redirects from your old platform.
- Testing: performance, mobile, checkout, payments and accessibility.
- Launch and optimization: go-live, monitoring, conversion optimization and ongoing updates.
Common BigCommerce integrations
- ERP and accounting: sync orders, inventory and invoices.
- PIM: manage rich product data across channels.
- Marketplaces and social: sell on marketplaces and social channels from one catalog.
- Marketing and CRM: email, loyalty, reviews and customer data platforms.
- Search and personalization: AI-powered search and product recommendations.
Optimizing a BigCommerce store
- Speed: optimize images, scripts and theme code for fast page loads.
- SEO: clean URLs, structured data, redirects and unique product content.
- Conversion: streamlined checkout, trust signals and clear shipping information.
- Accessibility: WCAG-aligned design for all users.
- Analytics: track the full funnel so you can improve with data.
How much does BigCommerce development cost?
Costs depend on design complexity, integrations, migration and whether you go headless. A theme-based store costs far less than a custom headless build with ERP integration. See our e-commerce development cost guide for typical ranges and cost drivers.
How to choose a BigCommerce developer
- Portfolio of live BigCommerce stores in your industry.
- Experience with both Stencil themes and headless builds.
- Integration and migration experience with your systems.
- A clear process for SEO preservation during migration.
- Post-launch support and optimization services.
How Scadea helps
Scadea designs, builds and integrates e-commerce stores on BigCommerce, Shopify, WooCommerce and Adobe Commerce (Magento), including headless storefronts, ERP integrations and platform migrations. Learn more about our work in e-commerce and retail.
Frequently asked questions
Is BigCommerce good for B2B?
Yes. BigCommerce includes B2B features such as company accounts, customer-specific pricing, quotes and purchase orders.
Can BigCommerce be used headless?
Yes. Its APIs let you use BigCommerce as the commerce engine behind a custom front end or CMS.
How long does a BigCommerce build take?
A theme-based store typically takes 6–12 weeks; complex headless or B2B builds with integrations can take 3–6 months.
Planning a BigCommerce store or migration? Talk to Scadea’s e-commerce team.
