BigCommerce vs Magento for Singapore: A Complete Feature Comparison

BigCommerce vs Magento – it’s a showdown between two giants of the eCommerce realm. Both platforms are designed to help you set up and start selling through an online store, but how do you choose the right one for now and forever? Just comparing them to uncover their unique differences first.

A Quick Look at BigCommerce vs Magento

Magento is a robust, open-source eCommerce platform built using PHP. Known for its extensive range of features and a large library of extensions, Magento allows for significant customization to fit the specific needs of a business. This platform is ideal for handling complex online stores and is utilized by major brands like Samsung, Nike, and Coca-Cola.

BigCommerce, launched in 2009, serves small to large enterprises with its cloud-based eCommerce solutions. This platform supports over 60,000 merchants in more than 150 countries. Designed for businesses seeking rapid expansion, BigCommerce offers a comprehensive suite of features, including adaptable pricing plans that suit a variety of store sizes and operational needs.

BigCommerce vs Magento: A Head-to-head comparison

Ease of Use

Setting up a Magento store can be complex, involving tasks like installing the platform, configuring FTP access, and managing custom extensions. These steps often require support from certified developers or experienced Magento development agencies. While this level of control appeals to developers, it can pose a steep learning curve for beginners.

In contrast, BigCommerce offers a far more beginner-friendly experience. With a clean dashboard and step-by-step guidance, even non-technical users can easily manage their stores. The platform includes built-in marketing tools, integrated payment gateways, and over 100 easy-to-use add-ons. When comparing BigCommerce vs Magento, the former stands out for its accessibility and all-in-one feature set, especially for users seeking a quick and straightforward launch.

Read more: Top 10 BigCommerce Agencies in Singapore

Themes and Templates

Magento allows extensive customization, enabling you to create a store design exactly as imagined. 

Designing a theme from scratch in Magento website requires in-depth coding knowledge, but you can choose premium themes from ThemeForest or TemplateMonster to enhance your store’s aesthetics and functionality.

BigCommerce, on the other hand, offers free themes and many paid options that require less customization and are easy to design.

Extensions and Apps

Magento Partners come with various built-in features like integrated checkout, payment, shipping, and catalog management. It also supports over 5000+ third-party extensions, enhancing functionalities such as sales boosting and customer experience improvement.

BigCommerce also offers a wide range of built-in features that help store owners improve performance and reduce abandoned carts. It supports more than 600 apps with unique functionalities, including the popular MailChimp app for automatic product recommendations.

Support

Magento Open Source users primarily rely on community forums and third-party developers for assistance, while those using Magento Commerce or Magento Cloud Edition have access to official support channels, including live chat and email.

BigCommerce, on the other hand, offers 24/7 customer support through live chat, phone, email, and an extensive help center. Users can even schedule a 10-minute call with experts to discuss business strategy. When comparing BigCommerce vs Magento, BigCommerce clearly stands out for its readily accessible, around-the-clock support that caters to both technical and strategic needs.

Payment Methods

Magento supports PayPal and Braintree by default, with additional payment gateways available through Magento Connect. Adding payment gateways may incur extra charges.

BigCommerce Partners offer around 65 payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and Square, without transaction fees. Users only need to pay credit card rates, which decrease with higher-tier plans. Adding payment gateways is easy and can be done directly from the dashboard.

SEO Features

In terms of SEO capabilities, Magento offers numerous built-in functionalities and settings to optimize search engine visibility. It includes options for managing promotions, communication, and content.

As for BigCommerce, it has advanced SEO features like Microdata for improved search engine appearance and tools like SocialShop for posting promotions on social media platforms.

Read more: Top 10 Magento Agencies in Australia 2024

Security

Magento provides robust security features, including regular updates with critical security patches to address vulnerabilities. It supports advanced technologies such as Zend Framework, Composer, and SSL certificates, giving developers the flexibility to implement high-level security measures.

BigCommerce, meanwhile, is PCI Level 1 and ISO certified—ensuring secure, encrypted financial transactions. It offers both free and paid SSL certificates and includes built-in protections against unauthorized access. In the BigCommerce vs Magento comparison, both platforms prioritize security, but BigCommerce stands out for offering enterprise-grade protection out of the box with minimal setup required.

Scalability

Magento’s self-hosted nature gives users full control over server resources and configurations, making it highly scalable for businesses expecting rapid growth or high sales volume. Its flexibility allows developers to fine-tune performance to match increasing demand.

BigCommerce, by contrast, offers unlimited storage and bandwidth, with scalability built into its infrastructure. Businesses can easily scale by upgrading to higher-tier plans as their needs evolve. When evaluating BigCommerce vs Magento, Magento offers more customization for scaling, while BigCommerce provides a more streamlined, hassle-free path to growth through its managed environment.

Cost and Total Ownership

Licensing and Hosting Costs

When evaluating BigCommerce vs Magento, understanding the long-term cost implications is critical for Singaporean merchants.

• BigCommerce offers a monthly subscription model that includes hosting, security, and maintenance. Pricing is tiered based on features and sales volume, making it predictable and easier to budget for small to mid-sized businesses.
• Magento (open-source) is free to use, but requires businesses to handle their own hosting, development, and upgrades. Adobe Commerce (Magento’s enterprise version) comes with a licensing fee based on gross merchandise volume (GMV) and includes Adobe’s managed cloud infrastructure. This can lead to higher upfront costs, especially when paired with customization needs.

Development and Maintenance

Platform complexity and internal capabilities heavily influence your total cost of ownership.

• BigCommerce is a SaaS solution, which means most of the technical heavy lifting—like security patches, uptime monitoring, and server maintenance—is managed by BigCommerce. This reduces the need for a dedicated development team and results in lower ongoing costs.
• Magento, while powerful, involves higher development and maintenance overhead. Businesses typically work with in-house developers or eCommerce agencies to manage code updates, security patches, and feature enhancements. However, this investment pays off for enterprises that require advanced customization, multi-store capabilities, or deep system integrations.

Which Platform Is Better for Singaporean Merchants?

The right choice between BigCommerce vs Magento ultimately depends on your business goals, technical resources, and scalability needs within Singapore’s digital ecosystem.

Choose BigCommerce if:

• You want a faster time-to-market with a fully managed SaaS environment.
• Your business prefers lower upfront development costs and fewer IT requirements.
• You operate a B2C store or a straightforward B2B model and value ease of use.
• You’re looking for a platform with built-in features, scalable pricing, and strong local integrations (e.g., payment gateways and shipping providers).

Choose Magento if:

• You require deep customization, unique user journeys, or tailored workflows.
• Your business operates across multiple storefronts or regions, and you need advanced multi-language and multi-currency capabilities.
• You have access to technical support or an experienced eCommerce agency.
• You plan to invest in long-term growth and want the flexibility to adapt your infrastructure at scale.

Why SmartOSC Helps Singaporean Brands Succeed on Both Platforms

SmartOSC is uniquely positioned to guide Singaporean businesses through successful digital commerce implementations—whether you choose BigCommerce or Magento. As a certified partner of both Adobe Commerce (Magento) and BigCommerce, SmartOSC brings platform-agnostic expertise that aligns with your business model and growth trajectory.

With a proven track record across Southeast Asia, SmartOSC has delivered scalable solutions for leading brands in retail, fashion, electronics, B2B, and omnichannel commerce. Their in-depth knowledge of Singapore’s market ensures seamless platform localization, including support for Singapore dollar (SGD), GST compliance, last-mile logistics integrations, and PDPA-aligned data practices.

SmartOSC delivers comprehensive end-to-end services, including UX/UI design, business consulting, custom development, third-party integrations (ERP, CRM, POS), performance optimization, and continuous post-launch support. Whether you’re launching your first online store or scaling a complex, multi-region commerce ecosystem, SmartOSC ensures your implementation is seamless, secure, and built for long-term success. For businesses comparing BigCommerce vs Magento, SmartOSC brings the technical expertise and strategic insight needed to choose and execute the right platform based on your unique goals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, choosing between BigCommerce vs Magento depends on your specific needs and expertise. BigCommerce is ideal for beginners and those seeking ease of use, while Magento is better suited for those requiring extensive customization and scalability. And you know what? SmartOSC is a trusted partner of both. So reach out to us today, and we’ll provide innovative solutions and expert guidance for your eCommerce success. We can even help with Magento to BigCommerce migration for better functionality, scalability, or user-friendliness.

Source: https://www.smartosc.com/bigcommerce-vs-magento-featuers-comparisons-for-singapore/