If you're thinking about switching from BigCommerce to Shopify, you’re not alone. Shopify has become a go-to e-commerce platform for a reason—it’s easier to use, more flexible, and packed with features that make running an online store a breeze. Whether you're looking for better customization, lower maintenance, or improved scalability, Shopify has a lot to offer.
But let’s be real—migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify isn’t just a simple click-and-done process. If you don’t do it right, you could end up with missing product data, broken URLs, lost customer information, and even a drop in your SEO rankings. And nobody wants that.
Why Migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify?
So, you’re thinking about moving from BigCommerce to Shopify, but you’re not sure if it’s worth the effort. I get it—switching platforms can feel overwhelming. But if you’re looking for something easier to use, more flexible, and better suited for growth, Shopify is often the better choice. Let’s break down why.
Key Differences Between BigCommerce and Shopify
First, Shopify is much more beginner-friendly. BigCommerce requires some technical knowledge, especially when it comes to customizing themes and managing integrations. Shopify, on the other hand, offers an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, making store setup and design much easier—even for non-tech experts.
When it comes to customization, Shopify gives you more themes and design flexibility. BigCommerce has fewer themes, and making changes often requires editing code. Shopify’s theme system is much more user-friendly, and you can tweak designs without touching a single line of code.
Payment options are another big factor. BigCommerce doesn’t charge transaction fees, but it limits your choice of payment gateways. Shopify supports over 100 payment providers, including PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, and many others.
Shopify also wins in the app department. With an app store of over 8,000+ integrations, you can easily add marketing tools, SEO enhancements, inventory management, and more. BigCommerce’s app selection is much smaller, so you might find yourself limited when trying to expand your store’s capabilities.
Let’s also discuss SEO and marketing. While BigCommerce has solid SEO features, Shopify has better built-in marketing tools and stronger SEO apps to help improve your rankings and drive traffic to your store.
Finally, there’s pricing and scalability. BigCommerce can get expensive as you grow, and its pricing scales based on your revenue. Shopify’s pricing structure is generally more manageable, making it a more cost-effective choice for businesses looking to expand.
Common Reasons for Switching to Shopify
You’re considering the idea of making the switch from BigCommerce to Shopify—and you're probably asking yourself, "Why are so many business owners choosing to move from BigCommerce to Shopify in the first place?"
There are plenty of platforms to choose from when you’re starting or scaling your online business, but Shopify stands out for several solid reasons. No need to dive into complicated tech-speak, though. Let’s break it down in simple terms—just the important stuff that shows why Shopify is often the better choice for entrepreneurs like you.
So, why do people leave BigCommerce behind? It's not that BigCommerce is a bad option—it’s just that Shopify has better features, more flexibility, and fewer technical headaches. I’ll walk you through the real reasons why people make the move. You’ll see that for many store owners, Shopify just makes more sense
1. Shopify Makes Customization a Breeze
Want a beautiful store without touching a single line of code? Shopify’s drag-and-drop builder makes that easy. While BigCommerce does offer customization, many advanced edits require coding knowledge. If you’re not a developer (or don’t want to hire one), Shopify lets you build and tweak your site with zero stress.
2. Less Maintenance, Less Headache
With Shopify, you don’t have to worry about hosting, security, or software updates—they handle all that for you. BigCommerce, on the other hand, requires more hands-on technical management. If you’d rather spend time growing your business instead of dealing with backend issues, Shopify takes that burden off your plate.
3. Built for Growth and Performance
Shopify is designed to handle high-traffic stores without slowing down. As businesses grow, some BigCommerce users start running into performance limitations, making it harder to scale efficiently. Shopify’s robust infrastructure ensures your store runs smoothly, whether you're just starting or scaling to thousands of orders per day.
4. Shopify’s SEO & Marketing Tools Are a Game Changer
If you care about getting found on Google, Shopify has a clear edge. It comes with better blogging features, stronger SEO tools, and seamless marketing integrations (like email campaigns and automation). While BigCommerce does have SEO capabilities, Shopify makes it simpler to optimize your store and attract more customers organically.
5. More Payment Options = More Sales
Shopify integrates with over 100 payment gateways, including Shopify Payments (which has lower fees). BigCommerce, on the other hand, restricts certain gateways and doesn’t offer the same flexibility. More payment options mean fewer abandoned carts and more happy customers.
6. The Shopify App Store is HUGE
With over 8,000 apps, Shopify’s app ecosystem lets you add new features in just a few clicks—whether that’s upselling tools, analytics dashboards, or AI-powered customer support. While BigCommerce has apps, to, Shopify’s selection is significantly larger, giving you more options to customize and enhance your store.
Preparing Your BigCommerce for Your Shopify Migration
Properly preparing your store is crucial to ensure everything goes smoothly during your migration from BigCommerce to Shopify. Taking the time to plan will help you avoid issues like data loss and drops in SEO rankings.
What to Consider Before Migrating
Migrating your store requires some careful thought. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
Data Migration ChallengesNot all of your data will transfer automatically. You’ll need to manually move important details, such as product variations, customer information, and order history. Double-check everything after the transfer to ensure everything is correct.
Theme & Design CompatibilityShopify and BigCommerce have different themes, so your old theme won’t transfer to Shopify. You'll need to choose a new theme that suits your brand and ensure it looks great and provides a good experience for your customers.
Apps & IntegrationsSome of the apps you use on BigCommerce may not have an exact match on Shopify. It’s important to research and find Shopify alternatives for the tools and features you rely on. This will make sure your store continues to run smoothly after the migration.
Potential DowntimeYour store might experience some downtime during the migration process. Plan it for times when there’s less traffic to minimize any disruptions.
Backing Up Your BigCommerce Store
Before you dive into the migration process, it's essential to back up your BigCommerce store. Think of this step as a safety net—it ensures that if something goes wrong, you can always restore your data. Here's how you can do it:
Export Your Product DataHead over to the BigCommerce Admin section, then go to Products → Export. This will allow you to download all your product information in a CSV format. It’s a simple process, but make sure you’ve got everything you need—product names, descriptions, prices, and images should all be included in the export.
Download Your Customer and Order DataYou don’t want to lose track of your customers and their purchase history! Go to Customers → Export and Orders → Export in your admin panel. This will ensure that all your customer details and past order information are safely backed up. Again, save these as CSV files for easy access later on.
Backup Your Blog Posts and ReviewsIf you’ve been running a blog on BigCommerce, make sure to copy and save your content. Unfortunately, blog posts won’t automatically transfer when you migrate, so this is something you’ll need to do manually. You can simply copy the content into a text document or even use a website scraper if you prefer to preserve the formatting.
Choosing the Right Shopify Plan
The Shopify plan you choose is key to meeting your store's needs and growth. Here’s a breakdown of the most popular plans:
Basic Shopify – At $39/month, this plan is perfect for small businesses or startups just beginning their eCommerce journey. It provides all the essentials without unnecessary features.
Shopify – For $105/month, this plan is great for growing businesses that need additional tools like advanced reporting and gift cards to scale up.
Advanced Shopify – At $399/month, this plan is designed for large-scale e-commerce stores that need powerful features like advanced reporting and the ability to manage higher order volumes.
Step-by-Step Guide to Migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify
Now that you’ve got everything ready, it’s time to dive into the actual migration from BigCommerce to Shopify. I know it can feel like a big task, but don't worry—I'm here to guide you through each step, from setting up your Shopify store to transferring your data and keeping your SEO intact. Let’s break it down so it’s easy to follow.
Step 1: Set Up Your Shopify Store
The very first thing you need to do in this process is create your Shopify store. If you haven’t already, no worries—let's get you set up. Here’s what you need to do:
Sign Up for ShopifyHead over to Shopify's website and start a free 3-day trial. You don’t need to commit just yet, but this will give you the chance to get a feel for how everything works.
Enter Your Business InformationOnce you're signed up, you'll be asked to fill in some basic details about your store—stuff like your store name, email, and business details. Make sure to use your real business info here since it’ll help with things like payments, taxes, and shipping later.
Set Up Basic SettingsNow, you’ll want to head to Settings → General and configure a few important things:
Currency: Choose the currency you want to use for your store.
Language: Make sure it matches your target audience's preferred language.
Store Policies: It’s a good idea to set up your store policies here—things like refund and privacy policies. Shopify has default templates you can adjust to fit your needs.
Step 2: Importing Your BigCommerce Data
Migrating your data is the most crucial part of the whole process. After all, it’s not just about moving your products—it’s about keeping your customers, orders, and reviews intact, too! There are a few different ways to move this data from BigCommerce to Shopify, so let’s go over the best options depending on what you're comfortable with.
Method 1: Manual CSV Import (Free, But Time-Consuming)
If you’re hands-on and prefer full control, manually exporting and importing your data might be the way to go. It’s free, but you’ll need a bit of patience! Here’s what you’ll need to do:
🔹 Export from BigCommerce:
Head to BigCommerce Admin → Products → Export.
Choose Bulk Edit and save your data as a CSV file.
Do the same for customers and orders—you’ll want to make sure you have everything before moving on.
🔹 Import to Shopify:
In your Shopify Admin, go to Products → Import and upload the CSV file you just saved.
For customers, go to Customers → Import and upload that file too.
Pros:
Free and gives you full control over your data.
You can decide exactly what gets moved over and how.
Cons:
It can be a bit of a headache to handle manually.
You may need to clean up the data, especially if the CSVs aren’t perfectly formatted.
Takes time to go through everything carefully.
Method 2: Using a BigCommerce to Shopify Migration App (Faster & Automated)
If you’re looking for a quicker, more automated approach, migration tools like Cart2Cart or Matrixify can save you a lot of time and hassle. These apps are designed to help you migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify with minimal manual effort.
Best BigCommerce to Shopify Migration Apps
Cart2Cart: A fully automated tool that handles products, customers, orders, reviews, and more.
Matrixify: A more advanced tool that’s great for structured data imports, particularly if you have complex data needs.
Cost of BigCommerce to Shopify Migration Apps:
Tool | Pricing |
Cart2Cart | Starts at $29 + per-item cost |
Matrixify | One-time fee of $20-$200, depending on the volume of data |
Pros:
Saves a lot of time and automates the bulk of the work.
Reduces errors compared to manual imports.
Cons:
These tools aren’t free, and costs can add up depending on your store’s size.
You might need to do some extra configuration for a smooth transfer.
Method 3: Hire a Shopify Migration Expert (Best for Large Stores)
If you’re managing a larger store or just prefer to leave it to the pros, hiring a Shopify migration expert might be your best bet. These experts have experience moving complex stores and can handle the entire migration process so you don’t have to.
Where to Find Experts?
Shopify Experts Marketplace: You can find professionals directly through the Shopify Experts Directory.
Freelance Platforms: Websites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Toptal are home to many Shopify experts who specialize in migration.
BigCommerce to Shopify Migration Pricing (Expert Services):
Service | Cost Range |
Small store migration | $300 - $1,000 |
Medium-sized store migration | $1,000 - $3,000 |
Large enterprise store migration | $5,000+ |
Pros:
You get a hands-free migration with professional handling of all the technical aspects.
Custom solutions to address any unique requirements for your store.
Cons:
It’s the most expensive option.
The migration may take longer, depending on the size and complexity of your store.
Step 3: Setting Up Your Theme and Design
Migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify means you’ll have to choose a new theme since BigCommerce themes aren't compatible with Shopify. The good news? You get to pick a fresh, modern design that works perfectly for your store!
Here’s how you can find the right Shopify theme for your business:
🔹 How to Choose a Shopify Theme:
Visit the Shopify Theme Store – Explore both free and paid themes in the store. Shopify offers a variety, so take your time finding the one that suits your store’s style and goals.
Consider Your Business Needs – Think about what you're selling and who your customers are. Shopify has themes specifically designed for different industries, whether it’s clothing, gadgets, or handmade products. Choose one that matches your brand’s vibe.
Focus on Speed & Mobile Optimization – A fast-loading and mobile-friendly theme is essential. Customers expect smooth browsing, especially on their phones, so make sure your theme delivers on both fronts.
Make It Yours – After picking your theme, customizing it is a breeze with Shopify’s drag-and-drop builder. No coding is necessary! You can adjust colors, fonts, images, and other design elements to match your brand's personality and style.
Step 4: Configuring Essential Shopify Settings
Once your Shopify store is up and running, it's time to get into the nitty-gritty of configuring some important settings. These things help keep your store running smoothly and ensure your customers have a seamless experience. Let’s break it down:
🔹 Payment Gateways
You’ll need to set up how you want to receive payments. Shopify gives you the option to use Shopify Payments (which is super convenient since it integrates seamlessly), or you can choose from a bunch of third-party gateways like PayPal or Stripe.
Head over to Settings → Payments to enable your chosen options.
🔹 Tax & Shipping
Now, let’s talk about shipping and taxes. You’ll want to set up your tax rates depending on where you’re located, and don’t forget to check if you need any special tax settings for specific regions.
For shipping, Shopify gives you a few options: free shipping, flat rates, or calculated shipping based on the weight of the products or the customer's location. You can tweak these under Settings → Shipping.
🔹 Store Policies
Lastly, it’s important to set up your store policies to let customers know what to expect. These include things like your Refund Policy, Privacy Policy, and Terms & Conditions. You can easily add these in Settings → Legal. Having these pages ready will help build trust with your customers.
Step 5: Reinstalling Apps and Integrations
Moving from BigCommerce to Shopify means your BigCommerce apps won’t transfer. But don’t worry! Shopify has lots of great alternatives that can do the same thing (or even better).
Here are some must-have Shopify apps to consider:
SEO & Speed Optimization:
Smart SEO: This app helps you optimize your store for search engines, improving your chances of ranking higher and attracting more visitors.
TinyIMG: It helps compress your images so your website loads faster—something that will benefit both Google rankings and your customers.
Marketing:
Klaviyo: This tool is perfect for email marketing, allowing you to set up automated emails and create targeted campaigns.
MailChimp: If you already use MailChimp for emails, you can easily integrate it with Shopify.
Inventory & Order Management:
Stocky: This app helps you manage your inventory and predict stock levels so you’re always prepared.
Order Printer Pro: Need to print invoices or packing slips? This app makes it quick and easy.
Step 6: Redirecting URLs & SEO Optimization
To maintain your SEO rankings during the migration from BigCommerce to Shopify, it’s crucial to set up 301 redirects. This ensures that your old BigCommerce URLs point to the correct new URLs on Shopify, preventing any loss of traffic or SEO value.
Here’s how to set it up:
🔹 How to Set Up 301 Redirects in Shopify:
Go to Shopify Admin → Online Store → Navigation → URL Redirects.
Add the old BigCommerce URL and map it to the new Shopify URL.
Repeat this for all your product pages, category pages, and blog URLs.
Step 7: Testing Your Shopify Store
Before you officially launch your new Shopify store, it's super important to test everything thoroughly. You want to make sure everything works smoothly so that your customers have the best experience possible.
Here’s a quick checklist of what you should test before going live:
✅ Run a test purchase – Go through the entire checkout process yourself, just like a customer would. This helps ensure that everything from payment to shipping works perfectly.
✅ Check customer and order data – Make sure that all the information you've transferred (like customer accounts and order history) is accurate and properly set up in your new Shopify store.
✅ Mobile responsiveness and page speed – Check how your store looks on mobile devices (since many shoppers will visit your site from their phones) and test how fast your pages load. A slow-loading site can turn customers away, so you want to make sure everything is optimized.
Post-Migration: What to Do After Moving to Shopify
Once your BigCommerce store is successfully moved to Shopify, it’s time to focus on making sure everything runs smoothly and that you keep your customers engaged. This phase is all about spreading the word and tracking how your store is performing on Shopify.
Announcing Your New Store to Customers
Let your customers know about the big move to Shopify! Here’s how you can make sure they’re in the loop:
Send an Email Notification
Email is a direct way to let your customers know about the change. Send a simple email explaining that your store has moved to Shopify, and highlight any new features they can enjoy. A little thank you message never hurts either!
Post on Social Media
Don’t forget your social media followers! Announce your migration on all your platforms with a post or story that shows off your shiny new Shopify store. You can also update any ads to show your new platform and direct followers to your updated site.
Offer Discounts to Drive Traffic
A discount or special offer can grab your customers’ attention and bring them to your new Shopify store. Consider offering a limited-time discount to encourage people to check out your store and reward loyal customers.
Monitoring Performance and Analytics
Now that your store is up and running, it's time to keep an eye on how it’s performing. Here’s how to stay on top of things:
Use Shopify Analytics to Track Sales and ConversionsShopify has an analytics tool to track your store’s performance. This tool can show you sales data, customer behavior, and which products are doing well. It’s a great way to figure out what’s working and where you might need to improve.
Check Google Analytics for Traffic InsightsIf you’ve been using Google Analytics, you can keep using it to understand your store’s traffic sources and visitor behavior. It helps you see how people are finding your store and which pages they’re most interested in.
Monitor SEO Rankings and Update ContentAfter the move, your SEO rankings might change, so it’s important to stay on top of them. Use Google Search Console to monitor your rankings and make sure your 301 redirects are in place. If you notice any pages have lost ranking, consider updating your content or fixing any broken links.
Conclusion
Migrating from BigCommerce to Shopify might seem a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you're not familiar with the ins and outs of moving data or setting up a new platform. After all, there’s a lot to think about—preserving SEO rankings, making sure your customers’ data transfers correctly, and ensuring your store runs smoothly on Shopify. But don’t worry, the process doesn’t have to be as daunting as it may seem.
With the right tools and a bit of preparation, the transition can be quite smooth. Whether you choose to handle the migration yourself through a manual transfer, opt for a migration app to speed up the process, or bring in a Shopify expert to manage everything for you, there are plenty of options to make the move easier. The most important thing is to take it one step at a time and plan.
By following this guide, you'll have everything you need to ensure a successful migration. You’ll be able to move your products, customers, and orders without much hassle, keeping your store’s data intact and protecting your SEO rankings. With Shopify’s flexible design options and app integrations, you’ll be able to enhance your store’s functionality, making it more user-friendly and ready for growth.
The migration process will indeed require some effort, but once it’s done, you’ll be left with a much more powerful and customizable store. If you're unsure about any part of the process or don’t have the time to dive into the technical details, remember that Shopify experts are available to help guide you through it all. There are also apps like Cart2Cart and Matrixify that make the data transfer faster and less stressful.
FAQs
🔹 How long does it take to migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify?
It depends on how big your store is. Small stores take about 1 to 3 days, medium stores take 1 to 2 weeks, and large stores can take 3 weeks or more. You'll also need extra time to test and set up everything on Shopify.
🔹 Will my SEO rankings be affected?
You might see some temporary fluctuations in your SEO rankings after migrating. However, by setting up proper 301 redirects, you can minimize the impact and keep your rankings stable over time.
🔹 Can I transfer customer accounts to Shopify?
Shopify doesn’t transfer customer passwords for security reasons. Customers will need to reset their passwords when they log in to your new store. Be sure to let them know in advance!
🔹 What happens to my BigCommerce store after migration?
Your BigCommerce store stays active until you cancel your subscription, so you have time to make sure everything is set up on Shopify first.
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