BigCommerce vs Ecwid by Lightspeed: Which E-Commerce Tool Is Better in 2026?

BigCommerce

From $29

Ecwid by Lightspeed

From $15

Quick verdict

Overall pick: Tie

Both platforms cover the full feature set compared here, including inventory management, abandoned cart recovery, POS support, zero native transaction fees, custom domains, multi-currency, an app marketplace, and APIs. The decision comes down to price and fit: Ecwid is the lower-cost entry point at $15/month with a free plan and is built for embedding a store into an existing site or selling across social channels. BigCommerce costs more at $29/month with no free tier but targets high-volume merchants and B2B or multi-store brands. Choose Ecwid for a low-cost add-on store; choose BigCommerce for larger, brand-led operations.

Ecwid by Lightspeed's entry plan ($15) is 48% cheaper than BigCommerce's ($29).
Ecwid by Lightspeed has a free plan; BigCommerce does not.
They cover the same 8 of 8 core features we track, so price and UX decide.

Try BigCommerce →Try Ecwid by Lightspeed →

Cost calculator

Team size: 5 users

Tool	Monthly	Yearly
BigCommerce · flat	$29.00	$348
Ecwid by Lightspeed · flat	$15.00	$180

Based on entry-level paid plans. Prices change, so check the vendor before you buy.

Which one should you choose?

If you need…	Pick	Why
Adding a store to an existing website	Ecwid by Lightspeed	Ecwid is an embeddable shopping cart widget designed to sell on any existing website, and it starts at $15/month with a free plan.
High-volume or B2B and multi-store brands	BigCommerce	BigCommerce is positioned for high-volume merchants and B2B & multi-store brands, with a flat starting price of $29/month.
Testing e-commerce with no upfront cost	Ecwid by Lightspeed	Ecwid offers a free plan; BigCommerce has no free plan and starts at $29/month.
Multi-channel social selling	Ecwid by Lightspeed	Ecwid is built for multi-channel social selling from an existing site, at a lower starting price of $15/month.
Buyers needing the full compared feature set	Tie	Both tools include inventory management, abandoned cart recovery, POS support, zero native transaction fees, custom domains, multi-currency, an app store, and APIs.

Feature comparison: BigCommerce vs Ecwid by Lightspeed

Feature	BigCommerce	Ecwid by Lightspeed
Free plan	❌	✅
Starting price	$29 /mo	$15 /mo
Multi-channel inventory management	✅	✅
Abandoned cart recovery	✅	✅
Point of Sale (POS) hardware & integration	✅	✅
0% native transaction fees	✅	✅
Custom domain with free SSL	✅	✅
Multi-currency international checkout	✅	✅
Rich third-party app marketplace	✅	✅
REST & GraphQL developer APIs	✅	✅

Highlighted rows are where the tools differ.

Pros and cons

BigCommerce

Flat pricing starting at $29/month
Zero native transaction fees
All eight compared features included, including multi-currency and APIs
Positioned for high-volume merchants and B2B & multi-store brands

No free plan
Higher starting price than Ecwid at $29/month versus $15/month

Try BigCommerce →

Ecwid by Lightspeed

Offers a free plan
Lower starting price at $15/month
Embeddable cart for adding a store to an existing website
All eight compared features included, including multi-currency and APIs

Starting price is lower, but it is positioned for adding a store to existing sites rather than as a standalone enterprise platform
No stated advantage over BigCommerce on any of the eight compared features

Try Ecwid by Lightspeed →

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At a glance

BigCommerce

Enterprise open-SaaS e-commerce platform with zero native transaction fees.

Founded 2009 · From $29 · 8/8 tracked features

Best for: high-volume merchants, B2B & multi-store brands

See BigCommerce alternatives →

Ecwid by Lightspeed

Embeddable shopping cart widget to sell on any existing website or social channel.

Founded 2009 · From $15 · 8/8 tracked features

Best for: adding a store to existing sites, multi-channel social selling

See Ecwid by Lightspeed alternatives →

FAQ

Is BigCommerce cheaper than Ecwid by Lightspeed?

No. BigCommerce starts at $29/month flat, while Ecwid starts at $15/month flat and also offers a free plan.

Do BigCommerce and Ecwid have the same features?

They match on all eight compared features: inventory management, abandoned cart recovery, POS support, zero native transaction fees, custom domains, multi-currency, an app store, and APIs.

Which tool has a free plan?

Ecwid by Lightspeed offers a free plan; BigCommerce does not.

Who is BigCommerce best for?

BigCommerce is positioned for high-volume merchants and B2B & multi-store brands.

Who is Ecwid best for?

Ecwid is positioned for adding a store to existing sites and for multi-channel social selling.

Related comparisons

Data last reviewed: pending verification. All E-Commerce tools →