BigCommerce
Swell
| Feature | BigCommerce | Swell |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $39/mo | Free / from $299/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | mid-market-retailers, b2b-commerce, multi-channel-sellers, growing-brands | developers, subscription-businesses, custom-ecommerce, b2b-commerce |
| Founded | 2009 | 2016 |
| Online Store | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Channel | ✓ | ✗ |
| B2b | ✓ | ✗ |
| Headless Api | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Storefront | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Subscriptions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multi Currency | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Models | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Admin Dashboard | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ BigCommerce Pros
- No transaction fees on any plan
- Built-in B2B/wholesale features
- Multi-storefront from one dashboard
- Headless commerce with API flexibility
✗ BigCommerce Cons
- Annual revenue caps force plan upgrades
- Theme customization requires code
- App ecosystem smaller than Shopify
✓ Swell Pros
- Extremely flexible API
- Built-in subscription support
- Good for unique business models
- Developer-friendly
✗ Swell Cons
- Requires development resources
- Expensive for small stores
- Smaller ecosystem
The Verdict
BigCommerce is built for mid market retailers and b2b commerce, with a focus on online-store and multi-channel. Swell targets developers and subscription businesses and leads with headless-api and subscriptions.
On pricing, BigCommerce is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $39/mo compared to $299/mo for Swell. That $260/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Swell has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. BigCommerce requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, BigCommerce offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Swell takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for b2b commerce — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.