We used continuously revolving 3D animations to reflect Fat Tuesday’s grab-and-go culture, as well as realistic film and photography, flyer-style torn edging, and bright neon signage - a nod to the fact that their Vegas stores are often first-stop vacation spots for those visiting the city. 

A brand that blends in, instead of just trying to fit in

To increase footfall, we created an interactive map to show users where they can grab their first (or their next) drink. Cup QR codes direct users to a location finder, and we integrated with Fat Tuesday’s third-party gift voucher platform to enable users to quickly and easily check their balance online.

A user journey that keeps the party going

Research showed that visiting Fat Tuesday was usually a group activity, and almost always part of a wider experience - be that partying, sightseeing, or hitting the beach. With a selfie-worthy selection of drinks and a ready-made audience of social media users, we added a live social feed that synced with in-store screens across all locations to show the good times never stop rolling.

A space for sharing the good times

After the go-live of the new Fat Tuesday site, we set to work on overhauling the sister brand - New Orleans Original Daiquiri. The premise and concept were the same (frozen cocktails to-go, a dated online presence), but with all outlets in the state of Louisiana, and an older more local audience to appeal to, we gave the brand a small-town, neighbourly feel. Think laid-back Southern vibes, a retro typeface and photography, and a feel-good colour palette and design that says “stop by and kick back with a cold one”.

A local, Louisiana-based little sister

Fat Tuesday

First up, we overhauled the existing user experience on the Dr Few site, creating something that was cleaner, simpler and way more streamlined. As well as refining the user journey, we elevated the look and feel across the homepage, product pages and overall shopping cart. We introduced new social proof content including testimonials and real-life before/after photos, plus—we made sure plenty of opportunities to up-sell and cross-sell were woven throughout the site.

A Shopify reskin for a revolutionary skincare brand

Alongside all the website updates, we brought in a brand-new email strategy. Our goal was to create an experience that went beyond the website—using detailed storytelling to drive brand awareness, increase average order value and, ultimately, encourage more repeat purchases. To make this happen, we designed and built an engaging welcome flow, set up abandoned cart notifications, and rolled out a new post-purchase journey. And to make sure everything was optimised across every touchpoint, we got to work on an in-depth a/b testing strategy, too.

An email strategy that engages and educates users 

A premium brand like Dr Few should look the part. So in line with the website refresh and marketing activity, we defined a new art direction that brought the products to life using a range of textures, background colours, props, and staging. Then, we took things into the S8 Studio to shoot new packaging, product and bundle photography, as well as playful stop-motion videos for ads, email flows, pop-ups and more. 

Elevating the entire brand—with brand-new visual assets

Dr Few

With heaps of product-related info, plus an entire area of the site dedicated to sex ed, we already had plenty of content to work with. But after a series of persona and TOV workshops, we defined a new visual identity – one that better represents the brand’s empowering, pleasure-first narrative and celebrates the joy of sex. 

Changing the narrative around sex talk

We collaborated with Smile Makers’ SEO agency throughout the project, from initial conversations around wireframes to ensuring all metadata was migrated to the new site. We also wove high-ranking search terms into the website copy and made sure the new site structure changed as little as possible. 

Ticking all the SEO-shaped boxes

We pushed the boundaries of standard e-commerce page layouts to create a premium site that’s playful, functional and puts accessibility first. We also found different ways to educate users about pleasure-first sex, from fun facts and vibrator comparison charts to more in depth how-to tips. 

Taking the stigma out of sex toy shopping

We overhauled the matchmaker quiz, creating a multi-step user flow that encourages users to talk about their pleasure preferences in order to find their perfect vibe. We added an Omnisend integration that allows users to receive a copy of results by email. Plus, with a custom Google Analytics/GTM setup that captures data at every step of the user flow, Smile Makers can gain a better understanding of their audience, perspectives on pleasure, and the most popular sex toys chosen. 

Translating a Typeform quiz into a bespoke digital experience

We added subtle, playful animations that align with Smile Makers’ joyful brand image. Think confetti cannon explosions, bouncing product imagery, and gentle, floating movements on scroll. Plus, we couldn’t resist having a little fun with some flying vibes on the 404.

Creating a site that moves and shakes

Ahead of go-live, we migrated Smile Makers’ entire library of blogs and sex ed content across to the new Shopify site. We used a custom script to ensure the content aligned with the brand-new design and Shopify article structure. Plus, we transferred all customer and order information and Yotpo reviews ahead of launch. 

Migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify

Smile Makers

Aescape empowers everybody to embrace self-care for better living. We went beyond functionality, crafting a narrative that invites everyone to envision themselves benefiting from Aescape's massage. Whether you're a member seeking relaxation, a partner exploring new wellness solutions, or an investor interested in cutting-edge innovations, the website demonstrates how Aescape enhances lives through accessible, inclusive self-care. 

A story-centric site design

We collaborated closely with Aescape on everything from custom icon creation to art direction. The goal was to create a deeper, more emotional connection with the user by illustrating how Aescape makes you feel: refreshed and rejuvenated. Throughout the site, we used compelling video and photography to show Aescape in action, maintaining an ultra-clean look and feel—and keeping text to a minimum.

Translating the brand story across every touchpoint

Aescape empowers users to embark on a personalised wellness journey. The brand is centred around boundless optimism, limitless possibilities, and finding the courage to transform—so we incorporated continuous scrolling to signify free-flowing movement. We explored subtle interactions, micro-animations and transitions across all components, and created a super-fluid web experience that engages the user and guides them seamlessly along their journey.

An experience made to move you

Each section of the site was tailored to communicate Aescape's benefits to every audience. We explored the best approach in terms of colour, structure and content, and mapped out the ideal architecture for each persona. From intuitive Aescape location searches to an interactive ROI calculator, every user journey was designed to be as frictionless as possible. Plus, we integrated multiple newsletter lists, contact forms, and the Aescape booking app to ensure the site was fully optimised for all business goals. 

A journey tailored to every audience

Aescape

Viatu’s current identity didn’t truly reflect who the brand was, what it did, and – more importantly – where it was headed. We ran workshops with the entire Viatu team, covering everything from audience personas to user flows. We took a deep dive into values, vision, purpose and personality. And all of this together helped us develop a stronger, more defined brand identity that would be communicated internally and externally. 

Understanding people, positioning and purpose 

With new trip locations on the horizon, the new brand needed to easily grow with the business. We built a palette inspired by Africa’s wild, untouched landscapes, using colour psychology to make sure our choices aligned with Viatu’s modern and confident character, but still gave a nod to its sustainable roots. We explored traditional hand-drawn tribal patterns and texture, delved deep into photography and iconography styles, and chose typography that reflected Viatu’s bold and playful nature. Then, we rigorously tested everything for legibility and clarity. The result? A brand that translates across all languages and currencies – and can be adapted in line with new product features and Viatu’s future outside of Africa.

Giving the new visual identity room to grow

Storytelling is vital to the Viatu brand. Behind the hundreds of experiences, accommodation listings and blog articles was an entire team of writers. But with this collaboration came inconsistencies. As well as defining a stronger verbal identity through a series of brand personality workshops, we developed a TOV guide featuring sample content, detailed dos and don’ts, and rewrites of existing examples from across multiple touchpoints to help the Viatu team roll out the new voice effectively. 

Finding Viatu's voice - and futureproofing it

While we took care of branding and web design on the front end, Viatu’s product development team would always be responsible for the trip booking system. To ensure consistency across the entire user journey, we built a comprehensive design style guide that featured everything from brand placement rules to UX styling. We even outlined photography aspect ratios, so all imagery translated perfectly across desktop, mobile and social media. 

Creativity meets consistency

Armed with Viatu’s new identity, we designed and developed a site that’s user first – and future first. Working in conjunction with Viatu’s development team, we simplified and streamlined the trip booking process, allowing the user to clearly map out details of their trip, personalise accommodation options. Plus, we paved the way for an entire pipeline of new functionality, including the introduction of car hire, activities, and more.

A site that's no longer product first, but user first

Viatu

Our main goal was to modernise the brand by introducing a new look and feel that’s playful and youthful, but still gives a nod to its core values. We paired a new palette of contrasting colours with distinctive design elements such as badge stamps and image inktraps. Then, we went big and bold with typography.

220 years young: a traditional brand with a bold new energy

British style is all about independence and eclecticism. And when your history is as inspiring as Peregrine’s, it's only right that you write with flair. We outlined a new brand voice that brings together the wit of great British humour, the authenticity of storytelling, and the straight-talking tone of a brand that’s big on sustainability. In other words, charming, honest and rugged. Definitely no wooliness. 

A voice that speaks volumes

Our discovery work revealed that almost 3 in 4 users were returning visitors. And since these users are more likely to make a purchase, it only made sense to incorporate more upsell features in both the cart and the wishlist. Shoppers now see recommended products based on what they’ve purchased in the past. Or, they’re presented with suggestions of products that (based on data from past visitors) are frequently purchased together. 

Personal(ised) shopping, from the wishlist to the checkout

Peregrine’s a British-made brand, but its products are sold all over the world. Using Shopify Markets, we built a bespoke location switcher that groups countries into regions and enables shoppers to see specific pricing based on their location. Plus, the Peregrine team can customise pages depending on the season or campaign. 

We also went the extra mile to create more seamless user journeys. Users can browse clothing by size (and only see items that are in stock), as well as product type and material. The responsive image galleries are tailored to their chosen product colour. And, we also added quick buy functionality to the collections pages and blog, so users can easily add featured products to their basket. 

Making it better to browse and easier than ever to buy

Peregrine

Mixing up work and play, every day 

We design identities, build websites, and craft growth strategies that better connect e-commerce brands with customers. 

Brand and digital that cultivate connection, conversion and joy.

Take it from our people people

Let’s talk

We moved Somewhere Good from headless to a custom Shopify theme. Here’s what changed and why it matters for your brand.

Headless sounds great in theory: full flexibility, complete control, performance gains. In practice? For most growing brands though, it’s a maze of complexity, maintenance and dependency.

Somewhere Good—a clothing brand known for bold, graphic-led staples crafted from premium materials—learned that the hard way.

“We started out headless—lured by the promise of flexibility and performance—but quickly ran into all the usual pain points: rising dev costs, slow turnaround times.” – Somewhere Good

They came to us stuck in a setup they couldn’t manage. Every small update needed a developer. Nothing moved fast. So we rebuilt their site on Shopify—properly. Custom theme, intuitive tools, zero dev bottlenecks.

Here’s what we fixed, what changed and what to know before you go headless.

When your team can’t touch your site, that’s a problem

Somewhere Good had a sleek frontend. But they couldn’t:

Everything was hard-coded or buried in a CMS. Marketing ideas stalled while they waited on dev availability.

“A site that made simple updates a chore. For a start-up, it was unsustainable.”

We gave them full control—without the code:

App changes that don’t need developer support

Popups targeted by location and Klaviyo list

UK visitor? They see a 20% promo. EU visitor? A shipping update. All set up by the client, not us.

If you’re not a dev-led company, that gets expensive. Fast.

A streamlined Shopify theme. No plugins duct-taped together. No guesswork.

A site that’s easy to manage—and hard to break

Now their team can focus on the experience, not the architecture.

Headless doesn’t guarantee speed—or visibility

Somewhere Good’s headless build looked slick, but behind the scenes:

JavaScript-heavy pages that slowed load time and blocked indexing

Fixing it would’ve meant custom code and long-term dev cost.

Now they’re in control of how the site performs—and how it shows up in search.

If you can’t test apps without code, you’re stuck

They were locked into a single returns provider—not by choice, but because the content couldn’t be changed. Same with popups. Same with policies. Even testing a new tool was a dev project.

“Moving to Shopify and working with S8 has given us reliability, speed and freedom to focus on the business, not the backend.”

It can be. If you’re running multiple channels or serving custom user journeys—it might make sense.

But if what you actually need is control, flexibility and speed—without the technical baggage—Shopify isn’t just easier. It’s smarter. It gives your team the tools to move fast, test ideas and grow on your terms.

Somewhere Good made the switch. Now their site works harder so they don’t have to—with a platform that powers their growth, not their to-do list.

Stuck in a headless build that’s slowing you down? We specialise in smart, seamless migrations to Shopify—cutting the complexity, keeping what works and giving you a site your team can actually run with.


Shopify vs headless: what brands really need to know

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As two of the most flexible e-commerce platforms available, Shopify and WordPress offer distinct strengths. We break down their key differences in usability, scalability, pricing and long-term viability with expert insights.

Choosing the best platform for your business

Behind every successful online store is a solid platform. When done right, it powers growth and streamlines day-to-day operations. When done wrong? It leads to mounting complexity, wasted resources and long-term tech debt.

Shopify and WordPress (typically via the WooCommerce plugin) are two of the most popular ecommerce options available. But while Shopify is a dedicated ecommerce platform, WordPress is a content management system that’s been adapted to support selling online. One offers a streamlined, hosted solution built for commerce from the ground up. The other provides total control, but demands time, tech skills, and ongoing maintenance.

So, which is right for your business? Let's break it down.

Shopify vs WordPress: Which platform is more user-friendly?

Shopify is built for businesses that want to launch quickly and manage their store without hiring a development team. The drag-and-drop store builder, pre-designed themes and intuitive admin panel make it accessible to merchants of all sizes. Features like automated updates, built-in hosting and 24/7 customer support mean that technical maintenance is handled for you, allowing businesses to focus on growth. Shopify also includes a growing suite of AI-powered tools like Shopify Magic, designed to help merchants generate product descriptions and automate workflows.

Shopify's user-friendly interface is a major advantage for brands that want to scale fast. The ability to manage everything—from product uploads to order fulfilment—without technical expertise makes Shopify an easy choice for merchants who want to focus on selling, not problem-solving.

WordPress, on the other hand, is a content-first CMS that has been adapted to support ecommerce through WooCommerce. Setting up a WordPress site with ecommerce capabilities requires choosing a hosting provider, installing WordPress and WooCommerce, and configuring various plugins for payments, SEO, security and backups. The flexibility is powerful, but the learning curve can be steep.

While developers appreciate the level of control WordPress offers, non-technical merchants may find the setup and maintenance overwhelming. For these users, Shopify offers a far more approachable experience.

Shopify vs WordPress: Scalability and performance

Setbacks make all the difference when growth is the goal.

Shopify provides enterprise-grade scalability without merchants having to worry about infrastructure management. Shopify Plus, the platform’s enterprise solution, is designed to handle high-volume transactions, peak traffic spikes and global multi-store operations. Shopify’s 99.98% uptime, globally distributed CDN and automatic server scaling ensure that brands can continue growing without infrastructure bottlenecks. Brands like Allbirds and Gymshark have leveraged Shopify to scale rapidly while maintaining sub-two-second page load speeds, which is crucial for conversion rates.

Unlike platforms that require extensive infrastructure upgrades as they scale, Shopify automatically adjusts server resources and optimises performance across its global cloud network. This means brands can launch seasonal campaigns, flash sales and influencer collaborations without worrying about site crashes or checkout failures.

WordPress can scale effectively, but only with a proper technical setup. Performance is heavily influenced by your choice of hosting provider, server configuration, caching plugins and CDN setup. As traffic increases, brands may find themselves investing more in DevOps and performance tuning to maintain acceptable site speed and reliability. Whilst managed scalable infrastructure exists for WordPress, it can be extremely difficult to set up or expensive.

For brands prioritising long-term growth without added complexity, Shopify offers a scalable infrastructure that eliminates the risks associated with performance bottlenecks.

Shopify vs WordPress: Customisation & flexibility

WordPress is designed for simple content management, but brands can extend it with plugins for full control over design and functionality. It allows for custom workflows, rich content publishing tools and complex product configurations through plugins and custom code. However, with this level of flexibility comes complexity—installing new plugins or updating core software can sometimes cause compatibility issues that need developer intervention.

For brands that need fully custom checkout flows, advanced blogging capabilities or industry-specific workflows, WordPress provides a high degree of freedom. But this freedom comes at a cost—updates to custom-built features often require extensive testing, and maintaining integrations requires ongoing development resources.

Shopify takes a structured approach to flexibility. Through Liquid templating and Shopify Functions, brands can customise their store’s front-end and business logic without modifying the platform’s core.

For 90% of businesses, Shopify offers all the flexibility needed without the overhead of managing custom code, server security or software updates. Brands that require extreme customisation may still prefer WordPress, but Shopify provides a strong middle ground for brands that want to move fast.

Because hidden costs can make 'free' more expensive.

WordPress and WooCommerce (the most popular ecommerce plugin to pair with) are free to install, but 

the real costs lie in hosting, development and ongoing maintenance

. Expenses include premium themes and plugins, security tools, performance optimisation and developer retainers. Depending on your setup, total costs can easily exceed those of a hosted solution.

Running a WordPress store means investing in reliable hosting, managing security updates and allocating resources for technical support. Brands that aren’t prepared for these costs often struggle with downtime, plugin conflicts and unexpected compatibility issues when upgrading.

Shopify follows a predictable pricing model.

 Standard plans range from $29 to $299 per month, with Shopify Plus starting at $2k+ per month. Shopify’s hosted infrastructure means brands don’t need to invest in server maintenance, security patches or performance tuning, significantly reducing long-term costs.

For growing businesses that need cost predictability, Shopify provides a lower total cost of ownership than WordPress while eliminating unexpected expenses related to hosting, development and software maintenance.

Shopify vs WordPress: Which has better apps and plugins?

The right tools give your store a competitive edge.

Shopify provides access to over 12,000 apps that extend store functionality. The Shopify App Store is carefully curated, ensuring that third-party solutions meet high standards for security, usability and effectiveness. These apps cover everything from advanced SEO optimisation and AI-driven customer engagement to subscription management and logistics automation. Shopify also natively integrates with Meta, Google, TikTok, Amazon and Klaviyo, making omnichannel selling seamless and scalable.

. This ecosystem offers extensive functionality, but plugin quality and compatibility vary widely. Many e-commerce-specific plugins require careful vetting, configuration and ongoing support. While WooCommerce supports a broad range of integrations, setting them up often requires developer involvement, especially for more complex workflows.

Shopify vs WordPress: Global selling and shipping

simplifies logistics with Shopify Shipping

, which offers discounted carrier rates, real-time tracking and seamless label printing. Its multi-location inventory system allows merchants to track stock across warehouses and stores, reducing overselling and fulfilment delays. For international selling, Shopify Markets enables brands to manage currency conversions, taxes and region-specific checkout experiences, making cross-border commerce straightforward.

WordPress offers robust inventory and shipping tools through WooCommerce extensions; however, they rely heavily on third-party plugins. While WordPress supports multi-site architecture, enabling businesses to create separate storefronts per region, setting up localisation features like unique pricing and tax compliance requires additional configuration and support. Compared to Shopify’s built-in global selling capabilities, WordPress demands more technical oversight to manage international operations effectively.

Which platform turns more clicks into customers?

Shopify includes built-in SEO tools, automated email marketing integrations and seamless connections to advertising platforms like Google Ads and TikTok. Shopify’s marketing ecosystem allows brands to launch targeted campaigns, track customer behaviour and optimise conversions with minimal technical setup.

A strong example of Shopify’s marketing power is its abandoned cart recovery feature. 

Klaviyo’s dataset on abandoned cart emails reports an average open rate of 41.18%, a 9.50% click rate, and a revenue per recipient of $5.81

, demonstrating the effectiveness of automated follow-ups in converting lost sales. By leveraging Shopify’s email automation and customer engagement tools, merchants can recapture revenue with minimal effort.

WordPress supports advanced marketing strategies but relies on third-party extensions for SEO, email marketing and analytics. While WordPress allows for deeper campaign customisation, merchants must manually install and configure tools like Google Tag Manager, email automation platforms and affiliate tracking software. Unlike Shopify, where these tools integrate natively, WordPress users often require development support to implement advanced marketing automation.

It should be effortless, but some platforms make you work for it.

Shopify provides fully managed security with PCI DSS Level 1 compliance, fraud detection tools and automatic security patches. Because Shopify hosts all stores on its own secure cloud infrastructure, merchants don’t have to worry about managing SSL certificates, applying security updates or protecting against DDoS attacks. Shopify’s fraud protection algorithms help merchants identify high-risk transactions, reducing the chances of chargebacks and payment fraud.

With proper protection, configuration and attention, WordPress can be secure, but merchants are responsible for their own security updates, server protections and compliance measures. Since WordPress is self-hosted, merchants are responsible for securing their environment, including regular updates and monitoring for vulnerabilities. Installing third-party plugins or failing to update plugins and WordPress core can expose stores to potential exploits. Businesses running WordPress need dedicated IT support or a managed hosting provider to maintain security at the same level as Shopify.

Shopify vs WordPress: Which do experts recommend?

When it comes to expert recommendations, Shopify consistently ranks as the best choice for most businesses due to its ease of use, scalability, and comprehensive ecosystem.

"Shopify is the best all-around e-commerce platform on the market today, offering a balance of usability, customization, and affordability that makes it ideal for businesses of all sizes."

TechRadar highlights Shopify’s user-friendliness and vast app ecosystem, stating that 

"Shopify’s intuitive design and extensive integrations make it a leading choice for merchants looking for a hassle-free way to launch and scale an online store."

On the other hand, WordPress is still widely praised for its blogging capabilities and developer flexibility. It remains a viable option for content-first businesses or brands with unique technical needs and in-house expertise.

In independent user and business ratings, G2 ranks Shopify as the leading ecommerce platform, citing its reliability, extensive app ecosystem, and strong customer support, whereas WordPress often ranks lower for e-commerce-specific features.

It’s faster to launch, easier to manage and more cost-effective than WordPress—without sacrificing scalability or flexibility. Shopify empowers brands to focus on growth, not platform maintenance.

Shopify

Wordpress (WooCommerce)

"WordPress is very popular for a reason, with huge flexibility making it a jack of all trades. For our e-commerce sites, however, we prefer Shopify, as it focuses on mastering e-commerce and making it as easy as possible for you to manage your store, products, and orders. Using Shopify allows you and our development team to focus on enhancing the website itself instead of hosting, infrastructure, plugin compatibility, and security."

– Alistair Shepherd, Head of Development at Series Eight

Most Shopify migrations are completed using a mix of third-party tools and developer support to ensure accurate transfer of customer data, order history, product catalogues, SEO settings, and site structure are transferred accurately so businesses can switch platforms without disruption. Shopify’s automated solutions help preserve your store’s structure, including product variants, collections, and customer profiles, so nothing gets lost in the transition.

At Series Eight, we ensure a smooth transition by focusing on data integrity, storefront optimisation, and seamless integration with Shopify’s native tools and apps. Our expertise ensures your new store is not only functional from day one but also optimised for long-term growth. We replace previously custom-built WordPress features, eliminating unnecessary development and reducing long-term costs. Shopify’s extensive app ecosystem replaces the need for complex, hard-coded solutions, allowing businesses to scale efficiently without ongoing developer intervention.

A successful migration isn’t just about moving data—it’s about ensuring your Shopify store is optimised for performance, usability, and growth. We ensure that previously custom workflows, integrations, and checkout experiences are translated effectively within Shopify’s framework.

Our team ensures your Shopify store isn’t just a replica of your old WordPress site—it’s an upgrade. We optimise for better efficiency, improved user experience, and long-term scalability, so you’re not just migrating—you’re future-proofing your business. Replatforming is more than just moving data—it’s an opportunity to streamline operations, improve site performance, and reduce long-term costs. Shopify ensures that brands migrating from WordPress can focus on growth, not platform maintenance.

Shopify vs WordPress: choosing the right e-commerce platform for growth

Shopify and BigCommerce both promise scalability and performance, but how do they actually compare? We explore key differences in user experience, pricing, flexibility and growth potential to help you make the right call.

Your e-commerce platform does more than process transactions—it shapes how you scale, how efficiently you operate and how easily you grow. Choose well, and you get speed, stability and flexibility. Choose poorly, and you could face mounting development costs and roadblocks that slow you down.

Shopify and BigCommerce are two of the biggest names in e-commerce, but they cater to slightly different needs. One is known for its polished, plug-and-play experience. The other builds more native functionality into its core product, often appealing to merchants who want more built-in power without relying on apps.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Which platform is more user-friendly?

Shopify is built for businesses that want to 

launch quickly—36% faster than BigCommerce on average

—and manage their store without hiring a development team. The drag-and-drop store builder, pre-designed themes and intuitive admin panel make it accessible to merchants of all sizes. Features like automated updates, built-in hosting and 24/7 customer support mean that technical maintenance is handled for you, allowing businesses to focus on growth.

Shopify’s ecosystem also includes an expanding range of AI-powered tools, such as Shopify Magic, which helps merchants generate product descriptions and automate workflows.

BigCommerce is also a hosted platform with an intuitive dashboard, but it leans slightly more technical. Its feature-rich interface gives you more control but at the cost of a steeper learning curve. There are more options built into the platform by default, which is powerful—but can also be overwhelming for new users or those without technical expertise.

For most businesses, Shopify’s user-friendly interface makes store management easier and faster while still offering flexibility when needed.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Scalability and performance

Shopify provides enterprise-grade scalability without merchants having to worry about infrastructure management. Shopify Plus, the platform’s enterprise solution, is designed to handle high-volume transactions, peak traffic spikes and global multi-store operations. Shopify’s 

, globally distributed CDN and automatic server scaling ensure that brands can continue growing without infrastructure bottlenecks. Businesses like Allbirds and Gymshark have leveraged Shopify to scale rapidly while maintaining sub-two-second page load speeds, which is crucial for conversion rates.

BigCommerce also scales effectively and is built on Google Cloud infrastructure. Its native multi-storefront functionality, strong API capabilities and support for internationalisation make it a strong contender for businesses looking to grow. However, it may require more manual configuration to match Shopify's automation and load optimisation.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Customisation & flexibility

BigCommerce provides advanced built-in functionality out of the box—from faceted search to flexible discounting logic and user roles. For businesses with specific operational requirements, these built-ins reduce reliance on third-party apps and simplify complex configurations. However, to get the most out of the platform, brands will still need developer support, especially when working with BigCommerce’s headless framework or APIs.

For example, a B2B retailer looking to support complex pricing structures or customer-specific catalogues may benefit from BigCommerce's robust native functionality. However, building these workflows still requires technical input, especially if you want to integrate external systems or build custom checkout logic.

Shopify takes a structured approach to flexibility. Through Liquid templating and Shopify Functions, brands can customise their store’s front-end and business logic without modifying the platform’s core. Shopify’s headless commerce capabilities allow businesses to create unique storefronts while benefiting from Shopify’s security and scalability.

For most businesses, Shopify offers all the flexibility needed without the overhead of managing server-side code or complex integrations. Brands that require deeply tailored backend functionality may lean toward BigCommerce, but Shopify provides a strong middle ground for brands that want to move fast.

BigCommerce offers plans starting from $39/month and does not charge additional transaction fees when using third-party payment gateways. This can make it an attractive option for merchants who don’t want to be locked into a proprietary payment system.

However, BigCommerce enforces revenue-based plan upgrades—

automatically moving merchants to higher-tier plans once they exceed $50k/year for Standard and $180k/year for Plus

—which can lead to unpredictable costs for fast-growing brands.

Shopify follows a predictable pricing model. Standard plans range from $29 to $299 per month, with Shopify Plus starting at $2k+ per month. While Shopify charges transaction fees if you don’t use Shopify Payments, its flat-tier pricing and growing built-in toolset keep overall costs transparent and manageable.

For growing businesses that need cost predictability, Shopify provides a lower total cost of ownership in the long run, with 

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Which has better apps and plugins?

BigCommerce offers a smaller app marketplace, with around 1,200 apps. Many core integrations are supported, including Mailchimp, Google Shopping and Meta, but the ecosystem is less mature than Shopify’s. You may need to work more closely with developers or third-party providers to achieve similar outcomes.

Shopify’s extensive app ecosystem and native integrations give it the edge for businesses that want to scale quickly without relying on custom-built solutions.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Global selling and shipping

Shopify simplifies logistics with Shopify Shipping, which offers discounted carrier rates, real-time tracking and seamless label printing. Its multi-location inventory system allows merchants to track stock across warehouses and stores, reducing overselling and fulfilment delays. For international selling, Shopify Markets enables brands to manage currency conversions, taxes and region-specific checkout experiences, making cross-border commerce straightforward.

BigCommerce also supports multi-currency, international domains and regional settings. Its multi-storefront architecture enables regional targeting and B2B setups from one account. However, configuring these options typically requires more setup time and greater technical input.

Compared to Shopify’s built-in global selling capabilities, BigCommerce demands more oversight to manage international operations effectively.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Marketing features

Shopify stores achieve a 12% higher conversion rate

BigCommerce offers similar capabilities but relies more heavily on external marketing tools for email automation, analytics and CRM. While it integrates well with platforms like HubSpot and Google Tag Manager, merchants often need more configuration to get everything working in harmony.

Shopify provides a more integrated experience that makes it easier to launch, manage and optimise marketing efforts from day one.

BigCommerce is also secure, but merchants are responsible for more aspects of security, including certain updates, third-party software patches and integration monitoring. While the platform meets PCI standards and supports SSL, the merchant retains more control—meaning more responsibility. Businesses that lack a dedicated IT or DevOps team may find these requirements challenging.

For merchants who want to trust that their platform has security covered without extra input, Shopify is the more streamlined and hands-off option.

Shopify vs BigCommerce: Which do experts recommend?

 notes that BigCommerce is "a powerful e-commerce platform with strong inventory options, many themes, and zero fees from third-party payment gateways." However, they also mention that it "lacks Shopify's integrated point-of-sale software and Wix Stores' dashboard simplicity." ​

Industry analyses suggest that while BigCommerce offers robust features suitable for businesses with specific needs, Shopify's ease of use and comprehensive ecosystem make it the preferred choice for a wide range of businesses seeking a scalable and user-friendly e-commerce solution.

After years of working with brands at every stage of their e-commerce journey, we’ve seen firsthand the difference Shopify makes. It’s faster to launch, easier to manage and more cost-effective than BigCommerce—without sacrificing scalability or flexibility. Shopify empowers brands to focus on growth, not platform maintenance.

BigCommerce

Shopify’s migration tools ensure that customer data, order history, product catalogues, SEO settings, and site structure are transferred accurately so businesses can switch platforms without disruption. Shopify’s automated solutions help preserve your store’s structure, including product variants, collections, and customer profiles, so nothing gets lost in the transition.

Brand and digital that cultivate connection, conversion and joy.

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Take it from our people people

Shopify vs headless: what brands really need to know

Shopify vs WordPress: choosing the right e-commerce platform for growth

Shopify vs BigCommerce: choosing the right e-commerce platform for growth

Let us take you further than you’ve ever been

Brand and digital that cultivate connection, conversion and joy.

Mixing up work and play, every day View Work

Take it from our people people

Shopify vs headless: what brands really need to know

Shopify vs WordPress: choosing the right e-commerce platform for growth

Shopify vs BigCommerce: choosing the right e-commerce platform for growth

Let us take you further than you’ve ever been SCHEDULE A CALL

Mixing up work and play, every day
View Work

Let us take you further than you’ve ever been