Built for B2B: Why BigCommerce Outperforms Shopify for Manufacturers and Distributors

Can a B2C platform like Shopify really meet your B2B needs?

BigCommerce has supported B2B businesses for nearly a decade, with over 12,000 manufacturers and distributors trusting the platform to power their operations. But you might be wondering whether a B2C-first platform like Shopify can also meet your needs. While Shopify has attempted to enter the B2B space, the reality is that its roots remain in B2C retail, leaving many manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers struggling to fit their complex requirements into a system that wasn’t designed with their needs in mind.

BigCommerce B2B Edition, on the other hand, is purpose-built for B2B commerce, offering deep native functionality, multi-storefront capabilities, and robust integrations that help businesses scale effectively. Let’s break down why BigCommerce is the superior choice for serious B2B operations.

Shopify’s B2B offering: built for B2C, struggling with B2B

Limited B2B functionality.

Shopify’s B2B features are basic at best. While it offers company profiles and quantity-based pricing, it lacks fundamental B2B tools like quote management, approval workflows, and customer-specific payment terms. Shopify sellers often find themselves relying on expensive third-party apps to fill these gaps — adding cost and complexity to their operations.

Rigid Customization and scalability issues.

Shopify’s monolithic structure makes it difficult to customize and integrate with essential third-party systems like ERPs and CRMs. Because of this, Shopify often locks businesses into its proprietary ecosystem, leading to compatibility issues and making migration difficult if their needs outgrow the platform.

Hidden costs and transaction fees.

Unlike BigCommerce, which charges zero additional transaction fees, Shopify applies extra fees (up to 2%) for merchants who don’t use Shopify Payments. B2B businesses that rely on ACH payments or Level 2/3 processing find Shopify’s payment limitations restrictive and costly.

BigCommerce B2B Edition: built for the complexity of B2B

Native B2B features without extra apps.

BigCommerce provides powerful B2B functionality out-of-the-box, including:

• Customer account hierarchies and roles: Allow multiple buyers, approvers, and finance teams to work within a shared account.

• Advanced CPQ: Manage custom pricing negotiations directly in the platform.

• Invoice and credit management: Offer pay-by-invoice, set credit limits, and automate payments.

• Shared shopping lists, easy reordering, and bulk ordering: Perfect for procurement teams needing repeat orders.

Flexible and scalable for growth.

BigCommerce’s multi-storefront capabilities allow businesses to manage multiple B2B and DTC storefronts from a single backend — something Shopify simply cannot do. This means you can create region-specific stores, brand-specific experiences, or segment B2B and B2C sales seamlessly.

Additionally, BigCommerce offers an open-source buyer portal, giving you full control over the user experience. Shopify’s B2B checkout and account pages, in contrast, are locked into their rigid templates without flexibility.

Lower total cost of ownership.

Because BigCommerce provides robust native features, merchants spend less on third-party apps and avoid Shopify’s transaction fees. Many brands that switch from Shopify report significant cost savings and faster return on investment.

Don’t just take our word for it: hear why businesses switch to BigCommerce

The Beer Bat.

The Beer Bat, known for their stadium souvenir cups, outgrew Shopify within weeks and switched to BigCommerce, seeing a 115% increase in revenue and a 71% boost in orders post-migration.

“We started on Shopify, but we outgrew them in a couple of weeks,” remarked Sam McGee, CEO of The Beer Bat.

Sellars Absorbent Materials Inc.

Sellars Absorbent Materials Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high-performance wiping, cleaning, and sorbent products for industrial and commercial use. While they considered Shopify, they were able to build a proof of concept (POC) in just two weeks on BigCommerce — something they couldn’t come close to achieving on Shopify.

“Our team was able to spin up a fully functioning B2B POC in two weeks. We couldn't even get close with Shopify,” explained Jacob Jones, Ecommerce Director at Sellars.

Designerie.

Designerie, a leading European furniture importer and exporter, initially hosted its business on Shopify but was quickly frustrated by the severe limitations it placed on their B2B operations. After switching to BigCommerce, they saw a 57% increase in online B2B orders and a 36% increase in revenue.

“When we learned about BigCommerce, we were immediately swayed to migrate from Shopify. BigCommerce's B2B wholesale functionality for customer groups allows us to dictate customer-specific pricing at a macro level while still offering B2B customers a B2C experience while shopping online,” shared Brendan McCarthy, Managing Director at Designerie.

Wovenbyrd.

Known for their sleek, modern, and affordable furniture, Wovenbyrd migrated from Shopify to BigCommerce to launch a hybrid B2B and DTC site. After changing platforms, they saw a 564% increase in conversion rates and a 54% drop in bounce rates within four months.

“We explored both Shopify and BigCommerce, but ultimately decided that BigCommerce would be the best solution for their needs, especially with how easily we could implement a hybrid DTC and B2B solution,” said Scott Williams, Chief Innovation Officer at Human Marketing.

Analysts agree: BigCommerce is the B2B platform of choice

Paradigm B2B.

Paradigm B2B, a leading analyst for B2B ecommerce platforms, rated BigCommerce as the number one platform for mid-market B2B businesses, awarding us more gold medals than any of our competitors, including Shopify.

IDC Marketscape.

BigCommerce was also recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape Worldwide B2B Digital Commerce Applications for Mid-Market Growth excerpt.

Feature Comparison Table: BigCommerce B2B Edition vs. Shopify B2B

The final word

If you’re looking for a platform that truly understands B2B, BigCommerce B2B Edition is the clear winner. Unlike Shopify, which retrofits B2B features onto a B2C platform, BigCommerce has a decade of experience serving B2B businesses with features that drive efficiency and growth.

Ready to transform your B2B ecommerce? Get in touch with BigCommerce today and see how B2B Edition can help your business scale seamlessly.