Magento vs BigCommerce: Enterprise Features
and Cost of Ownership

When it comes to enterprise-level eCommerce, two names consistently dominate the conversation: Magento and BigCommerce. Both platforms promise scalability, advanced features, and the ability to support complex business operations, but the path to achieving those results can look very different depending on your choice.

For growing enterprises, the Bigcommerce vs Magento decision often comes down to one critical factor: control versus convenience, especially when evaluating which platform better meets enterprise needs.

From a technical and operational standpoint, these differences directly influence total cost of ownership (TCO), performance optimization, and long-term flexibility. For example, Magento’s open architecture allows businesses - together with their hosting partners - to fine-tune infrastructure for maximum efficiency and scalability. BigCommerce, on the other hand, offers a managed approach that simplifies maintenance but limits backend control.

Many brands launch websites on Magento and BigCommerce by leveraging design flexibility, customization options, and tools like AI and drag-and-drop builders, making it easier to launch and scale enterprise ecommerce sites.

In this article, we’ll break down how these two platforms compare in terms of enterprise-grade functionality, hosting implications, and overall cost of ownership - and help you understand which model aligns best with your business growth strategy.

BigCommerce is a leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform designed to help businesses of all sizes create, manage, and scale their stores with ease. As a SaaS platform, BigCommerce offers predictable monthly fees, automatic software updates, and a robust, scalable infrastructure that eliminates the need for manual server management or technical maintenance. This makes it an attractive choice for businesses seeking a hassle-free solution that allows them to focus on growth rather than backend operations.

One of BigCommerce’s standout features is its user-friendly interface, which includes a powerful drag-and-drop page builder. This tool enables merchants to quickly design and customize their online store without needing advanced technical skills. BigCommerce also offers a wide range of built-in marketing tools, such as SEO optimization, abandoned cart recovery, and integration with popular advertising platforms, helping businesses attract and convert more customers.

In addition, BigCommerce supports seamless integration with leading payment gateways, shipping providers, and third-party apps, giving merchants the flexibility to tailor to their unique needs. With its combination of ease of use, scalability, and comprehensive feature set, BigCommerce offers a compelling solution for businesses looking to launch or expand their online presence with minimal technical overhead.

Magento is a powerful open source platform renowned for its extensive customization capabilities and enterprise-level performance. As part of the Adobe Commerce suite, Magento offers businesses complete control over the design, functionality, and infrastructure of their store. This makes it an ideal choice for companies with complex requirements or those seeking to create a highly tailored ecommerce experience.

Magento is available in several versions to suit different business needs. Magento Open Source provides a free, community-driven foundation for building custom online stores, while Magento Commerce and Adobe Commerce Cloud offer additional features, advanced support, and managed cloud hosting for a fee. With Magento, businesses can leverage a vast ecosystem of extensions and integrations, enabling them to add new features, connect with third-party systems, and scale their operations as they grow.

The platform’s flexibility and scalability make it especially popular among large and complex ecommerce sites that require custom pricing rules, advanced product catalogs, and integration with enterprise systems. Whether you’re looking to build a unique brand experience or need to support high-traffic, multi-store environments, Magento’s open architecture and extensive customization options provide the tools you need to succeed in the competitive eCommerce industry.

Before comparing enterprise-grade features or long-term costs, it’s essential to understand the foundation each platform is built on. Their core architecture and hosting model define not only how your store performs today, but also how easily it can scale, integrate, and evolve tomorrow.

Magento offers a self-hosted model, whether you choose the open-source edition or the enterprise-level Adobe Commerce. There are several versions available: the Magento Open Source Edition is a free, cost-effective option ideal for those with technical skills or limited budgets; the Magento Commerce Edition is a paid solution with advanced features and scalability for larger businesses; and Magento Commerce Cloud integrates cloud hosting and advanced functionalities, offering a fully managed, scalable environment.

These distinctions among Magento Open Source edition, Magento Commerce Edition, and Magento Commerce Cloud are important when evaluating which Adobe Commerce versions best fit your business needs.

This architecture allows for deep customization, from performance tuning and caching layers to integrations with ERP, CRM, and PIM systems. For enterprise businesses, this means you can tailor every component of your ecommerce ecosystem to match your operational needs.

However, this flexibility comes with responsibility. Managing a Magento environment requires the right hosting setup and DevOps expertise to ensure optimal uptime, speed, and scalability. That’s where a specialized managed hosting provider like Scalesta can make a difference - by handling infrastructure, automation, and monitoring, so your team can focus on growth instead of maintenance.

BigCommerce takes a completely different approach. As a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, it provides an all-in-one platform where hosting, updates, and infrastructure management are fully handled by BigCommerce.

This managed model offers simplicity and reliability - there’s no need to configure servers or manage uptime. Everything runs on BigCommerce’s global infrastructure, ensuring consistent performance and automatic scaling. However, this convenience comes at the cost of backend control: businesses cannot access or modify the hosting environment, which limits advanced customization and integration with non-native systems.

For enterprises with complex architectures or unique technical needs, these limitations can become a bottleneck as the business grows.

The key difference lies in who controls the infrastructure:

• With Magento, you or your hosting provider control the environment, which allows for precise optimization - from load balancing and CDN configuration to database tuning and autoscaling clusters.
• With BigCommerce, the infrastructure is managed for you, but its closed nature restricts technical flexibility and cost management options.

With Magento, you have more control over your infrastructure, but you’re also responsible for ongoing updates, security patches, and performance optimization. Hosting costs are a key variable for Magento, as they depend on the edition you choose and the hosting provider, with additional expenses for customization and scaling.

BigCommerce, on the other hand, bundles these costs into a predictable monthly fee, making budgeting easier for most businesses.

In other words, Magento gives you freedom to shape your performance and cost strategy, while BigCommerce gives you predictability but less control.

Both platforms deliver robust solutions for any eCommerce business aiming to build a high-performing eCommerce website, but their approaches to enterprise-scale eCommerce, functionality, customization, and scalability are fundamentally different.

Magento offers unmatched flexibility for organizations that want to build fully customized, performance-optimized commerce systems - from multi-store setups to complex ERP integrations. Magento relies on a vast ecosystem of extensions and custom modules for advanced features, which can be sourced from the Magento marketplace. BigCommerce, on the other hand, focuses on simplicity and reliability, providing a managed environment where most enterprise tools are built in but not deeply configurable.

When it comes to integrations, Magento's open API allows for the development of truly custom integrations, enabling businesses to tailor their eCommerce website to specific needs. The Magento marketplace further expands integration possibilities with a wide variety of third-party extensions.

Understanding these differences is essential for businesses evaluating not only how each platform performs out of the box, but also how far they can scale once traffic, integrations, and regional operations expand. Magento's scalability is a key advantage, making it a scalable platform trusted by large enterprises to handle extensive product catalogs and high order volumes.

Below is a high-level comparison of key enterprise features across both platforms:

Both platforms deliver enterprise-grade tools, but Magento’s open environment provides deeper adaptability for businesses with unique operational needs, while BigCommerce appeals to those seeking a simplified, fully managed experience with predictable performance.

When evaluating enterprise eCommerce platforms, the initial setup price often tells only part of the story. The true cost of ownership (TCO) includes licensing, hosting, maintenance, performance optimization, and long-term scalability.

BigCommerce offers several straightforward pricing plans, including an enterprise plan tailored for larger businesses with unique needs and volume-driven pricing advantages. These pricing plans typically include hosting, domain registration, and integrated payment options, making it easier to launch and manage a store.

Notably, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any plan, which can be a significant cost advantage for high-volume sellers. Additionally, integrating multiple payment gateway options is simple and streamlined on BigCommerce, reducing setup complexity.

Magento’s open architecture introduces more variables - but also more opportunities for cost optimization through hosting, infrastructure control, and DevOps efficiency. Both platforms offer enterprise plans that often include priority support and additional features, providing enhanced assistance for businesses with advanced requirements.

Let’s break down the key components that shape the total cost of ownership for both platforms.

• Magento:

Adobe Commerce licensing is typically based on annual gross merchandise volume (GMV). For smaller or mid-sized enterprises, Magento Open Source provides a free alternative - reducing licensing costs but requiring independent hosting and management.

• BigCommerce:

Operates on a tiered SaaS pricing model, scaling with revenue and feature usage. Subscription fees cover hosting, maintenance, and support - offering predictable monthly expenses but limited flexibility for cost reduction or infrastructure control.

Magento requires separate hosting, which can be deployed on dedicated servers, cloud clusters, or managed enterprise solutions.

• Pros: Full control over server configuration, performance tuning, and scaling strategy.
• Cons: Hosting quality and cost depend on provider and technical management.

A managed provider like Scalesta helps enterprises balance performance and cost by delivering optimized infrastructure, automated scaling, and proactive monitoring - ensuring enterprise-grade performance without overspending on unused capacity.

BigCommerce hosting is included in the subscription, which simplifies operations but also removes infrastructure flexibility. Businesses cannot choose providers or customize server resources, potentially paying more for capacity they don’t fully utilize.

• Magento:

Self-hosted architecture means your team - or your hosting partner - handles system updates, security patches, and performance monitoring. While this requires technical oversight, it also enables custom DevOps workflows that can reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and automate scaling.

• BigCommerce:

Platform updates, uptime, and security are managed by BigCommerce. This lowers internal workload but limits opportunities to optimize backend performance or apply custom deployment processes.

In the short term, BigCommerce may appear more cost-efficient due to its subscription model and managed infrastructure. However, for enterprises expecting high growth or complex integration needs, Magento’s open model delivers better long-term ROI:

• You control where and how to invest in infrastructure.
• You can adapt performance strategies as traffic and data volume grow.
• You avoid vendor lock-in and retain ownership of your technology stack.

In essence, Magento allows enterprises to scale smarter, not just faster - especially when paired with a high-performance managed hosting provider that optimizes resources and minimizes total operational overhead.

Magento’s total cost of ownership is variable but strategically controllable, enabling enterprises to fine-tune performance and infrastructure spending. BigCommerce’s cost is fixed but rigid, providing convenience and predictability at the expense of flexibility and optimization potential.

As eCommerce operations grow, performance and reliability become more than technical priorities - they directly impact conversion rates, customer experience, and revenue. Both Magento and BigCommerce are capable of supporting large-scale stores, but the way they achieve performance stability is fundamentally different. Website speed and performance are also critical factors for search engine optimization, as faster sites tend to rank higher in search results and attract more organic traffic.

Magento’s open architecture gives enterprises full control over every performance parameter - from the server stack to caching layers and CDN distribution. This allows hosting partners and DevOps teams to design environments that are tailored to traffic patterns, product catalogs, and regional demands.

With the right hosting strategy, Magento can reach exceptional levels of stability and speed through:

• Horizontal scaling across multiple nodes for high-traffic periods.
• Advanced caching using Redis, Varnish, and full-page caching configurations.
• CDN and load balancing for consistent global delivery.
• Database optimization for heavy transaction volumes.

At scale, these optimizations are often what separate high-performing Magento stores from those struggling with slow response times. That’s why many enterprises choose managed Magento hosting - providers like Scalesta handle the infrastructure, monitoring, and auto-scaling logic, ensuring that performance remains consistent even under extreme load.

On the other hand, BigCommerce offers strong baseline performance thanks to its SaaS-managed infrastructure and globally distributed servers. Since all stores run on the same optimized stack, merchants benefit from consistent uptime, automatic scaling, and CDN coverage without additional configuration.

However, the closed infrastructure means that enterprises cannot modify or optimize underlying performance parameters. While this makes BigCommerce dependable and low-maintenance, it also limits the ability to fine-tune performance for specific use cases, such as region-based traffic spikes or complex product databases.

• Magento gives enterprises the power to architect their own performance - ideal for large-scale, high-traffic operations that need precise optimization.
• BigCommerce provides stability and predictability - perfect for teams that prefer a hands-off approach to infrastructure.

Ultimately, when supported by a reliable managed hosting partner, Magento offers a performance edge that’s both measurable and scalable - transforming infrastructure from a cost center into a strategic asset.

For enterprise eCommerce, security and compliance are as critical as performance. Both Magento and BigCommerce offer strong protections, but they differ in how and by whom these safeguards are managed.

The choice ultimately comes down to whether your organization prefers a fully managed, standardized security model (BigCommerce) or a customized, infrastructure-level security approach (Magento).

Magento’s self-hosted nature allows enterprises to design their own security architecture - from firewall configuration and SSL management to PCI-DSS compliance and advanced access controls.

This flexibility is particularly valuable for businesses operating across multiple regions or handling sensitive customer data under strict regulatory standards (e.g., GDPR, CCPA). Magento enables you to:

• Deploy custom Web Application Firewalls (WAF) and intrusion detection systems.
• Configure role-based access and authentication across teams and environments.
• Implement infrastructure-level encryption, automated patching, and monitoring tools.
• Maintain compliance frameworks adapted to specific jurisdictions or internal policies.

BigCommerce simplifies the security landscape by handling it entirely within its SaaS framework. All stores are hosted on PCI DSS Level 1–compliant infrastructure, and SSL certificates, platform updates, and data encryption are managed automatically.

This approach greatly reduces operational risk and eliminates the need for internal maintenance - ideal for teams that prefer a hands-off security model. However, the trade-off is reduced control:

• You cannot modify or extend core security configurations.
• Custom compliance frameworks (for example, region-specific or sector-specific policies) are not directly supported.
• Security visibility is limited to platform-level reporting.

For many mid-market businesses, this managed protection is sufficient. But for enterprises with unique regulatory, operational, or integration requirements, the inability to customize can become a limiting factor.

• Magento offers deep control and adaptability, empowering enterprises to align security with specific operational and compliance demands.
• BigCommerce provides out-of-the-box protection, removing administrative overhead but limiting customization.

For enterprises operating in regulated industries or international markets, partnering with a managed hosting provider ensures Magento environments remain compliant, secure, and continuously optimized - without compromising flexibility.

Choosing between Magento (Adobe Commerce) and BigCommerce Enterprise depends on how your organization balances control, scalability, and operational simplicity. Both platforms are built for growth, but they serve different enterprise mindsets - one focused on customization and infrastructure ownership, the other on convenience and managed stability.

Below are key considerations to help determine which solution aligns best with your business strategy.

Magento offers freedom, scalability, and deep customization - ideal for enterprises ready to treat their infrastructure as a strategic asset. BigCommerce provides simplicity, stability, and predictability, perfect for businesses that want performance without the technical overhead.

Ultimately, your choice should align not just with your current operations, but with how your eCommerce ecosystem needs to evolve over the next 3–5 years.

When evaluating an enterprise-level eCommerce platform, understanding the total cost of ownership (TCO) over time is just as important as comparing initial licensing fees. BigCommerce follows a subscription-based pricing model with predictable recurring costs, while Magento (Adobe Commerce) requires higher upfront investment but provides long-term flexibility and cost optimization opportunities.

Below is a comparative overview of how costs typically evolve over time.

While BigCommerce offers a lower barrier to entry, Magento’s long-term ownership model allows for greater cost control and optimization as the business scales.

Choosing between Magento and BigCommerce is not just about comparing features or licensing models - it’s about aligning your platform with your long-term operational and financial strategy. Both platforms can support enterprise-level growth, but they demand different kinds of ownership:

• BigCommerce simplifies management with a subscription-based model and faster time-to-market, ideal for businesses seeking predictable costs and minimal infrastructure involvement.
• Magento (Adobe Commerce), on the other hand, rewards companies that invest in customization, control, and technical scalability - especially when paired with robust hosting and DevOps expertise.

Ultimately, total cost of ownership and ROI depend on how well your hosting infrastructure supports performance, uptime, and scalability. Slow load times or poor server optimization can erode conversions and increase operational costs - even on the most advanced platform.

That’s where Scalesta makes the difference. With over a decade of experience powering high-traffic eCommerce environments, Scalesta delivers optimized hosting solutions for Magento and other enterprise platforms - combining performance, security, and hands-on DevOps management to maximize your ROI. Partner with Scalesta to build a reliable, high-performance hosting foundation for your Magento store: