# BigCommerce to Shopify Plus Migration: Step-by-Step Guide Author: Nikhil Bhansali S Author URL: https://maxwize.in/blog/author/nikhil-bhansali-s Published: 2026-03-04 Category: Shopify Plus Category URL: https://maxwize.in/blog/category/shopify-plus Meta Title: BigCommerce to Shopify Plus Migration: Step-by-Step Guide Meta Description: Ready to migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify Plus? This guide covers the complete process, feature comparison, and step-by-step migration instructions. Tags: Migration Tag URLs: Migration (https://maxwize.in/blog/tag/migration) URL: https://maxwize.in/blog/bigcommerce-to-shopify-plus-migration # BigCommerce to Shopify Plus Migration: Step-by-Step Guide Many brands are moving from BigCommerce to Shopify Plus. They want more flexibility, better apps, and simpler customization. If you are thinking about this switch, this guide is for you. You will learn how the platforms compare. Then we walk through the migration step by step. By the end, you will know exactly what to expect. ## Why Brands Switch from BigCommerce to Shopify Plus Both platforms are good. But they serve different needs. Here is why brands often choose to move. ### Larger App Ecosystem Shopify has nearly 8,000 apps. BigCommerce has fewer options. If you need a specific feature, Shopify likely has an app for it. More apps mean: - More choices for each function - Better competition on price and quality - More innovation from developers ### Easier Theme Customization BigCommerce themes can be hard to modify. Many store owners report needing developers for simple changes. Shopify themes are more flexible: - Visual editor for easy changes - Sections and blocks for drag-and-drop editing - Better documentation for developers ### Higher Conversion Rates Studies show Shopify stores convert visitors to customers about 12% better than average. This comes from: - Optimized checkout flow - Faster page loads - Better mobile experience - Shop Pay for returning customers ### Growing Market Share Shopify powers over 4.6 million live stores. It holds 28% of the US ecommerce market. Among top direct-to-consumer brands, Shopify has nearly 73% market share. This matters because: - More developers know Shopify - More partners support Shopify - More resources are available ## Feature Comparison: BigCommerce vs Shopify Plus Let us compare key features. ### Pricing **BigCommerce Enterprise** - Based on annual sales volume - Can trigger automatic upgrades - Pricing varies by negotiation **Shopify Plus** - Starts at $2,300 per month - Small percentage of sales (0.35% to 0.4%) - More predictable costs Winner: Depends on your sales volume. Shopify Plus is often simpler to predict. ### Checkout **BigCommerce** - Good checkout experience - Some customization options - Can add scripts and modifications **Shopify Plus** - Highly optimized checkout - Shop Pay boosts conversion - Full customization with Checkout Extensibility Winner: Shopify Plus for conversion and customization. ### B2B Features **BigCommerce** - B2B edition available - Customer groups - Custom pricing **Shopify Plus** - Native B2B features - Company accounts - Custom price lists - Net payment terms Winner: Close, but Shopify Plus B2B is improving fast. ### Multi-Storefront **BigCommerce** - Multi-storefront available - Good for multiple brands **Shopify Plus** - Nine expansion stores included - Each can have its own theme - Easy to manage from one admin Winner: Shopify Plus for included expansion stores. ### Headless Commerce **BigCommerce** - Strong headless support - Good API coverage **Shopify Plus** - Hydrogen framework - Oxygen hosting included - Purpose-built for Shopify Winner: Both are strong. Shopify Plus has Hydrogen advantage. ## Step-by-Step Migration Process Ready to migrate? Follow these steps. ### Step 1: Prepare Your BigCommerce Store Before you move anything, get organized. **Back Up All Data** Export and save: - Products (with all variants) - Customers - Order history - Categories - Blog posts BigCommerce lets you export most data as CSV files. **Audit Your Current Setup** Document: - All product fields you use - Custom attributes - Integrations with other tools - Apps and their functions **Check Your SEO** Note your current: - URL structure - Meta titles and descriptions - Redirects already in place ### Step 2: Set Up Your Shopify Plus Account Get your new store ready. **Contact Shopify Plus** Reach out to Shopify or a partner. They will: - Set up your account - Assign a launch engineer - Start your onboarding **Configure Basic Settings** Set up: - Store name and details - Payment providers - Shipping zones - Tax settings **Choose Your Theme** Pick a theme that fits your brand: - Premium themes cost $150 to $400 - Custom themes cost $10,000 to $50,000+ - Factor this into your timeline ### Step 3: Choose Your Migration Method You have three main options. **Option 1: Manual CSV Migration** Export from BigCommerce. Import to Shopify. Pros: - Free - Full control Cons: - Time consuming - Some data types do not transfer - Higher chance of errors Best for: Small stores with simple products. **Option 2: Migration App or Tool** Use tools like LitExtension, Cart2Cart, or Matrixify. Pros: - Faster than manual - More data types transfer - Less error prone Cons: - Costs money ($100 to $500+) - May need manual cleanup Best for: Most stores. **Option 3: Professional Migration** Hire a Shopify Plus agency or expert. Pros: - Experts handle everything - Lower risk of problems - Custom needs addressed Cons: - Higher cost ($5,000 to $20,000+) Best for: Large or complex stores. ### Step 4: Migrate Your Products Products are the core of your store. **What Transfers** - Product names and descriptions - SKUs - Prices - Images - Variants - Categories (become collections) **Watch Out For** - **Variant limits**: Shopify Plus now supports 2,048 variants with Combined Listings - **Custom fields**: Use metafields in Shopify - **Product options**: Structure may need adjusting **Steps to Follow** 1. Export products from BigCommerce as CSV 2. Map fields to Shopify format 3. Import using your chosen method 4. Verify a sample of products 5. Fix any issues 6. Verify all products ### Step 5: Migrate Your Customers Your customer data is valuable. **What Transfers** - Names - Email addresses - Shipping and billing addresses - Order history **What Does Not Transfer** - Passwords (for security reasons) - Payment information stored with BigCommerce **Handling Password Reset** Customers need to create new passwords. Plan for this: 1. Email customers before migration 2. Explain the change 3. Provide easy reset link 4. Offer help if needed ### Step 6: Migrate Your Orders Historical orders matter for: - Customer service - Returns and exchanges - Reporting **What Transfers** - Order details - Items purchased - Shipping information - Order status **How to Transfer** Migration tools handle orders well. Manual transfer is harder. Consider: - Using a migration tool for orders - Keeping BigCommerce access for old order lookups - Importing only recent orders if needed ### Step 7: Set Up Redirects for SEO Do not lose your search rankings. **Map Your URLs** Create a spreadsheet: Old BigCommerce URLNew Shopify URL/product-name//products/product-name/category-name//collections/category-name **Set Up 301 Redirects** In Shopify Admin: 1. Go to Online Store > Navigation 2. Click URL Redirects 3. Add each redirect For many redirects, use a CSV import. **Monitor After Launch** - Check Google Search Console for errors - Fix any broken links - Watch ranking changes ### Step 8: Replace Your Apps Find Shopify versions of your BigCommerce apps. **Common Replacements** BigCommerce AppShopify AlternativeMailchimpKlaviyo or MailchimpShipperHQShipStation or Shopify ShippingYotpo ReviewsYotpo, Judge.me, or StampedLiveChatGorgias, Zendesk, or Tidio **Test Each Integration** After installing apps: - Configure settings - Test functionality - Verify data sync ### Step 9: Design and Build Your Theme Your theme is your storefront. **Options** 1. **Use a Premium Theme**: Quick and affordable. Customize with built-in editor. 2. **Customize a Premium Theme**: Modify code for your needs. Faster than building from scratch. 3. **Build Custom Theme**: Full control over design. Takes longer and costs more. **Key Pages to Focus On** - Homepage - Collection pages - Product pages - Cart and checkout - About and contact pages ### Step 10: Test Everything Before launch, test your store completely. **Functional Testing** - Add products to cart - Apply discount codes - Complete checkout - Test all payment methods - Verify order confirmation emails **Data Verification** - Check product details - Verify customer accounts - Review order history **Mobile Testing** - Browse on multiple devices - Complete mobile checkout - Check all buttons and links **Speed Testing** - Run PageSpeed Insights - Check load times - Optimize images if needed ### Step 11: Launch Your New Store Time to go live. **Pre-Launch Checklist** - All products imported and verified - Customer data migrated - Redirects in place - Apps configured - Theme complete - Testing done **Launch Day** 1. Update DNS to point to Shopify 2. Test the live site 3. Place a test order 4. Monitor for issues **First Week After Launch** - Watch for errors - Check order flow daily - Respond to customer issues fast - Monitor analytics ## Timeline Expectations How long does this take? ### Simple Store - Products: Under 500 - Customizations: Minimal - Timeline: 3-5 weeks ### Standard Store - Products: 500-5,000 - Customizations: Moderate - Timeline: 6-10 weeks ### Complex Store - Products: 5,000+ - Customizations: Heavy - Timeline: 12-20 weeks Your BigCommerce store stays live during migration. Zero downtime for customers. ## Common Migration Challenges Watch out for these issues. ### Challenge 1: Product Option Differences BigCommerce and Shopify handle product options differently. **Solution**: Review your product structure. Adjust options before migrating. Use apps like Infinite Options if needed. ### Challenge 2: URL Structure Changes BigCommerce URLs look different from Shopify URLs. **Solution**: Create comprehensive redirect mapping. Use tools to generate redirects in bulk. ### Challenge 3: Design Recreation Your BigCommerce theme will not work on Shopify. **Solution**: Plan for theme work. Either customize a premium theme or budget for custom development. ### Challenge 4: Integration Reconnection Your connected tools need new integrations. **Solution**: List all integrations early. Find Shopify alternatives. Test each one before launch. ## FAQ: BigCommerce to Shopify Plus Migration ### Does my BigCommerce store stay live during migration? Yes. Your current store keeps running. You build the new Shopify Plus store separately. Switch only when ready. ### How much does the migration cost? DIY with free tools: Free but time consuming. Migration tools: $100-$500. Professional migration: $5,000-$20,000+. Add theme costs if building custom. ### Will I lose SEO rankings? With proper redirects, no. Map all URLs. Set up 301 redirects. Rankings should stay stable. ### Can I migrate customer reviews? Yes. Apps like Yotpo, Judge.me, and Stamped can import reviews. Some migration tools also transfer reviews. ### What about my transaction history? Order history can transfer. But payment processing stays with BigCommerce. New orders use Shopify Payments. ### Do customers need new passwords? Yes. Passwords cannot transfer for security reasons. Plan a password reset communication. ## Next Steps Ready to start your migration? 1. **Audit your current store** \- List products, apps, integrations 2. **Get Shopify Plus pricing** \- Contact sales or a partner 3. **Choose your migration method** \- DIY, tool, or professional 4. **Plan your timeline** \- Allow enough time for testing 5. **Find the right partner** \- If you need help Migration from BigCommerce to Shopify Plus takes work. But many brands find the result worth it: a more flexible platform, better apps, and room to grow. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---