BigCommerce vs Discourse
Please select two different options.
BigCommerce is an e-commerce platform designed for online businesses to create and manage their online stores, while Discourse is a modern forum software for community discussions and engagement. Both platforms offer unique features tailored to their specific purposes.
General information
BigCommerce
Discourse
Introduction :
BigCommerce is a popular e-commerce platform that was launched in 2009. It is not open source but is known for its user-friendly interface, robust features, and scalability. BigCommerce is widely used by businesses of all sizes due to its flexibility in customization, seamless integration with various third-party apps, and excellent customer support. It is a reliable choice for online retailers looking to create a professional and efficient online store.
BigCommerce is a popular e-commerce platform that was launched in 2009. It is not open source but is known for its user-friendly interface, robust features, and scalability. BigCommerce is widely used by businesses of all sizes due to its flexibility in customization, seamless integration with various third-party apps, and excellent customer support. It is a reliable choice for online retailers looking to create a professional and efficient online store.
Introduction :
Discourse is a modern, open-source platform for online community discussions. Launched in 2013, it has gained popularity for its user-friendly interface, robust features, and active community support. With a focus on fostering meaningful conversations and promoting user engagement, Discourse is a preferred choice for many organizations and websites looking to build vibrant online communities.
Discourse is a modern, open-source platform for online community discussions. Launched in 2013, it has gained popularity for its user-friendly interface, robust features, and active community support. With a focus on fostering meaningful conversations and promoting user engagement, Discourse is a preferred choice for many organizations and websites looking to build vibrant online communities.
Advantages :
- Easy to use and set up for beginners
- Robust SEO features for better visibility
- Wide range of customizable themes available
- Excellent customer support and resources
- Seamless integration with various third-party apps
Advantages :
- Easy to use interface for beginners
- Strong community support for troubleshooting
- Customizable with various plugins and themes
- Regular updates for security and performance
- Integration with popular third-party tools and services
Disadvantages :
- Limited design flexibility compared to others
- Steeper learning curve for beginners
- Higher cost for advanced features
- Limited third-party integrations available
- Less customization options compared to competitors
Disadvantages :
- Limited customization options
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Lack of built-in SEO features
- Limited plugin and theme options
- Higher cost compared to some competitors
Website users : Thousands
BigCommerce is used by thousands of websites worldwide, making it a popular choice for e-commerce businesses of all sizes.
BigCommerce is used by thousands of websites worldwide, making it a popular choice for e-commerce businesses of all sizes.
Website users : Over 30% of websites
Discourse is a popular platform used by a significant portion of websites, making it a widely adopted choice for online discussions.
Discourse is a popular platform used by a significant portion of websites, making it a widely adopted choice for online discussions.
🟡 Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with BigCommerce requires some initial learning, but the platform offers resources and support to help users navigate the process.
Getting started with BigCommerce requires some initial learning, but the platform offers resources and support to help users navigate the process.
🟢 Difficulty : Easy.
Discourse has a user-friendly interface and clear documentation, making it easy for beginners to get started without needing advanced technical skills.
Discourse has a user-friendly interface and clear documentation, making it easy for beginners to get started without needing advanced technical skills.
Year launched : 2009
BigCommerce was launched in 2009, making it one of the earlier e-commerce platforms available for businesses to use.
BigCommerce was launched in 2009, making it one of the earlier e-commerce platforms available for businesses to use.
Year launched : 2013
Discourse was launched in 2013, positioning it as a relatively newer platform compared to others in the content management system market.
Discourse was launched in 2013, positioning it as a relatively newer platform compared to others in the content management system market.
Official website :
https://www.bigcommerce.com/
Official website :
https://www.discourse.org/
Commercial details
BigCommerce
Discourse
🟡 Open source : Partially.
BigCommerce is not fully open source, but it does offer some level of customization through the use of APIs and themes.
BigCommerce is not fully open source, but it does offer some level of customization through the use of APIs and themes.
🟡 Open source : Partially.
Discourse is partially open source, with the core software being open but some features requiring a paid license for full access.
Discourse is partially open source, with the core software being open but some features requiring a paid license for full access.
⚪ Free option : Unknown.
BigCommerce offers a free trial but does not have a permanently free option. Limited features may be available during the trial period.
BigCommerce offers a free trial but does not have a permanently free option. Limited features may be available during the trial period.
🟢 Free option : Yes.
Discourse offers a free, self-hosted option with limited features compared to paid plans, making it a cost-effective choice for smaller communities.
Discourse offers a free, self-hosted option with limited features compared to paid plans, making it a cost-effective choice for smaller communities.
🟢 Paid option : Yes.
BigCommerce offers a paid option with advanced features and capabilities, providing users with more customization and scalability for their online store.
BigCommerce offers a paid option with advanced features and capabilities, providing users with more customization and scalability for their online store.
🟢 Paid option : Yes.
Discourse offers a paid option for additional features and support, providing users with more customization and assistance options.
Discourse offers a paid option for additional features and support, providing users with more customization and assistance options.
Platform details
BigCommerce
Discourse
🟢 Hosted : Yes.
BigCommerce offers a hosted option for users, providing a convenient and hassle-free solution for setting up and managing an online store.
BigCommerce offers a hosted option for users, providing a convenient and hassle-free solution for setting up and managing an online store.
⚪ Hosted : Unknown.
Hosted options may vary depending on the platform, with some offering both free and paid hosting services through different vendors.
Hosted options may vary depending on the platform, with some offering both free and paid hosting services through different vendors.
🟢 Self host : Yes.
BigCommerce offers a self-hosting option through third-party vendors, giving users more control over their hosting environment and infrastructure.
BigCommerce offers a self-hosting option through third-party vendors, giving users more control over their hosting environment and infrastructure.
🟢 Self host : Yes.
Self-hosting is possible with Discourse through various third-party vendors, offering flexibility and control over hosting options.
Self-hosting is possible with Discourse through various third-party vendors, offering flexibility and control over hosting options.
🟡 Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
BigCommerce supports headless features through APIs, allowing for decoupled front-end experiences with custom-built interfaces or third-party platforms.
BigCommerce supports headless features through APIs, allowing for decoupled front-end experiences with custom-built interfaces or third-party platforms.
⚪ Headless CMS : Unknown.
Discourse does not have native headless support, but it may offer headless features through its API. Further investigation is needed.
Discourse does not have native headless support, but it may offer headless features through its API. Further investigation is needed.
🟡 Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
BigCommerce does not natively support static content generation but can potentially be achieved through popular plugins.
BigCommerce does not natively support static content generation but can potentially be achieved through popular plugins.
🟡 Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
Discourse does not natively support static content generation but can potentially achieve this functionality via a popular plugin.
Discourse does not natively support static content generation but can potentially achieve this functionality via a popular plugin.
Key features
BigCommerce
Discourse
🟡 Content management : Supported via plugin.
BigCommerce offers content management capabilities through plugins, but it may not be as robust as platforms with native content management features.
BigCommerce offers content management capabilities through plugins, but it may not be as robust as platforms with native content management features.
🟡 Content management : Supported via plugin.
Discourse offers content management capabilities through plugins, providing additional functionality for managing content on the platform.
Discourse offers content management capabilities through plugins, providing additional functionality for managing content on the platform.
🟡 Blogging : Supported via plugin.
BigCommerce does not have native blogging capabilities but can be enhanced with popular third-party plugins for blogging functionality.
BigCommerce does not have native blogging capabilities but can be enhanced with popular third-party plugins for blogging functionality.
🔴 Blogging : Not supported.
Discourse is primarily a forum platform, lacking key features for traditional blogging such as customizable themes and SEO optimization.
Discourse is primarily a forum platform, lacking key features for traditional blogging such as customizable themes and SEO optimization.
🟢 E-commerce : Support natively.
BigCommerce offers a robust set of e-commerce features out-of-the-box, making it a strong platform for online businesses looking for comprehensive functionality.
BigCommerce offers a robust set of e-commerce features out-of-the-box, making it a strong platform for online businesses looking for comprehensive functionality.
🔴 E-commerce : Not supported.
Discourse is not specifically designed for e-commerce, lacking native features for product listings, transactions, and order management.
Discourse is not specifically designed for e-commerce, lacking native features for product listings, transactions, and order management.
🟡 Community forum : Supported via plugin.
BigCommerce does not have native forum functionality but can be integrated with popular third-party forum plugins for community engagement.
BigCommerce does not have native forum functionality but can be integrated with popular third-party forum plugins for community engagement.
🟡 Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Discourse offers robust community features but may require additional plugins for specific functionalities compared to other platforms.
Discourse offers robust community features but may require additional plugins for specific functionalities compared to other platforms.
🟡 Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Support for content subscriptions/paywalls can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions on BigCommerce.
Support for content subscriptions/paywalls can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions on BigCommerce.
🟡 Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Discourse does not natively support content subscriptions/paywalls but can be enhanced by popular plugins/extensions for this functionality.
Discourse does not natively support content subscriptions/paywalls but can be enhanced by popular plugins/extensions for this functionality.
Other features
BigCommerce
Discourse
🟡 Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
BigCommerce does not support multi-site natively but can be achieved through third-party plugins or extensions for managing multiple sites from a single dashboard.
BigCommerce does not support multi-site natively but can be achieved through third-party plugins or extensions for managing multiple sites from a single dashboard.
🟡 Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Discourse does not support multi-site natively but can be enabled through third-party plugins for enhanced functionality.
Discourse does not support multi-site natively but can be enabled through third-party plugins for enhanced functionality.
🟡 Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
BigCommerce does not natively support multi-language but can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.
BigCommerce does not natively support multi-language but can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.
🟢 Multi-language : Support natively.
Discourse supports multi-language natively, allowing for seamless content translation and localization without the need for additional plugins or extensions.
Discourse supports multi-language natively, allowing for seamless content translation and localization without the need for additional plugins or extensions.
🟡 XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Support for XML sitemaps in BigCommerce is available through popular third-party plugins or extensions, enhancing SEO capabilities for users.
Support for XML sitemaps in BigCommerce is available through popular third-party plugins or extensions, enhancing SEO capabilities for users.
🟡 XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Discourse does not support XML sitemaps natively but can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins for this functionality.
Discourse does not support XML sitemaps natively but can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins for this functionality.
When choosing between BigCommerce and Discourse, consider the nature of your online presence. If you are looking to sell products online, BigCommerce is the way to go. On the other hand, if you aim to foster community interaction and discussions, Discourse is the ideal choice. Select the platform that aligns best with your goals and audience engagement needs.