BigCommerce vs Substack
Please select two different options.
BigCommerce and Substack are two popular platforms that serve different purposes. BigCommerce is an e-commerce platform that allows users to create online stores, while Substack is a newsletter platform that helps writers monetize their content.
General information
BigCommerce
Substack
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 :
Substack is a popular newsletter platform known for its simplicity and ease of use. Launched in 2017, it has gained traction among writers and creators looking to monetize their content through subscription-based newsletters. Substack offers a user-friendly interface, customizable templates, and tools for managing subscribers and payments. Its open-source nature allows for flexibility and customization, making it a preferred choice for many content creators.
Substack is a popular newsletter platform known for its simplicity and ease of use. Launched in 2017, it has gained traction among writers and creators looking to monetize their content through subscription-based newsletters. Substack offers a user-friendly interface, customizable templates, and tools for managing subscribers and payments. Its open-source nature allows for flexibility and customization, making it a preferred choice for many content creators.
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 for beginners
- Built-in email newsletter functionality
- Ability to monetize content through subscriptions
- Customizable design and branding options
- Strong community support and resources
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
- Lack of built-in SEO features
- Dependency on email for audience reach
- No built-in monetization options
- Limited analytics and reporting capabilities
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 : Thousands
Substack is used by thousands of websites for newsletter and content distribution, making it a popular choice among independent writers and creators.
Substack is used by thousands of websites for newsletter and content distribution, making it a popular choice among independent writers and creators.
🟡 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.
Getting started on Substack is straightforward with user-friendly tools and minimal technical skills required, making it accessible for beginners.
Getting started on Substack is straightforward with user-friendly tools and minimal technical skills required, making it accessible for beginners.
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 : 2017
Substack was launched in 2017, making it a relatively newer platform compared to others in the content management space.
Substack was launched in 2017, making it a relatively newer platform compared to others in the content management space.
Official website :
https://www.bigcommerce.com/
Official website :
https://substack.com/
Commercial details
BigCommerce
Substack
🟡 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.
Substack's platform is not fully open source, but they do provide some level of access to their codebase for customization.
Substack's platform is not fully open source, but they do provide some level of access to their codebase for customization.
⚪ 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.
Substack offers a free option with limited features, making it a good choice for those looking to start a newsletter without upfront costs.
Substack offers a free option with limited features, making it a good choice for those looking to start a newsletter without upfront costs.
🟢 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.
Substack offers a paid option for additional features and customization, providing users with more control over their content and audience engagement.
Substack offers a paid option for additional features and customization, providing users with more control over their content and audience engagement.
Platform details
BigCommerce
Substack
🟢 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 : Yes.
Substack offers a hosted option for users to easily create and manage their newsletters without the need for technical expertise.
Substack offers a hosted option for users to easily create and manage their newsletters without the need for technical expertise.
🟢 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 : Unknown.
Self-hosting options may be available through third-party vendors, but direct self-hosting by Substack is unclear.
Self-hosting options may be available through third-party vendors, but direct self-hosting by Substack is unclear.
🟡 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 : Supported via plugin.
Substack does not natively support headless systems but can be integrated with headless features via its API for content delivery.
Substack does not natively support headless systems but can be integrated with headless features via its API for content delivery.
🟡 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.
Substack does not natively support static content generation but can potentially achieve this functionality via a popular plugin.
Substack does not natively support static content generation but can potentially achieve this functionality via a popular plugin.
Key features
BigCommerce
Substack
🟡 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.
Substack is primarily focused on email newsletters, making it a good platform for managing content in that specific format with additional plugins available.
Substack is primarily focused on email newsletters, making it a good platform for managing content in that specific format with additional plugins available.
🟡 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 : Support natively.
Substack is a native platform for blogging, offering a streamlined experience for writers to create and distribute content easily.
Substack is a native platform for blogging, offering a streamlined experience for writers to create and distribute content easily.
🟢 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.
Substack is primarily focused on email newsletters and lacks native e-commerce functionality. It may require integration with third-party platforms for e-commerce capabilities.
Substack is primarily focused on email newsletters and lacks native e-commerce functionality. It may require integration with third-party platforms for e-commerce capabilities.
🟡 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.
Substack does not natively support community forums but can be enhanced by integrating with third-party plugins like Circle or Tribe.so.
Substack does not natively support community forums but can be enhanced by integrating with third-party plugins like Circle or Tribe.so.
🟡 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 : Support natively.
Substack natively supports content subscriptions and paywalls, making it easy for creators to monetize their content directly on the platform.
Substack natively supports content subscriptions and paywalls, making it easy for creators to monetize their content directly on the platform.
Other features
BigCommerce
Substack
🟡 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.
Substack does not support multi-site natively but can be enhanced by third-party plugins for multi-site functionality.
Substack does not support multi-site natively but can be enhanced by third-party plugins for multi-site 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 : Supported via plugin.
Substack does not support multi-language natively but can be enhanced by third-party plugins or extensions for multi-language functionality.
Substack does not support multi-language natively but can be enhanced by third-party plugins or extensions for multi-language functionality.
🟡 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 : Unknown.
Substack's support for XML sitemaps is not well-documented. It may be available through native features or third-party tools.
Substack's support for XML sitemaps is not well-documented. It may be available through native features or third-party tools.
When deciding between BigCommerce and Substack, consider your specific needs and goals. If you are looking to sell products online, BigCommerce may be the better choice. On the other hand, if you are a writer looking to build a subscriber base for your newsletter, Substack could be the ideal platform for you. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your individual requirements and objectives.