If you sell products with lots of choices, how each platform handles options matters as much as themes or checkout. BigCommerce puts more option types into the core product editor. Shopify keeps the core simple and relies on apps for the rest. Both approaches work. Which one suits you depends on how custom your products are.
Variant limits
- Shopify: up to 2,048 variants per product, and up to 3 options (for example Size, Color, Material). See our explainer on the 2,048 variant limit.
- BigCommerce: up to 600 variants (SKUs) per product.
For most catalogs neither limit is a real constraint. A tee in 6 sizes and 12 colors is 72 variants on either platform. On Shopify the 3-option cap is more likely to pinch than the variant count; our guide to the 3-option limit workarounds covers what to do when you need a fourth choice.
Option types
BigCommerce splits options into two kinds. Variant options (dropdown, radio buttons, swatches, rectangle list) create SKUs with their own stock. Modifier options (text field, multi-line text, checkbox, date, number, file upload) capture extra information without creating SKUs, and can change the price.
Shopify's admin only has variant options. Themes display them as dropdowns, buttons or swatches. Anything else, such as a name field, a checkbox for gift wrap or a photo upload, comes from an app or custom theme code that saves the input as a line-item property on the order. Our guide to custom options without creating variants shows how that works.
| Need | Shopify | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Size / color with stock per combination | Native variants | Native variant options |
| Custom text field | App or theme code | Native modifier |
| File or photo upload | App | Native modifier |
| Price change for an add-on | App (Cart Transform) or extra variant | Native modifier pricing |
| Show or hide fields based on answers | App | Limited natively; apps or custom code |
| Live preview of the personalized product | App | App |
Pricing rules
BigCommerce lets you attach price adjustments to options in the product editor, for example +$5 when "Gift wrap" is ticked.
On Shopify, variant prices are native, and add-on prices for non-variant options come from apps. Modern apps use Shopify's Cart Transform Functions to adjust the cart line correctly at checkout. This works for apps on every Shopify plan; you don't need Shopify Plus to use an options app that charges for add-ons.
Personalization
For real personalization, such as names on a mug with live preview, font choice, or per-character pricing, both platforms need an app. Shopify's app ecosystem is larger, so you have more choice and more apps built specifically for print-on-demand.
Print It My Way is one of them. It adds text fields, dropdowns, swatches, a font picker with 35+ fonts and a live preview on lower plans, with photo upload, logo upload and conditional logic from the Pro plan at $13.99/month. Add-on fees show as a separate cart line, and the personalization is saved on the order as line-item properties so print partners like Printful, Printify and Gelato can read it.
Plan costs
Both platforms' entry plans land roughly in the $29 to $39 per month range, depending on whether you pay monthly or yearly. Check both pricing pages before deciding, because plans and prices change. Remember to add the cost of the apps you'll need: on Shopify that usually includes an options or personalization app (our roundup of the best free product options apps helps keep that cost low), while BigCommerce covers more of that in the core plan.
Which to choose
Lean BigCommerce if your products mostly need simple modifiers (a text field, a checkbox, a file upload) and you'd rather not install apps for them.
Lean Shopify if you want a live preview, conditional fields, print-on-demand integrations, or a large choice of themes and apps. It's also the more common choice for personalized gift and POD stores, so tutorials and support are easier to find. For a similar comparison with another platform, see Shopify vs WooCommerce product variants.
Migrating between them
Products, variants, prices and images move between the platforms through CSV export and import or a migration service. Option setups don't carry over cleanly: BigCommerce modifiers have no direct Shopify equivalent, so you'll rebuild them in an options app. Plan a day to recreate and test your fields on the busiest products first.
Frequently asked questions
Shopify vs BigCommerce variant limit?
Shopify allows up to 2,048 variants per product with up to 3 options. BigCommerce allows up to 600 variants per product.
BigCommerce vs Shopify option types?
BigCommerce has more option types built in, including text, checkbox, date and file upload modifiers. Shopify's core only has variant options, and apps add the other field types.
Better for complex options?
BigCommerce covers simple modifiers without apps. For complex setups with conditional fields, live preview and add-on pricing, Shopify plus a dedicated options app is usually more capable.
Better for personalization?
Shopify, mainly because it has more personalization apps to choose from, such as Print It My Way, Zakeke and Bold. Both platforms need an app for live preview.
Better for pricing rules?
BigCommerce handles option price adjustments natively. On Shopify, options apps use Cart Transform Functions, which work on every plan.
Migration Shopify to BigCommerce?
Product and variant data moves through CSV or a migration service. Personalization and options app setups need to be rebuilt on the new platform.
Better for B2B?
Both offer B2B features such as customer-specific pricing and company accounts. Compare what each plan includes, since B2B features vary by plan on both platforms.
Cost comparison?
Entry plans on both platforms are roughly $29 to $39 per month depending on billing term. Add the apps you'll need to get a true comparison.
Related reading
Sources & further reading
Primary sources referenced in this article. We link to official platform documentation and standards bodies rather than secondary summaries so you can verify claims directly.
- Shopify Help Center: Product variants
- Shopify.dev: Product variant limits
- Shopify Help Center: Line item properties (customization)
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