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BigCommerce vs Memberful

BigCommerce logo

BigCommerce

Software

Enterprise ecommerce platform for ambitious merchants

From
$29.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Memberful logo

Memberful

Software

Membership platform for creators to sell subscriptions, courses and gated content

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BigCommerce listed on G-Cloud 14 by reseller CTI Digital Limited at £14,000 per instance for a managed BigCommerce implementation; Memberful charges a 4.9% transaction fee on top of the flat monthly fee on the Standard plan.
  • They diverge on capability: BigCommerce covers Multi-channel selling, Memberful covers Membership checkout.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigCommerce and Memberful actually diverge.

Attributes where BigCommerce and Memberful differ
AttributeBigCommerceMemberful
Starting price$29.95/month$49/month
PlatformsWebweb, api
Founded20092013

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BigCommerce

  • Multi-channel selling
  • Built-in SEO
  • Abandoned cart recovery
  • Customer segmentation
  • Marketing automation
  • B2B functionality
  • API access
  • Advanced security

Only in Memberful

  • Membership checkout
  • Flexible subscriptions
  • Member management
  • Landing page builder
  • Dynamic paywalls
  • Third-party integrations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BigCommerce

No use cases recorded yet. See the BigCommerce review.

Memberful

  • Selling paid membership subscriptions from an existing websitenot BigCommerce
  • Gating podcast, newsletter or course content behind a paywallnot BigCommerce
  • Running a WordPress site with paid member-only contentnot BigCommerce
  • Offering one-time purchases alongside recurring membershipsnot BigCommerce

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BigCommerce

  • Listed on G-Cloud 14 by reseller CTI Digital Limited at £14,000 per instance for a managed BigCommerce implementation

Memberful

  • Charges a 4.9% transaction fee on top of the flat monthly fee on the Standard plan.
  • Requires a separate Stripe account, adding setup complexity compared to all-in-one checkout platforms.
  • Lacks built-in course-hosting depth found in dedicated learning management platforms.
  • No free plan beyond the pre-launch trial period; charges begin once payments go live.

Pricing, plan by plan

BigCommerce

$29.95/month
  • Standard$29.95/month
    • Unlimited products
    • 2 staff accounts
    • Basic reports
  • Plus$79.95/month
    • All Standard features
    • Up to 5 staff accounts
    • Advanced reports

Memberful

$49/month
  • Standard$49/month
    • 4.9% transaction fee
    • Full platform access
    • Free until you go live
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom volume-based rates
    • Premium services and success management
    • Dedicated migration support

Which should you pick?

Choose BigCommerce if

  • You need multi-channel selling.
  • You also want built-in seo.
BigCommerce review

Choose Memberful if

  • You need membership checkout.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want flexible subscriptions.
Memberful review

Questions people ask

Is BigCommerce or Memberful better?
Neither clearly leads. BigCommerce starts at $29.95/month and Memberful at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigCommerce or Memberful?
BigCommerce starts at $29.95/month and Memberful at $49/month.
Does BigCommerce or Memberful run on more platforms?
BigCommerce runs on Web. Memberful runs on web, api.
What can BigCommerce do that Memberful cannot?
BigCommerce covers Multi-channel selling, Built-in SEO, Abandoned cart recovery, Customer segmentation. Memberful covers Membership checkout, Flexible subscriptions, Member management, Landing page builder.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Memberful: What does Memberful cost?

Memberful's Standard plan costs $49/month plus a 4.9% transaction fee, while larger organizations can get custom volume-based rates on the Enterprise plan.

Source
Memberful: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Memberful can be used for free while setting up a membership site, with no charges incurred until the creator goes live and starts accepting payments.

Source
Memberful: What does Memberful integrate with?

Memberful integrates with WordPress, Mailchimp, Discord and Kit, among other tools, to connect membership data with existing sites and marketing systems.

Source
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