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BigCommerce vs Phorest

BigCommerce logo

BigCommerce

Software

Enterprise ecommerce platform for ambitious merchants

From
$29.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Phorest logo

Phorest

Software

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/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; Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • They diverge on capability: BigCommerce covers Multi-channel selling, Phorest covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigCommerce and Phorest actually diverge.

Attributes where BigCommerce and Phorest differ
AttributeBigCommercePhorest
Starting price$29.95/month$99/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20092003

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
  • B2B functionality
  • API access
  • Advanced security

Only in Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports
  • Mailchimp

Both cover

  • Marketing automation

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.

Phorest

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with client recordsnot BigCommerce
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot 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

Phorest

  • No price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • There is no free trial at all, which the company states plainly
  • The product is described as suited to 3 or more staff, so a solo operator is outside the intended range
  • The branded booking app requires the Ultimate plan, and two way SMS, memberships, lead management and the ads manager are all Elite only

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

Phorest

$99/month
  • Grow$99/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Elevate$179/month
    • Everything in Grow
    • Advanced marketing
    • Online booking
  • Innovate$299/month
    • Everything in Elevate
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose BigCommerce if

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

Choose Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client management.
Phorest review

Questions people ask

Is BigCommerce or Phorest better?
Neither clearly leads. BigCommerce starts at $29.95/month and Phorest at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigCommerce or Phorest?
BigCommerce starts at $29.95/month and Phorest at $99/month.
Does BigCommerce or Phorest run on more platforms?
BigCommerce runs on Web. Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What can BigCommerce do that Phorest cannot?
BigCommerce covers Multi-channel selling, Built-in SEO, Abandoned cart recovery, Customer segmentation. Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Reputation management. Both handle Marketing automation.
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