BigCommerce vs Solomono: Global giant vs Ukrainian rocket. A comprehensive comparison review

What do you feel when you go to a car dealership to buy a new car? Fear? A childish sense of excitement and fire in your heart? Or do you do it with a cool head and a detailed calculation of the benefits of the purchase?

Remember?

Well, choosing an engine for your online store is absolutely the same in terms of emotions and meaning. Both choices make your life easier, make you more mobile, and solve a bunch of problems. We are not car dealers, but we can help you choose a good ‘engine’ for your online store.

Today, let's compare the huge American pickup truck ‘BigCommerce’ and the tuned Ukrainian sports car from SoloMono.

BigCommerce is powerful, expensive, prestigious, but it consumes a lot of fuel, spare parts have to be ordered from overseas, and it simply feels cramped on the narrow streets of Ukrainian e-commerce.

The ‘Rocket’ from SoloMono is adapted to our roads, consumes the least amount of resources, ‘accelerates to a hundred’ (Google PageSpeed) in seconds, and the service is located in a neighbouring city.

But that's all window dressing, and we're interested in what's under the hood, so in this article, we compare all the nuts and bolts of these ‘engines.’

 

1. Philosophy and Architecture: SaaS vs. Freedom

BigCommerce: ‘The Big Machine’

BigCommerce is classic SaaS (Software as a Service).

And like classic SaaS, it has most of the advantages and disadvantages.

First of all, it should be noted that BigCommerce has ‘closed code,’ which means that if you need to change the logic of the store's cart or add/remove a feature that is not in the API, you will not be able to do so because, quite simply, there is no such option.

Vendor lock-in is a very serious issue for most stores because it ‘complicates’ the transfer of BigCommerce to another platform. You cannot simply download files from the site or database and deploy the store elsewhere. Migration requires a complete rebuild of the site, almost from scratch.

But among the advantages, hosting should be objectively noted. BigCommerce stores mainly live on Google Cloud servers. This guarantees reliability, but takes away your right to choose. If the servers go down (which is extremely rare, but it does happen), you just have to w-a-i-t.

But if you decide to run an ad during the Super Bowl and a million people visit the site at the same time, BigCommerce can handle it (automatic scaling).

BigCommerce is one of the leaders in headless architecture. This is when the ‘head’ of the website (the storefront that the customer sees) is separated from the ‘body’ (the store engine). You can create a storefront on WordPress, React, Vue.js, or even as a mobile app, and use BigCommerce only as an engine for processing orders and payments via API. This also allows platform customers to sell on Amazon, Walmart, and other platforms.

Solomono — a ‘rocket’ from a parent's garage

In contrast to the ‘American pickup truck,’ SoloMono has open source code. This means you can write, refine, or do anything you want for your online store. The platform is written on a popular stack (PHP/MySQL). Any competent programmer can add functionality to suit your needs.

With SoloMono, you choose the model of cooperation with the platform. You can start with a rental (SaaS), and when your business grows, you can buy a licence and move to your own server.

It should also be noted that your database and files belong only to you. You have complete control over your data and do not depend on the mood or policy of the developer company.

And what we consider to be the biggest advantage is that we grow together with you 😋

2. Total cost of ownership (TCO): Where are the hidden costs?

Let's talk about the painful stuff — money, pricing architecture, and ‘various surprises’ for start-ups.

BigCommerce: ‘success tax’

To put it simply, BigCommerce has a ‘success tax’.

You start with the Standard plan ($29/month), which has a sales limit of $50k per year.

But there's a catch: the system works automatically. As soon as you sell $1 over the limit, BigCommerce automatically switches you to the Plus plan ($79/month, limit up to $180k).

Outgrown that, too? Welcome to the Pro plan ($299/month, limit up to $400k).

You should also consider the concept of a ‘bare core.’ BigCommerce provides a powerful base, but many marketing tools are moved to separate applications (Apps). The free design themes here are quite simple, so you'll have to pay £150–£300 for a high-quality template.

Do you need advanced SEO filters, ‘smart’ reviews, or specific email newsletters? Be prepared to pay a monthly subscription fee for each such application (from £10 to £200/month). As a result, the total cost of ownership (TCO) can be several times higher than the base rate.

But commissions should also be added to the nuances of localisation. The platform does not charge a percentage for transactions only if certain payment gateways are used. Since BigCommerce's native gateways do not work properly in Ukraine, you risk paying additional commissions when connecting third-party acquirers.

Solomono: Transparent Economy

Solomono is a flexible platform that combines the advantages of SaaS and a classic boxed solution.

As a local product, it offers a cost structure adapted to our realities, where business owners strive to control their expenses.

First of all, it is important to note the ownership model. Unlike rigid SaaS, here you have a choice: you can start with a rental (from ~$14/month) to minimise your initial costs. But the key difference is the option to purchase a lifetime licence. This means that after a one-time payment, you become the full owner of the store. The files, database, code — everything belongs to you, and you are no longer dependent on monthly payments.

In terms of functionality, Solomono adheres to the ‘All-in-One’ principle. Most of the critical modules that you have to pay for separately in BigCommerce (advanced product filters, delivery modules, marketplace integrations, SEO tools) are already built into the core of the system. This significantly reduces the TCO (total cost of ownership) in the long run, as you don't need to build your store like a construction set from paid add-ons.

But even before scaling, it's important to note the absence of ‘growth penalties.’ There are no hidden limits on turnover (GMV). You can sell a million dollars a month — the cost of using the platform will not change for you.

In addition, the ecosystem is built on an understandable technology stack, so an hour of work by a Ukrainian developer under Solomono will cost significantly less than the services of a certified Western BigCommerce expert with an hourly rate of $100+.

3. Localisation: Why BigCommerce is struggling in Ukraine

BigCommerce is a product created primarily for the US market. This dictates its internal logic, which often conflicts with business processes in Ukraine.

The American market is structured differently: there is no ‘Nova Poshta’ with a choice of branches, no ‘cash on delivery’ as we understand it, and completely different requirements for cheques and accounting.

First of all, there is the issue of logistics. BigCommerce does not know what ‘branch No. 5’ is. In order for a customer to be able to select a city and a specific Nova Poshta warehouse from a drop-down list, you will have to order expensive custom development or search for rare plugins.

The same applies to payments. There is no direct integration with Monobank, LiqPay or WayForPay ‘out of the box’. This will require the use of third-party intermediary gateways or writing your own connector via API.

But there are also issues with the interface. The registration forms (Checkout) are strictly tailored to the Western format (First Name, Last Name, Address Line 1, State/Province). Adapting these fields to the ‘Full Name + Phone Number’ format we are used to requires intervention in the template code.

Marketplaces should also be mentioned. Uploading a product XML feed to Rozetka, Prom, Hotline or Price.ua is not included in the basic functionality. To access these platforms, you need to purchase a subscription to intermediary services (feed management tools).

4. Speed and Google Core Web Vitals

In 2024, speed is not just a convenience; it is a Google ranking factor.

BigCommerce uses heavy JS frameworks and loads a lot of unnecessary scripts (for analytics, tracking), even if you don't use them. You cannot change this because you do not have access to the server. The average PageSpeed score on mobile devices is 30-50.

Solomono: The architecture is built on the Mobile First principle. Minimal heavy libraries, optimised SQL, caching, WebP support, and Lazy Load for images. The result ‘out of the box’ is 90-100 points in the Green Zone.

Why is this important? Amazon found that every 100 ms of loading delay costs them 1% of sales. Solomono saves you that percentage.

5. Admin panel and product management

BigCommerce is a modern product with a visually appealing control panel. But as a global tool, it is primarily aimed at English-speaking users.

However, data management here should be approached with a certain level of expertise. The tool for importing/exporting products via CSV is extremely powerful, but quite complex. For a beginner who just wants to ‘upload a price list,’ setting up the correct fields and formats can be a difficult quest.

In contrast, Solomono is a system where convenience and clarity for the local manager come first.

But they have also taken a practical approach to everyday routines. A quick edit function has been implemented, allowing you to change prices and balances directly in the general list of goods (similar to Excel), without wasting time opening each card separately.

It is also worth mentioning the convenient work with attributes (colour, size) and options. And the loyalty system — discounts, coupons, and promotions — is already built into the core and ready to launch marketing activities without installing additional modules.

Comparison table: BigCommerce vs Solomono

Comparison table: BigCommerce vs Solomono

Feature	BigCommerce	Solomono
Target market	USA, Canada, Global market	Ukraine, Eastern Europe
Ownership model	SaaS (Rental). Closed source code.	SaaS or Lifetime (Purchase). Open source code.
Total cost of ownership (TCO)	High. Subscription fee ($29-$300+) + Paid themes + Add-ons.	Low. Rental (from $14) or one-time licence purchase.
Sales limits (GMV)	Strict limits. Mandatory tariff increase when exceeded ($50k/$180k).	Unlimited. The price does not increase with your success.
Localisation	Weak. Expensive custom development required (NP, PRRO, banks).	Excellent ‘out of the box’. NP, Ukrposhta, Mono/Privat, PRRO built-in.
Speed (PageSpeed)	Average (30-60). Depends on scripts and applications.	Maximum (90-100). Google green zone. Mobile First.
Global sales	Leader. Native integration with Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Instagram (US).	Basic. Requires additional settings for Amazon/eBay.
Local marketplaces	None. Third-party feed services are required.	Built-in. Export to Aliexpress, Amazon, Hotline, Google Shopping.
Ecosystem / Extensions	Huge App Store. Thousands of ready-made plugins (often paid).	‘All in one.’ Basic functions in the core, specific ones — through a programmer.
Architecture	Headless Commerce support (API first).	Classic MVC (PHP/MySQL), code customisation possible.
Hosting and Reliability	Google Cloud (included in the price). SLA 99.99%. You do not manage the server.	Any hosting/VPS. You are the full owner of the data and server.
Technical Support	English-speaking (24/7).	Ukrainian/English-speaking

Conclusion

Bottom line: What to choose?

Choose BigCommerce if:

• Geography: Your main market is the US, Canada or Australia, and you play by Western retail rules.

• Budget: You don't have strict limits on operating expenses, and monthly payments in currency (subscription + add-ons) are not a problem for your financial model.

• Ecosystem: Your strategy is based on close integration with giants Amazon and eBay, and you need native tools for these platforms.

Choose Solomono if:

• Technology: Your priority is maximum website loading speed (Green Zone), which is critical for SEO promotion and mobile conversion.

• Ownership: You prefer the ‘buy and own’ model, investing in your asset rather than paying a lifetime ‘rent’ for using the platform.

• Multichannel: You are planning to expand to Rozetka, Prom and other local marketplaces and need a convenient tool for uploading products.

Solomono is not just an ‘analogue’ of Western systems. For Ukrainian entrepreneurs, it is a rational tool that eliminates the headache of technical configuration and allows you to focus on what matters most — trade.

Ready to test the speed? Transfer your store to Solomono for free (data migration) and feel the difference. Learn more about pricing.