What white-label BigCommerce development means here
BigCommerce is an open SaaS ecommerce platform: it runs the hosting, security, and PCI compliance, but it is API-first and takes no cut of sales.
You win the project and own the client; we build the storefront, configure B2B, and handle integrations and migrations under your brand, and the store is handed to your client's own BigCommerce account on delivery.
What BigCommerce is actually for
BigCommerce occupies a specific, useful middle ground, and naming it helps you place a client correctly.
It is the right call when a client wants real capability, meaning complex catalogs, B2B, or multiple storefronts, but does not want to run Magento-level infrastructure or accept a closed platform's limits. That is a common shape of client, and BigCommerce fits it well.
Hosted, but open.
Like Shopify, BigCommerce runs its own hosting, security, and PCI compliance, so the client does not manage infrastructure. Unlike a closed platform, it is API-first, so it integrates and customizes far more freely.
No transaction fees.
BigCommerce does not take a percentage of sales on top of payment processing, which changes the math for a growing store versus platforms that do.
Built for scale and B2B.
Multi-storefront, multi-currency, and a native B2B suite mean a store can grow into wholesale and international selling without re-platforming.
Stencil or Catalyst: the framework choice that shapes the build
BigCommerce has two first-party storefront frameworks, and picking the right one up front is the single biggest decision on a build. It sets the cost, the timeline, and what is possible later.
Stencil is BigCommerce’s proven theme engine, Handlebars-based and introduced in 2016, still fully supported. Cornerstone is its default theme and the starting point for most builds.
It is server-rendered, faster and cheaper to launch, and the right choice for a standard B2C store or a straightforward B2B build where a clean, reliable storefront matters more than a custom architecture.
Note that BigCommerce has deprecated its older Blueprint framework, but Stencil is not going anywhere.
Catalyst is BigCommerce’s headless framework, released in 2024 and built on Next.js, React, and TypeScript, connected through the GraphQL Storefront API.
It is the platform’s official path forward for performance-led and composable builds: faster page loads, modern developer tooling, and the freedom of a headless front end while BigCommerce still handles the commerce backend.
It also integrates the Makeswift visual builder, which matters more than it sounds, because it means a client can still edit layout and design without going through a developer, which is usually the first thing lost in a headless build.
One honest caveat on Catalyst. It is built on the GraphQL Storefront API, and that API does not yet cover every BigCommerce platform feature.
So a store that depends on a specific capability needs that checked against Catalyst’s supported features before committing to it, not after. We do that check as part of scoping.
Catalyst is a React build, which is squarely in our wheelhouse: the same front-end capability behind our React work applies directly here.
We will tell you honestly which framework a project needs, meaning Stencil when the store wants to launch clean and cost-effective, and Catalyst when performance and a custom front end justify the heavier build.
Choosing wrong is expensive, so we make that call with you before a line of code is written.
What we build
in BigCommerce
Store builds.
Stencil theme builds and custom Catalyst headless storefronts, designed to the client’s brand.
Theme customization.
Customizing and extending Stencil themes, or building a custom front end on Catalyst.
B2B Edition.
BigCommerce’s native wholesale suite, covering company accounts, custom price lists, quotes, approval workflows, and requisition lists, configured for manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers.
Headless builds.
Catalyst or a custom headless front end over the GraphQL Storefront API, for performance-led or composable projects.
Apps and integrations.
Connecting BigCommerce to ERPs, CRMs, payment providers, and back-office systems, plus custom app development against its APIs.
Migrations to BigCommerce.
From Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or other platforms, with product data, customers, order history, and SEO preserved.
Multi-storefront and international.
Multiple storefronts and multi-currency selling run as one operation.
BigCommerce, Shopify, or WooCommerce? Where each fits
We build on all three, so the recommendation follows the client. The honest split:
BigCommerce fits when a client wants enterprise capability, covering B2B, multiple storefronts, heavy catalogs, and deep integrations, hosted and low-maintenance, without transaction fees or a closed platform’s limits.
Shopify fits when the priority is the simplest possible hosted store and the fastest launch, and the client is happy inside a more closed ecosystem.
WooCommerce fits when the client wants to own the store outright on WordPress, with full control of code and data and no platform fees at all, and has the appetite to maintain it.
Tell us the client’s situation, covering catalog size, B2B needs, budget, and how hands-on they want to be, and we will point you to the platform that serves them, including one of the other two when that is the better call.
Open by design, and yours on delivery
BigCommerce’s whole appeal is that it does not lock a business in, and we build the engagement the same way.
The store is built under your brand and handed to your client’s own BigCommerce account on delivery; we stay invisible and never contact your client. Any custom code, whether a Catalyst front end, custom apps, or integrations, ships documented and yours.
The quote is fixed before we start, so the number you sign is the number that invoices. And we work inside your process, whether Slack, ClickUp, Asana, or Basecamp.
FAQ
What is white-label BigCommerce development?
We build, customize, and maintain BigCommerce stores on behalf of your agency. Your clients see your brand throughout while our developers handle the technical work, covering storefront builds, B2B configuration, integrations, and custom app development.
When should an agency choose BigCommerce over Shopify?
BigCommerce fits when a client needs enterprise capability, meaning native B2B, multiple storefronts, large catalogs, or deep integrations, without transaction fees or a closed ecosystem’s limits. Shopify fits when the priority is the simplest hosted store and fastest launch. Both are hosted and low-maintenance; the difference is openness and B2B depth.
Should we build on Stencil or Catalyst?
Stencil is BigCommerce’s proven theme engine, faster and cheaper to launch and ideal for standard B2C or straightforward B2B stores. Catalyst is the newer headless framework built on Next.js and React, for performance-led or composable builds that justify a custom front end. We recommend based on the store’s needs and budget, and build both.
Is Stencil being retired?
No. BigCommerce has deprecated its older Blueprint framework, but Stencil remains a fully supported first-party theme engine and is still the right choice for most standard builds. Catalyst is the forward path for headless and React-based storefronts, not a replacement that forces existing stores to move.
Are there any limitations to Catalyst?
One worth knowing before you commit. Catalyst runs on the GraphQL Storefront API, which does not yet support every BigCommerce platform feature. If a store depends on a specific capability, that needs checking against Catalyst’s supported features during scoping. We do that check up front rather than discovering it mid-build.
Will the client lose the ability to edit their own storefront on a headless build?
Usually the biggest objection to headless, and Catalyst answers it: it integrates the Makeswift visual builder, so a client can customize layout and design without needing a developer for every change.
Can you build a headless BigCommerce store?
Yes, with Catalyst, BigCommerce’s official Next.js and React headless framework, or a custom front end over the GraphQL Storefront API. Because Catalyst is a React build, it uses the same front-end capability behind our React work.
Do you work with BigCommerce B2B Edition?
Yes. BigCommerce’s native wholesale suite, covering company accounts, custom price lists, quotes, approval workflows, and requisition lists, configured for manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers without relying on third-party apps.
Can you migrate a store to BigCommerce from another platform?
Yes, from Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or others, with product data, customers, order history, and URL redirects preserved so search rankings survive the move.
Does BigCommerce charge transaction fees?
No. BigCommerce does not take a percentage of sales on top of payment processing, which is one of its main advantages over platforms that do, especially for a growing store.
Can you integrate BigCommerce with our client’s other systems?
Yes. ERPs, CRMs, payment providers, shipping, and back-office systems, through existing apps or custom integrations built against BigCommerce’s APIs.
Stop Doing It All
GOT A BIGCOMMERCE BUILD OR MIGRATION?
Tell us what the client needs, covering catalog, B2B, budget, and timeline. We will tell you honestly whether it is a BigCommerce job, a Shopify one, or a WooCommerce one, recommend Stencil or Catalyst if it is BigCommerce, and come back with a fixed quote and a timeline.
