Ecommerce & storefront platforms
BigCommerce Apps vs Shopify App Store
BigCommerce Apps and Shopify App Store both compete in ecommerce & storefront platforms. Here is how they compare on the factors that decide where a developer should build — authentication, complexity, review, monetization, and merchant of record.
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | BigCommerce Inc. | Shopify Inc. |
| Ecosystem | Ecommerce & storefront platforms | Ecommerce & storefront platforms |
| Category | Ecommerce | Ecommerce |
| Primary auth | OAuth 2.0 | OAuth 2.0 |
| Also supports | API key | API key |
| Complexity | Moderate (L2) | Moderate (L2) |
| Security review | Required | Required |
| Integration types | Embedded app, Connector | Embedded app, Connector, Widget |
| Monetization | Paid app, Usage-based, Free | Paid app, Usage-based, Revenue share |
| Onboarding fee | $0 | $0 |
| Commission | 0% direct; developer bills separately | 0% on first $1M; 15% after |
| Merchant of Record | Developer is MoR | Shopify Payments (optional) |
| AI agents / bots | Not a focus | Supported |
| Example apps | Klaviyo, ShipperHQ, Yotpo | Klaviyo, Recharge, Judge.me |
| API rate limits | Sliding-window rate limits per store, tracked via response headers. | GraphQL and REST rate limits vary by plan and API resource. |
| Links |
Which should you choose?
- Lower complexity: both at level 2/4.
- Security review: both require a formal review.
- AI agents: Shopify App Store explicitly supports AI agents.