Aphix vs BigCommerce | eCommerce Comparison
In this article, we are comparing Aphix vs BigCommerce head-to-head in terms of the most important factors a business owner needs to know. This way, making a decision on an eCommerce platform is way easier for your business.
Comparing eCommerce platforms can be an intimidating task as there are so many things to take into account. Making the final choice between platforms is an even greater challenge as ultimately you will be investing your time and money in a system that needs to match your requirements.
For that reason, we took the time to compare the Aphix Digital Platform head-to-head with BigCommerce, which is another major eCommerce platform on the market.
Both of these SaaS eCommerce platforms can help your business streamline eCommerce operations, but which one comes out on top?
In this article, we’ll be comparing both platforms in relation to:
- ERP Integration
- Scalability
- Hosting
- Security
- Pricing
Take a glance at the comparison table below to quickly see how the platforms measure up side by side.
There are many factors to take into account between both platforms, and in this post, we will only analyse what we see as being the most important factors.
So, without any further ado, let’s just jump right into the detail.
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ERP Integration
Aphix’s indisputable advantage over most other eCommerce platforms is the out-of-the-box, real-time integration with most major ERP systems like SAP, Sage, and Intact.
The Aphix platform uses the ERP system as the brain of the eCommerce operations, reducing the need to maintain multiple systems. The ERP integration enables your customers to view real-time product, pricing and account information directly from the ERP system.
BigCommerce doesn’t offer out-of-the-box, real-time ERP integration which can be a huge deciding factor for companies looking to streamline, automate, and scale their sales order process.
However, BigCommerce does integrate with some ERP systems such as SAP Business One, NetSuite, and Microsoft Dynamics with the help of what’s known as “connectors”. This type of integration will result in additional costs, implementation complexity, and long-term dependencies on 3rd party systems.
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Scalability
The Aphix eCommerce platform was created with omnichannel sales and scalability in mind. As a result, your business can easily scale as it grows by adding multiple eCommerce, eProcurement, and mobile app solutions to the Aphix Digital Platform.
Aphix customers can easily add additional features and functionality. They can sell on global marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Google or add language packs and localised domains to launch a WebShop in a new country or global market.
BigCommerce, like Aphix, also has scalability in mind. They offer multiple pricing plans for businesses of different sizes and budgets. As your business grows, you can upgrade plans that offer more features, functionality, and tools that will help you to scale.
Similar to Aphix, BigCommerce can help you have multi-store functionality, use different languages, payment methods and more that can help you reach global markets.
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Hosting
Aphix eCommerce is a cloud-based SaaS solution. Hosting is included for all our customers and webshops sit on the world’s leading cloud provider, Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The hosting services include system monitoring, firewall management, backup (14-day retention), security updates, PCI DSS compliance, HTTP URL monitoring and 24/7 support. Amazon hosting usage is based on a fair use policy, SSL setup with uptime of 99.95% on average.
BigCommerce is also a cloud-based solution which is running on the Google Cloud Platform. It has enterprise-level security features, as well as a 24/7 US-based support team behind it. They offer web hosting through certified servers, ensuring hacker prevention, load-balancing, and 99.99% uptime as part of each package, meaning you don’t have to build this into the cost.
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Security
As a certified integration partner to SAP, Sage, and Intact, Aphix takes security very seriously. We provide secure SaaS software that’s fully approved by the ERP provider. This ensures that all security updates, SSL setup, load balancing, and 24/7 monitoring are all handled by us, offering you peace of mind at all times. All security updates are automatically applied and rolled out. This ensures that you are always on the latest and most up to date version of our software.
BigCommerce measures up equally when it comes to security. The platform is PCI compliant and ISO/IEC certified, which means that your customer data is very secure. They offer multi-layered security and SSL certificate for your eCommerce site which is the industry standard for all websites, let alone eCommerce sites.
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Pricing
Aphix offers a very competitive, yet affordable offering for both SME’s and larger companies. All of our products are part of the Aphix Digital Platform and integrate with most major ERP systems. Our eCommerce package includes integration, hosting, security checks, monitoring, upgrades, support, training and more. Our philosophy is that you don’t have to worry about our software. Your only focus should be on growing your business. We take care of the rest for you.
BigCommerce currently offers 4 pricing models starting at $29.95/mo with their standard package and reaching $269.96/mo with their pro package. Large enterprises will need to request a pricing quote based on their needs. User plans are tiered, and depending on which one you sign up for, you will have more (or less) features to meet your eCommerce needs.
If you are serious about choosing an eCommerce platform, you’ll need to consider ERP integration from the outset. Through full integration, you can future-proof, streamline, automate, and scale your business.
In Summary
Selecting a suitable eCommerce platform for your business is complex and a decision that you need to get right.
Both Aphix and BigCommerce offer SaaS eCommerce platforms that can help a business to start selling online. However, the platforms are fundamentally different when it comes to scalability.
Aphix has created a platform that mostly suits medium to large businesses who already have (or are planning to get) an ERP system. Phase 2 of any ERP implementation is normally removing any existing standalone eCommerce solution for a more scalable, integrated eCommerce platform.
BigCommerce offers a platform catering for small to medium businesses who are taking their first steps towards eCommerce and most likely have no ERP.
As these business types start to grow, they will struggle to manage the level of manual processing required to keep up with incoming sales orders, which means they will struggle to scale as a result.
Both platforms have their advantages and disadvantages which will be based on your business needs or your budget. However, you need to take into account at least the 5 factors that we listed above well in advance as changing eCommerce platforms is a nightmare for most businesses.
So, if you are looking for an eCommerce platform for your business, you can request a demo and our experts will be more than happy to show you the power of your platform.
Alternatively, you can email us on sales@aphixsoftware.com or call us on 041 213 7222 if you have any other questions.