BigCommerce vs Shopify:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, BigCommerce had more branded searches than Shopify among headless commerce platforms worldwide. BigCommerce had about 33,100 branded searches, while Shopify had 1,900. BigCommerce made up 70.9% of all headless commerce platform searches we track, and Shopify accounted for 4.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about headless commerce platforms, Shopify appeared in all five answers and BigCommerce in four. Shopify was mentioned before BigCommerce in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
BigCommerce, about 17 searches for every 1 for Shopify
Who does AI mention more?
Shopify, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Shopify, named ahead of BigCommerce in every answer
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Top headless commerce platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Shopify appeared in all five answers. BigCommerce was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Shopify was listed before BigCommerce in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Shopify1st
commercetools2nd
Medusa3rd- BigCommerce4th
Saleor5th
Elastic Path6th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Shopify5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- BigCommerce4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- commercetools4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Saleor4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Medusa4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Elastic Path1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about headless commerce platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which headless commerce platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best headless commerce platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best headless commerce platform for an online store?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“headless commerce platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ecommerce api”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is BigCommerce or Shopify more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for BigCommerce and Shopify by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six headless commerce platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for BigCommerce, Shopify. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | BigCommerce | commercetools | Saleor | Shopify | Elastic Path | Medusa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 72.6% | 14.5% | 6.5% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 0.58% |
| Nov 2025 | 70.4% | 14.1% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 0.68% |
| Dec 2025 | 74.8% | 12.2% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 1.5% | 0.48% |
| Jan 2026 | 72.3% | 14.5% | 6.4% | 4.2% | 1.9% | 0.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 66.2% | 16.2% | 8.8% | 5.8% | 2% | 0.96% |
| Mar 2026 | 62.2% | 18.6% | 10.2% | 5.5% | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 66.2% | 16.2% | 8.8% | 5.8% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 63.6% | 15.5% | 10.3% | 6.8% | 2.1% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 70.4% | 14.1% | 7.7% | 5% | 1.7% | 1% |
| Jul 2026 | 68.4% | 13.6% | 9.1% | 6% | 1.8% | 0.99% |
| Aug 2026 | 69% | 13.8% | 9.2% | 5% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 70.9% | 14.1% | 7.7% | 4.1% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
How has the BigCommerce and Shopify comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- BigCommerce was ahead of Shopify in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BigCommerce’s share of searches among headless commerce platforms worldwide moved from 72.6% to 70.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 33.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Shopify’s share of searches among headless commerce platforms worldwide moved from 3.5% to 4.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9K to 1.9K.
How did search popularity change for headless commerce platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, BigCommerce gained share of searches among headless commerce platforms worldwide, from 69% to 70.9%.
In September 2026, Shopify lost share of searches among headless commerce platforms worldwide, from 5% to 4.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using BigCommerce’s and Shopify’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
BigCommerce
2 branded search terms
- big commerce
- bigcommerce
Shopify
1 branded search term
- shopify hydrogen
Other head-to-heads among headless commerce platforms
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