# Swell vs. BigCommerce Comparison

- **Custom checkout** vs. Limited custom checkout support  
- **API-first** with access to everything in your store vs. Limited API access  
- **Flexible database schema** to define your own models vs. No option to define models  
- **Add custom fields** on models from orders to products vs. Limited custom fields  
- **Built-in subscriptions** (with any gateway) vs. Requires an app with additional fees for recurring payments  
- **Native multi-language support** vs. Requires an app with additional fees for multi-language

## Four reasons to choose Swell over BigCommerce

### Checkout customization

**Swell**  
Swell’s powerful cart APIs let you sell your way. Retain full control over your checkout and build it exactly as you want so that it’s optimized for your business and brand.

**BigCommerce**  
Big Commerce does not permit full checkout customization. The checkout’s underpinnings cannot be changed and it’s necessary to conform to the SDK's model of the Checkout API.

### Native subscription ecommerce

**Swell**  
Swell offers a fully-integrated subscription solution. Sell any physical or digital product as a subscription without paying additional fees and manage everything from one back end.

**BigCommerce**  
Big Commerce requires third-party apps for recurring payments, which incurs additional fees that increase total cost of operations and creates a separate data source.

### API structure

**Swell**  
Swell offers a simplified approach to APIs. Swell leverages MongoDB, which enables developers to use the same Mongo Operators and Aggregation functions frequently used for querying and filtering.

**BigCommerce**  
Big Commerce has a much more complex API structure split between storefront and admin.

### User interface

**Swell**  
Swell’s UI was designed with developers, growth leads and administrators in mind to make the process of building and managing an online store easier and more flexible.

**BigCommerce**  
Big Commerce isn’t as easy to use and takes more time to implement and manage.

## Why you’ll love Swell

### Get the features you want out-of-the-box

- Create multi-level navigation menus (mega navs)
- Sell any product as a subscription and enable mixed carts
- Start selling fast with a hosted checkout or build a custom checkout system
- Get bulk and bundling solutions to sell B2B like it’s DTC

### Build on your own terms

- Launch fast with our starter kits or build a completely custom storefront
- Code in any language and get native multi-language support
- Control conversion of multiple currencies and sell worldwide
- Create as many products and variants as you want

### Scale when you’re ready

- Reduce external costs with built-in features and integrations
- Add new capabilities to your system with custom data models
- Introduce new sales models and features with ease

#### How moving from BigCommerce to Swell transformed THE RAYY

Originally launched on BigCommerce, THE RAYY’s online store eventually became too challenging to manage. The brand’s unique product modeling needs required a powerful solution that only headless technology could offer.

> Swell’s flexible architecture has enabled Monogram to build unique ecommerce solutions for our clients. The availability of all the necessary data points in one single API call is truly powerful.  
> Claudio Christian Fofiu, Director of Technology & Partner at Monogram

## Take your store to the next level with Swell

[Contact us](/content/contact/index.html)