BigCommerce vs Wave

BigCommerce vs Wave: Side-by-Side Feature & Pricing Comparison

Our Harvard-educated consultants have implemented both BigCommerce and Wave for Australian businesses. Here is what 12+ of experience has taught us about choosing between them.

12
Features compared
50+
Clients advised
98%
Client retention
12+
Years experience

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature ratings for BigCommerce and Wave.

Store customisation

BigCommerce

Wave

When it comes to store customisation, Wave pulls clearly ahead of BigCommerce — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.

Product management

BigCommerce

Wave

Wave significantly outperforms BigCommerce on product management, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area.

Payment processing

BigCommerce

Wave

For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong payment processing, Wave is the more capable option in our assessment.

Shipping and fulfilment

BigCommerce

Wave

For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong shipping and fulfilment, BigCommerce is the more capable option in our assessment.

SEO and marketing tools

BigCommerce

Wave

For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong seo and marketing tools, BigCommerce is the more capable option in our assessment.

Mobile commerce

BigCommerce

Wave

When it comes to mobile commerce, BigCommerce pulls clearly ahead of Wave — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.

Invoicing

BigCommerce

Wave

BigCommerce has a notable advantage in invoicing.

Expense tracking

BigCommerce

Wave

For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong expense tracking, BigCommerce is the more capable option in our assessment.

Bank reconciliation

BigCommerce

Wave

When it comes to bank reconciliation, Wave pulls clearly ahead of BigCommerce — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.

Payroll

BigCommerce

Wave

When it comes to payroll, BigCommerce pulls clearly ahead of Wave — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.

Tax reporting and BAS

BigCommerce

Wave

For tax reporting and bas, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage.

Multi-currency support

BigCommerce

Wave

For multi-currency support, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage.

Pricing Comparison

General pricing information for each platform.

BigCommerce

From ~$39/month

Pricing is indicative only and subject to change. We recommend contacting the vendor for a tailored quote based on your Australian business needs.

Wave

Free for invoicing and accounting

These figures are estimates based on publicly available pricing. Actual costs depend on your usage, team size, and any negotiated rates.

Pros & Cons

An honest look at the strengths and limitations of each platform.

BigCommerce

Pros

  • Real-time webhook support for instant data sync
  • Rich data model covering orders, products, customers and more
  • Regular platform updates and improvements
  • Multi-channel selling from one dashboard
  • Extensive integration ecosystem with 30+ connectors

Cons

  • Multi-currency setup can be complex
  • Support response times vary by plan tier
  • Transaction fees can add up at scale
  • May not suit every workflow without customisation

Wave

Pros

  • Regular platform updates and improvements
  • Solid feature set for its price point
  • Mobile-friendly interface
  • Australian tax compliance built in
  • Extensive integration ecosystem with 30+ connectors

Cons

  • May require accounting knowledge to configure properly
  • Add-on costs for advanced features
  • Bank feed reliability varies by institution
  • Onboarding documentation could be more comprehensive

Best For

Which tool suits which use case.

Choose BigCommerce if you need

  • Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
  • Complex data models (orders, products, customers and more)
  • Real-time data sync across platforms
  • Multichannel selling
  • Online store management

Choose Wave if you need

  • Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
  • Education organisations
  • Financial reporting
  • Professional Services businesses
  • Complex data models (invoices, customers, payments and more)

Expert Verdict

Our Harvard-educated consultants' take on this comparison.

Clever Ops Recommendation

Since BigCommerce (e-commerce) and Wave (accounting & finance) address different business needs, the real question is not "which one?" but "do I need both?" Many of our clients run both platforms with a custom integration layer that keeps data in sync. Clever Ops can help you map out the right architecture for your operations.

Migration Notes

What to know about switching between BigCommerce and Wave.

Migrating Between BigCommerce and Wave

Even though BigCommerce and Wave structure data differently, Clever Ops has experience bridging the gap. We map customers between both systems, handle custom field translations, and run test migrations before going live. Expect 4-8 weeks for the full migration, with 3 months of ongoing support.

BigCommerce vs Wave FAQ

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