Comparison

Shopify → BigCommerce vs Always Open Commerce: Instant Migrate Alternative

Need to convert your shopify product catalog to bigcommerce csv format. aggregates multi-row exports and distributes images to bigcommerce's 15 image columns? Always Open Commerce provides professional e-commerce platform migration services. SpreadsheetBroccoli is better for converting CSV files to accounting formats without platform migration services.

Try Shopify → BigCommerce yourself

Why Shopify Products Don't Import Directly to BigCommerce

Image Structure Mismatch

Shopify exports one row per image (multiple rows share same Handle). BigCommerce expects one row per product with images in 15 columns (Product Image URL - 1 through 15). Direct import creates duplicate products or missing images.

Field Name Incompatibilities

Shopify uses "Title", "Variant Price", "Published" (TRUE/FALSE). BigCommerce uses "Product Name", "Price", "Product Visible?" (Y/N). Without mapping, BigCommerce import fails with missing required fields.

What This Tool Does

We aggregate and transform your Shopify export: - Row Aggregation: Multiple rows (same Handle) → single BigCommerce product - Image Distribution: Shopify image rows → BigCommerce Image URL columns 1-15 - Field Mapping: Shopify names → BigCommerce column names - Weight Conversion: Grams → BigCommerce units (oz, lb, kg) - Price Mapping: Compare At → Retail Price, Variant Price → Price/Sale Price - Status Conversion: Published TRUE/FALSE → Product Visible? Y/N - Tags: Shopify tags → BigCommerce categories (semicolon format) Your BigCommerce import succeeds with complete product data and all images.

Quick Comparison

Feature Comparison

Feature Always Open Commerce SpreadsheetBroccoli
Flexible pricing (pay-as-you-go)
Try without signup
No setup or learning required
Data stays on your device Service-based
Works on any device
Error detection before upload
Fast email support
No API tokens required
No risk of data corruption
Full data transparency

What Always Open Commerce Does Well

To be fair, Always Open Commerce has genuine strengths:

  • 10+ years migration experience
  • 100% success rate claimed
  • Shopify to BigCommerce migration
  • WooCommerce to BigCommerce migration
  • Complete data backup and transfer
  • Store design and development included
  • SEO preservation

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Always Open Commerce if: You need to migrate between e-commerce platforms You want professional migration service You need Shopify to BigCommerce migration You want store design and development included You prefer managed migration projects
Choose SpreadsheetBroccoli if: You need CSV file conversion to accounting formats You want file-based tools without migration services You do occasional imports rather than platform migrations You prefer browser-based conversion tools You want instant results without service coordination

Ready for the simpler approach?

Try Shopify → BigCommerce yourself - no signup required.

Convert Your First File

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your needs. Always Open Commerce is built for businesses that need advanced automation and accounting integrations. If you're a small business doing monthly imports or occasional conversions, SpreadsheetBroccoli's simpler approach may be a better fit - no subscriptions, no setup, just results.
Not for the same transactions - you'd risk double-counting. However, you could use Always Open Commerce for ongoing automation and SpreadsheetBroccoli for one-off historical imports or quick ad-hoc conversions outside your normal workflow.
Always Open Commerce typically requires 30-60 minutes of initial setup (account creation, API connections, mapping configuration), then runs automatically. SpreadsheetBroccoli takes under 2 minutes per conversion - upload, preview, download. Choose based on whether you need ongoing automation or quick occasional conversions.
Pick a clean cutoff date (end of month works best). Let Always Open Commerce finish processing that period, then disconnect. Export your data from the source platform and use SpreadsheetBroccoli for conversions going forward. The first month needs careful reconciliation to ensure no gaps or duplicates.
Both produce accurate results when used correctly. Always Open Commerce uses API connections for automated data sync. SpreadsheetBroccoli processes the exact file you provide and shows you a preview before finalizing. Our pre-upload validation catches errors before they reach your accounting software.
Always Open Commerce typically charges monthly subscriptions regardless of usage. SpreadsheetBroccoli offers flexible options: free preview before commitment, pay-per-conversion, credit bundles for volume, or subscriptions for heavy users. You only pay for what you actually use.
Always Open Commerce offers various support tiers depending on your plan. SpreadsheetBroccoli provides fast email support to all users. Our file-based approach also means simpler troubleshooting - if something looks wrong, you can see exactly what data was converted in the preview.
Always Open Commerce processes data on their servers via API connections. SpreadsheetBroccoli processes files entirely in your browser - your data never leaves your device. There's no account to hack, no API tokens to secure, and no data stored on external servers.
SpreadsheetBroccoli is ideal for small businesses doing their own bookkeeping, occasional users who need monthly or quarterly imports, and anyone who wants instant results without learning a new platform. Always Open Commerce is better suited for larger operations with dedicated bookkeepers who need ongoing automation.
Always Open Commerce offers automated syncing, real-time connections, and features like multi-channel consolidation or advanced accounting automation. SpreadsheetBroccoli focuses on doing file conversion exceptionally well - fast, private, and simple. We're not trying to replace full accounting platforms, just make conversions effortless.
Absolutely not. This is a major security advantage of SpreadsheetBroccoli over Always Open Commerce. Always Open Commerce requires you to hand over API keys or login credentials, creating a permanent security vulnerability. We only touch the specific file you upload, process it in your browser, and forget it immediately.
It works until it breaks. Automated integrations often fail silently when platforms update their APIs, leaving you with weeks of missing or duplicated data to clean up manually. SpreadsheetBroccoli is deterministic: you verify the file right now, import it right now, and you know it's done correctly. It turns "background anxiety" into "finished work."
You can, but the cost is validation and edge cases. AI often hallucinates math or format structures, and free scripts rarely handle messy real-world data (missing SKUs, strange currency formats, tax anomalies). We have battle-tested validators specifically for Always Open Commerce exports that catch issues a generic script will miss.

Shopify → Bigcommerce Data Ecosystem

All available data flows from Shopify to Bigcommerce

Shopify Products Export Product catalog with variants, pricing, inventory, and images
→
Bigcommerce Product Import Products for BigCommerce import
Title → Product Name Variant SKU → Product Code/SKU Body (HTML) → Product Description
Product catalog import to BigCommerce Parent tool