6 BigCommerce Alternatives for Cannabis Brands

BigCommerce serves the broader ecommerce market well, but its CBD-only policy restricts cannabis brands selling THC products above the 0.3% threshold. For operators running dispensaries, subscription boxes, or multi-state cannabis operations, this limitation creates a fundamental barrier to growth. The good news: several platforms now offer cannabis brands the flexibility, compliance tools, and scalability that BigCommerce cannot provide.

From API-first headless commerce solutions like Swell to cannabis-native marketplaces like Dutchie, these six alternatives address the unique challenges facing cannabis retailers—payment processing complexity, state-specific compliance requirements, and the need for unlimited product variants across strains, potencies, and formats.

Key Takeaways

• BigCommerce restricts THC sales: The platform only permits CBD products with less than 0.3% THC, forcing cannabis brands to seek alternatives that support their full product catalog
• Transaction fees vary dramatically: Swell charges 0% transaction fees, while Dutchie uses a revenue share model—potentially saving cannabis brands thousands annually
• Native subscription commerce eliminates app costs: Platforms with built-in subscription billing save cannabis brands $600-2,400 annually compared to third-party app fees on Shopify or BigCommerce
• Product variant limits impact cannabis catalogs: Shopify caps variants at 100 per product, BigCommerce at 600, while Swell offers unlimited variants—essential for brands managing multiple strains, potencies, and package sizes
• Implementation timelines range from weeks to months: Cannabis-optimized platforms like Dutchie deploy in 2-4 weeks, while custom headless builds on Swell complete in under 3 months
• SEO capabilities determine long-term organic growth: Dutchie's iFrame menu structure limits organic search visibility, while headless platforms provide full control over technical SEO implementation

1. Swell — API-First Headless Commerce with Full Cannabis Support

Swell stands as the only platform combining full THC cannabis support with enterprise-grade headless architecture at startup-friendly pricing. Unlike BigCommerce's CBD-only restriction, Swell explicitly allows cannabis products beyond the 0.3% THC threshold, eliminating the constant risk of account termination that plagues brands on mainstream platforms.

Key Features:

• Unlimited product options and variants for complex cannabis catalogs with multiple strains, potencies, and formats
• Native subscription commerce on all plans—no third-party apps required
• 230 currencies with explicit pricing rules and 170 languages for international expansion
• Multi-vendor marketplace capabilities with split payment functionality
• Full REST and Backend API access enabling custom storefronts in React, Vue, Svelte, or any JavaScript framework
• Integrations with Avalara and TaxJar for region-specific tax compliance
• Encrypted card vault supporting any payment gateway for subscription billing

Pricing Structure:

• Starter: $29/month (up to $50K annual sales)
• Basic: $79/month (up to $250K annual sales)
• Standard: $299/month (up to $1M annual sales)
• Unlimited: $2,250/month (up to $5M annual sales)
• Custom/Enterprise: Negotiated pricing for $10M+ annual sales

Swell's greatest strength for cannabis brands lies in its combination of freedom and flexibility. The platform maintains 99.96% uptime while providing the same Backend API that powers its own dashboard and checkout—meaning developers can replicate or customize any native functionality without restrictions.

For cannabis subscription boxes, Swell's native billing engine handles flexible intervals (monthly, quarterly, custom), separate invoicing from fulfillment schedules, and automatic payment retry with dunning rules to reduce churn. This eliminates the $600-2,400 annual cost of third-party subscription apps required on competing platforms.

Cannabis brands already leveraging Swell report the ability to model complex products—think strain variations with different THC/CBD percentages, terpene profiles, and package sizes—without hitting variant limits that constrain other platforms.

2. Dutchie — Cannabis-Native Marketplace with Built-In Compliance

Dutchie dominates the cannabis-specific ecommerce space, serving 6,500+ dispensaries and processing over $22 billion in sales. The platform's greatest advantage lies in its turnkey compliance infrastructure and immediate access to an established marketplace of cannabis consumers.

Key Features:

• Native Metrc and BioTrack integration for automatic seed-to-sale compliance reporting
• Access to a large network of cannabis retailers and consumers through Dutchie's marketplace
• AI-powered personalization delivering 30% higher AOV and 60% more repeat purchases
• Integrated POS system connecting in-store and online operations
• State-specific compliance workflows pre-configured for major markets
• 2-4 week implementation timeline for standard deployments

Pricing Structure:

• E-commerce platform: $299-599 per location monthly
• Revenue share model with percentage varying by contract
• Dedicated account manager included at higher tiers

Dutchie excels for dispensaries prioritizing speed-to-market and compliance over customization. The platform's marketplace model provides immediate customer acquisition, particularly valuable for new dispensaries building their customer base.

However, cannabis brands should consider the long-term cost implications. On $250K annual revenue, Dutchie's revenue share model translates to additional fees—costs that compound as sales grow. Additionally, the marketplace exposes your customers to competitor products, and the platform's iFrame menu structure creates SEO limitations that restrict organic search visibility.

For dispensaries needing rapid deployment with minimal technical resources, Dutchie provides a proven path to market. Brands planning to scale significantly or prioritizing SEO and customer ownership may find the revenue share model and marketplace dynamics challenging long-term.

3. WooCommerce — Open-Source Flexibility with WordPress Integration

WooCommerce offers cannabis brands complete customization control through WordPress's open-source ecosystem. The platform supports full cannabis sales without platform-level product restrictions, though hosting providers and payment processors maintain their own policies.

Key Features:

• Native WordPress integration providing industry-leading SEO capabilities
• 55,000+ plugins enabling virtually unlimited customization
• REST API for headless implementations and custom integrations
• Unlimited product variants without platform-imposed limits
• Complete data ownership with self-hosted infrastructure
• Freedom to choose any cannabis-friendly hosting provider and payment processor

Pricing Structure:

• Core plugin: Free
• Hosting: $50-200/month for cannabis-optimized managed hosting
• Essential plugins: $600-1,200 annually for subscriptions, security, and performance
• Total cost: $150-400/month including hosting, plugins, and maintenance

WooCommerce's strength lies in its SEO excellence through WordPress integration. For cannabis brands investing heavily in content marketing and organic search, WooCommerce provides technical SEO control that SaaS platforms cannot match.

The trade-off comes in ongoing maintenance requirements. Cannabis brands report $3,000-12,000 annually in developer costs for plugin management, security updates, and performance optimization. Payment gateway integration for cannabis often requires $2,000-5,000 in custom development to connect with high-risk processors.

Implementation typically requires 2-8 weeks depending on complexity, with ongoing technical resources needed to maintain the site. Brands with existing WordPress infrastructure and in-house development teams often find WooCommerce's flexibility worth the management overhead.

4. Shopify — Large Ecosystem with CBD-Only Restrictions

Shopify commands 29% market share with 4M+ merchants, offering the largest app ecosystem and most streamlined onboarding experience. However, the platform maintains strict CBD-only policies that prohibit THC cannabis sales, limiting its viability for full-spectrum cannabis brands.

Key Features:

• 8,000+ apps for virtually any functionality
• Industry-leading ease of use for non-technical teams
• Shopify POS for unified online and in-store operations
• Strong default SEO settings and mobile optimization
• Extensive documentation and community support

Pricing Structure:

• Basic: $19/month
• Grow: $49/month
• Advanced: $299/month
• Plus: $2,300/month for enterprise features

Shopify's CBD restrictions and additional costs create significant challenges for cannabis brands. The platform prohibits THC products, and merchants violating these policies risk immediate account termination. Even compliant CBD brands face 100 variant limits per product—insufficient for complex product catalogs.

Transaction fees on external payment gateways add $1,250-5,000 annually on $250K revenue. Subscription functionality requires third-party apps costing $600-2,400 annually, and checkout customization remains restricted even on Shopify Plus.

For CBD-only brands willing to accept these constraints, Shopify's ecosystem and ease of use provide value. Cannabis brands selling THC products should avoid Shopify entirely due to policy risks and consider platforms built for their industry.

5. TreezComm — POS-Integrated Cannabis Commerce

TreezComm extends the Treez POS ecosystem into ecommerce, providing cannabis retailers a unified platform connecting in-store and online operations. The platform targets dispensaries already using Treez for point-of-sale, enabling seamless inventory synchronization and compliance tracking across channels.

Key Features:

• Native integration with Treez POS for unified inventory management
• Real-time menu synchronization between in-store and online channels
• Compliance tracking integrated with state reporting requirements
• Order management connecting online purchases to dispensary fulfillment
• Customer data unified across all touchpoints

Pricing Structure:

• Pricing typically bundled with Treez POS subscriptions
• Contact sales for specific ecommerce tier pricing

TreezComm works best for dispensaries already invested in the Treez ecosystem. The platform's value proposition centers on eliminating the integration complexity between separate POS and ecommerce systems—a significant operational challenge for multi-location retailers managing compliance across states.

However, this tight integration creates platform dependency. Brands seeking flexibility to customize their frontend experience or integrate with third-party tools may find TreezComm's closed ecosystem limiting compared to API-first platforms like Swell.

6. Carrot — Dispensary-Focused Ecommerce Platform

Carrot positions itself as a dispensary-focused ecommerce solution, targeting established retailers processing 500+ transactions monthly. The platform emphasizes cannabis-specific workflows and compliance features designed for the unique operational requirements of dispensary retail.

Key Features:

• Cannabis-native product catalog management
• Compliance workflows for state-specific requirements
• Integration capabilities with major cannabis POS systems
• Customer loyalty and retention tools
• Menu management for dispensary operations

Carrot serves dispensaries needing cannabis-specific functionality without the marketplace dynamics of Dutchie. The platform provides specialized tools for the dispensary vertical while allowing brands to maintain direct customer relationships.

For cannabis brands evaluating Carrot, consider whether the dispensary-specific features justify potential limitations in customization and international capabilities compared to general-purpose platforms like Swell that support cannabis without restricting other use cases.

Why Cannabis Brands Outgrow BigCommerce

BigCommerce serves CBD brands effectively with strong B2B features and zero transaction fees on most plans. The platform supports 600 variants per product—significantly higher than Shopify's 100—and provides native wholesale capabilities including customer groups and volume pricing.

However, BigCommerce's CBD-only policy creates a hard ceiling for cannabis brands planning to expand into THC products. This restriction forces growing brands to migrate platforms at scale—a costly and disruptive process that can be avoided by selecting a more flexible platform from the start.

Additional BigCommerce limitations for cannabis brands include:

• Subscription commerce requires apps: Third-party subscription tools add $50-200/month to operating costs
• Limited headless capabilities: API access restricted to higher pricing tiers
• No cannabis-specific compliance: Brands must build or buy integrations for Metrc, BioTrack, and state reporting

For CBD-only brands prioritizing B2B features and planning to remain within THC compliance limits, BigCommerce provides capable infrastructure. Brands anticipating THC expansion should evaluate platforms without product restrictions.

Choosing the Right Platform for Your Cannabis Business

Platform selection depends on your business model, technical resources, and growth trajectory. Use this framework to guide your decision:

Choose Swell when you need:

• Full THC cannabis support without platform policy risk
• Native subscription commerce without third-party app costs
• Headless architecture for custom frontend experiences
• Unlimited product variants for complex catalogs
• International expansion with multi-currency and multi-language support

Choose Dutchie when you need:

• Immediate marketplace access to existing cannabis consumers
• Turnkey Metrc/BioTrack compliance integration
• Rapid deployment (2-4 weeks) with minimal technical resources
• Integrated POS for unified retail operations

Choose WooCommerce when you need:

• Maximum SEO control through WordPress integration
• Complete customization with in-house development resources
• Existing WordPress infrastructure to leverage
• Full data ownership with self-hosted control

Choose Shopify when you need:

• CBD-only sales within 0.3% THC compliance
• Largest app ecosystem for plug-and-play functionality
• Fastest basic setup for non-technical teams
• Unified POS for omnichannel retail

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main limitations of BigCommerce for cannabis brands?

BigCommerce restricts merchants to CBD products containing less than 0.3% THC, prohibiting the sale of full-spectrum cannabis products. Additionally, subscription commerce requires third-party apps, headless capabilities are limited to higher pricing tiers, and the platform provides no cannabis-specific compliance integrations for Metrc or BioTrack. Brands planning to expand beyond CBD face forced platform migrations at scale.

How does a headless commerce platform benefit a cannabis business?

Headless architecture separates the frontend presentation layer from backend commerce functionality, enabling cannabis brands to build custom storefronts using modern frameworks like React, Vue, or Svelte. This approach provides full control over customer experience, SEO implementation, and performance optimization while connecting to powerful backend systems for inventory, payments, and compliance. Swell's API-first approach delivers headless capabilities on all plans, unlike platforms that restrict API access to enterprise tiers. Cannabis brands can create unique shopping experiences tailored to their specific regulatory and customer needs.

Can Swell handle the specific compliance needs of an online cannabis dispensary?

Swell provides flexible compliance infrastructure through its custom webhooks for integrating with compliance-focused APIs, region-specific tax calculation via Avalara and TaxJar integration, and custom fields on all data models for tracking state-specific requirements. While Swell doesn't provide native Metrc integration like Dutchie, its API-first architecture enables custom compliance integrations tailored to specific state requirements. The platform's flexibility allows dispensaries to build exactly the compliance workflows they need for their operational markets.

What are the cost differences between BigCommerce, Shopify, and Swell for a growing cannabis business?

On $250K annual revenue, Shopify's 0.5-2% transaction fees on external gateways add $1,250-5,000 annually, while Swell and BigCommerce charge 0%. Subscription functionality costs $600-2,400 annually on Shopify and BigCommerce through third-party apps, while Swell includes native subscription billing on all plans starting at $29/month. As revenue scales, Swell's combination of zero transaction fees and native subscriptions delivers increasing cost advantages. BigCommerce also faces the critical limitation of CBD-only products, forcing THC brands to migrate entirely.

Does Swell support multi-vendor cannabis marketplaces or subscription models?

Yes, Swell includes native marketplace capabilities with split payment functionality, enabling cannabis brands to build multi-vendor platforms where multiple cultivators or product suppliers sell through a unified storefront. For subscription commerce, Swell provides flexible billing intervals, separate invoicing from fulfillment schedules, automatic payment retry with dunning rules, and customer self-service for pause/resume functionality—all included on every plan without third-party app fees. Cannabis subscription boxes can launch immediately with Swell's native billing engine, avoiding the complexity and cost of third-party subscription apps. The platform's multi-vendor tools support complex revenue-sharing arrangements common in cannabis distribution networks.

How does Swell address international selling for cannabis products where legal?

Swell supports international commerce with 230 currencies featuring explicit pricing rules per currency, automatic exchange rate conversions, and content localization across 170 languages. Tax compliance integrations with Avalara and TaxJar handle region-specific requirements, while custom tax rule groups enable configuration by location and product type. This infrastructure supports hemp and CBD brands expanding into international markets where products meet local legal requirements.