Open-Source BigCommerce Alternative for AI

Hosted scale or open-source ownership

Notice

86d is under active development and not yet recommended for production commerce. Check versioning and maturity and each capability you enable before relying on it.

Introduction

BigCommerce is a hosted service with production checkout, store management, and support available today.

On June 1, 2026, BigCommerce renamed its plans and changed their sales thresholds. It also added an Open Payment Provider Fee for self-serve stores when an unlisted payment provider processes an order. Orders processed by listed embedded providers do not incur that fee.

86d is MIT-licensed software that you can run yourself. Planned Launch and Premium prices do not use sales thresholds, and planned third-party payments have no 86d checkout fee.

The bigger choice is between a hosted system with sales-based plan rules and open-source software with planned store-based management pricing.

At a glance

Dimension	86d	BigCommerce
License	86d uses the MIT license; 86d.app is closed source	BigCommerce is a closed-source hosted service
Hosting model	Self-host it today, or use 86d Cloud when managed signup opens	BigCommerce hosts and operates the service
Plan pricing	Planned Launch is $1 per active store each month for 12 months for one qualifying store; Premium is $20 per active store each month	US monthly prices: Core $39, Growth $105, Scale $399; yearly billing lowers them to $29, $79, and $299; Performance starts at $1,499 per month with yearly billing
Open payment provider fee	No added 86d checkout fee with a supported outside provider at launch	2% on Core, 1% on Growth, and 0.6% on Scale for eligible sales through Open Payment Providers; listed embedded providers have no fee
Sales thresholds	Planned Launch and Premium prices do not use a GMV threshold	Core covers up to $30,000 in trailing 12-month GMV; Growth covers up to $100,000; Scale includes $33,333 per month and charges 0.9% above it
Ways to extend it	You can change the open-source code; there is no public extension marketplace	BigCommerce offers an app marketplace and APIs; its core service is closed source
Store setup	One store per installation, with its own database	BigCommerce operates the hosted service for you
Assisted store changes	In development, with review and approval before changes go live	BigCommerce offers a hosted admin and documented APIs
Readiness	Available for early evaluation	Established production service

Pricing figures as of August 2026. Confirm on each vendor's official pricing page before you buy.

Where the money goes

This example uses $10,000 in monthly sales across 200 orders at a $50 average order value. It uses the same card-processing assumption for both options.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce Core with your own payment provider

$9,311

minus costs shown

Sales minus costs shown$9,311
Card processing$350
Platform and tooling$339

Card processing assumption (2.9% + 30¢ per order)$350
Core plan$39
Open Payment Provider Fee (2.0% on Core)$200
App subscriptions (modeled estimate)$100

86d

86d Cloud Premium, using your own payment service

$9,605

minus costs shown

Sales minus costs shown$9,605
Card processing$350
Platform and tooling$45

Card processing assumption (2.9% + 30¢ per order)$350
86d Cloud management fee (planned)$20
Infrastructure and managed usage (modeled estimate)$25

In this example, the listed monthly costs for BigCommerce are $294 higher. Card processing is the same on both sides, so the difference comes from the other costs listed below each chart.

This is an estimate, not a quote or profit calculation. It does not include product costs, tax, shipping, labor, refunds, chargebacks, or other business expenses. Published plan and percentage fees come from each company's pricing page. Hosting, app, and extension amounts are assumptions. 86d Cloud is not open for paid signup, so its management fee is also a planned price.

Where BigCommerce shines

You can open and operate a production store today.
BigCommerce manages hosting, updates, and the checkout service.
Its current prices, sales thresholds, and payment-provider fees are published.
Orders processed by listed embedded payment providers do not incur the Open Payment Provider Fee.
B2B Edition offers company accounts, quotes, shared shopping lists, and invoice tools.
BigCommerce offers multiple storefronts and support options across its plans.

What to weigh with BigCommerce

You cannot self-host the BigCommerce core service.
The core source code is not available for you to inspect or change.
Your sales volume affects plan eligibility and can move the store to another plan.
Orders using an Open Payment Provider incur an extra 2% on Core, 1% on Growth, or 0.6% on Scale.
Scale also charges 0.9% on GMV above its monthly included amount.
Performance uses contracted pricing and terms.

Where 86d feels different

86d is MIT-licensed and can run without an 86d.app account.
You control the source code and the database for a self-hosted store.
The software is designed for one store per installation.
You can inspect and change the open-source features in the repository.
Planned Cloud pricing separates the management fee, hosting usage, and managed services.
Planned Launch and Premium prices do not change with GMV.
At launch, bringing your own payment service adds no 86d checkout fee.

What to weigh with 86d

Migration is manual today. An automated importer is not yet available.
The first release is planned for PostgreSQL, US stores, and US dollars.
There is no public app marketplace. Outside code requires an extra opt-in.
Agent-assisted store changes are still in development.
86d does not offer a production B2B product comparable to BigCommerce B2B Edition.

Who each option fits

Choose BigCommerce if you need a production store that can accept orders and payments now.

It is also a practical choice when you need B2B Edition, multiple storefronts, or a listed embedded payment provider.

Choose 86d if owning the source code and database matters, and store-based pricing feels more natural than sales thresholds. You can begin with the open-source project today.

Conclusion

BigCommerce combines managed operations with sales thresholds and payment-provider rules. 86d takes a different route: open-source ownership and planned management pricing that does not rise with GMV.

If control of the code, database, and pricing model matters, 86d is worth evaluating early.

FAQ

What is the BigCommerce Open Payment Provider Fee?

BigCommerce charges this monthly fee on eligible sales processed through Open Payment Providers on self-serve plans. The current rates are 2% on Core, 1% on Growth, and 0.6% on Scale. Orders processed through listed embedded providers do not incur it. At launch, bringing a supported provider to 86d will add no 86d checkout fee.

Payment integrations

Do GMV thresholds apply on 86d?

Launch and Premium prices will not use GMV thresholds. BigCommerce currently caps Core at $30,000 in trailing 12-month GMV and Growth at $100,000. Scale includes $33,333 each month before a 0.9% overage.

FAQ

Does 86d match BigCommerce B2B Edition?

Not yet. BigCommerce B2B Edition offers company accounts, quotes, shared shopping lists, and invoice tools today. 86d is not currently designed as a replacement for that set of B2B tools.

Can I migrate from BigCommerce to 86d?

Begin with a manual catalog and content move into a test store. Automated migration tools are still being prepared.

Evaluate a migration

How does the 86d hosting model differ?

86d is designed for one store per installation, with its own database. The managed service is being built around the same boundary.

Store isolation