How to Migrate from BigCommerce B2B Edition to BetterCommerce

Migrating from BigCommerce B2B Edition to BetterCommerce is more than just a platform change—it’s a shift to a unified, API-first foundation built for modern B2B commerce. 

While BigCommerce B2B Edition layers B2B features onto a core B2C system via apps, BetterCommerce delivers all those capabilities natively. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to streamline migration with data clarity, phased implementation, and robust APIs—so you end up with a leaner, faster, and more maintainable commerce stack.

Understanding the Difference

BigCommerce B2B Edition relies heavily on third-party apps—BundleB2B for storefront roles, B2B Ninja for CPQ, ShipperHQ for shipping rules, Jasper for PIM, and Searchspring for merchandising. Each app brings its own UI, API footprint, licensing costs, and maintenance overhead. Switching platforms often means managing multiple vendor contracts and integration points, which increases complexity and risk over time.

BetterCommerce avoids this app sprawl by bundling everything into a single modular system: PIM, CPQ, OMS, search, multi-storefront, warehouse-aware pricing—all accessible via a consistent API surface. As confirmed by its LinkedIn profile, BetterCommerce is an “API-first, composable commerce platform built for manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers,” ensuring our migration remains structured and future-ready.

Step 1: Audit Your Existing Stack

The key to a smooth migration is understanding exactly what sits beneath your current setup:

• Product Data & PIM: Export SKUs, variants, categories, custom attributes—via BigCommerce REST or GraphQL APIs.
• Customer Accounts & Roles: List Company accounts, user roles, sales reps—using B2B Edition Management V3 APIs.
• Pricing & Quotes: Extract quote data and pricing logic from BundleB2B and third-party CPQ tools.
• App Dependencies: Inventory app (ShipperHQ), search app (Searchspring), PIM, and CPQ apps.
   

You’ll want to export this data into structured formats (CSV/JSON) and identify overlapping or deprecated fields—so your BetterCommerce model remains clean and accurate.

Step 2: Map Your Data to BetterCommerce Data Models

With your audit in hand, map each BigCommerce entity to a BetterCommerce counterpart:

Products & Catalog
Use BetterCommerce’s PIM API—complete with REST endpoints for categories, products, bulk import, and asset management—to match SKU, attribute, and image structures.

Customers & Roles
BetterCommerce’s Storefront API supports account structures, permissions, and customer segmentation natively—eliminating the need for BundleB2B plugins.

Pricing & CPQ
Use CPQ endpoints to import customer-specific pricing, quote rules, and approval states. BetterCommerce’s modular architecture replaces external CPQ apps without custom integrations.

Inventory & OMS
BetterCommerce offers warehouse-aware inventory managed via its OMS APIs. This mirrors your previous multi-location setup but without external apps.

By aligning models first, you avoid mismatched fields or unexpected behaviors later. And the PIM API in BetterCommerce is designed for ETL-driven ingestion—making your product import clean and automated.

Step 3: Migrate in Phases, Keep Live Frontend Running

A phased migration ensures uninterrupted business operations:
1.    Phase 1 – Catalog Import: Use PIM APIs to upload your catalog. Validate in a staging storefront that SKUs, categories, and image assets display correctly.
2.    Phase 2 – Customer & Pricing Import: Bulk import customer accounts with CPQ pricing contracts and quote data via CPQ endpoints. Ensure your storefront properly reflects personalized pricing and negotiation pathways.
3.    Phase 3 – Orders & Quotes History: Gradually bring over quote histories, order states, and approvals. Since BetterCommerce supports draft and approval statuses natively, your data will land cleanly without custom scripting.
4.    Phase 4 – Frontend Cutover: Whether your re-platform on BetterCommerce’s Next.js storefront or a custom headless frontend, final cutover is simply a DNS switch. Your APIs behind the scenes already replicate your business logic—pricing, inventory, roles—ready for production.

Running both platforms in parallel during each phase lets you test thoroughly before decommissioning your BigCommerce stack.

Step 4: Replicate or Replace App Capabilities Natively

Here’s how BetterCommerce covers what you had via apps:

• PIM → Native content, digital asset management, bulk import via PIM API
• CPQ & Quote Engine → Built-in pricing engine and workflow, no external app needed
• OMS / Warehouse Inventory → Natively supports multiple warehouses and syncing
• Search & Filtering → API-based merchandising, no need for Searchspring
• Shipping Logic → Configurable rules built into OMS module; integrates with carriers or third-party tools if needed
• Multi-store & Brand Support → Included features; no extra charge or app
   

While each bullet shows capability, the real benefit is consolidation: fewer contracts, fewer API endpoints to monitor, and a single update path from BetterCommerce.

Post-Migration Benefits You’ll Notice

After switching, B2B teams typically report:

• Operational Simplicity: Zero managed apps; one vendor owning your stack.
• Dev Savings: No need to patch, version, or create API glue.
• Faster On-Ramps: Need a new storefront or region? Turn it on in days—not months.
• API Consistency: RESTful, composable endpoints—PIM, CPQ, OMS, Search—ready for headless experience.
   

BetterCommerce’s modular design means you can add extra capabilities later—AI merchandising, dynamic pricing, conversational channels—without disrupting your core operations.

Migration Cost Comparison

Here’s a snapshot of 3 year spend:

That’s more than $200K saved plus you’re transitioning to a system designed to grow.

Final Thoughts

Migrating from BigCommerce B2B Edition to BetterCommerce isn’t just a platform swap—it’s a shift toward clarity, control, and composability. With native APIs across PIM, CPQ, and OMS, BetterCommerce eliminates app sprawl, reduces integration risk, and centralizes your commerce logic. And because the migration follows a phased, API-driven flow, you retain operational availability every step of the way.

CTA: Ready for a seamless, API-first migration? Book a free migration assessment and let’s build your blueprint for success.