BigCommerce Boosts App Development with New Features for Third-Party Developers

If you’ve been running an online store for a while, you know that the “backstage” of your website is just as important as the front window. Recently, BigCommerce made some waves by launching a suite of new features specifically for the people who build the tools we use every day – the third-party developers.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “I’m a business owner, not a coder. Why should I care about developer tools?”

The truth is, these updates change the way your store functions, how much you pay for apps, and how quickly you can add new features. If you are looking to hire BigCommerce developers in 2026, the landscape looks very different than it did even a year ago. Let’s break down what is happening and why it’s a massive win for your brand.

The Big Shift: Why These Updates Matter Right Now

E-commerce is heading towards what is being referred to as composable commerce. Rather than having a single large and bulky software application with enough functionality to do a job acceptably, businesses desire to select the most effective tools to perform a certain task. You may desire the finest checkout service in one destination, the finest search engine in another and a tailor made loyalty program of your own.

BigCommerce was aware that the developers were wasting their time on tedious, repetitive chores, such as installing servers or trying to figure out how to bill you on their applications, rather than creating something cool to show you. BigCommerce is making the way, by introducing these new tools. In the case of a bigcommerce development company, it would mean that they are able to focus more on your business logic and less time on the plumbing.

Say Hello to Unified Billing

The next big sore point is the ability to control twenty applications subscriptions. So far, when you installed a third-party application, you were required to add a separate payment system with that particular developer. It was a nightmare to the developers and a mess on your part.

The new Unified Billing system is a complete game changer. It also enables the developers to utilize the BigCommerce billing engine. This implies that your invoice of apps can be found directly on your invoice at BigCommerce.

Why does this matter for your bigcommerce development services?

1. Less Risk: You aren’t giving your credit card info to ten different small companies.
2. Better Budgeting: Everything is in one place.
3. Faster App Launches: Developers can get their apps to market faster because they don’t have to build a payment system from scratch.

Getting Apps Running in Record Time with Gadget.dev

Previously, when you requested the development agency of bigcommerce in USA to create a custom app, they needed to undergo a lengthy procedure. They were to install a database, integrate into the BigCommerce API, and get a location where they could host the code. It took a lot of manual labor which you, the merchant, paid.

This barrier is eliminated by BigCommerce collaborating with Gadget.dev. Gadget is a pre-configured, serverless platform, which is configured to use with BigCommerce.

Consider it as changing the construction of a house to purchasing a luxurious pre-fab house. There is already a foundation, wiring and plumbing. It only requires the developer to come in and perform the “interior design” which in this case is to be the specific functionality your store requires. That is why most brands are seeking to engage BigCommerce developers that are conversant with these new, fast to implement tools.

The Developer Portal Makeover

When you have looked over the shoulder of a developer, you would have found a dashboard that contains complex numbers and bewildering menus. BigCommerce has literally revamped App Development Portal.

The new one is clean, fast and gives out way more data. Now developers are able to see the precise performance of their apps and the point of error, which could be occurring. To you, this translates to lesser bugs and more stable applications. A bigcommerce development company is able to know more about how their code is executing, so that they can correct the problem before you even know it.

Catalyst and the Future of Speed

Speed is the king of SEO in 2026. A bounce rate will skyrocket whenever your site requires more than two seconds to load. BigCommerce recently released Catalyst, a headless website builder in the form of a starter kit.

Headless commerce is a technical-sounding concept, however, it is a very fundamental concept: It divides the head (the part your customers look at) and the body (the backend where your products and orders exist).

With Catalyst and the Makeswift visual editor, your bigcommerce development agency in USA can create a site that feels like the lightning-fast mobile app, and still allows you to customize your home page layout without putting a single line of code into it.

Why BigCommerce is Winning the B2B Race

Although many people may consider e-commerce simply selling t-shirts or electronic items to people, the business-to-business (B2B) world is massive. BigCommerce has been leaning so much towards this.

The new developer capabilities enable it to be much easier to create applications that deal with:

• Custom Pricing Tiers: Showing different prices to different corporate clients.
• Bulk Ordering: Tools that allow customers to upload a CSV and buy 1,000 items at once.
• Multi-User Accounts: Letting a company have one master account with five different employees who have different permission levels.

In the case that you are running a wholesale business, these updates are just what you are waiting. Now you are able to acquire bigcommerce development solutions with the smoothness of a luxury store and the wordlifting power of a B2B powerhouse.

How to Lean into These Changes

You do not have to be a GraphQL or API rate limits professional to use this. Yet you must make sure that you are not behind the times of your store. The following is a brief list of what to do with these updates so that you can put them to good use:

1. Audit Your Apps: Are you still using old apps with separate billing? Check if there are newer versions that support Unified Billing.
2. Ask About Headless: If you are planning a redesign, talk to your bigcommerce development company about Catalyst. It might be the best way to future-proof your site speed.
3. Focus on Catalog V3: If your store is still on the old V2 catalog structure, you are missing out on the performance gains that the new developer tools provide.

Working with the Right Team

The beauty of the BigCommerce is that it can serve large brands, yet it can be used by the growing companies. What will actually make these 2026 updates powerful, however, is having a team that understands the platform on the inside.

The key to scaling is to find a bigcommerce development agency, which is knowledgeable about the specifics of local market, and is also ahead of the technological curve in the global context. Be it a custom integration or a complete scale migration, it is to ensure that your technology is configured to serve you as opposed to vice versa.

At the end of the day, BigCommerce is making it easier for us to build the features you’ve always wanted. We are seeing a move away from “one size fits all” and toward stores that are as unique as the brands running them.

If you’re ready to see how these new features can specifically help your business grow, we’d love to chat. You can explore our BigCommerce development services to see how we help brands like yours stay ahead of the curve.