Performance | Ideal for building and scaling full-fledged e-commerce stores. | Best for artists and small businesses with simple product listings. |
Features | Comprehensive e-commerce tools, product management, multi-channel selling, marketing features. | Simple online store setup with basic e-commerce features for small-scale sales. |
Pricing |
| Starts at $15/month for the Platinum Plan (Also Offers Free Plan) |
Templates | Offers a wide range of customizable themes for online stores. | Provides a limited selection of simple, customizable themes. |
Location of Data Centers | U.S., Europe, and Asia-based data centers for global reach. | U.S.-based data centers with focus on simplicity and ease of use. |
The biggest question is whether to use Shopify or Big Cartel. Well, Shopify will give you everything you ask for, but if you are a small business, Big Cartel can help you get started!
That one sentence may have answered your question about Shopify Vs Big Cartel, but I’d suggest you read on so you are informed enough to make the best decision for your specific requirement.
You must be well aware by now that Shopify allows you to set up an Online Store without the need for any prior coding experience, and it is the #1 most popular store builder on the internet with over a million stores on the platform!
Big Cartel, on the other hand, was created for small businesses, artists, musicians, etc, to get set up with their online store as easily as possible with some nifty features. One of them is the option to start your store for FREE!
Shopify Vs Big Cartel 2025: In-Depth Comparison
Shopify Overview
Shopify was founded in 2006 in Canada and has since become the leading e-commerce platform, generating over $155 billion in sales.
What makes Shopify so popular is how easy it is to set up a store and manage your business, all while providing a variety of built-in tools.
Shopify offers a 14-day free trial, allowing you to explore the platform and set up your store before making it public.
During the trial, you can get comfortable with the interface and features, which include a Business Name Generator and a Logo Generator to help you create a strong brand identity right from the start.
You can also buy a custom domain directly through Shopify or use one you already own, making it convenient to personalize your store’s web address.
One of Shopify’s standout features is Oberlo, a dropshipping tool that connects you to verified suppliers.
This allows you to source products directly, add them to your store, and ship them to customers without having to handle inventory.
This makes it easier to start a store with minimal upfront investment, only paying suppliers when you make a sale.
Big Cartel Overview
Big Cartel was created by artists for artists and launched in 2005. The platform has helped over $2.5 billion in sales, catering to artists, musicians, and small businesses looking to sell their work online.
One of Big Cartel’s most attractive features is its forever-free plan, which includes a custom domain, real-time stats, and full hosting.
This is a great option if keeping costs low is your main priority, especially for small businesses or creators just starting out.
Big Cartel is specifically designed for people who want to sell their products without the need to manage large inventories. Its simple and intuitive setup process makes it easy to get started quickly.
When you sign up, you’ll be greeted with a chat box offering assistance and guidance through the setup process. This feature is great for newcomers.
The platform allows you to easily customize your store’s design by adjusting colors, fonts, text, and even adding video or audio, without needing to write any code.
Product pages are straightforward to set up, and depending on your plan, you can upload product images (the free plan allows 1 image per product).
On the dashboard, you’ll see important information such as recent orders, total sales, out-of-stock items, and more. You can also generate packing slips, track orders, and export your data for easy viewing in Excel.
Shopify vs Big Cartel: Key Features
Shopify Key Features:
1. Ease of Setup – Shopify offers an intuitive setup process with drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy to start your online store. You can launch your store in no time, even if you have no coding experience.
2. E-commerce Tools – Shopify provides a comprehensive suite of tools, including inventory management, product variants, shipping integrations, and customizable checkout options, to help run and grow your business.
3. Scalability – As your business grows, Shopify allows you to scale without limitations. You can handle large inventories, high traffic, and complex sales processes with ease.
4. Oberlo Integration (Dropshipping) – Shopify integrates with Oberlo, a dropshipping tool that allows you to source products from suppliers and ship them directly to customers without holding inventory.
5. App Store – Shopify’s extensive app store gives you access to thousands of integrations and tools that help you manage marketing, sales, SEO, shipping, and more.
6. 24/7 Support – Shopify provides around-the-clock customer support via chat, email, and phone, ensuring that you get help whenever you need it.
7. Custom Domains and Branding – Shopify allows you to purchase a custom domain or use one you already own. The platform also offers advanced branding tools to make your store truly unique.
8. Payment Gateway – Shopify has its own payment gateway, Shopify Payments, but it also supports over 100 third-party payment gateways to suit your needs.
Big Cartel Key Features:
1. Simple Store Setup – Big Cartel offers an easy-to-use platform with minimal setup required. The simple interface lets you create a professional online store quickly, making it ideal for small businesses or artists.
2. Custom Domain – Big Cartel offers a free custom domain with its plans, making it easy to establish your store’s identity with a personalized web address.
3. Affordable Plans – Big Cartel is one of the most cost-effective platforms for small-scale businesses, with a forever-free plan that includes a custom domain, real-time stats, and full hosting.
4. Product Management – Big Cartel allows you to easily manage products, including simple setup for descriptions, pricing, and product images (limited image uploads with the free plan).
5. Easy Customization – Big Cartel’s platform provides easy customization options, letting you adjust colors, fonts, and layouts without needing to know how to code.
6. Artist-Focused Tools – Big Cartel is designed specifically for artists and small businesses, making it simple for users to set up and manage a store with minimal effort. It’s ideal for those selling handmade or creative products.
7. No Transaction Fees – Big Cartel does not charge transaction fees, which makes it an attractive choice for businesses looking to avoid extra costs when selling their products.
8. Basic Reporting – Big Cartel offers real-time stats and the ability to export sales data for easy tracking. However, the reporting features are more basic compared to Shopify’s comprehensive analytics.
Shopify Vs Big Cartel- Pricing Review
Shopify Pricing
Shopify offers flexible pricing options to cater to businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises.
1. Basic Shopify – $25/Month
- Best for small businesses starting online.
- Key Features:
- Online store and sales channels.
- Free SSL certificate for secure transactions.
- Discount codes to incentivize customers.
- 2 staff accounts for managing operations.
- 24/7 customer support.
2. Shopify Plan – $65/Month
- Ideal for growing businesses with increasing sales.
- Key Features:
- Everything in Basic Shopify.
- Professional reports for data insights.
- Gift cards to drive customer loyalty.
- Up to 5 staff accounts for team collaboration.
3. Advanced Shopify – $399/Month
- Designed for scaling businesses needing advanced tools.
- Key Features:
- Everything in the Shopify Plan.
- Advanced report builder for customized analytics.
- Real-time shipping rate calculations.
- Up to 15 staff accounts for large teams.
4. Shopify Lite – $9/Month
- Best for businesses that want to integrate Shopify tools into an existing website or social media.
- Key Features:
- Includes “Buy Button” to add e-commerce functionality.
- No standalone online store.
5. Shopify Plus – Starting at $2,300/Month
- Tailored for enterprise-level businesses with high sales volumes.
- Key Features:
- Advanced customization options for branding.
- Dedicated account management and support.
- High-volume sales capacity with faster checkout options.
Big Cartel Pricing
1. Gold Plan – Free Forever
$0/month – No billing required
Perfect for individuals or startups getting started with online and in-person selling.
Features:
- Sell up to 5 products
- 1 image per product
- Product variant groups
- Sell online
- Accept cards, PayPal, and more
- Mobile apps for iOS & Android
- Sales tax autopilot
- Import products from Etsy, Squarespace, Shopify
- Free, SEO-optimized store templates
- Real-time sales dashboard
2. Platinum Plan (Best for Growing Businesses)
- $15/month (billed monthly)
- $12/month (billed annually – $144/year)
Ideal for sellers with more inventory and higher shipping needs.
Everything in Gold, plus:
- 50 product listings
- 5 images per product
- Sell online & in person
- Accept cards, PayPal, Afterpay, and more
- Offer discounts and run promos
- Unlimited label printing + up to 90% shipping discounts
- Shipment tracking
- Inventory tracking and bulk editing
- Print-on-demand and review app integrations
- Ad support for Google, Facebook, and more
- Use a custom domain
- Advanced template customization
- Google Analytics integration
- Real-time dashboard
3. Diamond Plan (For Scaling Businesses)
- $30/month (billed monthly)
- $24/month (billed annually – $288/year)
Designed for larger stores managing 50+ products and higher order volumes.
Everything in Platinum, plus:
- 500 product listings
- 25 images per product
- Audience targeting for ads (Google, Facebook, etc.)
- Prioritized support
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Advanced Google Analytics reporting
All plans include powerful eCommerce tools, SEO-optimized templates, and mobile app access. Save 20% with annual billing.
Shopify Vs Big Cartel: Apps and Learning
Shopify – Apps and Learning
With running a business comes the job of marketing it. No business can thrive if it cannot reach its target audience.
And to help the business owners on its platform, Shopify also provides marketing solutions, SEO, the ability to create campaigns, Facebook pixel integration, and more. You can view several reports, charts, and graphs to get an insight into how your business is functioning.
You can view your total sales, conversions, and other vital stats that will help you decide your sales and marketing strategy to take your business to the next level.
You also have access to various marketing ‘apps’ such as MailChimp for email marketing, SEO Image Optimiser, Privy, etc. There is a big catalog of Apps available on the Shopify App store, and you can safely assume that there is an app for everything.
With Compass, Podcasts, Blogs, and guides, there is no dearth of information even for the new entrepreneur or an experienced business owner. Shopify helps you with everything from naming the business to collecting payments and scaling the business.
Big Cartel – Apps and Learning
Like its competitors, Big Cartel also has an App Store to supplement your store, should you require more features.
There are free and paid apps that you can deploy to your store to help you either with marketing or generate more analytical reports. Again, there aren’t too many apps to give you a headache, but Big Cartel covers the most important ones.
Apps such as Stripe, PayPal, and Square are available for you to add to your store to give more payment options to your customers. They are free to add, but they do charge their transaction fees on every purchase made, so keep that in mind.
If you need something to help you with shipment management, you can use ShipRobot or ShipRush, both are paid. More information about them is available on their websites.
For site analytics, you get the trusted option of Google Analytics, which is free. And if there’s something more you want or some extra stats, LuckyOrange could be the app for you, but mind well that it is paid.
There are a lot more categories of apps that you can use, which include Facebook store integration, Email Marketing with MailChimp, etc.
Shopify Vs Big Cartel – Themes
Shopify Themes:
- Variety: Over 70 themes available (both free and paid).
- Customization: Highly customizable with drag-and-drop tools, HTML, and CSS access.
- Premium Themes: Paid themes with advanced features, ranging from $140 to $180.
- Mobile-Friendly: All themes are responsive and look great on mobile devices.
- Ease of Use: Easy-to-use theme editor with real-time preview.
- Theme Updates: Regular updates to keep themes compatible with platform changes.
Big Cartel Themes:
- Variety: A smaller selection of simple, minimalistic themes.
- Customization: Basic customization options for colors, fonts, and layout; limited compared to Shopify.
- Premium Themes: Some paid themes, but fewer options than Shopify.
- Mobile-Friendly: Responsive themes that work well on mobile devices.
- Ease of Use: Easy setup with no coding required, but custom CSS can be added for more control.
- Simple Design: Focuses on clean, straightforward themes for small businesses or artists.
Shopify Vs Big Cartel: Customer Care
Shopify
A lot of users praise Shopify’s Customer Support team as responsive and professional. The Shopify website has a Community Forum and Help Center sections available for all users to ask their queries and get help.
If you do wish to get in touch with a Shopify representative, you’ll have to either open up a chat session through the website or email them at their customer support email address.
They are also available over the phone and on social media. You can also get a specialist to provide you with dedicated help on your specific issues.
Big Cartel
If you ever require Customer Support, Big Cartel’s support team is available Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm EST.
If you require help outside of these hours, you can refer to the FAQs on the Big Cartel website. Additionally, you can message and email the support staff, but expect a reply only during working hours.
FAQs
Can I open a store with Shopify with its free trial plan?
Yes and No both. While you can definitely sign up and start working on the design and back end of your store, however, you cannot make it ‘public’ until you pick a subscription plan. You begin selling only once you’ve initiated your subscription
Are the store websites fully hosted by Shopify/Big Cartel?
Yes.
Which one has more themes or customization options, Shopify or Big Cartel?
Shopify, hands down to the winner here. But make no mistake, Big Cartel has a good amount of customization available.
Can you automate some functions on Big Cartel?
Yes, through an app called Zapier. It is a third-party app.
Who has better customer support?
Shopify with its 24/7 support.
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Conclusion: Shopify Vs Big Cartel 2025– Which One Is Worth Your Money?
Shopify Vs Big Cartel is really not much of a debate, considering the fact that they both are looking at different segments of the market.
Shopify is an all-inclusive package for serious business owners who can work with the monthly charges that begin to add up as you add more apps, payment merchants, etc.
If you want complete control over the look and feel, design a complete online business, and build a professional business, or if you already have one, Shopify should be your choice.
Big Cartel, on the other hand, is for people who don’t want to worry about every small detail of their store and just put up their product for sale and not worry about building a business.
If you are an artist, writer, musician, or a business owner with a small inventory, Big Cartel will prove to be the right choice for you.
