Big Cartel
Simple online store builder for artists and makers, with low flat monthly plans.
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Big Cartel
Big Cartel is a hosted store builder made for artists, designers, bands and small makers. Setup is quick: pick a theme, add products and connect Stripe or PayPal, and you have a shop that sells physical and digital goods. It deliberately keeps features lean, with simple inventory, discounts, shipping settings and apps for print-on-demand, so there is very little to learn. Plans are flat monthly fees with no Big Cartel transaction fee, which is predictable for small sellers. The trade-off is that it is not built for large catalogues, complex variants, advanced marketing or wholesale, and themes offer modest customisation unless you edit code. Big Cartel is an independent company that has run since 2005. A trial gets you started, then plans are billed monthly or annually. It runs in the browser.
Best for: Artists and small makers who want a simple shop with predictable monthly cost.
Pros and cons
What works
- Very quick to set up and easy to run
- Flat monthly pricing
- Sells physical and digital products
Why people leave
- Not suited to large or complex catalogues
- Limited marketing and reporting tools
- Theme customisation beyond basics needs code
Top Big Cartel alternatives
See all 5- 1
Shopify66.5Room to grow with apps, POS and marketing tools.
- 2
Fourthwall62.6Free merch and digital store for creators, with on-demand production.
- 3
Ecwid59.6Add a store to your existing site or social profiles.
- 4
Gumroad57.2No monthly fee for selling digital work, paying per sale instead.
- 5
Squarespace47.8Better-looking portfolio and store together.
Why people left Big Cartel
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Big Cartel: common questions
Is Big Cartel free?
No, Big Cartel is a paid product. Platinum plan: 7 days free, then $15/month (checked on Big Cartel's own site).
Is Big Cartel open source?
No, Big Cartel is not open source.
What platforms does Big Cartel run on?
Big Cartel is available for Web.
What are the best alternatives to Big Cartel?
The highest-ranked Big Cartel alternatives right now are Shopify, Fourthwall and Ecwid. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.