Big Cartel vs Shopify
Big Cartel and Shopify represent two vastly different e-commerce philosophies. Big Cartel is designed for makers who value simplicity and zero-commission pricing. Shopify is the industry heavyweight built for complex selling and massive feature customization. Choosing your path depends entirely on your current size and future scaling goals.
Simple Selling for Creative Beginners
Big Cartel excels as a straightforward, commission-free platform tailored specifically for independent artists needing an easy start. We find the generous free plan perfect for testing the waters, but limitations in advanced features and reported issues with support response times make scaling challenging. Overall, this is an excellent, affordable choice for hobbyists or new sellers who prioritize simplicity over complex functionality.
Pros
- Permanently free Gold plan is available for starters ($0).
- No sales commission taken (0% transaction fees).
- Simple, intuitive, and easy to set up for non-coders.
- Designed specifically for independent artists and makers.
Cons
- Platform functionality is limited, especially for scaling (max 500 products).
- Customer support response times can be painfully slow, sometimes taking hours.
- Users report recent platform instability and bugs.
- Paid plans are considered high value for the basic feature set provided.
Powerful Platform, Critical Service Gaps
We recognize Shopify offers an enterprise-level platform with impressive scaling tools and high-converting technology for merchants of all sizes. However, user reviews indicate systemic failures in support, billing practices, and marketplace fraud protection. Overall, Shopify provides powerful infrastructure but currently struggles to deliver a reliable, secure, or user-focused experience for many customers.
Pros
- Comprehensive commerce platform built for scaling and global growth.
- Unique Shopify Checkout converts 15% higher than competing platforms.
- Lower credit card transaction fees on Grow and Advanced plans.
- Access to Shopify Capital for loans without sacrificing equity.
Cons
- Customer support is frequently reported as unresponsive, slow, or useless (often relying on chatbots).
- Platform often fails to protect buyers and merchants from fraudulent stores.
- Frequent reports of unauthorized billing and confusing cancellation procedures.
- Complexity makes site setup difficult for non-technical beginners.
AboutBig Cartel
Big Cartel is an easy-to-use platform designed to help creatives turn their passion into profit. It’s where do-it-yourselfers go to become professionals.
This solution serves independent artists, bands, and makers of all types. Its diverse audience includes painters, jewelry makers, designers, printmakers, and photographers.
The goal is simple: give you the tools you need to sell your stuff and grow your shop. You’ll keep more of what you earn with straightforward pricing and no hidden fees.
AboutShopify
Shopify is the powerful commerce platform designed to handle every aspect of modern selling. It serves everyone, from solo entrepreneurs launching their first product to large global enterprises. This platform manages your sales whether you are selling direct-to-consumer or handling wholesale B2B transactions. You get an organized, fully centralized Shopify Admin to control everything, from the back office to the front of the store. Millions of merchants trust Shopify; together, they have reached over $1 trillion in collective sales. ✨
Highlights
Feature Comparison
Features Overview
We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.
Scalability & Limits
Big Cartel caps stores at 500 products; Shopify handles truly limitless growth.
The highest Big Cartel tier, Diamond, allows a maximum of 500 unique product listings. This limit means Big Cartel is fundamentally unsuitable for large-volume retailers. Shopify is the preferred choice for serious expansion or retailers expecting massive growth. It is built for vast scale and global business, supporting nearly unlimited SKUs.
Transaction Fees
Big Cartel charges zero transaction fees; Shopify adds external fees up to 2%.
Big Cartel focuses on transparency and charges a flat monthly subscription fee only. You keep 100% of the sales revenue you generate. Shopify charges platform transaction fees if you use a third-party gateway, up to 2% on the basic plan. For artists selling high-value, low-volume items, Big Cartel's commission-free model saves significant money. Shopify forces higher volume sellers to calculate transaction fee impacts carefully.
Ease of Setup
Big Cartel is simple and fast to launch; Shopify has a steeper, more complex learning curve.
Big Cartel offers a famed four-step process for rapid, stress-free shop creation. It is highly intuitive for non-coders. Artists can use the free Gold plan to fully test the platform before committing financially. Shopify's massive feature set and admin depth can feel overwhelming to beginners. While fast to launch, configuring advanced Shopify features and apps requires more expertise and time.
Ecosystem & Apps
Shopify offers 13,000+ apps; Big Cartel relies on limited, basic integrations.
Big Cartel provides essential functionality through a small, curated range of easy-install apps. You get core tools like Google Shopping. Shopify provides a massive app store with over 13,000 integrations spanning every business function. It supports advanced development methods. If you require specific marketing tools or complex operational integration, Shopify is the only option. Big Cartel focuses on keeping the core platform clean and minimal, which limits specialized flexibility.
Abandoned Cart Tools
Shopify includes conversion tools standard; Big Cartel only offers them on the top tier.
Big Cartel requires the $30/month Diamond plan to access automated abandoned cart recovery. This means growing sellers on lower tiers must seek external or manual solutions. Shopify includes this revenue-critical feature standard on its main paid plans. Shopify prioritizes conversion optimization and makes essential sales tools widely accessible regardless of plan size.
Customer Support
Shopify users report extremely slow support; Big Cartel promises 'real human' assistance.
Big Cartel pledges help from 'real human beings, not chatbots' and offers priority support to Diamond users. Reviewers frequently cite terrible Shopify support, with unresponsive teams and lengthy delays for payout issues. While Big Cartel support speed can vary, this focused promise contrasts sharply with reported problems at Shopify. Choosing Big Cartel might insulate you from the critical support bottlenecks reported by many Shopify merchants.
Our Verdict
This choice is simple: you are deciding between accessible simplicity and world-class commercial scale. If you are a creator focused on selling less than 500 items, Big Cartel is the smarter starting choice. For anything involving rapid growth or complex retail, Shopify is the required investment. Big Cartel’s true superpower is its zero-commission, transparent pricing model. The permanently free Gold plan offers the lowest barrier for makers and ensures you keep more money. It’s fast, incredibly intuitive, and lets the independent artist focus entirely on creation. Shopify’s superpower is its limitless feature set and unmatched scalability. If you need global B2B tools, localized shipping, or deep third-party integrations, you must use Shopify. Its ecosystem of 13,000+ apps means that complex commercial needs are always solvable, albeit sometimes painfully. The deciding factor should be your inventory count and integration needs. If 500 products is your lifetime limit, Big Cartel saves you money and stress. However, if you forecast needing warehouse integration or selling globally, jump straight to Shopify. Choose Big Cartel if you are a creative launching small and demand low, predictable operating costs. Choose Shopify if you are building a commercial empire designed for high volume, multichannel sales, and extensive customization options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for independent artists: Big Cartel or Shopify?
Big Cartel is explicitly designed for independent artists, bands, and makers. It offers a free plan and charges 0% transaction fees, providing better margins. Shopify is unnecessarily complex for artists with small, fixed inventory counts.
Does Big Cartel have the same advanced features as Shopify?
No. Big Cartel focuses on core selling tools and simplicity, limiting products to 500. Shopify offers massive depth, including B2B tools, global sales features, and a complex app ecosystem.
How much cheaper is Big Cartel than Shopify generally?
Big Cartel's highest tier is $30/month with 0% transaction fees. Shopify's advanced tiers cost up to $399/month, plus extra transaction and app costs. Big Cartel is significantly cheaper and more predictable.
Which platform charges lower transaction fees?
Big Cartel is the winner here, charging 0% platform transaction fees on all sales. Shopify applies transaction fees ranging from 0.6% to 2% if you choose external payment gateways.
What happens if I outgrow Big Cartel?
If you exceed the 500 product limit, you must migrate, usually to a platform like Shopify. Migration is supported, but you will lose the ease and 0% fee structure of Big Cartel.
Which platform has better reported customer support?
Big Cartel users report higher satisfaction, especially prioritized support for Diamond users. Shopify users widely report slow, unresponsive, and painful customer support experiences.
Ready to Choose?
Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.
