Big Cartel vs SureCart
Big Cartel and SureCart offer very different paths to launching an online store. Big Cartel is designed specifically for artists seeking ultimate simplicity and 0% commission. SureCart provides powerful, built-in revenue tools tailored for serious WordPress entrepreneurs. Your choice depends heavily on your existing platform and scaling needs.
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.
Modern, Managed E-commerce Power
We find SureCart is a powerful and integrated e-commerce solution that successfully reduces WordPress plugin dependency by providing essential tools natively. Overall, we see it as a promising and feature-rich platform, especially for users focused on subscriptions and fast deployment, provided they can overcome the noted design interface limitations.
Pros
- Widely praised, fast, and professional customer support.
- Eliminates reliance on multiple plugins compared to traditional WordPress e-commerce setups (plugin bloat).
- Excellent built-in revenue tools (subscriptions, upsells, automatic tax calculation).
- Flexible pricing structure includes a robust free tier and lifetime payment options.
Cons
- Users report frustrating and unstable design experience with the WordPress Block Editor (losing progress).
- Inconsistent long resolution times for some complex technical support cases.
- Changes in lifetime pricing have caused frustration among certain early, loyal customers.
- Reports of censorship regarding negative feedback in official community forums.
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.
AboutSureCart
SureCart is a powerful e-commerce platform designed from the ground up for WordPress users. It's built to eliminate the need for a convoluted stack of plugins by offering a fast, lightweight, and integrated system. This versatile solution supports a wide range of products, including physical goods, digital downloads, courses, subscriptions, software, and donations. For course sellers, it even offers deep integration with top LMS systems like LearnDash and TutorLMS. SureCart gives you full control to launch your shop on your own website, ensuring your brand stays front and center. 💡
Highlights
Feature Comparison
Features Overview
We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.
Ease of Setup
Big Cartel is simpler and faster; SureCart requires existing WordPress knowledge.
Big Cartel boasts an extremely simple four-step process for launching your shop. It’s perfect for beginners or anyone needing to sell fast with minimal friction. Big Cartel hides complexity, focusing only on the essentials for selling. SureCart offers an intuitive UI/UX but requires a base understanding of WordPress setup. Its power features mean the learning curve is slightly steeper than Big Cartel for true novices. If simplicity is your absolute top priority, Big Cartel wins easily. Its standalone nature simplifies hosting and maintenance greatly. SureCart, while complex feature-wise, eliminates the massive headache of WordPress plugin bloat.
Scalability & Product Limits
Big Cartel is hard-capped at 500 products; SureCart offers unlimited inventory capacity.
Big Cartel’s highest tier (Diamond, $30/month) supports a maximum of 500 products. This limitation makes Big Cartel challenging for rapidly scaling or high-volume merchants. SureCart bases its pricing on the number of stores, not product volume. There is no explicit inventory limit stated, allowing for vast expansion. If your product line is expected to grow beyond 500 items, you will eventually outgrow Big Cartel. SureCart provides the infrastructure needed for high growth. Use Big Cartel for limited-run collections or artist merchandise; use SureCart for extensive retail catalogs or digital product lines.
Transaction Fees
Big Cartel charges 0% commission on paid plans; SureCart charges 1.9% on its free plan.
Big Cartel is famous for its straightforward pricing structure and never takes a commission. Regardless of your plan (Platinum or Diamond), Big Cartel charges 0% transaction fees. SureCart charges a 1.9% transaction fee if you remain on the free Launch plan. Upgrading to any SureCart paid plan removes the 1.9% transaction fee entirely. For high-volume sellers, the 0% commission on paid plans is the financial advantage of both Big Cartel and SureCart. If you only sell occasionally and want to stay on the free tier, Big Cartel gives you 0% fees, while SureCart requires payment.
Conversion Tools
SureCart has powerful upsell and bump features; Big Cartel offers only basic discounts.
Big Cartel offers fundamental growth tools like discounts and basic promotional campaigns. Abandoned cart recovery is locked behind the most expensive Diamond plan. SureCart includes revenue boosters like order bumps and one-click upsells built into every plan. Automated cart abandonment recovery is standard across all SureCart tiers. SureCart is clearly designed to maximize the average order value from every customer interaction. Big Cartel focuses on facilitating the sale, not optimizing it. If you are serious about increasing conversion rates and order size, SureCart provides superior automation and advanced marketing functionalities.
Digital Products & Subscriptions
SureCart specializes in digital goods; Big Cartel is oriented toward physical inventory.
Big Cartel manages physical inventory primarily, with features like inventory tracking and shipment tracking. It does not offer specialized tools for digital creators. SureCart provides a full suite for digital sellers, including automatic license key management for software. SureCart offers robust subscription and installment payment plans. If you sell online courses, SureCart offers deep integration with top Learning Management Systems (LMS). Big Cartel cannot handle recurring billing or complex software licensing, making SureCart the necessary choice for these products.
Customer Support Quality
SureCart support is 24/7 and well-regarded; Big Cartel support is often reported as slow.
Big Cartel aims for support from 'real human beings' but only Diamond plans receive prioritization. External reviews often cite painfully slow response times for lower-tier Big Cartel users. SureCart offers 24/7 world-class merchant email support on all plans, including the free tier. Users frequently describe SureCart's support team as fast and highly effective. If constant, reliable support is crucial to your business operations, SureCart offers more robust help. Big Cartel's simplicity means fewer things usually go wrong, but SureCart provides faster resolutions when issues arise.
Our Verdict
Picking between Big Cartel and SureCart is easy once you define your business goals. Big Cartel is the effortless choice for artists seeking simplicity and low cost. SureCart is the powerful engine for WordPress users maximizing every single sale. Big Cartel excels right away with its incredible ease of use and quick launch process. You can launch your entire shop in four simple steps without writing any code. The 0% transaction fee across paid plans is fantastic for creative sellers with basic, limited inventory (max 500 products). SureCart dominates in advanced, professional features, especially for digital products and subscriptions. It integrates deeply with WordPress, eliminating painful plugin stacks. Built-in tools like automated cart recovery and one-click upsells boost SureCart revenue automatically. The main decision comes down to simplicity versus robust scalability and features. If you sell fewer than 500 products and want a dead-simple platform, choose Big Cartel. If you need subscriptions, global tax compliance, or are a WordPress power user, SureCart wins easily. Pick Big Cartel if you are an artist or beginner focused on low inventory and pure simplicity. Go with SureCart if you require specialized e-commerce tools and high scalability for serious business growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which platform is better for creative entrepreneurs: Big Cartel or SureCart?
Big Cartel is explicitly designed for independent artists, bands, and makers. It focuses on simplicity and ease of use for this audience. SureCart is better suited for entrepreneurs selling digital or specialized products via WordPress.
Does either Big Cartel or SureCart charge transaction fees?
Big Cartel charges 0% transaction fees on all paid plans. SureCart also charges 0% on paid plans. However, SureCart’s free Launch plan mandates a 1.9% transaction fee.
Which platform is better for scaling inventory past 500 products?
SureCart is far superior for scaling volume. Big Cartel has a hard limit of 500 product listings, even on its Diamond plan. SureCart is priced by store count, not inventory, supporting much greater scale.
Does SureCart support lifetime pricing options like Big Cartel?
SureCart uniquely offers lifetime payment options on its Pro plans. Big Cartel only offers monthly or discounted annual subscriptions. The SureCart lifetime option eliminates recurring billing forever.
Can I manage subscriptions and recurring payments on Big Cartel?
No, Big Cartel lacks built-in subscription or recurring payment tools. SureCart provides a completely integrated, zero-fuss solution for managing subscriptions and installment plans effectively.
Which software offers better customer support for my store?
SureCart offers consistently fast, praised 24/7 email support for every user. Big Cartel receives complaints about slow response times and only prioritizes Diamond plan customers.
Ready to Choose?
Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.