Big Cartel

Overview

Big Cartel is a hosted storefront for creators selling physical goods, digital products, or memberships. It suits independent sellers who want a small catalog and a direct route to both online and in-person sales. Its main trade-off is scale: the free plan stops at five products, and even the top listed plan caps the catalog at 500.

Key features

Shop setup is deliberately lean: choose a template, add products, connect Stripe or PayPal, and publish at a web address without coding or plugins. That makes Big Cartel a practical fit for sellers who want a straightforward storefront rather than a more involved build. Checkout can support cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link, Cash App, Amazon Pay, Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm, PayPal, Venmo, and PayPal Pay Later through Stripe and PayPal. Big Cartel says it charges no transaction fees.

Online and in-person sales can work together: the free mobile app supports tap-to-pay and cash sales, with orders and inventory syncing to the shop. Every listed plan also supports imports from Etsy, Squarespace, and Shopify, useful for sellers bringing an existing catalog over.

More than 60 integrations are listed, including Printify, Printful, ShipStation, Zapier, Google Analytics, Instagram Shopping, Facebook Shopping, Google Shopping, Omnisend, and Fera. The API is version 1, supports OAuth 2.0, and includes APIs and webhooks for integrations. Security coverage includes SSL encryption for Big Cartel addresses and connected custom domains, with checkout always covered by SSL. Account holders can contact support through in-app messaging 24/7; people without accounts can use email.

Pricing

Big Cartel is freemium, with a 7-day trial and paid plans billed monthly. The absence of transaction fees is a useful distinction for sellers keeping close track of checkout costs, but plan choice is governed chiefly by catalog size and image allowance.

• Gold — free: Up to five products, one customizable store template, real-time stats, and sales-tax autopilot. This is a sensible starting point for a small collection or a seller testing a shop, but the five-product ceiling makes it unsuitable for a growing catalog.
• Platinum — $15 a month: Up to 50 products and five images per product. It is the step up for a modest range that no longer fits Gold; the lower image allowance may constrain sellers who rely on multiple product views.
• Diamond — $30 a month: Up to 500 products and 25 images per product, plus password-protected products, scheduled drops, automatic discounts, advanced Google Analytics reporting, audience-targeted ads, abandoned-cart emails, and prioritized support. It best fits sellers with larger catalogs or launches and promotion needs. The 500-product limit still sets a boundary for businesses that need a substantially larger inventory.

Platforms

Big Cartel supports Android, iOS, web, and API access. Its hosted model keeps shop operation on the platform, while the mobile app also supports in-person selling.

Who it's for

Creators, artists, musicians, resellers, fundraisers, and makers are the clearest fit, particularly those selling a focused range of physical, digital, or membership products. Sellers who need a large catalog, or more than 25 images per product, should look for a platform with room beyond Big Cartel's listed caps.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Gold includes a storefront and core selling tools at no cost, with a five-product limit that can suit a very small shop.
• Pro: In-person app sales sync orders and inventory with the online shop, reducing separation between those channels.
• Pro: Imports from Etsy, Squarespace, and Shopify are supported on all listed plans, including Gold.
• Con: Catalog and image ceilings rise by plan, topping out at 500 products and 25 images per product on Diamond.
• Con: Several advanced selling and marketing tools, including abandoned-cart emails and scheduled drops, are reserved for Diamond.

Alternatives

For a broader category comparison, browse No-Code E-Commerce Platforms and Ecommerce platforms.

• Instamojo is another freemium option with a free plan and payment links; consider it when payment links are a closer fit than Big Cartel's product-capped storefront.
• Salla offers a free Basic plan with unlimited products and orders; it may suit sellers prioritizing those uncapped quantities.
• Tiendanube has a free Inicial plan with unlimited products, sales, and visits, making it worth considering when those limits matter more than Big Cartel's fixed catalog tiers.
• Zid offers a Starter plan with unlimited products, orders, and customers; consider it when those quantities are central to the choice.
• Dukaan is a free option for readers comparing free plans.
• ExpandCart has a Standard plan with 100 products, one user, and 100+ payment and shipping integrations; it may suit a seller who wants those integrations and a higher entry-level product cap.
• Mozello has a free plan with five products and 0.5 GB storage, another option for a very small catalog.
• Selldone is another freemium option for readers comparing storefront platforms.

Verdict

Choose Big Cartel for a focused creator shop that needs a simple hosted storefront, synced in-person sales, and no platform transaction fees. Its free entry point is useful for a handful of products, while imports and broad integrations help established small catalogs. Look elsewhere if product volume or image requirements are likely to outgrow the 500-product and 25-image Diamond limits.