Shopify vs Big Cartel

Shopify9.4Visit Big Cartel8.5Visit

Higher score Shopify #1 in B2C eCommerce Software 9.4/10 3-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 5 features Visit Shopify

vs

Big Cartel #8 in B2C eCommerce Software 8.5/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 5 features Visit Big Cartel

• Shopify fits best

  Businesses wanting an established all-round store

• Big Cartel fits best

  Solo makers and small creative sellers

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Side by side

Feature	Shopify 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Big Cartel 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.5
Ranking	#1 in B2C eCommerce Software	#8 in B2C eCommerce Software
Best for	Businesses wanting an established all-round store	Solo makers and small creative sellers
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$29/mo	$144/yr
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	3 days	7 days
Free trial length	3 days · no card needed	7 days
Deployment	Cloud, Browser extension	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Live chat, Community, Docs · 24/7	Email, Live chat, Docs · 24/7
Integrations	4 integrations	7,000+ integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Shopify 1/5 · Big Cartel 1/5
Abandoned cart recovery	✓	✓
Multilingual storefront	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Multi-currency checkout	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Built-in POS	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Subscription products	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Product limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Sell through online, social, marketplace, and in-person channels Includes checkout, inventory, fulfillment, POS, and abandoned-checkout recovery Shopify App Store and API extend the platform	Gold offers online selling and payments for up to 5 products at no cost. Paid plans add digital products, in-person sales and inventory tracking. Social selling, shipping tools and third-party integrations extend store workflows.
Cons	There is no free plan; the current trial lasts 3 days Transaction-fee treatment varies by country, payment provider, and plan Staff-account limits apply on Grow and Advanced plans	Gold is limited to 5 products and one customizable store template. Platinum and Diamond cap listings at 50 and 500 products, respectively. Stripe and PayPal charge payment processing fees despite no platform transaction fee.
Our verdict	Shopify is a hosted commerce platform for entrepreneurs, retailers, small teams, and larger brands that want to run sales across online and in-person channels. Its core toolkit brings together a theme-based store builder, checkout and… Read the review →	Big Cartel is a hosted ecommerce platform for independent creators, artists and small businesses selling physical or digital goods. It supports customizable online storefronts, payments through Stripe or PayPal, in-person selling through… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Shopify — where it wins

  • Sell through online, social, marketplace, and in-person channels
  • Includes checkout, inventory, fulfillment, POS, and abandoned-checkout recovery
  • Shopify App Store and API extend the platform

  Where it doesn't

  • There is no free plan; the current trial lasts 3 days
  • Transaction-fee treatment varies by country, payment provider, and plan
  • Staff-account limits apply on Grow and Advanced plans

• Big Cartel — where it wins

  • Gold offers online selling and payments for up to 5 products at no cost.
  • Paid plans add digital products, in-person sales and inventory tracking.
  • Social selling, shipping tools and third-party integrations extend store workflows.

  Where it doesn't

  • Gold is limited to 5 products and one customizable store template.
  • Platinum and Diamond cap listings at 50 and 500 products, respectively.
  • Stripe and PayPal charge payment processing fees despite no platform transaction fee.

• Shopify9.4/10 · 3-day trial

  A broad hosted store platform combining checkout, inventory, fulfillment, POS, and multichannel sales.

  Visit ShopifyFull verdict →
• Big Cartel8.5/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

  A hosted shop for creative sellers, with a free entry plan and room to expand.

  Visit Big CartelFull verdict →