Big Cartel vs Hostpapa: Comprehensive comparison guide for 2024

Final verdict

Big Cartel and Hostpapa both offer unique advantages, but they cater to different user needs.

• 
  Big Cartel (Overall Grade: 5.8/10)
  
  is tailored for artists and small businesses, offering a simple and affordable platform with essential ecommerce features. It excels in ease of use, making it accessible for users without extensive technical skills. Big Cartel’s focus on supporting creative endeavors makes it a strong choice for independent creators looking to sell their work online.
• 
  Hostpapa (Overall Grade: 5.4/10)
  
  provides a more comprehensive set of tools, particularly for small businesses looking to establish a professional online presence. With a wide range of templates and customization options, Hostpapa is ideal for users seeking a highly personalized website. Its robust hosting quality and extensive customer support make it a reliable choice for those prioritizing performance and assistance.

	Overall grade: 5.8	Overall grade: 5.4
Design functionalities & templates	6.9	8.2
Ease of use	8.0	7.8
Ecommerce	6.2	6.6
Website Editors	6.8	6.8
Product testing options	5.9	0.5
Price	7.8	7.9
Hosting quality	5.0	7.5
Website speed optimization	5.0	6.6
Plugins and integrations	5.8	5.0
Marketing features	6.2	3.0
Customer support	5.4	8.0
Security	7.3	8.2
AI capabilities	0.0	0
User Management	1.3	2.2

Best for ecommerce

6.2

6.6

Verdict

: Big Cartel is ideal for artists and small businesses seeking simplicity and affordability, while Hostpapa offers a more comprehensive set of ecommerce tools suitable for small businesses looking to scale.

• 
  Big Cartel
  
  : Tailored for artists and small businesses, Big Cartel offers essential ecommerce features with a focus on simplicity and affordability. It includes inventory tracking, sales analytics, and social media integrations, making it a strong contender for creative-focused platforms. However, when comparing Big Cartel vs Hostpapa, Big Cartel may lack the advanced features needed for larger-scale operations.
  
  Score: 6.2
  
• 
  Hostpapa
  
  : Hostpapa provides a more robust and flexible ecommerce solution with a variety of payment gateways, inventory management, and ecommerce-specific templates. It is suitable for small businesses looking to scale, although it lacks integrated POS functionalities.
  
  Score: 6.6
  

Best for informational & business websites

7.2

7.5

• 
  Big Cartel
  
  : Big Cartel is tailored for artists and small-scale sellers, offering a straightforward setup and a variety of customizable themes. While it excels in simplicity and ease of use, making it accessible for those without technical skills, it may lack the advanced features and flexibility needed for more complex informational websites. Its score of 7.2 reflects its niche focus and user-friendly design.
• 
  Hostpapa
  
  : Hostpapa provides a robust platform for small businesses and individuals looking to create a professional online presence. With a variety of templates and an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, it offers greater customization flexibility and a more extensive range of features compared to Big Cartel. Hostpapa’s score of 7.5 indicates its suitability for users seeking a highly personalized and professional website. When comparing Big Cartel vs Hostpapa, Hostpapa’s comprehensive approach makes it a better choice for more complex informational and business websites.

Detailed comparison

6.9

8.2

🏆

Winner: HostPapa.

HostPapa offers a more extensive range of templates and greater customization flexibility, making it a better choice for users seeking a highly personalized and professional website.

Big Cartel provides a variety of free, customizable templates designed to ensure that online stores look appealing on all devices. These templates are geared towards artists, creators, and small business owners, offering features like high-quality product displays and adjustable product grids without the need for coding knowledge. With over 15 different styles to choose from, Big Cartel’s templates allow for easy customization to fit any brand’s aesthetic, making it simple for anyone to start an online store quickly.

Big Cartel Themes

HostPapa offers a wide variety of templates and designs to cater to the diverse needs of its users, ensuring that there is something for everyone, regardless of their niche or industry. With hundreds of professionally designed templates available, users can easily find a style that perfectly matches their vision and brand identity. These templates are not only abundant in number but also highly customizable, allowing for a high degree of personalization. From sleek and modern designs to more traditional and classic looks, HostPapa’s extensive template library ensures that users can create a unique and appealing website with ease.

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8.0

7.8

🏆 Winner: Big Cartel

. Scoring 8.0, Big Cartel is designed with simplicity in mind, making it particularly accessible for artists and small-scale sellers who may not have extensive technical skills. Hostpapa, with a score of 7.8, also offers a user-friendly interface but includes more features that might require a bit more effort to master. For those prioritizing ease of use, Big Cartel is the better choice.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Hostpapa

. Hostpapa provides a range of learning resources, including a detailed online knowledge base, video tutorials, and a free 30-minute one-on-one training session for new customers. These resources are designed to support users of varying skill levels, making it easier to learn and manage the platform.

6.2

6.6

Big Cartel is tailored for artists and small businesses, offering essential ecommerce features with a focus on simplicity and affordability. Hostpapa, on the other hand, provides a more comprehensive set of ecommerce tools, particularly in its Enterprise plan, making it suitable for small businesses looking to scale.

Ecommerce themes and templates	5.5	5.5
Product page customization	6.8	6.0
Payment processing and commissions	7.0	7.0
POS capabilities	6.5	0.0
Payment gateways	6.0	7.5
Product numbers	4.5	5.0
Additional ecommerce features	5.7	4.5

Big Cartel ecommerce features:

• Inventory tracking
• Sales analytics
• Social Media integrations
• Marketing tools

Hostpapa ecommerce features:

• Payment Gateways integration
• Inventory management
• Ecommerce specific templates

Ecommerce themes & templates

Big Cartel offers around 20 templates, each specifically designed to cater to the needs of ecommerce stores, providing a variety of options for creating an online store. In contrast, Hostpapa offers over 230 templates, catering to individuals and small businesses seeking to establish an online presence. The platform’s drag-and-drop editor simplifies website creation, although it limits layout flexibility due to preconfigured template designs. E-commerce capabilities are available only with the Enterprise plan, which includes features like unlimited product listings and support for over 45 payment gateways.

Product page customization

Big Cartel enables merchants to customize their product offerings with the Product Variants feature, supporting up to 150 variants per item, such as sizes, colors, and more, allowing for specific pricing and quantities for each variant. Additionally, for products with complex attributes, the Advanced Product Options offer a structured way to present multiple variations through up to three option groups per product, simplifying the shopping experience.

Hostpapa provides a suite of product page customization features for online stores. Users can tailor product offerings by adding various options such as size and color, set product availability, and manage inventory with detailed controls. The platform supports a wide range of currencies and languages, adapting to the customer’s preferences automatically. Advanced functionalities include customizable “Buy now” buttons, product combinations for different variants, and suggestions for related products to enhance the shopping experience.

Payment processing

Big Cartel supports payment processing through PayPal and Stripe, allowing a variety of payment methods including credit/debit cards and mobile payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay. The platform itself does not charge additional transaction fees, but standard processing fees from PayPal and Stripe apply. Big Cartel also offers POS capabilities, primarily through Stripe terminal for Android and iOS for in-person sales, enhancing flexibility for both online and offline business operations.

Hostpapa supports a variety of payment gateways, including popular services like PayPal, Square, and Stripe, catering to both online and offline payment methods for businesses. The platform does not charge transaction fees itself, the fees primarily depend on the chosen payment gateway. Although the platform is equipped with eCommerce capabilities, enabling the addition of products and customization of payment and shipping methods, there are no integrated Point of Sale (POS) functionalities.

Considering the features, availability, cost, and flexibility, Hostpapa appears to be a more robust and flexible ecommerce solution compared to Big Cartel. However, for artists and small businesses looking for a simple, affordable, and creative-focused platform, Big Cartel remains a strong contender.

6.8

6.8

🏆

Winner: Tie

. Both Big Cartel and Hostpapa have a website editors score of 6.8, indicating that they offer comparable experiences in terms of their editing capabilities.

Big Cartel’s website builder editor is designed with simplicity in mind, catering primarily to artists and small-scale sellers. Users can easily customize their online store’s look and feel without needing advanced technical skills, thanks to its user-friendly interface. The editor allows for the customization of themes, addition of products, and setup of different pages like home, about, and contact pages. Additionally, it offers basic SEO settings and integration options with social media and other tools, making it a straightforward solution for those looking to sell their work online with minimal fuss.

HostPapa’s website editor is accessible and designed for ease of use, catering primarily to beginners and small businesses looking to establish a basic online presence quickly. It offers a range of templates and a drag-and-drop editor but lacks in-depth marketing tools and advanced SEO capabilities. While generally affordable and including customer support options like 24/7 access and one-on-one training, some users have noted limitations in customer service effectiveness and challenges in the platform’s usability, particularly regarding the checkout process.

Mobile editor/app

7.5

0

🏆

Winner: Big Cartel

. Big Cartel offers a mobile app that allows users to manage their online store directly from their mobile device. Key features include the ability to add and edit products, process orders, check inventory, and view store statistics. This provides a convenient way for store owners to keep their business running smoothly on-the-go, without the need for a computer. The interface is user-friendly, ensuring that even those with minimal technical skills can easily navigate and make use of its functionalities. However, website design changes can be applied only on the desktop version.

Hostpapa does not have a dedicated mobile editor app, which limits its flexibility for users who need to manage their website on-the-go.

5.9

0.5

Overall Result

:

Big Cartel wins

. Big Cartel scores 5.9, significantly higher than Hostpapa’s 0.5, making it a better option for testing before committing. Big Cartel offers a free plan that allows users to test some features of the website builder, whereas Hostpapa does not provide a free or trial version, making it impossible to test premium features without purchasing a plan. However, Hostpapa does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, which provides some level of risk mitigation.

Free Plan	Yes	No
Trial Duration	No	No
Testing Premium Features	Possible with free plan	Not possible
Money-back Guarantee	No	30-day money-back guarantee

7.8

7.9

Big Cartel offers a free plan and affordable options for small businesses, while Hostpapa provides a range of plans with more extensive features, including an enterprise plan for larger projects.

	Offerings	Offerings
Free	Gold ($0/month): The Gold plan is free and allows up to 5 product listings with one image per product. It includes features such as free customizable templates, the ability to sell online and in person, multiple payment options, real-time stats, product variant groups, and sales tax autopilot.	No offering at this amount.
$0-$5	No offering at this amount.	Starter ($3.99/month): Free domain registration, Up to 2 pages, Mobile-friendly, responsive design templates. This plan allows to manage 1 website. Value for Price: 4.0
$5-$15	Platinum ($9.99/month): The Platinum plan increases the product listing limit to 50 and allows up to five images per product. It adds features like the use of a custom domain, template code editing, Google Analytics, ads support, inventory tracking, the ability to offer discounts and run promos, bulk editing, and shipment tracking. Value for Price: 7.5	Business ($10.99/month): Free domain registration, Up to 1000 pages, Mobile-friendly, responsive design templates. This plan allows to manage 1 website. Value for Price: 6.5
$15-$25	Diamond ($19.99/month): The Diamond plan further extends the product limit to 500 with the same benefits as the Platinum plan, including advanced Google Analytics reporting, ads with audience targeting, and priority customer support. Value for Price: 8.5	Premium ($20.99/month): Free domain registration, Up to 1000 pages, Mobile-friendly, responsive design templates, Advanced HTML & CSS editing, Header/footer code injection. This plan allows to manage 1 website. Value for Price: 7.5
$40+	No offering at this amount.	Enterprise ($40.99/month): Free domain registration, Up to 1000 pages, Mobile-friendly, responsive design templates, Advanced HTML & CSS editing, Header/footer code injection, eCommerce enabled, 45+ payment gateways, No additional transaction fees, Digital goods functionality, Inventory tracking, Sell on Facebook. This plan allows to manage 1 website. Value for Price: 9.0

5.0

7.5

🏆

Winner: Hostpapa

Hostpapa outshines Big Cartel with its clear hosting details, including shared hosting, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and three global data centers. Big Cartel, while user-friendly for artists, lacks transparency in hosting specifics, making Hostpapa the more reliable choice for hosting quality.

Do they offer hosting?	Yes, included in all plans	Yes
Data Centers:	No information disclosed	3 Data Centers: California (US), Burlington (Ontario, Canada), and one in the Netherlands
Type of hosting:	No specific information on hosting type, bandwidth, and storage limitations	Shared Hosting
Uptime:	No information disclosed	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	No	Yes, 99.9%

5.0

6.6

🏆 Winner: Hostpapa

While both Big Cartel and Hostpapa offer tools to help users create and manage their websites, Hostpapa has a more comprehensive approach to website speed optimization, giving it an edge over Big Cartel.

Focus	Not specified	Image optimization, Caching, HTTP requests minimization
Performance Tools	Not specified	Basic SEO tools
Key Strategies	Not specified	Image optimization, Caching, HTTP requests minimization
Load Times	Varies depending on optimization	Varies widely, depending on optimization
Page Speed Scores Range	Varies depending on optimization	Varies widely, depending on optimization
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Not disclosed	Implementing various performance optimization techniques

Big Cartel is a straightforward website builder designed for artists and makers, focusing on ease of use and simplicity. However, it does not provide specific information on speed optimization strategies or Core Web Vitals improvements. Load times and PageSpeed scores for Big Cartel websites can vary significantly based on the level of optimization and the complexity of the website.

Hostpapa, on the other hand, offers a more detailed approach to website speed optimization. It employs strategies such as image optimization, caching, and minimizing HTTP requests to enhance website performance. Hostpapa also implements various performance optimization techniques to improve Core Web Vitals, which are crucial for user experience and SEO. Although load times and PageSpeed scores for Hostpapa websites can also vary widely, the platform’s focus on optimization strategies generally results in better performance compared to Big Cartel.

In conclusion, Hostpapa’s comprehensive approach to website speed optimization makes it the better choice for users who prioritize fast-loading websites.

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5.8

5.0

🏆 Winner: Big Cartel.

Big Cartel scores 5.8, offering a range of integrations that enhance its ecommerce capabilities, making it a better choice for artists and small businesses looking to sell their creations online. Hostpapa, with a score of 5.0, provides basic integrations suitable for simple business websites but lacks the advanced third-party integrations that Big Cartel offers.

Big Cartel’s integrations include Mailchimp for email marketing, Printful for print-on-demand services, and Google Analytics for detailed insights, among others. Hostpapa, on the other hand, offers essential integrations like Google Maps and social media icons but falls short in providing a broad spectrum of advanced functionalities.

6.2

3.0

🏆

Overall Winner: Big Cartel

. Big Cartel excels with its integration capabilities and essential marketing tools tailored for small businesses and independent creators. Hostpapa, while user-friendly, falls short in providing comprehensive marketing features.

SEO Tools	Basic SEO features	Basic SEO features
Email Marketing	Yes, through third-party integrations like Mailchimp	No
Blogging	No	Yes, but basic
Social Media Integration	Yes	Limited to adding icons
Analytics and Reporting	Yes, integrates with Google Analytics	Basic in-built features, with Google Analytics
Ads and Promotions	Yes, using third-party integration	No

5.4

8.0

🏆 Winner: Hostpapa

. In the Big Cartel vs Hostpapa comparison, Hostpapa takes the lead with its comprehensive 24/7/365 customer support. Hostpapa offers multiple support channels, including phone, email, and live chat, ensuring users can get help whenever they need it. Additionally, Hostpapa’s unique 30-minute one-on-one video training sessions provide personalized assistance, which is a significant advantage for users requiring extra help.

Big Cartel, on the other hand, offers customer support from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm EST, with a team of twelve members available to assist. While Big Cartel’s support is adequate for many users, it lacks the round-the-clock availability and personalized training sessions that Hostpapa provides. This makes Hostpapa a more robust option for users who prioritize extensive and accessible customer support.

7.3

8.2

🏆

Winner: Hostpapa

. Hostpapa excels in security with a comprehensive suite of features including automatic SSL certification, server firewalls, DDoS attack prevention, and the Protection Power Security Software. These measures ensure robust protection against a wide array of cyber threats, making it a reliable choice for users prioritizing security.

Big Cartel, while offering essential security features like SSL encryption and compliance with data protection legislation, falls short in comparison due to its lack of PCI compliance. It relies on third-party gateways for secure payment processing, which may not be sufficient for users seeking a more integrated security solution.

Security Scores:

• Big Cartel: 7.3
• Hostpapa: 8.2

0.0

0

AI Builder	Not available	Not available
AI Ecommerce Features	Not available	Not available
AI Content Generation	Not available	Not available
Additional AI Features	Not available	Not available

🏆 Winner: None

. Both Big Cartel and Hostpapa do not offer any AI capabilities. This means that users looking for AI-driven features such as automated content generation, personalized design suggestions, or advanced ecommerce tools will need to consider other platforms.

1.3

2.2

🏆 Winner: Hostpapa

. When it comes to managing users, both Big Cartel and Hostpapa have limitations, but Hostpapa offers slightly more flexibility.

• Big Cartel allows only one user to build and edit a website, making it less suitable for collaborative projects.
• Hostpapa does not explicitly mention support for multiple users, but it is possible that the website builder does support multiple users.

Big Cartel User Management:

Big Cartel is designed for simplicity and ease of use, particularly for individual artists and makers. However, its user management capabilities are limited to a single user, which can be a significant drawback for those looking to collaborate with others.

Hostpapa User Management:

Hostpapa, while not explicitly detailing its user management features, potentially supports multiple users. This makes it a slightly better option for small businesses or individuals who may need to collaborate with others on their website.

Additional Features

SSL Certificate	✓	✓
Custom Domain	✓	✓
Free Custom Domain Included	✓	✓
International Domains	✓	✓
Mobile Responsive	✓	✓
Page Speed	✓	✓
Website Builder Mobile App	✓	X
Convert a Website To An App	X	X
Website Analytics	✓	✓
Multilingual Sites	✓	✓
Multiple Users	X	X

User Feedback

Big Cartel

26 reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars

Hostpapa

0 reviews

0 out of 5 stars

User feedback on Big Cartel highlights its simplicity and affordability as key advantages, making it a popular choice for small businesses and startups looking to establish an online presence quickly. Users appreciate the ease of setting up and customizing their online stores, the flat monthly fees without per-item charges, and the platform’s intuitive design and mobile management capabilities. However, limitations in features compared to more comprehensive platforms, restricted customization options, and lack of advanced integrations or inventory management for specific items are noted drawbacks. Despite these concerns, Big Cartel is praised for its cost-effectiveness and user-friendly approach, particularly for those new to e-commerce or with smaller inventories.

Hostpapa, on the other hand, does not have any user feedback reviews on the G2 platform. This absence of reviews makes it challenging to gauge user satisfaction and experiences with the platform. However, Hostpapa’s general description suggests it is designed to cater to small businesses and individuals looking for an easy-to-use website builder with basic SEO tools and e-commerce capabilities.

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