Final verdict
Big Cartel and Tilda both offer unique advantages, catering to different user needs and preferences.
-
Big Cartel (Overall Grade: 5.8/10)
is tailored for artists and small-scale sellers, providing a straightforward and affordable platform to create and manage online stores. Its simplicity and focus on creative endeavors make it an excellent choice for independent creators who prioritize ease of use and cost-effectiveness. However, it lacks some advanced features and customization options compared to other platforms. -
Tilda (Overall Grade: 6.7/10)
excels in design flexibility and visual content, making it suitable for bloggers, small businesses, and digital marketers. With a wide range of pre-designed blocks and templates, Tilda allows users to create visually appealing websites without coding skills. It offers more advanced features and integrations than Big Cartel, making it a versatile tool for various online projects.
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Design functionalities & templates |
6.9 |
8.6 |
|
Ease of use |
8.0 |
8.0 |
|
Ecommerce |
6.2 |
7.2 |
|
Website Editors |
6.8 |
8.0 |
|
Product testing options |
5.9 |
5.9 |
|
Price |
7.8 |
8.0 |
|
Hosting quality |
5.0 |
6.2 |
|
Website speed optimization |
5.0 |
4.9 |
|
Plugins and integrations |
5.8 |
7.6 |
|
Marketing features |
6.2 |
6.9 |
|
Customer support |
5.4 |
5.5 |
|
Security |
7.3 |
7.6 |
|
AI capabilities |
0.0 |
2.1 |
|
User Management |
1.3 |
7.3 |
Best for ecommerce
6.2
7.2
Verdict
: Big Cartel is ideal for artists and small-scale creators, while Tilda offers more advanced features for a broader range of ecommerce needs.
-
Big Cartel
: Tailored for artists and makers, Big Cartel provides a straightforward setup and essential ecommerce features like inventory tracking and sales analytics. It is perfect for small businesses and independent creators who need a simple, affordable platform. However, in the Big Cartel vs Tilda comparison, Big Cartel’s limited product listings and basic ecommerce functionalities may not suffice for larger or more complex stores. -
Tilda
: Tilda excels with its user-friendly platform and a wide range of customizable templates. It supports various payment gateways, inventory management, and built-in CRM tools, making it suitable for small businesses and digital marketers. While it has a learning curve, Tilda’s advanced features and flexibility make it a strong contender in the Big Cartel vs Tilda debate for those needing more robust ecommerce solutions.
Best for informational & business websites
7.2
8.4
Verdict
: Tilda is the superior choice for creating informational and business websites, thanks to its advanced design functionalities and user-friendly interface. Big Cartel, while excellent for artists and small-scale sellers, lacks some of the flexibility and features that Tilda offers for more diverse website needs.
-
Big Cartel
: Big Cartel is tailored for artists and makers, offering a straightforward setup and easy-to-use interface. It provides customizable templates and essential features like inventory management and sales tracking. However, its focus on ecommerce and simplicity may limit its appeal for more complex informational websites. With a score of 7.2, it is a solid choice for small businesses and independent creators who prioritize ease of use and affordability. -
Tilda
: Tilda excels in creating visually appealing and professional-looking websites with its wide range of pre-designed blocks and templates. It offers advanced customization options and integrates with various services for analytics, email marketing, and payment solutions. Tilda’s focus on typography and visual content makes it ideal for bloggers, small businesses, and digital marketers. Scoring 8.4, Tilda stands out for its design flexibility and comprehensive features, making it the preferred choice for informational and business websites.
Detailed comparison
Design functionalities & templates
Design FunctionalitiesRepresents how well each platform allows for creative design and customization of websites.Score Components:
- Template Variety (30%): Range and quality of design templates.
- Customization (30%): Flexibility and options for design alterations.
- User Interface (20%): Ease and intuitiveness of the design process.
- Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Innovation (10%): Unique design features and tools.
6.9
8.6
🏆
Winner: Tilda.
Tilda offers a diverse selection of design templates suitable for various types of content, all crafted by professional designers. Users have the flexibility to modify any template significantly or even start from scratch, ensuring the final website can meet a wide range of design preferences and requirements.
On the other hand, 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.
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Ease of use
Ease of useReflects the platform’s overall user-friendliness.Score
Components:
- Learning curve (40%): Quickness and ease of getting started.
- Interface design (30%): Simplicity and intuitiveness of layout.
- User guidance (20%): Quality of tutorials and support.
- Flexibility (10%): Adaptability to various user skills.
8.0
8.0
🏆 Winner: Tie
. Both Big Cartel and Tilda score an 8.0 in ease of use. 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. On the other hand, Tilda is known for its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and a wide range of modern, responsive templates suitable for various industries.
Learning Resources
🏆 Winner: Tilda
. While both platforms offer solid learning resources, Tilda provides comprehensive resources and tools for users to create websites, online stores, and online courses without coding skills, focusing on design flexibility, content presentation, and SEO optimization.
For ecommerce
EcommerceMeasures the platform’s effectiveness in supporting online business activities.Score Components:
- Ecommerce themes and templates (20%): Variety and design of templates.
- Product management (25%): Ease of managing and organizing products.
- Payment options (25%): Variety and convenience of payment methods.
- Ecommerce features (20%): Features for managing an ecommerce store.
- Integration (10%): Compatibility with external e-commerce tools and services.
6.2
7.2
Big Cartel and Tilda both offer ecommerce capabilities, but they cater to different needs. Big Cartel is specifically designed for artists and makers, offering a straightforward setup process and essential features such as inventory management, sales tracking, and promotional tools. However, it’s designed for smaller stores and offers fewer product listings and less advanced ecommerce features compared to other platforms.
On the other hand, Tilda offers a user-friendly platform for creating ecommerce websites with features like ready-made templates, various payment system integrations, and SEO optimization. It supports inventory management, CRM for order tracking, and tools for email marketing and membership areas. However, it has a learning curve for its block editor and requires manual integration with third-party services.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Ecommerce themes and templates |
5.5 |
6.5 |
|
Product page customization |
6.8 |
7.0 |
|
Payment processing and commissions |
7.0 |
7.5 |
|
POS capabilities |
6.5 |
0.0 |
|
Payment gateways |
6.0 |
7.8 |
|
Product numbers |
4.5 |
6.0 |
|
Additional ecommerce features |
5.7 |
6.5 |
Big Cartel ecommerce features:
- Inventory tracking
- Sales analytics
- Social Media integrations
- Marketing tools
Tilda ecommerce features:
- Product Catalogs and Inventory management
- Payment Gateways integration
- Shipping options
- Order management
- Built-in CRM and marketing tools
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. Tilda allows users to build their ecommerce sites using around 20 ready-made online store templates, emphasizing ease of use and the ability to create a store without needing coding or web design skills.
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. Tilda enables a wide range of customizations for product pages in online stores, including the design, ecommerce functionalities, and integration with external services.
Payment processing
When it comes to 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.
The Tilda website builder supports a variety of popular payment systems such as Stripe, PayPal, and 2Checkout, allowing for easy integration to accept online payments. Tilda does not impose additional transaction fees beyond those of the payment gateways themselves.
Website Editors
Website EditorsEvaluates the platforms’ website building and editing capabilities.Score Components:
- Customization tools (40%): Range and power of editing features.
- Editor usability (30%): User experience within the editor.
- Design flexibility (20%): Freedom in layout and design changes.
- Update and maintenance ease (10%): Simplicity of updating and maintaining the site.
6.8
8.0
🏆
Winner: Tilda
. Tilda, with a score of 8.0, offers a user-friendly, block-based design approach that simplifies the process of creating websites without requiring in-depth coding knowledge. It features advanced customization options through its Zero Block feature, allowing for detailed control over design elements for those needing more specific layouts. The platform supports responsive design, ensuring websites are optimized for all devices, and includes built-in SEO tools, analytics, and a range of integrations with third-party services for extended functionality.
Big Cartel’s website builder editor, scoring 6.8, 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.
Mobile editor/app
7.5
5.5
🏆
Winner: Big Cartel
. Both Big Cartel and Tilda offer mobile capabilities for managing your website, but they cater to different needs and skill levels. Big Cartel provides 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. It 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.
On the other hand, Tilda does not have a dedicated mobile editor app. Users can manage and edit their websites using the mobile browser version of the editor. This might not provide the same level of convenience and functionality as a dedicated mobile app. Therefore, Big Cartel is the winner in this category due to its dedicated mobile app and its user-friendly interface.
Product testing options
Product Testing OptionsAssesses the options for trying out platform features before commitment.Score Components:
- Trial quality (40%): Extent and usefulness of the trial or free version.
- Feature accessibility (30%): How many features are available to test.
- Trial duration (20%): Length of the trial period.
- Ease of transition (10%): Smoothness of moving from trial to paid plans.
5.9
5.9
Overall Result
:
Tie
. Both Big Cartel and Tilda score 5.9, each with their unique advantages in product testing. Both platforms offer a free version that allows users to test some of the premium features. However, neither of them offers a trial version or a money-back guarantee.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Free Plan |
Yes | Yes |
|
Trial Duration |
No | No |
|
Testing Premium Features |
Some features with free plan | Some features with free plan |
|
Money Back Guarantee |
No | No |
Price
PriceLooks at the cost-effectiveness and value for money of each platform.Score Components:
- Plan value (40%): What each pricing tier offers.
- Transparency and clarity (30%): Clearness of pricing structures.
- Flexibility of plans (20%): Range of options to suit different budgets.
- Hidden costs (10%): Additional expenses not included in the plan.
7.8
8.0
Tilda and Big Cartel both offer affordable pricing options, but Tilda scores slightly higher in terms of price.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
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. |
Free ($0/month): Tilda’s Free plan allows for 1 website with up to 50 pages per website and 50 MB of space per project. It includes a free subdomain on tilda.ws, responsive design on all devices, basic animations, a built-in image and icon library, and Tilda CRM. |
|
$0-$17 |
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 |
Personal ($15/month): The Personal plan offers 1 website with up to 500 pages and 1 GB of space. It includes all features of the Free plan plus the ability to connect a custom domain, advanced animations, full access to the Block Library, analytics, SEO tools, and online store capabilities. Value for price: 7.5 |
|
$15+ |
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 |
Business ($25/month): The Business plan expands capabilities to 5 websites per account, each with up to 500 pages and 1 GB of space, including source code export and API access. It builds upon the Personal plan features with additions suitable for more extensive business needs. Value for price: 9.0 |
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.
Hosting quality
Hosting
qualityExamines the reliability and performance of the hosting solutions.Score Components:
- Uptime (40%): Consistency and reliability of website availability.
- Speed (30%): Loading times and performance.
- Bandwidth and storage (20%): Sufficiency of resources provided.
- Data centers (10%): Quality and distribution of hosting infrastructure.
5.0
6.2
Winner: Tilda
Tilda offers cloud hosting with up to 1GB storage capacity and a 99.9% uptime. Big Cartel also offers hosting included in all their plans, but there’s no specific information on hosting type, bandwidth, and storage limitations. Neither of the platforms disclose information about their data centers, and neither offers an uptime guarantee. However, Tilda’s disclosed uptime and storage capacity give it a slight edge over Big Cartel.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Do they offer hosting? |
Yes | Yes |
|
Type of hosting: |
Not disclosed | Cloud Hosting |
|
Uptime: |
Not disclosed | 99.9% |
|
Uptime Guarantee: |
No | No |
|
Data Centers: |
Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Website Speed Optimization
Website Speed OptimizationEvaluates optimization of website loading timesScore Components:
- PageSpeed Score (30%): Google’s score indicating performance optimization.
- Loading Time (30%): The average time until a website is fully interactive.
- Mobile Optimization (15%): Optimization effectiveness for mobile devices.
- Resource Optimization (15%): Optimizing images, scripts, and other heavy resources.
- CDN Usage (10%): Use of CDN to enhance speed across geolocations.
5.0
4.9
🏆 Winner: Tilda
Both Big Cartel and Tilda do not provide much information about their website speed optimization strategies and Core Web Vitals improvements. However, Tilda has mentioned some strategies like Lazy Loading and Image Optimization, giving it a slight edge over Big Cartel.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Focus |
Not mentioned | Lazy Loading, Image Optimization |
|
Performance Tools |
Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
|
Key Strategies |
Not mentioned | Lazy Loading, Image Optimization |
|
Load Times |
Varies depending on optimization and website complexity | Varies depending on optimization and website complexity |
|
Page Speed Scores Range |
Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
|
Core Web Vitals Improvement |
Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
Tilda, a web-based platform designed for creating websites, landing pages, and online stores, has mentioned some strategies for speed optimization. These include Lazy Loading, which delays the loading of non-critical resources at page load time, and Image Optimization, which reduces the file size of images without degrading the visual quality. However, Tilda does not provide any information on their Core Web Vitals improvements.
On the other hand, Big Cartel, a website builder specifically designed for artists and makers to sell their creations online, does not mention any information on speed optimization strategies or Core Web Vitals improvements. The load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on optimization and website complexity.
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Plugins and integrations
Plugins and integrationsMeasures the range and effectiveness of additional plugins and integrations.Score Components:
- Variety of options (40%): Range of available add-ons.
- Integration smoothness (30%): Ease of integrating plugins into the site.
- Quality of plugins (20%): Functionality and reliability of the options.
- Custom integration capabilities (10%): Support for custom or third-party integrations.
5.8
7.6
🏆 Winner: Tilda.
Tilda scores 7.6, offering a diverse range of integrations that enhance the functionality of websites created on its platform. It supports popular payment processors, integrates with various services for analytics, email marketing, and payment solutions, making it a versatile tool for building and managing online projects. Big Cartel, with a score of 5.8, offers a variety of apps and integrations to enhance ecommerce store functionality, including marketing, shipping, and store management tools. However, the total number of direct apps and integrations is around 27, which may be fewer than other platforms offer.
Marketing Features
Design FunctionalitiesRepresents how well each platform allows for creative design and customization of websites.Score Components:
- Template Variety (30%): Range and quality of design templates.
- Customization (30%): Flexibility and options for design alterations.
- User Interface (20%): Ease and intuitiveness of the design process.
- Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Innovation (10%): Unique design features and tools.
6.2
6.9
🏆
Overall Winner: Tilda
. Tilda edges out Big Cartel with a slightly higher score, offering a wider range of marketing features including blogging and more advanced SEO tools. However, Big Cartel holds its own with third-party integrations for email marketing and social media.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
SEO Tools |
Basic SEO features |
Advanced SEO features |
|
Email Marketing |
Through third-party integrations like Mailchimp |
Through third-party integrations like Mailchimp |
|
Blogging |
No |
Yes |
|
Social Media Integration |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Analytics and Reporting |
Yes |
Yes, through integration of Google Analytics |
|
Ads and Promotions |
Yes, using third-party integration |
No |
Customer Support
Customer supportEvaluates the quality and availability of support options.Score Components:
- Response time (40%): Speed of support responses.
- Support quality (30%): Effectiveness and helpfulness of the support.
- Availability (20%): Range of support channels (phone, chat, email).
- Resource richness (10%): Quality of self-help and educational materials.
5.4
5.5
🏆 Winner: Tilda
. Comparing Big Cartel vs Tilda, Tilda edges out slightly in this category with a customer support score of 5.5 compared to Big Cartel’s 5.4. Tilda provides customer support mainly via email and encourages users to utilize its comprehensive Help Center for self-help options. While the hours and availability are not specified, the resources available can be quite helpful for users.
Big Cartel offers customer support from Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm EST, with a dedicated team of twelve members. Users are encouraged to log in for faster assistance, and support is available via email for non-account holders. Although Big Cartel does not handle order fulfillment or refunds directly, it provides resources to address these concerns. Despite its limited support hours, Big Cartel’s straightforward and artist-focused approach makes it a reliable option for small businesses and independent creators.
Security
SecurityLooks at the platforms’ security measures and data protection.Score Components:
- Data protection (40%): Safeguards for user and customer data.
- SSL and encryption (30%): Implementation of secure connections.
- Compliance (20%): Adherence to industry security standards.
- Regular updates (10%): Frequency of security updates and patches.
7.3
7.6
🏆
Winner: Tilda
. Tilda edges out Big Cartel with a slightly higher security score. Tilda’s commitment to GDPR compliance, DDoS prevention, and HTTPS encryption ensures a secure environment for users. Additionally, Tilda’s use of cloud storage and a Content Delivery Network (CDN) enhances both the security and performance of websites built with it.
Big Cartel, while offering SSL encryption and strict data processing protocols, falls short in PCI compliance. It relies on third-party gateways like PayPal and Stripe for secure payment processing. Despite this, Big Cartel still provides a secure platform for small businesses and independent creators, emphasizing the confidentiality and integrity of the data processed.
AI Capabilities
AI capabilitiesMeasures the effectiveness of AI-driven features and tools.Score Components:
- Automation efficiency (40%): Impact of AI on streamlining processes.
- Personalization (30%): AI-driven customization for users or customers.
- AI-Assisted design (20%): Role of AI in website design and functionality.
- Data analysis (10%): Use of AI in interpreting user data and analytics.
0.0
2.1
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
AI Builder |
|
|
|
AI Ecommerce features |
|
|
|
AI content generation |
|
Tilda has an AI feature for generating website content |
|
Additional AI features |
|
|
🏆 Winner: Tilda
. Tilda, with a score of 2.1, has a basic AI feature for generating website content, including headlines and text blocks. This feature is accessible through the Page Editor and requires a detailed description of the website for better text generation.
Big Cartel, with a score of 0.0, does not have any AI features at all. It is a straightforward website builder that focuses on simplicity and affordability, particularly for small businesses and independent creators.
User Management
User ManagementAssesses the platforms’ capabilities in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility.Score Components:
- Role Customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions. - Ease of Management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
- Access Control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
levels. - Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
1.3
7.3
🏆 Winner: Tilda
. Tilda’s Collaborators feature offers more flexibility and control over user roles and permissions, making it a better choice for projects that require collaboration. However, this feature is a premium offering and requires additional payment for more collaborators.
- Big Cartel allows only one user to build and edit a website, which can be a significant limitation for larger teams or projects that require collaboration.
- Tilda, on the other hand, allows adding teammates with either Full or Limited access. Full access enables collaborators to edit, publish, delete pages, view requests and statistics, and make changes to built-in website services. Limited access allows the project owner to specify what actions the collaborator can perform. This feature is available as a premium offering, and adding more collaborators requires additional payment, with costs adjusted based on previously paid periods. It applies to the entire account, not individual projects, and collaborators can be managed or replaced through the Site Settings.
Big Cartel User Roles and Access Levels:
| Role | Description | Access Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| [Role] | [Description] | [Access Highlights] |
Tilda User Roles and Access Levels:
| Role | Description | Access Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| [Role] | [Description] | [Access Highlights] |
Additional Features
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
SSL Certificate |
|
|
|
Custom Domain |
|
|
|
Free Custom Domain Included |
|
|
|
International Domains |
|
|
|
Mobile Responsive |
|
|
|
Page Speed |
|
|
|
Website Builder Mobile App |
|
|
|
Convert a Website To An App |
|
|
|
Website Analytics |
|
|
|
Multilingual Sites |
|
|
|
Multiple Users |
|
|
User Feedback
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.
Tilda Publishing receives varied feedback from users, highlighting its strengths in offering a no-code, customizable website building experience with features like Zero Block for personalization and easy backend setup. Users appreciate its affordability, user-friendly interface, and responsive customer support. However, criticisms include buggy font customization, limited design elements, and instability in some of its features. Despite these drawbacks, many find Tilda beneficial for creating professional websites quickly and managing multiple sites under one plan, although some users advise caution due to issues with stability and customer support.
The making of this blog
We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.
FAQ
Which platform is better for artists and small creators, Big Cartel or Tilda?
Can I use both Big Cartel and Tilda for ecommerce?
How do Big Cartel and Tilda compare in terms of design and customization?
Which platform is more user-friendly for beginners?
What are the main differences in pricing between Big Cartel and Tilda?
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