Shopify vs Big Cartel: What’s the Best Builder in 2024?

Shopify vs Big Cartel: Final verdict

Shopify and Big Cartel cater to different segments of the ecommerce market, each with its unique strengths and weaknesses.

• 
  Shopify (Overall Grade: 8.1/10)
  
  is a comprehensive ecommerce platform ideal for businesses looking to scale. It offers advanced design functionalities, robust ecommerce features, and extensive integrations. Shopify’s powerful tools for product management, payment processing, and marketing make it a top choice for serious online retailers. When comparing Shopify vs Big Cartel, Shopify stands out for its scalability and depth of features, making it suitable for larger businesses and those planning significant growth.
• 
  Big Cartel (Overall Grade: 5.8/10)
  
  is designed for artists and small-scale sellers who prioritize simplicity and affordability. It offers an easy-to-use platform with essential ecommerce features, making it perfect for independent creators and small businesses. While it lacks the advanced functionalities of Shopify, Big Cartel’s straightforward setup and cost-effective plans make it an attractive option for those new to ecommerce or with smaller inventories. In the Shopify vs Big Cartel comparison, Big Cartel excels in ease of use and affordability, catering to a niche market of creative entrepreneurs.

	Overall grade: 8.1	Overall grade: 5.8
Design functionalities & templates	8.2	6.9
Ease of use	7.5	8.0
Ecommerce	9.2	6.2
Website Editors	7.9	6.8
Product testing options	8.1	5.9
Price	8.2	7.8
Hosting quality	9.0	5.0
Website speed optimization	7.8	5.0
Plugins and integrations	8.7	5.8
Marketing features	8.8	6.2
Customer support	8.6	5.4
Security	9.0	7.3
AI capabilities	7.9	0.0
User Management	6.5	1.3

Which one is the best for ecommerce: Shopify or Big Cartel?

9.2

6.2

Verdict

: Big Cartel is ideal for artists and small businesses, while Shopify excels in comprehensive ecommerce solutions for growing businesses.

• 
  Shopify
  
  : Shopify is a powerhouse in the ecommerce world, offering a wide array of tools for creating and managing online stores. Its features include advanced inventory management, multi-channel selling, and detailed analytics, making it perfect for businesses aiming to scale. When comparing Shopify vs Big Cartel, Shopify’s extensive app library and advanced ecommerce functionalities make it the superior choice for serious online retailers.
• 
  Big Cartel
  
  : Designed with artists and makers in mind, Big Cartel provides a straightforward and affordable platform for small businesses. It offers essential ecommerce features like inventory tracking and sales analytics, but its capabilities are limited compared to Shopify. Big Cartel is best suited for independent creators who need a simple, easy-to-use solution for selling their creations online.

Which one is the best for informational and business websites?

6.8

7.2

• 
  Shopify
  
  : Shopify, primarily an ecommerce platform, can be used for informational websites but may feel overly complex for such purposes. Its robust features and tools are geared towards online stores, which might be more than what is needed for a simple informational site. Shopify’s score for this category is 6.8.
• 
  Big Cartel
  
  : Big Cartel is designed with simplicity in mind, making it an excellent choice for artists, makers, and small businesses looking to create an informational website. Its user-friendly interface and straightforward setup process make it easy to create and manage a site without extensive technical knowledge. Big Cartel scores 7.2 in this category, making it a better option for those prioritizing ease of use and simplicity in their informational websites.

Shopify vs Big Cartel: Detailed comparison

8.2

6.9

Winner: Shopify.

If you’re looking for a platform that offers more advanced and diverse design features and templates, Shopify is the preferred choice.

Shopify’s templates are sleek and professional, ideal for ecommerce sites. They offer a sophisticated look with a focus on online stores. While the free template selection is not large, Shopify’s premium theme store provides a variety of industry-specific options, offering advanced features for a strong brand presence.

Shopify Themes

Compared to Shopify, 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.

Big Cartel Themes

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7.5

8.0

🏆 Winner: Big Cartel

. With a score of 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. Shopify, scoring 7.5, offers a robust platform but with a steeper learning curve, especially for those new to ecommerce. If ease of use is a priority, Big Cartel is the clear winner in this category.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. While both platforms offer solid learning resources, Shopify goes a step further with its wide array of detailed tutorials and active community forums, making it easier for users to learn and adapt.

9.2

6.2

Shopify is a leading ecommerce platform with a comprehensive set of features for online businesses. It offers tools for creating and customizing online stores, managing products, processing payments, and handling order fulfillment. On the other hand, Big Cartel is tailored for artists and makers, offering features that support small businesses in setting up an online store. However, Big Cartel’s ecommerce capabilities are more limited compared to Shopify, making it less suitable for businesses looking to expand their online presence significantly.

Ecommerce themes and templates	8.2	5.5
Product page customization	8.5	6.8
Payment processing and commissions	8.8	7.0
POS capabilities	8.1	6.5
Payment gateways	9.5	6.0
Product numbers	9.0	4.5
Additional ecommerce features	9.1	5.7

Shopify ecommerce features:

• Comprehensive store builder
• Shopify Payments and other gateways
• Advanced inventory management
• Multi-channel selling
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Detailed analytics and reporting

Big Cartel ecommerce features:

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

Ecommerce themes & templates

Shopify offers about 150 modern responsive themes for creating a virtual storefront, ensuring a good look on both desktop and mobile devices. While some themes are free, others cost between $170 to $380. In contrast, 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.

Product page customization

Shopify has a limit of three options per product, totaling 100 unique variations. This limit may not pose a significant constraint, and it is suggested that for products with numerous options, creating separate listings on Shopify can be a more manageable approach. While Shopify offers titles, descriptions, and image galleries with zoom effects, customization options like adding ribbons, size charts, and wishlists are not as straightforward. However, Shopify distinguishes itself with additional features through its extensive library of extra apps, offering functionalities like reviews, Facebook stores, eBay item importers, and a unique Augmented Reality feature for an enhanced customer experience.

On the other hand, 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.

Payment processing

When it comes to payment processing, Shopify offers payments with typical charges of

2.9% + 30¢

per online transaction on basic plans, and lower fees for higher-tier plans. However, it adds extra fees for using other payment gateways. Shopify Payments is Shopify’s own payment processing gateway. It allows merchants to accept credit card payments directly on their store without having to integrate third-party payment providers. This simplifies the payment process, reduces transaction fees, and streamlines the handling of finances.

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.

7.9

6.8

🏆

Winner: Shopify

. Shopify’s editor, with a score of 7.9, excels in providing a streamlined, ecommerce-focused editing experience. It’s particularly beneficial for users who prioritize efficient management of online stores. The editor is straightforward, making it easy to add products, manage inventory, and set up payment methods. Shopify’s editor is optimized for sales and business growth, with built-in tools specifically designed for ecommerce businesses.

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

8.0

7.5

🏆

Winner: Shopify

. Both Shopify and Big Cartel offer mobile apps for managing your online store on the go. However, they differ in their mobile editing capabilities.

Shopify’s mobile app includes a user-friendly mobile theme editor that allows users to customize their online store website directly from their mobile device. This feature enables the addition, removal, editing, and rearrangement of content on the store’s website, offering convenient on-the-go adjustments to the store’s appearance and layout.

On the other hand, Big Cartel’s mobile app allows users to manage their online store directly from their mobile device, with features such as adding and editing products, processing orders, checking inventory, and viewing store statistics. However, it does not support website design changes, which can only be applied on the desktop version.

In summary, while both platforms offer robust mobile management features, Shopify’s mobile app provides more comprehensive editing capabilities, making it the winner in this category.

8.1

5.9

Overall Result

:

Shopify wins

. Shopify scores 8.1, offering a 14-day free trial with access to all features, while Big Cartel scores 5.9, offering a free version with limited features and no trial or money-back guarantee.

Free Plan	No (14-day free trial)	Yes
Trial Duration	14 days	No trial
Testing Premium Features	All features during free trial	Limited features with free plan
Money Back Guarantee	Yes	No

8.2

7.8

Shopify offers more comprehensive features and pricing plans, but Big Cartel is a more affordable option, especially for small businesses and independent creators.

	Offerings	Offerings
Free	No offering at this amount.	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.
$0-$10	No offering at this amount.	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
$15-$30	Shopify Basic ($29/month): Unlimited products, 2.9% + 30¢ card fee with Shopify payments, Extra 2% gateway fee without Shopify Payments, Abandoned cart recovery, Automated sales tax, Digital products, POS Integration, 2 staff accounts. Value for price: 8.0	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
$70-$80	Shopify Standard ($79/month): Lower card fees (2.6% + 30¢), Gift cards, Professional reports, 5 staff accounts. Value for price: 8.5	No offering at this amount.
$200+	Advanced Shopify ($299/month): Lowest card fees (2.49% + 30¢), Advanced report builder, Real-time carrier shipping, Up to 15 staff accounts Value for price: 8.8	No offering at this amount.

9.0

5.0

Winner: Shopify

. Shopify provides a comprehensive hosting service with a 99.99% uptime guarantee and five global data centers. In contrast, Big Cartel does not provide specific information about its hosting services, including the type of hosting, uptime, uptime guarantee, and data centers. This lack of transparency gives Shopify a clear advantage in this comparison.

Do they offer hosting?	Yes, included in all paid plans	Yes, included in all paid plans
Data Centers:	5 globally: USA (Ashburn, Virginia; Santa Clara, California), Canada (Toronto, Ontario), Ireland (Dublin), and Singapore	Big Cartel does not disclose any information about their data centers
Type of hosting:	Proprietary cloud-based hosting	Big Cartel does not explicitly mention any information on their hosting
Uptime:	99.99%	Big Cartel does not disclose statistics on their uptime
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.99%	Big Cartel does not offer uptime guarantee

7.8

5.0

🏆 Winner: Shopify

Shopify clearly outperforms Big Cartel in website speed optimization. Shopify has a clear strategy for speed optimization and focuses on improving Core Web Vitals, while Big Cartel does not provide specific information about its speed optimization strategies or Core Web Vitals improvements.

Focus	App optimization, Google AMP	Not specified
Performance Tools	Google Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights	Not specified
Key Strategies	App efficiency, Theme optimization	Not specified
Load Times	Varies widely, dependent on optimization	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity
Page Speed Scores Range	Scores vary; influenced by apps, images	Not specified
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements	Not specified

Shopify’s approach to enhancing site speed includes app optimization by removing unneeded app code, conditionally loading apps, avoiding immediate pop-up displays, and incorporating app functionality directly into themes. This approach leverages Shopify’s fast servers and CDN network to boost load speed. Shopify also suggests utilizing Google AMP for faster mobile page loads, although with some design compromises. Analysis of three Shopify sites showed a range of Shopify speed scores from 14 to 75, Google PSI scores from 8 to 80, and load times varying from 10.6 seconds to 2.3 seconds. Continuous maintenance and optimization are essential for keeping Shopify stores fast.

On the other hand, Big Cartel does not provide specific information about its speed optimization strategies or Core Web Vitals improvements. The load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on optimization and website complexity. This lack of transparency and specific strategies for speed optimization puts Big Cartel at a disadvantage compared to Shopify.

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8.7

5.8

🏆 Winner: Shopify.

Shopify, with a score of 8.7, offers a vast array of over 8,000 apps in its App Store, covering a wide range of functionalities. These apps enhance ecommerce by offering advanced sales, marketing, and payment options, streamlined shipping, sophisticated inventory management, improved customer service, in-depth analytics, seamless accounting integration, creative store design, mobile app support, enhanced security, multi-channel selling, product review tools, dropshipping and print-on-demand support, language localization, and accessibility improvements. Key Shopify integrations include Oberlo for dropshipping, Klaviyo for email marketing, Yotpo for reviews, Printful for print-on-demand, Shopify POS for sales, Google Analytics for insights, Facebook Channel for social selling, ShipStation for shipping, QuickBooks for accounting, Privy for conversions, Smile.io for loyalty, SEO Manager, AfterShip for tracking, Spocket for products, and Gorgias for customer service.

On the other hand, 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 is significantly fewer than what Shopify offers. Key Big Cartel integrations include Mailchimp for email marketing, Art of Where and Printful for print-on-demand services, and a suite of shipping solutions like Pirate Ship and ShipStation. Additionally, analytics tools like Google Analytics and customer engagement apps such as Power.io and Elfsight improve store management and customer interaction capabilities.

Shopify Applications

8.8

6.2

🏆

Overall Winner: Shopify

. Shopify stands out for its more advanced ecommerce-focused marketing tools, especially in analytics and ad campaign management. Big Cartel, while offering basic marketing features, lacks a blogging feature and relies on third-party integrations for email marketing and ads and promotions.

SEO Tools		(Basic)
Email Marketing		(Through third-party integrations)
Blogging
Social Media Integration	Advanced integration for selling directly on social platforms
Analytics and Reporting	Detailed analytics for in-depth insights
Ads and Promotions	Google Ads integration; sophisticated ad campaign management	(Using third-party integration)

8.6

5.4

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. Comparing Shopify vs Big Cartel, Shopify stands out with its 24/7 customer support through chat, email, and phone. Shopify’s support is highly praised for its responsiveness and the wealth of resources available, including tutorials, forums, and a marketing blog that offers valuable business growth strategies. For enterprise-level businesses, Shopify provides dedicated account managers, priority support, and additional resources through the Shopify Plus platform.

Big Cartel, on the other hand, offers customer support from Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm EST, with a team of twelve members. While Big Cartel provides email support and resources for common issues, it lacks the extensive support infrastructure and availability that Shopify offers. This is reflected in the customer support scores, with Shopify scoring 8.6 and Big Cartel scoring 5.4.

9.0

7.3

🏆

Winner: Shopify

. Shopify’s security measures are more comprehensive and robust, earning it a higher security score. Shopify prioritizes data privacy and security through secure infrastructure, encryption, and limited access. They comply with data privacy regulations, practice data minimization, and ensure user control and transparency. Additional security measures include two-factor authentication, regular audits, and a dedicated incident response team.

Big Cartel also emphasizes the protection of private data and provides SSL encryption for all shops and custom domains. However, it does not achieve PCI compliance on its own, which is a significant consideration for ecommerce platforms. Despite this, Big Cartel does facilitate secure payment processing via third-party PCI-compliant gateways like PayPal and Stripe.

7.9

0.0

Personalized Design	Shopify AI Builder offers personalized design suggestions
SEO Optimization	AI-driven recommendations for better search engine visibility
Customer Behavior Analysis	Advanced analytics to understand customer preferences
Sales Predictions	AI-powered sales forecasting tools
Inventory Management	AI tools to assist in efficient inventory handling
Content Generation	Shopify’s AI features Content Assistant for content creation

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. Shopify, with a score of 7.9, utilizes AI mainly to enhance the ecommerce experience. Its AI features focus on customer behavior analysis, personalized shopping experiences, inventory management, and sales predictions. Shopify’s AI is powerful and offers a range of tools for online store management.

Big Cartel, on the other hand, does not have any AI capabilities. This means that while it may be a suitable choice for those looking for a simple and straightforward website builder, it lacks the advanced features that AI can provide.

6.5

1.3

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. Shopify offers a more robust user management system compared to Big Cartel.

• Shopify enforces staff account limits based on plans, ranging from 2 to 15, with Shopify Plus offering unlimited
  accounts. Collaborators with limited access are also an option.
• Big Cartel, on the other hand, only allows one user to build and edit a website.

Both platforms support simultaneous editing. Shopify uses avatar icons to indicate co-workers.

Shopify User Roles and Access Levels:

Big Cartel does not provide different user roles and access levels. It only allows one user to build and edit a website.

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

Shopify vs Big Cartel: User Feedback

Shopify

4482 reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

Big Cartel

26 reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars

Shopify’s slightly higher rating on G2 Crowd can be largely attributed to its specialization in ecommerce. Its comprehensive features, ease of use, and robust customer support cater specifically to online businesses, leading to high user satisfaction among those seeking a dedicated ecommerce solution.

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.

Shopify vs Big Cartel: FAQ

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