Big Cartel vs Storenvy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Big Cartel: it is second in our ranking of online store builders, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.6.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Big Cartel grades higher on ease of use and platforms. Storenvy grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Big Cartel
Simple online store for artists, makers and independent sellers
Storenvy
Custom online store plus a social shopping marketplace
Which one is for you
Pick Big Cartel if
- Fits if you're an artist, band or maker selling merch or small batches
- Works for a small catalog at a flat $12 a month on yearly billing
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for larger shops, as it's built for small catalogs and keeps its tools simple
- Tight if you stay free, as Gold allows 5 products, one template and no custom domain
- Pricey if you want abandoned-cart recovery, drops, automatic discounts or Zapier, all on Diamond at $24 a month yearly
- Watch out: the pricing pages don't say how many products Platinum and Diamond allow
- Watch out: card and PayPal fees still come from your payment provider, and the Platinum trial lasts 7 days
Pick Storenvy if
- Fits if you sell a few handmade or small-batch items and want marketplace exposure
- Makes sense if you want to try selling at $0 before paying
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you sell more than 20 products on the free plan
- Skip it if you want a custom domain or an ad-free store without paying
- Watch out: the page lists no fees for the lower plans, and no commission-free selling except on Professional
- Watch out: the terms describe a monthly, non-refundable subscription fee
- Skip it if you need integrations, as none are listed
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABig CartelGood | 2.6GPAStorenvyGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPlatinum is $12 a month on yearly billing ($15 monthly) with your own domain, labels and stock tracking, which sits in the lowest-priced quarter of this category. Prices are flat with no Big Cartel fee on sales, so you only pay your payment provider. | APaid plans start at $9.99 a month, under 60% of the $29 that the cheaper quarter of store builders charges. The 50%-off prices are for the first 3 months only. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free Gold plan takes card and PayPal checkout and handles sales tax, but it's 5 products, one template and no custom domain. You'll hit that fast. There's also a 7-day trial of Platinum. | BThe Free plan allows 20 products with a storefront and a marketplace listing, which one small seller could live on. A custom domain and an ad-free store are not listed on it. |
| Features | CIt covers the basics: physical and digital products, unlimited labels, stock tracking, in-person sales and print-on-demand apps. But it's a simple toolbox, Google Shopping is the one outside channel named, and the pricing pages don't say how many products paid plans allow. | CCustom store, marketplace, custom domain on paid plans and selling tools. The page does not state fees for the lower plans. |
| Ease of use | A4.74 from about 6,800 App Store ratings, above our line for an A. Pick a template, add your products and the shop is open. | CNo store rating on record. It is a web store builder where you add the products and design yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with PayPal, Afterpay, Venmo, Google Shopping and Etsy imports, and Zapier's 7,000+ apps on Diamond. No desktop app, so not an A. | CWeb only, and no integrations are listed. |
| Best for | artists and makers selling small runs | a small shop that also lists on a marketplace |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Big Cartel and Storenvy. How we grade
Price against what you get
Big Cartel starts at $12 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Storenvy starts at $9.99 a month and scores 2.0.
Big Cartel scores higher, and starts $2.01 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other online store builders on the chart, none scores higher than Big Cartel for less, and 2 score higher than Storenvy for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Big Cartel also covers shipping labels.
At a glance
| Big Cartel | Storenvy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly) | $9.99 per month (Artisan); free plan up to 20 products |
| Free plan | Gold plan: 5 product listings, one template, card and PayPal checkout, sales tax autopilot and real-time stats, with no credit card required. Custom domains need a paid plan. | Up to 20 products, a personalized storefront and a listing in the Storenvy marketplace. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Platinum | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Big Cartel, LLC | Storenvy Online Services LLC |
| Price read from | bigcartel.com | storenvy.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Big Cartel
- The free Gold plan allows only 5 products and one template, with no custom domain.
- Abandoned-cart recovery, scheduled drops, automatic discounts and Zapier need Diamond at $30 a month, or $24 billed annually.
- The pricing pages do not state how many products Platinum and Diamond allow, beyond saying the paid plans add listings.
- Card and PayPal processing fees come from the payment provider; Big Cartel advertises flat monthly prices with no hidden fees.
Storenvy
- The free plan is capped at 20 products, and the page lists no custom domain or ad-free store on it.
- The page lists no commissions or handling fees only on the Professional plan; it does not state fees for the others.
- The 50%-off prices apply to the first 3 months for new signups only.
- The site's terms describe a monthly, non-refundable subscription fee.
Key features
Big Cartel
- Templates and shop design
- Start from a template in Big Cartel's free library and change the design without code. The free Gold plan is limited to the Cosmos template.
- Physical and digital products
- Sell physical goods and downloads with size and color variants, edit products in bulk and import listings from Etsy, Squarespace and Shopify.
- Shipping labels and tracking
- Print unlimited shipping labels with discounts of up to 90% on postage, track shipments and keep count of stock on the paid plans.
- Payments and in-person sales
- Take cards, wallets, Venmo, PayPal and Afterpay online, and sell in person by taking payments on a phone with the iOS and Android app.
- Apps, Zapier and promotions
- Install apps for print-on-demand and product reviews, run discounts and a Google Shopping connection, and on Diamond link 7,000+ apps through Zapier.
Storenvy
- Custom store
- Change colors, text, banners and background images with no technical skills, or edit the HTML and CSS directly.
- Storenvy marketplace
- Marketplace listings can be followed (watched) and favorited (envied) by shoppers, which affects trending feeds, category pages and search.
- Custom domain
- Connect your own domain name to your store on the paid plans, or link the store from an existing website.
- Selling tools
- Email tools, discount codes, order fulfillment, inventory management and a mobile-optimized shopping experience.
- Super discounts
- Paid plans include a set number of super discounts: 25 on Artisan, 100 on Growth and unlimited on Professional.
Plans
Big Cartel
Gold$0
5 product listings, the Cosmos template, size and color variants, card and PayPal checkout, automatic sales tax and real-time stats.
Platinum$12
per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
Custom domain, physical and digital products, shipping labels and tracking, design changes, apps, in-person sales and inventory tracking.
Diamond$24
per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
Adds abandoned-cart recovery, scheduled product drops, password-protected products, automatic discounts, Zapier and priority support.
Storenvy
Free$0
Up to 20 products, a personalized storefront and the Storenvy marketplace.
Artisan$9.99
per month
Up to 100 products, no external ads, custom web domain and up to 25 super discounts. New signups see $4.99 for 3 months.
Growth$24.99
per month
Up to 500 products, no external ads, custom domain and up to 100 super discounts. New signups see $12.49 for 3 months.
Professional$49.99
per month
Up to 5,000 products, no handling fees, no commissions, unlimited super discounts. New signups see $24.99 for 3 months.
Ways to pay less
Big Cartel
- Annual discount
Pay annually to save 20%
Platinum costs $144 a year ($12 a month) against $15 monthly, and Diamond $288 a year ($24 a month) against $30 monthly.
Storenvy
- Other savings
50% off the first 3 months for new signups
Artisan is $4.99, Growth $12.49 and Professional $24.99 a month for the first 3 months; the page limits this to new signups.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Big Cartel or Storenvy?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Storenvy is cheaper to start with: $9.99 a month, against $12 a month for Big Cartel. Big Cartel starts at $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly), and Storenvy starts at $9.99 per month (Artisan); free plan up to 20 products.
Which has a free plan, Big Cartel or Storenvy?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Big Cartel and Storenvy have a free plan.
Which platforms do Big Cartel and Storenvy run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Big Cartel lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.