Big Cartel
Simple online store for artists, makers and independent sellers
Big Cartel report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for artists and makers selling small runs
Big Cartel is the small, friendly store for artists, bands and makers: a template, your products, shipping labels and in-person sales from your phone. Platinum is $12 a month on yearly billing with your own domain, and Big Cartel doesn't take a cut of sales. It's simple on purpose, so bigger, busier shops will outgrow it.
Who Big Cartel is for
- Great if you're an artist, band or maker selling merch or small batches
- Handy when you release products in drops, with scheduled drops on Diamond
- Good for small catalogs that want a flat, low monthly price
Who Big Cartel is not for
- 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 and no custom domain
- Pricey if you want abandoned-cart recovery, as that's Diamond at $24 a month on yearly billing
Why Big Cartel gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyPlatinum is $12 a month on yearly billing ($15 monthly) with your own domain, labels and stock tracking, which sits in the cheap quarter of this category. Prices are flat with no Big Cartel fee on sales, so you only pay your payment provider.
- CFree plan and trialThe free Gold plan is a real shop, with card and PayPal checkout and sales tax handled, 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.
- CFeaturesIt does the basics well: 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.
- AEase of use4.74 from about 6,800 App Store ratings, among the best here. Pick a template, add your products and you're open.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Big Cartel's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/big-cartel#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/big-cartel.svg" alt="Big Cartel: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Big Cartel stands among online store builders
Big Cartel's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 8 of the 9 other online store builders we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 8 of 9) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $12 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 1 of the 7 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 10 online store builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Big Cartel’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 9 of 9
- CFree plan and trialAbove 3 of 9, level with 3
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 9, level with 4
- AEase of useAbove 8 of 9, level with 1
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 9, level with 7
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 8 online store builders. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Big Cartel, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Big Cartel you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 8 of the 9 other online store builders we grade. It costs $144 a year.
What you could make
- Digital downloads and inventory: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
- Discounted carrier rates and labels, which take an agreement with each carrier.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, PayPal, Afterpay and Venmo among them.
What this rests on. Big Cartel’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Big Cartel?
Big Cartel is a hosted online store aimed at artists, bands and small independent sellers, with a free plan for up to five products and two flat-priced paid plans. Shops start from a template and sell physical and digital products, print shipping labels and take payments by card, PayPal and other methods, online or in person through the mobile app.
Big Cartel has a free plan. Paid plans start at $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly). See every plan
Good for
- Artists, bands and makers selling merch or small runs of their own work
- Sellers with a small catalog who want a flat, low monthly price
- Shops that release limited product drops on a schedule
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Big Cartel pricing
- Starts at
- $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
- 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.
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of Platinum
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | $0 | 5 product listings, the Cosmos template, size and color variants, card and PayPal checkout, automatic sales tax and real-time stats. |
| Platinum | $12per 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 | $24per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) | Adds abandoned-cart recovery, scheduled product drops, password-protected products, automatic discounts, Zapier and priority support. |
Read from bigcartel.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Big Cartel before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountPay 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.
Stated on bigcartel.com
How people rate the Big Cartel app
4.7
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars87%
- 4 stars7%
- 3 stars3%
- 2 stars<1%
- 1 star3%
6,835 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 18, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
Big Cartel alternatives
- Big Cartel vs Ecwid
From $5/mo
- Big Cartel vs Square Online
Free plan · from $49/mo
- Big Cartel vs Shopify
Free trial · from $29/mo
- Big Cartel vs Squarespace
Free trial · from $19/mo
Common questions
Is Big Cartel free?
Big Cartel has a 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. Paid plans start at $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
How much does Big Cartel cost?
Big Cartel lists 3 plans. Gold: $0. Platinum: $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly). Diamond: $24 per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly). Prices were read from bigcartel.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Big Cartel work on?
Big Cartel is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Big Cartel offer any discounts?
Big Cartel publicly lists the following: Pay annually to save 20%.
How is Big Cartel rated?
Big Cartel's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6,835 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Big Cartel have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Big Cartel is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Big Cartel have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Big Cartel is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Big Cartel open source?
Big Cartel is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Big Cartel integrate with?
Big Cartel's listing names PayPal, Afterpay, Venmo, Zapier, Google Shopping and Etsy. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Big Cartel have a free trial?
Yes. 7-day free trial of Platinum.
Who makes Big Cartel?
Big Cartel is made by Big Cartel, LLC.
What are the alternatives to Big Cartel?
The closest alternatives to Big Cartel in our directory are Ecwid, Square Online, Shopify and Squarespace. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Big Cartel.
How does Big Cartel compare with other online store builders?
Big Cartel's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 8 of the 9 other online store builders we grade, and level with 1. It stands best on ease of use (A, above 8 of 9) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Is Big Cartel good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Big Cartel B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 1 of the 7 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Could I make my own version of Big Cartel?
To replace Big Cartel you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 8 of the 9 other online store builders we grade. It costs $144 a year. What you could not make: Checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you. Discounted carrier rates and labels, which take an agreement with each carrier. A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page. It plugs into other products, PayPal, Afterpay and Venmo among them. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.