The Big Cartel Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Big Cartel in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Big Cartel
The Insider’s Guide
Simple online store for artists, makers and independent sellers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among online store builders, read from Big Cartel’s own pages.
Made by Big Cartel, LLC · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Big Cartel’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Big Cartel’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 8 of the 9 other online store builders we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Big Cartel, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Pick a template, add your products and you're open.
- 1
Best for artists and makers selling small runs
It's simple on purpose, so bigger, busier shops will outgrow it.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
- 3
There is 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.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 8 of 9
That is against the other online store builders we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
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.
Big Cartel at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of Platinum
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Big Cartel, LLC
- Category
- Online Store Builders
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 6,835 ratings
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Platinum 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The 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. |
| Features | C | It 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. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.74 from about 6,800 App Store ratings, among the best here. Pick a template, add your products and you're open. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Big Cartel has a free plan. Paid plans start at $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
Prices are flat with no Big Cartel fee on sales, so you only pay your payment provider.
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.
The 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.
Trying it first
7-day free trial of Platinum
Read from bigcartel.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on bigcartel.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Simple online store for artists, makers and independent sellers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: inventory, online store, digital downloads, shipping labels.
It does the basics well: physical and digital products, unlimited labels, stock tracking, in-person sales and print-on-demand apps.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- PayPal
- Afterpay
- Venmo
- Zapier
- Google Shopping
- Etsy
Big Cartel is made by Big Cartel, LLC.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
8/9
Other online store builders it is graded above
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
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 9
- AEase of useAbove 8 of 9
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 9
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 8 online store builders. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Big Cartel is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Ecwid, Square Online, Shopify, Squarespace and Sellfy
The 5 tools Big Cartel is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Ecwid
From $5/mo
Online store you can add to any website or run as its own site.
- Big Cartel has a free plan. Ecwid does not.
- 2.6GPA
Square Online
Free plan · from $49/mo
Online store builder that shares stock and payments with Square POS.
- Big Cartel also covers digital downloads.
- 2.8GPA
Shopify
Free trial · from $29/mo
Hosted commerce platform for online, in-person and social selling.
- Big Cartel has a free plan. Shopify does not, though it has a free trial.
- Big Cartel also covers digital downloads.
- Shopify also covers email campaigns.
- 2.6GPA
Squarespace
Free trial · from $19/mo
Template-based website builder with an online store and invoicing.
- Big Cartel has a free plan. Squarespace does not, though it has a free trial.
- Big Cartel also covers inventory, online store, digital downloads and shipping labels.
- Squarespace also covers templates, forms and invoicing.
- 2.4GPA
Sellfy
Free trial · from $22/mo
Store builder for selling downloads, subscriptions and print-on-demand.
- Big Cartel has a free plan. Sellfy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Big Cartel lists iOS and Android apps.
- Big Cartel also covers inventory and shipping labels.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
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.
How much does Big Cartel cost?
Big Cartel lists 3 plans. Gold: $0.
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.
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.
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, Squarespace and Sellfy.
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.
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.
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.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Big Cartel’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Big Cartel, LLC. Prices change, so check bigcartel.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,068
Tools graded, in 57 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,068
tools graded
57
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Big Cartel, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/big-cartel
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Big Cartel: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/big-cartel
Know someone choosing between online store builders?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/big-cartel/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded online store builders after Big Cartel, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Online Store Builders Insider's GuideEvery one of the 10 online store builders we grade, compared
- Shopify Insider's GuideHosted commerce platform for online, in-person and social selling2.8 GPA
- BigCommerce Insider's GuideHosted ecommerce platform with plans set by yearly sales2.6 GPA
- Square Online Insider's GuideOnline store builder that shares stock and payments with Square POS2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Big Cartel’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Big Cartel is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Big Cartel, LLC. Prices and plans change: check bigcartel.com before you buy.