So you’re at a crossroads: Big Cartel or Shopify? Both give creative go-getters a home, but only one keeps things simple, affordable, and true to its roots.

While Shopify’s the big name on the block, Big Cartel has been quietly backing indie sellers since 2005—one year before Shopify launched. Ready to see how we compare? Let’s pull back the curtain and show you why so many makers are choosing Big Cartel for their hustle.

A little history

Big Cartel and Shopify hit the internet around the same time: Big Cartel in 2005, and Shopify in 2006. We've had different growth strategies. Shopify has grown to 5000 employees, and went public in 2015. That takes a lot of planning, and can result in a huge pay day for the owners and/or early employees. Big Cartel chose to stay small, growing to around 40 employees. It's meant that we've had to carefully prioritize where our team spends time and energy. That means we answer to our users, not shareholders, and we build features that we would want to use.

Pricing that respects your hustle

Starting your business shouldn’t mean draining your savings. Big Cartel’s got your back with a Gold plan that’s 100% free—no trials, no tricks, just a solid way to get started. When you're ready to level up, it’s $15/month for Platinum or $30/month for Diamond. That’s it. No hidden fees. No nonsense. It all depends on what you need, when you need it.

Compare that to Shopify, where even the most basic plan starts at $39/month and can climb to $105/month—and that’s before you even touch a premium theme or plugin. That’s $468 minimum in your first year, just to show up.

Meanwhile, our Diamond plan costs $100 less per month—and it includes everything you need to keep growing, without eating into your profits.

No sneaky fees here

Beyond the monthly fees, you'll likely end up spending more money to get your shop off the ground. With both Big Cartel and Shopify, you'll choose a theme as a jumping-off point for your store layout and design. Big Cartel has 18 built-in themes, all free to use. Shopify offers eight basic free themes, but the rest of their options will cost $250-$350 to use. This not only means getting your shop set up can cost more on Shopify, but it could also make you think twice about updating your shop's look in the future. With Big Cartel, you're free to explore—small design tweaks or full brand overhauls won't cost extra.

And then there are recurring costs: Each time someone buys from an online shop, a payment processor transfers funds from buyer to seller, and keeps everyone's information private in the meantime. Big Cartel lets you connect with PayPal or Stripe (or both), depending on which service you're comfortable with. Both of those payment processors charge a per-transaction fee that's pretty standard for their industry: right around 3% of the total sale. With Big Cartel, your transaction fees end there. With Shopify, you'll be charged similar transaction fees if you use their payment processing service, Shopify Payments. If you choose not to use Shopify Payments, however, you'll be charged an additional 2% fee per transaction. It's like paying a restaurant's corkage fee for the privilege of bringing your own bottle of wine to the restaurant. Call us strange, but we think you should get to drink what tastes good to you, without an extra markup.

Streamlined app options

Shopify’s massive app store has over 11,000 tools to pick from. It’s like a candy store for e-commerce extras—but too much candy can lead to a stomachache. Every app comes with its own price tag, setup time, and learning curve. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of options, wondering what’s essential and what’s a cash grab.

At Big Cartel, we keep things tight. Our curated integrations are hand-picked for small shops, solo sellers, and creative businesses. From PayPal and Stripe for payments, to Mailchimp for email, and Google Analytics for tracking—you're covered. Need more? Zapier plugs you into thousands of tools without weighing you down.

We give you the essentials, then get out of your way so you can get back to creating.

Built by creators, for creators

Here’s what sets us apart at the core: Big Cartel keeps things simple and affordable. We’re focused on helping independent artists, makers, and dream-chasers run lean, beautiful stores that are easy to manage. Whether you’re a full-time creative or side-hustling your way to freedom, you deserve tools that don’t make you feel like you need an MBA just to upload a product.

We’re artists too, and we’ve been in your shoes. So everything we build is grounded in realness, simplicity, and respect for your time and money.

Ready to start selling?

Big Cartel is built for the bold. Start with our forever-free Gold plan, and upgrade when you’re ready. If you’re moving over from Shopify, Etsy, or Squarespace, our product import tool makes that process a breeze—no code, no headaches. Click, click, click, go! 

So jump in—launch that store. Share your work. Claim your corner of the internet and make it yours. We’ll be here, cheering you on every step of the way.