{"id":15036,"date":"2020-08-03T18:13:38","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T18:13:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/?p=15036"},"modified":"2024-05-16T21:29:11","modified_gmt":"2024-05-16T21:29:11","slug":"big-cartel-vs-shopify","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/big-cartel-vs-shopify\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Cartel vs Shopify eCommerce Website Builder Comparison : Which is Better?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Big Cartel and Shopify are two eCommerce platforms that help you sell things online. They both provide comparable services\u2014 helping you build and manage an online store\u2014but they go about it in different ways.<\/p>\n

Big Cartel is best suited for artists and those who sell creative products. Shopify better suits those who plan to sell a wide range of products. Big Cartel merchants tend to be small independent stores, while Shopify typically serves larger businesses.<\/p>\n

Shopify vs Big Cartel: Which is Better?<\/h2>\n

No two eCommerce website builders look the same, and that\u2019s especially true when it comes to Big Cartel and Shopify. While Big Carter is more user friendly, Shopify has more features. Here\u2019s a quick glance at how they compare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/strong><\/td>\nBig Cartel<\/strong><\/td>\nShopify<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
User Friendliness<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n4.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Value For Money<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n4.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Creative Control<\/td>\n4.5<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Features<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Blogging<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n4.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Marketing Tools<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n4.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SEO<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n4.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Support Help<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

User Friendliness<\/h3>\n

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User-friendliness is how easily the average person can use these services. We don\u2019t like website builders that require you to know a lot of code to understand. The simpler the features, the faster you can build your website.<\/p>\n

Big Cartel User Friendliness<\/strong><\/p>\n

Big Cartel beats Shopify in terms of design. The site touts itself as being built by artists, for artists, so the site is certainly pretty to look at. But does aesthetic beauty translate to beautiful design?<\/p>\n

We think so. Setting up your website is very simple. Once you purchase a membership with Big Cartel and create an account, you\u2019re directed to a page containing 3×3 boxes, sort of in a cube shape. They walk you through adding products for your site, choosing a template, adding payment options, and tweaking the design.<\/p>\n

Shopify User Friendliness<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shopify doesn\u2019t have a major learning curve, but setting up a website isn\u2019t as straightforward as it is with Big Cartel. Shopify has more features, so your eye has to wander around each section before finding what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n

One example is the home page. It shows your earnings, top products, top pages people visit, and the money you made that day. It\u2019s not a bad looking page, but the amount of information could make you feel a bit lost or overwhelmed when you first use it.<\/p>\n

The Winner: Big Cartel<\/strong><\/p>\n

Big Cartel beats Shopify in terms of user-friendliness. You can tell Big Cartel put a lot of effort into its graphic and user design. Setting up a website doesn\u2019t feel overwhelming, and each page looks organized and elegant.<\/p>\n

Value for Money<\/h2>\n

An eCommerce platform is only valuable if it can meet all your needs as a merchant. Both Big Cartel and Shopify offer multiple plans that cater to different business needs and budgets. Here\u2019s how they stack up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Plan <\/strong><\/td>\nPrice per Month<\/strong><\/td>\nProducts Allowed<\/strong><\/td>\nKey Features<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Big Cartel<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gold<\/td>\nFree<\/td>\nUp to 5<\/td>\n1 image per product, sell online & in-person, accept cards & PayPal, mobile apps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Platinum<\/td>\n$15<\/td>\nUp to 50<\/td>\n5 images per product, shipment tracking, inventory tracking, bulk editing, custom domain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Diamond<\/td>\n$30<\/td>\nUp to 500<\/td>\n25 images per product, prioritized support, audience-targeted ads<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shopify<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Basic Shopify<\/td>\n$29<\/td>\nUnlimited<\/td>\n2.9% + 30\u00a2 per transaction, 77% shipping discount, 10 inventory locations, POS Lite<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shopify<\/td>\n$79<\/td>\nUnlimited<\/td>\n2.7% + 30\u00a2 per transaction, 88% shipping discount, 5 staff accounts, POS Lite<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Advanced Shopify<\/td>\n$299<\/td>\nUnlimited<\/td>\n2.5% + 30\u00a2 per transaction, 88% shipping discount, custom reports, 15 staff accounts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shopify Plus<\/td>\n$2,300<\/td>\nUnlimited<\/td>\nCustom rates, 88% shipping discount, 200 inventory locations, priority support<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Big Cartel Value<\/strong><\/p>\n

While Big Cartel is more affordable, it\u2019s also more limiting when it comes to the products you can sell and the number of images you can use. On the other hand, they do have a free option, which is great for artists who are just wanting to dip their toes in with a few products.<\/p>\n

Shopify Value<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shopify\u2019s Basic plan is about the same price as Big Cartel\u2019s Diamond plan, but you can sell unlimited items and you get a discount on shipping. However, you will have to pay a transaction fee on each item sold.<\/p>\n

Where Shopify stands out is its inventory and staff management systems. This is great for businesses who have multiple locations or a large team that helps them manage sales.<\/p>\n

The Winner: Shopify<\/strong><\/p>\n

While Big Cartel is cheaper in the beginning, it\u2019s very easy to outgrow. If you plan on scaling your eCommerce store, it may be better to start with Shopify\u2019s Basic plan and upgrade as you grow. This will save you the hassle (and costs) of changing eCommerce platforms down the line when you need more features.<\/p>\n

Creative Control<\/h3>\n

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This section is for the perfectionists. Do you spend forever trying to pick the right shade of blue? Do you want to have full control over the font you use when describing yourself on the About page. That\u2019s what design flexibility is all about. Full creative control means the website builder allows you to tweak whatever you want without diving into the site\u2019s code.<\/p>\n

Big Cartel Creative Control<\/strong><\/p>\n

While Big Cartel says it was built by artists, for artists<\/em>, it offers a disappointing amount of design flexibility. You\u2019re basically stuck with Big Cartel\u2019s out-of-box templates for your store\u2019s design. This doesn\u2019t mean your store will look ugly\u2014quite the contrary\u2014but there aren\u2019t many features that allow you to tweak the template\u2019s colors, fonts, font size, and typeface.<\/p>\n

In order to customize Big Cartel\u2019s design, you\u2019ll need to edit the CSS, HTML, and JavaScript directly. That\u2019s great for developers and graphic designers, but not everyone using the platform will have that skill.<\/p>\n

Shopify Creative Control<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shopify also comes with breathtaking templates that can be customized with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You can also alter products, discounts, checkouts, and payments with a range of coding experience\u2014or none at all.<\/p>\n

Not only does Shopify give you the option to customize everything, but it also gives you the information on how to customize your site. For example, Shopify links<\/a> to a blog post<\/a> that explains how familiar website designs increase the likelihood of getting sales.<\/p>\n

Shopify doesn\u2019t just provide the necessary tools to alter your website\u2014it gives you the information on how<\/em> you should design it.<\/p>\n

The Winner: Shopify<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shopify offers surprisingly more design flexibility than the eCommerce website builder built by artists. It allows you to control different aspects of your website from the product to checkout, whereas Big Cartel mostly leaves you with templates and rigid structures. Shopify also beats Big Cartel when it comes to giving users the best information on how they should design their website.<\/p>\n

Features<\/h3>\n

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Your website can\u2019t just look pretty\u2014it needs the tools to market your products, create promotions and discounts, send out alerts, and a host of other features. The more features you have to choose from, the better you can optimize your website and find paying customers.<\/p>\n

Big Cartel Features<\/strong><\/p>\n

For a platform that\u2019s cheaper than Shopify, Big Cartel still offers a sizable number of site features, including:<\/p>\n