Shopify vs Big Cartel

Shopify is an all-in-one global commerce platform trusted by entrepreneurs to enterprise brands. It enables merchants to build, manage, and scale online and in-person retail with ease — offering hosting, design tools, payment processing, marketing, and analytics in one unified system.

Shopify emphasizes speed, security, and usability, accommodating everything from small shops to international operations. In 2025, Shopify introduced its AI Store Builder, allowing merchants to generate complete storefronts using only descriptive keywords.

Big Cartel is a lightweight e-commerce platform designed especially for artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs who want to sell their work online without unnecessary complexity. It offers easy store setup, free themes, and HTML/CSS customization so you can build a shop that reflects your aesthetic.

The platform supports selling both online and in person, accepts multiple payment methods (cards, PayPal, wallets, etc.), enables inventory tracking and shipping options, and offers promotional tools like discount codes.

Big Cartel has a free plan (limited products, basic features) and tiered premium plans that increase number of listed products, image uploads, domain control, and access to features like app integrations, real-time stats, and deeper customization.