When we compare Big Cartel vs Shopify, both are worthwhile e-commerce platforms to consider. Shopify is a more feature-rich and powerful platform compared to Big Cartel. It offers a wider range of tools and capabilities, such as multicurrency selling, abandoned cart recovery, and advanced dropshipping features. While Shopify, is more expensive than Big Cartel, it provides significantly more customization options, additional features, and a larger app ecosystem. Despite the differences in capabilities, both platforms ultimately allow users to achieve the fundamental goal of selling products on their websites.
Big Cartel vs Shopify
When comparing Big Cartel and Shopify, it’s essential to consider your specific needs and business objectives.
Both Big Cartel and Shopify provide user-friendly, no-code platforms for selling products, but the better choice depends on your business objectives and preferences. Shopify is the preferred option if you plan to significantly scale your e-commerce operations. However, if you require a free or low-cost solution, have a smaller product catalog, or don’t need extensive customization, then Big Cartel would be a more suitable platform.
Let’s break down the key differences between these two e-commerce platforms:
- Target Audience:
- Big Cartel: Primarily caters to artists and makers. It’s artist-friendly, offering free and low-cost plans without additional fees.
- Shopify: Designed for scalability and versatility. Ideal for building a robust online store or a dropshipping business.
- Pricing:
- Big Cartel: Offers a free plan (for up to five products) and paid plans ranging from $9.99 to $19.99 per month.
- Shopify: Plans start at $29 per month (when paid annually) for an online store, with higher-tier plans available.
- Customization and Features:
- Big Cartel: Provides basic customization options. Best suited for web design beginners and small online stores.
- Shopify: Offers extensive customization, a wide range of features, and a vast app ecosystem. Ideal for businesses looking to scale and add advanced functionalities.
- Payment Processing and Fees:
- Big Cartel: No transaction fees beyond the subscription cost.
- Shopify: Transaction fees apply unless you use Shopify Payments. Additional fees may apply for third-party payment gateways.
- SEO Tools:
- Big Cartel: Basic SEO features.
- Shopify: Robust SEO tools and integrations to enhance visibility and search engine rankings.
- Domain Names and Web Hosting:
- Big Cartel: Allows custom domains and provides hosting.
- Shopify: Offers domain registration and reliable hosting services.
- Dropshipping:
- Big Cartel: Limited dropshipping capabilities.
- Shopify: Well-suited for dropshipping businesses with integrations and apps for streamlined order fulfillment.
- PCI Compliance:
- Big Cartel: Not explicitly mentioned, but security measures are in place.
- Shopify: PCI compliant, ensuring secure transactions and customer data protection.
- Sales Tax Collection:
- Big Cartel: Manual sales tax calculation.
- Shopify: Automated sales tax collection based on customer location.
- SSL Security:
- Big Cartel: Provides SSL certificates for secure connections.
- Shopify: Includes SSL by default for all stores.
In summary, choose Big Cartel if you’re a beginner or have a small online store, and opt for Shopify if you need scalability, advanced features, and customization options. Consider your long-term business goals and select the platform that aligns best with your needs.
Pros and Cons: Big Cartel vs Shopify
Let’s dive into the pros and cons of both Big Cartel and Shopify:
Big Cartel:
Pros:
- Artist-Friendly: Big Cartel is designed for artists, makers, and small businesses. It’s an excellent choice if you’re selling handmade or unique products.
- Affordable Plans: The free plan (for up to five products) and low-cost paid plans make it budget-friendly.
- No Transaction Fees: Big Cartel doesn’t charge additional transaction fees beyond the subscription cost.
- Basic Customization: Simple customization options are suitable for beginners.
- Custom Domains: You can use your own domain name.
- Security Measures: Provides SSL certificates for secure connections.
Cons:
- Limited Features: Big Cartel lacks some advanced features compared to other platforms.
- Scalability: Not ideal for large-scale businesses or extensive product catalogs.
- Basic SEO Tools: SEO features are minimal.
- Manual Sales Tax Calculation: You’ll need to calculate sales tax manually.
Shopify:
Pros:
- Versatility: Shopify is highly versatile and suitable for various business sizes.
- Robust Features: Extensive features, including inventory management, abandoned cart recovery, and more.
- Scalability: Ideal for scaling your business as it grows.
- App Ecosystem: A vast marketplace of apps and integrations to enhance functionality.
- Automated Sales Tax Collection: Shopify handles sales tax based on customer location.
- SEO Tools: Strong SEO features for better visibility.
- PCI Compliance: Ensures secure transactions and data protection.
- Dropshipping Support: Integrations for streamlined order fulfillment.
- Domain Registration and Hosting: Shopify offers both services.
Cons:
- Pricing: Shopify plans start at $29 per month (when paid annually), which may be higher than some other platforms.
- Transaction Fees (unless using Shopify Payments): Additional fees apply for third-party payment gateways.
- Learning Curve: Advanced customization options can be overwhelming for beginners.
In summary, choose Big Cartel if you’re a small business or artist with basic needs, and opt for Shopify if you require scalability, advanced features, and customization options. Consider your specific requirements and long-term goals when making your decision!
Pricing and Plans: Big Cartel vs Shopify
Design and Customization: Big Cartel vs Shopify
Big Cartel recognizes the significance of design in captivating customers and building a strong brand identity. Their platform empowers users to fully customize the aesthetic and feel of their online store. Similarly, Shopify is renowned for its extensive design capabilities. Regardless of one’s design expertise, Shopify provides a wide range of features to help create visually appealing and memorable e-commerce experiences.
E-commerce Features: Big Cartel vs Shopify
Integrations and Apps: Big Cartel vs Shopify
Customer Support: Big Cartel vs Shopify
Big Cartel is known for providing excellent customer support, reflecting their emphasis on accessibility and responsiveness to user needs. Regardless of one’s experience level, they strive to ensure a seamless experience with their platform. Similarly, Shopify is highly regarded for its customer support, offering a variety of options to ensure users receive the necessary assistance. Recognizing the complexities involved in running an online store, Shopify is committed to providing the requisite support to help their users thrive.
In addition to email-based customer support, Big Cartel maintains an active community forum where users can connect, share knowledge, and seek assistance from fellow entrepreneurs. Comparatively, one of Shopify’s standout customer support features is their 24/7 live chat option. Shopify also offers support via email and phone, as well as an extensive Help Center providing answers to common questions and access to valuable resources.
Who is Big Cartel best for? Big Cartel vs Shopify
When it comes to website building, Big Cartel stands out for its user-friendly approach. The Big Cartel dashboard offers an intuitive interface with easily accessible features, and the platform provides helpful prompts and reassurance throughout the setup process, making it an excellent choice for those seeking a simple and clean website.
While Shopify is also considered a user-friendly platform, becoming acquainted with its various interfaces may require more time and effort. However, this initial learning curve is often worthwhile, as with patience and dedication, you can create a beautiful website that effectively represents your brand and attracts a significant customer base. Moreover, Shopify’s advanced e-commerce tools enable seamless business scaling as your venture grows.
Setup time: Big Cartel vs Shopify
Big Cartel’s onboarding process for setting up an online store is remarkably straightforward. Unlike some other platforms that leave users to navigate the setup independently, Big Cartel offers helpful prompts and reminders to guide you through each step, ensuring your website is optimized before going live and starting to sell. However, customizing themes may require some HTML coding skills.
In contrast, Shopify is one of the most feature-rich and robust e-commerce platforms available, but this also means it has a steeper learning curve. While setting up a Shopify store may be more labor-intensive, the effort is often worthwhile. Moreover, Shopify’s free trial period and introductory pricing of just $1 for the first three months provide ample time to build and fine-tune an impressive online storefront.
Site design features: Big Cartel vs Shopify
Shopify’s website builder offers advanced customization capabilities, allowing users to personalize their online stores extensively. Additionally, Shopify’s built-in SSL certificate and PCI compliance provide assurance of robust security when publishing your e-commerce site.
In contrast, while Big Cartel offers 18 clean, mobile-optimized free themes, their features are relatively limited. Customizing Big Cartel’s themes requires a basic understanding of HTML coding, which can make it challenging to achieve a high degree of individuality and create a truly distinctive brand presence.
Other things to consider: Big Cartel vs Shopify
Sales Tax:
- Big Cartel automatically calculates and sends sales tax, but fails to collect it for in-person sales via the mobile app
- Shopify’s point-of-sale (POS) and tap reader purchases automatically include sales tax
Plans:
- Big Cartel offers a monthly plan with the option to cancel anytime
- Shopify offers monthly and yearly plans, with a 20% discount for annual payments, and a “pause and build” option
Shipping:
- Shopify’s Shipping suite provides discounts, easy management of rates, bulk-printing of labels, and automatic carrier-calculated shipping rates
- Big Cartel integrates with third-party shipping apps but doesn’t offer its shipping service
Domain Names:
- Big Cartel allows you to connect a domain purchased from a third-party platform
- Shopify lets you purchase a domain directly through the platform or connect an existing domain
International Selling:
- Shopify supports 21 languages and international inventory locations for global shipping
- Big Cartel requires manual translation or the use of a third-party translation widget for multilingual support
Security:
- Both platforms offer SSL security and PCI compliance, but Shopify guarantees compliance with any payment processor, while Big Cartel leaves it up to users.
Final words!
Big Cartel is well-suited for those who prioritize showcasing their creativity and brand in a straightforward and cost-effective manner. It’s an ideal choice for solopreneurs or businesses looking to sell a limited product selection.
On the other hand, Shopify is a feature-rich platform that provides scalability and advanced e-commerce capabilities, making it a strong choice for businesses of all sizes, particularly those aiming to build a thriving e-commerce enterprise.
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