Prices checked October 25, 2026
Big Cartel vs Shopify: which fits your shop?
Big Cartel is a simple store builder for small shops: a free Gold plan with 5 products, Platinum at $15 a month and Diamond at $30, with 0% transaction fees from Big Cartel. Shopify starts at $29 a month billed yearly and adds what a growing brand needs: B2B, Shopify Markets for selling abroad and thousands of apps. Stay on Big Cartel while the shop is small and simple, and move when it becomes the business.
Big Cartel vs Shopify, side by side
Ten things that decide the switch, from each platform's own pages, checked on October 25, 2026. Prices in US dollars, before tax.
Price
- Big Cartel
- Gold is free with 5 products. Platinum $15 and Diamond $30 a month, with 20% off billed annually.
- Shopify
- Basic $29, Grow $89 or Advanced $359 a month billed yearly ($39, $105 or $399 monthly). Plus from $2,300 a month.
Transaction fees
- Big Cartel
- 0% transaction fees from Big Cartel. Card processing goes to your payment provider.
- Shopify
- None with Shopify Payments. With another payment provider: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced, 0.2% on Plus.
Payments
- Big Cartel
- Stripe or PayPal: cards, PayPal, Afterpay and more.
- Shopify
- Shopify Payments with Shop Pay built in, from 2.9% + 30¢ per US online card payment on Basic down to 2.25% + 30¢ on Plus.
Apps
- Big Cartel
- An apps directory (Printful, ShipStation, Omnisend and more), and 7,000+ apps through Zapier on Diamond.
- Shopify
- Thousands of apps in the Shopify App Store.
SEO
- Big Cartel
- A Google Shopping connection. SEO tools are not listed on its plan pages.
- Shopify
- Editable titles, meta descriptions and image alt text on every page, and products that can sell in AI chats on every plan.
Speed and hosting
- Big Cartel
- Hosted by Big Cartel.
- Shopify
- Hosted by Shopify, with unlimited bandwidth and a free SSL certificate on every plan.
B2B
- Big Cartel
- Not part of Big Cartel's plans.
- Shopify
- Built in on every plan with up to 3 catalogs. Plus adds unlimited catalogs.
International selling
- Big Cartel
- Not listed on Big Cartel's plan pages.
- Shopify
- Shopify Markets on every plan: unlimited countries, translated storefronts, local currencies and domains, duties and taxes.
Ownership and lock-in
- Big Cartel
- Hosted by Big Cartel, with custom domains from Platinum up.
- Shopify
- Hosted platform. Products and customers export as CSV files at any time. Themes and apps are built for Shopify.
Support
- Big Cartel
- Prioritized tech support from people on Diamond.
- Shopify
- 24/7 live chat on every plan, enhanced on Advanced, priority support on Plus.
Stay on Big Cartel, or switch?
Plenty of stores should stay on Big Cartel. Here is when it is the right call, and when Shopify fits better.
Stay on Big Cartel if
- You sell a small catalog and keep things simple
- The lowest monthly price matters most: Gold is free and Platinum is $15 a month
- You don't need wholesale, apps for subscriptions or loyalty, or selling abroad
Shopify is the better fit if
- The shop is growing into the business
- You want apps for subscriptions, reviews, loyalty or bundles from thousands in the Shopify App Store
- You sell wholesale and want B2B catalogs on the same store
- You sell abroad and want local currencies, languages, domains, duties and taxes
What a move from Big Cartel costs and takes
Shopify costs more each month than Big Cartel, so the move pays off once the shop needs what Big Cartel's plans don't list.
Shopify's plan
Basic is $29 a month billed yearly, Grow $89 and Advanced $359. Apps are extra.
The migration
Your products, images and descriptions move to Shopify, and you get a fixed price in a free migration plan within 48 hours.
Your store stays live
We build the Shopify store in parallel, and your Big Cartel shop stays live until you are ready to switch.
Ready to move? See how our Big Cartel to Shopify migration works, or book a call about your store.
Big Cartel vs Shopify questions
Is Big Cartel or Shopify better?
Big Cartel is better for a small, simple shop at the lowest price. Shopify is better once the shop is the business and needs apps, wholesale or selling in many countries.
Is Big Cartel free?
Big Cartel's Gold plan is free with up to 5 products. Platinum is $15 a month and Diamond $30 a month, with 20% off billed annually.
Does Big Cartel charge transaction fees?
Big Cartel says it charges 0% transaction fees, and your payment provider charges its own processing fee. Shopify charges no extra fee on Shopify Payments, and 2% on Basic down to 0.2% on Plus with another payment provider.
When should I move from Big Cartel to Shopify?
When the shop becomes the business: you need apps for subscriptions, reviews or loyalty, you start selling wholesale, or you want to sell in other countries with local currencies and languages.
Can I move my Big Cartel store to Shopify?
Yes. Your products, images and descriptions move, we redirect your old addresses, and your Big Cartel shop stays live until the switch. You get a fixed price in a free migration plan within 48 hours.
Sources
Each platform's own pages, checked on October 25, 2026. Prices are in US dollars and change often, so check the platform before you decide.
Not sure you should switch?
Book a call. We look at your store and tell you whether Shopify would pay off, even when the answer is to stay.