Shopify vs. Big Cartel: Which Is The Best eCommerce Platform For You?

Sellers usually need clarification about choosing the right eCommerce platform. Shopify and Big Cartel are the two best e-commerce platforms for selling goods and services. But there are many factors to compare between them while choosing one. Both sites are designed for different seller types with other goals. 

‍

This eCommerce site has various levels of customization. Big Cartel is best for small online stores and beginners in web design, while Shopify is best for drop shipping businesses and scalable online stores. Here is the in-detail comparison and necessary details of the Shopify vs. Big Cartel. Go through the below information to choose the right one for your business. 

‍

What Is Shopify, And What Is Big Cartel?

Shopify is an eCommerce platform that assists in setting up an online store and selling products online. It was launched in 2006. The sellers need to subscribe to the service to create the website. This further helps the seller in selling, shipping, and managing products. Hence, it provides a complete shopping cart solution. With the service, you can add and process orders. 

‍

This eCommerce platform also helps to build stores both online and offline. It assists in selling online on your website and in person with Shopify POS. The features of Shopify are best for both beginners and eCommerce experts.

‍

Big Cartel eCommerce platform launched in 2005. It has proven helpful for the creators and artists looking forward to a platform to sell their products. With the help of this web-based e-commerce platform, sellers create their online store to add their products and services. They can also accept payments and run promotions. The sellers also get additional control over Etsy in terms of big cartel vs. Etsy. Big Cartel is less complex than Shopify. Small enterprises can benefit from this platform. It is an easier way to run a side business. This platform is best for kickstarting selling on the online platform. 

‍

Pros and Cons of Shopify

The pros and cons of big cartel vs. Shopify will help you choose the right platform.

Pros of Shopify

Shopify Has A Lot Of Features And Is Very User-Friendly

Shopify is very user-friendly, especially for those who need to become more familiar with web design or coding. There is no need to hire a developer or designer to create a Shopify store - Shopify takes care of all of that for you. Additionally, Shopify has many features and apps that can be added to your Shopify store to make it even more functional and customizable. 

‍

Shopify Is Very Affordable

Shopify plans start at just $29 per month, which is affordable compared to other eCommerce platforms like BigCommerce (which starts at $79.95 per month) or Magento (which starts at $15,000). 

‍

Shopify Has Great 24/7 Customer Support

One of the best things about Shopify is its fantastic customer support. If you have any questions or problems, you can contact Shopify 24/7 via phone, chat, or email; they will be more than happy to help you out. 

‍

Shopify Stores Are Very Customizable And Look Professional

with Shopify, you can create a store that looks exactly how you want it to. There are dozens of themes to choose from, and if you are still looking for one you like, you can always hire a Shopify expert to create a custom theme for you. Additionally, Shopify stores are fully responsive, so they will look great on all devices (desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone). 

‍

Related Pros And Cons Of Shopify For Business Owners

Cons of Shopify

Shopify Can Be A Bit Pricey If You Need Certain Features

 While Shopify is affordable compared to other eCommerce platforms, it can get a bit pricey if you add certain features or apps to your Shopify store. For example, if you want to add a blog to your Shopify store, you will need to pay an additional $9 per month for the Shopify basic plan and $49 per month for the Shopify advanced plan. 

‍

Shopify Requires You To Use Their Payment Gateway

Another downside of Shopify is that they require you to use their payment gateway (Shopify payments) to accept credit card payments. While Shopify payments is a great payment gateway, it does have some fees that other payment processors (like PayPal or Stripe) don't have. 

‍

Shopify Doesn't Have A Built-In Blog

As we mentioned before, Shopify does not have a built-in blog, which means you will need to pay an additional $9 per month (for the Shopify basic plan) or $49 per month (for the Shopify advanced plan) if you want to add a blog to your Shopify store.

‍

Related Shopify International Shipping: The Complete Guide

‍

Pros and Cons of Big Cartel

Pros of Big Cartel

Affordable: Big Cartel plans start at just $9.99/month, making it an excellent option for small businesses or startups on a tight budget.

‍

No transaction fees: With Big Cartel, you can keep 100% of your sales. On the other hand, Shopify charges a 2% transaction fee on all sales made through their platform.

‍

Easy to use: Big Cartel is known for its user-friendly interface. Even if you're not a tech expert, you should be able to create a professional-looking online store with ease.

‍

Flexible design options: With Big Cartel, you can customize your store's look and feel to match your brand.

‍

Cons of Big Cartel

Limited features: When compared to Shopify, Big Cartel has fewer features and tools available. This can be a downside if you're looking for a more robust eCommerce platform.

‍

Less traffic: Since Big Cartel is not as well known as Shopify, you may have a more challenging time driving traffic to your store.

‍

Limited customer support: Big Cartel's customer support is not as comprehensive as Shopify's, so you may not be able to get the help you need if you run into any problems.

‍

How To Choose The Right eCommerce Platform For You?

You must ensure various factors when choosing the right e-commerce platform for your business. Compare the Bbigcartel order tracking with Shopify to know which process is favorable.

Hosting ownership – The platform should be self-hosted or through the cloud. This will ensure that the website can be scaled according to business needs without any hosting limitations. 

‍

Ease of Use – The platform should be easy for both the administrator and the end user. This will make it easy to manage the website and make purchases without any confusion. 

‍

Supported Payment Methods – The platform should support a variety of payment methods so that customers can choose their preferred mode. This includes credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, etc. 

‍

SEO Features – The platform should have built-in SEO features to help the website rank higher in search engines. This includes optimizing title tags, descriptions, URLs, etc. 

‍

Mobile Friendly – The platform should be responsive to be accessed on mobile devices. This is important since more and more people are using their smartphones to shop online. 

‍

Customer Support – The platform should have excellent customer support in case there are any issues with the website. This includes a knowledge base, FAQs, live chat, etc. 

‍

Cost of Ownership - Pricing and charges are the first things to be considered. Different platforms have different costs. Some venues are subscription-based, while others take a percentage of each sale. It is essential to view all the costs before deciding on a platform. 

‍

Integrations - Integrations, and plugins are major factors to evaluate. A platform with a large number of integrations will be able to connect to a variety of different software. This includes accounting, email marketing, live chat, etc. 

‍

Scalability - The platform should allow the website to grow with the business. This means that the platform should be able to handle an increase in traffic and orders. 

‍

Security - The platform should have a robust security system to protect the website from hackers. This includes features like SSL certificates, firewalls, etc. 

‍

Customer Reviews - It is always a good idea to read customer reviews before deciding on a platform. This will give you an idea of how satisfied other customers are with the platform.

‍

With the help of the above comparison, you decide on the right platform for your business. Shopify and Big Cartel have significant differences with different target audiences.

‍

Related The Pros and Cons of Shopify Plus vs BigCommerce Enterprise

‍

Conclusion 

So, which platform is right for you? If you're starting and you want to keep your costs low, Big Cartel may be the better option. But if you're looking for more features and flexibility, Shopify is a better choice. And don't forget – if you need help fulfilling eCommerce fulfillment orders, Simpl can take care of that. Contact us today to learn more!

‍

Related Amazon vs Shopify: The Ultimate Showdown

‍