Big Cartel has earned its place as a go-to for independent artists and makers who want a dead-simple online store.

But if you’ve been using it for a while, you’ve probably bumped into its limits: capped product numbers, basic design options, no real inventory management, and barely any built-in marketing tools.

After researching and testing the leading ecommerce platforms on the market, I’ve identified the best Big Cartel alternatives depending on what you actually need.

Whether you’re scaling up to a full ecommerce operation, looking for better design flexibility, or just need a proper checkout for your digital products, one of these options should be a strong fit.

Below, I’ve broken down each alternative by what it does well, where it falls short, how much it costs, and who it’s best for — so you can make an informed decision without spending hours comparison-shopping.

Big Cartel Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison

For a quick comparison between each alternative, refer to the table below:

Platform	Best For	Starting Price	Key Strengths vs Big Cartel
Shopify	Scaling ecommerce brands	~$39/mo	Advanced inventory, 8,000+ apps, multi-channel selling
Squarespace	Design-led small brands	~$16–$27/mo	Premium templates, content + store in one, scheduling tools
Wix	Budget-conscious beginners	~$17–$27/mo	Drag-and-drop editor, AI tools, massive feature set
WooCommerce	WordPress users	Free plugin + hosting	Extreme flexibility, huge ecosystem, full ownership
BigCommerce	Growing stores, B2B	~$39/mo	Strong native features, no extra transaction fees
Ecwid	Add-on carts, omnichannel	Free tier available	Embed store on any site, social & marketplace sync
Sellfy	Digital creators, POD	Flat-fee plans	Built for downloads, subscriptions, and print-on-demand
Payhip	Solo creators, digital-first	Low-cost plans	Simple setup for files, courses, and memberships
Etsy	Handmade, marketplace traffic	No subscription	Built-in audience of millions, low barrier to entry
Square Online	Local retail + POS	Free tier available	Unified online/offline sales, strong POS integration

💡 Keep in mind: Prices vary depending on billing cycle, region, and current promotions. I’ve listed approximate starting prices as a directional guide — always check the platform’s pricing page for the latest numbers.

Key Takeaways 🔍

• Shopify is the best Big Cartel alternative for stores ready to scale, thanks to its advanced sales tools, massive app ecosystem, and multi-channel selling capabilities.
• Squarespace is ideal for design-led brands and artists who want a beautiful website and store in one, with premium templates and an intuitive editor.
• Wix is the most beginner-friendly option, offering drag-and-drop design, AI-assisted tools, and a low starting price.
• For digital creators selling downloads, courses, or memberships, Sellfy and Payhip offer lightweight, purpose-built storefronts at a fraction of the cost.
• To choose a Big Cartel alternative, consider your product catalog size, design needs, budget, whether you sell physical or digital goods, and how much you plan to scale.

1. Shopify: For Scaling Your Online Store

If your Big Cartel store has outgrown basic tools and you’re ready to turn your side hustle into a serious brand, Shopify is the most natural upgrade path. Its sales and product management features are purpose-built for merchants who need to scale — and it’s the platform most Big Cartel sellers graduate to when they hit the ceiling.

✅ What Shopify Does Well

• Shopify’s inventory and product management tools are far more powerful than Big Cartel’s, supporting complex variants, bulk editing, and automated stock management.
• Its app marketplace includes over 8,000 apps covering subscriptions, wholesale, email marketing, localization, and just about anything else you can think of.
• Multi-channel selling is baked in — you can sell on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Amazon, and Google Shopping from one dashboard.
• Shopify’s shipping tools let you calculate discounted rates and print labels directly from the dashboard, which is a huge time-saver as order volume grows.

❌ Where Shopify Could Improve

• It’s a significant step up in price from Big Cartel. The Basic plan starts around $39 per month, and third-party app costs can add up quickly.
• The dashboard and editor are more complex than Big Cartel’s minimalist interface. Expect a learning curve, especially if you’ve only ever used simple tools.
• Most of Shopify’s 1,000+ templates are premium and cost between $100 and $500 as a one-off payment. Only about 24 are free.

How Much Does Shopify Cost?

Shopify’s plans range from $39 to $299 per month when billed annually. Here’s what you get at each tier:

Plan	Price (Annual)	Key Features
Basic	$39/mo	Up to 77% shipping discounts, 10 inventory locations, multi-channel selling, Shopify Payments (0% transaction fees)
Shopify	$79/mo	Everything in Basic plus up to 88% shipping discounts, 5 extra staff accounts, advanced reporting
Advanced	$299/mo	Everything in Shopify plus 10x checkout capacity, custom reports, lowest processing rates

Why Shopify Over Big Cartel?

The core difference comes down to scale. Big Cartel caps your products and gives you a bare-bones dashboard. Shopify removes those limits and adds the operational tools — from automated workflows to bulk product imports via CSV — that a growing store actually needs. If you’re handling more than a handful of orders per week, the upgrade pays for itself quickly.

🚨 One thing to keep in mind: Shopify doesn’t include a free domain with its plans like some competitors do. You can purchase one through Shopify, but expect to pay $15 or more per year on top of your subscription.

2. Squarespace: For Design-Led Brands and Creatives

If your Big Cartel store exists because you’re an artist, photographer, or maker who wants their website to feel like a gallery — not just a shop — Squarespace is your strongest alternative. It combines the best-looking templates on the market with solid ecommerce functionality, so you don’t have to sacrifice aesthetics for sales tools.

✅ What Squarespace Does Well

• Squarespace’s templates are widely considered the best-designed on any website builder. They’re polished, modern, and span industries from art and fashion to food and travel.
• Its drag-and-drop editor is intuitive enough for beginners but still offers meaningful design control — far more than Big Cartel’s limited customization options.
• The platform natively supports both physical and digital products, along with service bookings through its Acuity Scheduling tool.
• Content and commerce live side by side. You can run a blog, portfolio, and store from one cohesive site without bolting on third-party tools.

❌ Where Squarespace Could Improve

• Its ecommerce features aren’t as advanced as Shopify’s. If you need complex inventory management or want to sell across many channels, you’ll find it limiting.
• Squarespace has far fewer extensions than platforms like Wix or Shopify. You get about 40 integrations versus Wix’s 8,000+ app marketplace.
• Site loading speeds could be better. In hands-on testing by independent reviewers, Squarespace sites have been found to load slower than competitors on both desktop and mobile.

How Much Does Squarespace Cost?

Squarespace offers four plans ranging from $16 to $99 per month (billed annually):

Plan	Price (Annual)	Key Features
Basic	$16/mo	Free domain (first year), unlimited bandwidth and storage, sell with 2% transaction fee, basic metrics
Core	$23/mo	Everything in Basic plus 0% transaction fees, unlimited contributors, pop-ups and banners, custom discounts
Plus	$39/mo	Everything in Core plus lower credit card rates, 50 hours video storage
Advanced	$99/mo	Everything in Plus plus lowest processing rates, unlimited video storage

Why Squarespace Over Big Cartel?

Big Cartel gives you a basic storefront. Squarespace gives you a brand home. If your visual identity matters as much as what you sell — and you want blogging, portfolio pages, and ecommerce all in one place — Squarespace is the platform that lets your work speak for itself.

💡 Best for: Artists, photographers, makers, and service-based businesses that want their website to double as a portfolio and store.

3. Wix: For Beginners Who Want Full Creative Control

If Big Cartel feels too restrictive but Shopify feels like overkill, Wix occupies a sweet middle ground. It’s the most feature-packed website builder for beginners, offering drag-and-drop design freedom, AI-assisted setup, and ecommerce tools that go well beyond what Big Cartel provides — all at a budget-friendly price.

✅ What Wix Does Well

• Wix’s drag-and-drop editor gives you true pixel-level control over your layout. If Big Cartel’s rigid templates frustrated you, Wix’s design freedom will feel liberating.
• It includes AI-powered tools for site setup, content generation, and design suggestions, which speed up the build process significantly.
• Wix offers over 8,000 apps in its marketplace, covering everything from booking widgets to loyalty programs, making it one of the most extensible platforms available.
• It supports a much wider range of product types and integrations than Big Cartel, making it more scalable as your business grows.

❌ Where Wix Could Improve

• The sheer number of features and settings can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re used to Big Cartel’s minimalist approach.
• Performance and SEO need careful attention. Without proper optimization, Wix sites can load slower than you’d like.
• While the base plans are cheap, costs can creep up once you start adding premium apps and features.

How Much Does Wix Cost?

Wix’s website plans start around $17 per month, with dedicated ecommerce plans from about $27 per month depending on your region and the features you need. The pricing is competitive, especially on the lower tiers, though the jump between plans can feel steep as you add ecommerce functionality.

Why Wix Over Big Cartel?

Wix gives you the creative freedom that Big Cartel doesn’t. You’re not locked into a handful of rigid templates — you can build virtually any layout you can imagine, and back it up with real ecommerce tools. It’s the best fit for sellers who care about design but aren’t ready to invest in a platform like Shopify.

💡 Best for: Beginners on a budget who want visual design freedom and a big feature set without needing to code.

4. WooCommerce: For WordPress Users Who Want Full Control

If you’re already running a WordPress site — or you like the idea of owning your entire tech stack — WooCommerce is the open-source alternative that gives you maximum flexibility. It’s a free plugin that turns any WordPress site into a fully functional store, backed by the largest ecosystem of themes and extensions in ecommerce.

✅ What WooCommerce Does Well

• The plugin itself is completely free. You only pay for hosting, your chosen theme, and any premium extensions you decide to add.
• Design and functionality are almost limitless. Thousands of themes and plugins let you customize every aspect of your store.
• WooCommerce is the strongest option for content-heavy brands — blogs, magazines, and SEO-driven businesses that also sell products.
• You own everything. Your data, your code, your hosting — no platform can shut you down or change your terms overnight.

❌ Where WooCommerce Could Improve

• Setup and maintenance require significantly more effort than Big Cartel. You’re responsible for hosting, security updates, backups, and performance optimization.
• Non-technical users will find the learning curve steep. This isn’t a drag-and-drop builder — it’s a CMS that rewards (and sometimes demands) technical knowledge.
• While the base is free, premium themes, extensions, and quality hosting can add up — sometimes exceeding the cost of a hosted platform.

Why WooCommerce Over Big Cartel?

Big Cartel is simple but limiting. WooCommerce is the opposite — it can do virtually anything, but you need to build and maintain it yourself. It’s the right choice for sellers who want complete ownership of their store and have the technical confidence (or willingness to learn) to manage a self-hosted platform.

💡 Best for: WordPress users, content-driven brands, and technically inclined sellers who want full ownership and unlimited customization.

5. BigCommerce: For Growing Stores That Need Enterprise Features

BigCommerce is one of the closest direct competitors to Shopify, but with a different philosophy: more features built in from the start, so you spend less on third-party apps. If your store has outgrown Big Cartel and you want a platform that won’t nickel-and-dime you with add-ons, BigCommerce is worth serious consideration.

✅ What BigCommerce Does Well

• BigCommerce includes advanced features natively that would require paid apps on other platforms — multi-channel selling, B2B tools, and deep catalog management come standard.
• There are no additional platform transaction fees on any plan, which can save you a meaningful amount as your sales volume grows.
• The platform scales well from small shops to mid-market operations, with strong built-in reporting and flexible product options.

❌ Where BigCommerce Could Improve

• The back-end is more complex than Big Cartel by a wide margin. If simplicity is what drew you to Big Cartel, BigCommerce may feel like a lot.
• It’s overkill for very small catalogs. If you’re selling fewer than 20 products, you’re paying for features you’ll never use.
• Its template library and design flexibility don’t match Squarespace or Wix, so it’s less ideal if your brand lives or dies by its visual identity.

Why BigCommerce Over Big Cartel?

BigCommerce sits in a sweet spot for stores that have genuine growth ambitions but don’t want to rely on a tower of third-party apps. If you want enterprise-style features — multi-storefront, B2B pricing, complex catalogs — without enterprise-level complexity, it’s a strong contender.

💡 Best for: Mid-size and growing ecommerce brands, especially those with B2B needs or complex catalogs, that want robust features out of the box.

6. Ecwid by Lightspeed: For Adding a Store to an Existing Website

Ecwid takes a fundamentally different approach to ecommerce: instead of replacing your current website, it adds a store to it. If you already have a site you love — built on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or even a custom HTML page — and you just need a shopping cart, Ecwid lets you embed one without starting over.

✅ What Ecwid Does Well

• Its “add-to-any-site” approach is genuinely unique. You embed a snippet of code and your store appears on whatever platform you’re already using.
• Ecwid has a free tier that supports a small product catalog, making it a zero-risk way to start selling online.
• Multi-channel selling and POS integrations are strong for its price point, letting you sync inventory across your website, social media, and physical locations.

❌ Where Ecwid Could Improve

• Storefront customization is limited compared to full site builders like Squarespace or Wix. Your store widget will always look a bit like an embed.
• Advanced ecommerce features are gated behind higher-tier plans, so the free version is quite basic.
• If you don’t already have a website, Ecwid’s standalone storefront is functional but not particularly impressive.

Why Ecwid Over Big Cartel?

Big Cartel gives you a standalone store with limited features. Ecwid gives you an embeddable store that plays nicely with whatever you’ve already built. If you’re a creator who already has a portfolio site or blog and just wants to add a shopping cart, Ecwid is the path of least resistance.

💡 Best for: Creators and small businesses who already have a website on another platform and want to add ecommerce without migrating.

7. Sellfy: For Digital Creators and Merch Sellers

Sellfy is built specifically for the creator economy. If you’re a YouTuber selling merch, a musician selling downloads, or a designer selling templates, Sellfy offers a streamlined storefront with built-in print-on-demand and digital delivery — no apps or plugins required.

✅ What Sellfy Does Well

• Digital product delivery, subscriptions, and print-on-demand merch are all built into the core platform — no need for third-party integrations.
• Setup is fast and the interface is simple. You can have a functional store with products listed in under an hour.
• Marketing essentials like coupons, upsells, and basic email tools are included, covering most of what a solo creator needs.

❌ Where Sellfy Could Improve

• It’s not designed for complex physical product catalogs. If you have a large inventory with variants and shipping rules, you’ll outgrow it.
• Design customization is limited. You won’t get the template variety or visual control of Squarespace or Wix.
• It’s a niche platform. If your needs evolve beyond digital goods and basic merch, you’ll likely need to migrate to something more robust.

Why Sellfy Over Big Cartel?

Big Cartel was designed for indie makers selling physical goods, and it doesn’t handle digital products or subscriptions well. Sellfy was designed from the ground up for digital creators, with built-in tools for the kinds of products Big Cartel wasn’t built to support.

💡 Best for: YouTubers, musicians, artists, and digital creators who sell downloads, subscriptions, or print-on-demand merchandise.

8. Payhip: For Solo Creators Selling Digital Products

Payhip is another creator-first platform, but with a sharper focus on digital goods, online courses, and memberships. If your business model revolves around selling files, access, or learning — rather than physical stock — Payhip offers one of the simplest and most affordable setups available.

✅ What Payhip Does Well

• It’s designed from the ground up for downloads, online courses, coaching programs, and recurring memberships.
• The setup process is extremely low-friction. You can be up and selling in minutes, which suits side-hustle and solo creators perfectly.
• Pricing is competitive, with plans that undercut most full ecommerce suites by a wide margin.

❌ Where Payhip Could Improve

• It’s not meant for large or complex product catalogs. If you need advanced inventory, variants, or shipping, look elsewhere.
• Design options are minimal. You get a functional storefront, but it won’t win any design awards.
• The platform has a smaller community and fewer integrations than more established tools like Shopify or WooCommerce.

Why Payhip Over Big Cartel?

Big Cartel treats digital products as an afterthought. Payhip treats them as the main event. If your income comes from ebooks, courses, templates, or membership subscriptions, Payhip gives you the purpose-built tools that Big Cartel simply doesn’t have.

💡 Best for: Solo creators and educators selling digital products, courses, or membership access as their primary business.

9. Etsy: For Marketplace Discovery and Built-In Traffic

Etsy isn’t a platform alternative in the traditional sense — it’s a marketplace alternative. If your biggest challenge with Big Cartel is getting eyeballs on your products (rather than building a store), Etsy gives you instant access to millions of shoppers actively looking for handmade, vintage, and artisan goods.

✅ What Etsy Does Well

• You get immediate access to an established audience with a built-in search engine and trust layer. No need to drive your own traffic from scratch.
• There’s no monthly subscription. You pay listing fees and transaction fees, which makes it a low-risk way to test product-market fit.
• For artisans and handmade sellers, Etsy’s brand alignment means your products sit in front of buyers who are specifically looking for what you make.

❌ Where Etsy Could Improve

• Fees add up. Between listing fees, transaction fees, and payment processing, you’re giving up a meaningful percentage of each sale.
• Competition is intense. Standing out in a marketplace with millions of sellers requires strong SEO, good photography, and competitive pricing.
• Branding control is minimal. Your shop exists within Etsy’s ecosystem, so building a distinct brand identity is much harder than on your own site.

Why Etsy Over Big Cartel?

Big Cartel gives you a standalone store, but you’re on your own for traffic. Etsy gives you traffic but limits your brand control. For many sellers, the smartest play is using both — Etsy for discovery and validation, and a standalone store (on Big Cartel or a more capable platform) for building a brand over time.

💡 Best for: Handmade and vintage sellers who need marketplace traffic and want to test product demand before investing in a standalone store.

10. Square Online: For Local Sellers and In-Person Businesses

If you sell at markets, fairs, pop-ups, or a physical retail location and also want an online store, Square Online is built for exactly that scenario. It’s tightly integrated with Square’s point-of-sale system, giving you unified inventory and payments across both your online and offline channels.

✅ What Square Online Does Well

• Online and offline sales are fully unified. Inventory, payments, and customer data sync automatically between your website and Square POS.
• There’s a free plan that lets you start selling online with no monthly cost — Square takes its cut through transaction fees instead.
• It’s particularly well-suited for food businesses, local retail, and appointment-based services that already use Square for in-person payments.

❌ Where Square Online Could Improve

• Design and customization options are utilitarian rather than impressive. If you want a visually striking brand presence, Squarespace or Wix are better choices.
• The platform is less extensible than Shopify or Wix, so you’re more limited in terms of third-party apps and advanced features.
• It’s not the right fit for pure online businesses. Square Online shines specifically when paired with in-person selling.

Why Square Online Over Big Cartel?

Big Cartel is online-only with no POS capability. If you regularly sell at craft fairs, farmers markets, or a physical storefront, Square Online connects your in-person and online sales into a single system — something Big Cartel was never designed to do.

💡 Best for: Artists, makers, and local merchants who sell at markets, fairs, and pop-ups and need their online store to sync with in-person sales.

Best Free Big Cartel Alternatives

If budget is your primary concern, several platforms offer genuinely usable free tiers:

• WooCommerce: The plugin is free. Total cost depends on hosting, but you can assemble a very affordable stack starting at a few dollars per month.
• Ecwid: Its free tier supports a small product catalog embedded into an existing website — ideal for testing the waters.
• Square Online: A free plan that’s funded through transaction fees. Especially useful if you’re already using Square for in-person sales.
• Etsy: No monthly subscription required. You pay per listing and per transaction, which keeps upfront costs at zero.
• Payhip and Sellfy: Both offer low-cost entry plans that undercut the price of full ecommerce suites, making them viable for solo creators on a tight budget.

If you’re currently on Big Cartel’s free plan and need to keep costs minimal, WooCommerce and Ecwid offer the most flexibility at the lowest price. For creators selling digital products, Payhip’s free-to-start model is hard to beat.

Buying Guide: How To Choose a Big Cartel Alternative

Before you migrate, take a few minutes to think through what matters most for your specific situation:

• What don’t you like about Big Cartel? Identify the specific pain points that are driving the switch. Is it product limits? Design flexibility? Marketing tools? Make sure your new platform actually solves the problem.
• What do you like about Big Cartel? Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. If you value simplicity above all else, a complex platform like WooCommerce may not be the right move.
• How difficult is the migration? Check whether your new platform supports CSV product imports, and plan time to manually transfer your content, images, and design.
• What features do you actually need? Be honest about your current scale and near-term plans. A solo artist selling prints needs a very different platform than a growing DTC brand with 500 SKUs.

How To Move Your Store From Big Cartel

Because Big Cartel is a relatively simple platform, migration is usually straightforward but manual. Here’s the general process:

• Export your product data from Big Cartel and import it into your new platform via CSV. Most major platforms — Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace — support CSV product imports.
• Manually transfer your content, including product descriptions, images, about pages, and any policies. This is the most time-consuming step.
• Set up your domain on the new platform. If you own a custom domain, you can typically point it to your new store within a few hours.
• Test your new store thoroughly before going live. Run test orders, check your checkout process, and make sure product pages display correctly on both desktop and mobile.

💡 Top Tip: If you’re moving to Shopify specifically, check whether the Shopify Store Migration app supports importing from your existing platform. It can save significant time on product data transfer.

Big Cartel Alternatives: Summary

Based on our research, Shopify is the best Big Cartel alternative overall. It’s the most natural upgrade path for sellers who’ve outgrown Big Cartel’s limits and need professional-grade ecommerce tools, inventory management, and multi-channel selling capabilities.

But the right alternative depends entirely on what you need:

• Squarespace is best if your visual brand and website design matter as much as your store. It’s the platform for artists and creatives who want their site to feel like a gallery.
• Wix is the best option for beginners who want design freedom and a wide feature set without a steep learning curve or high price.
• WooCommerce is the choice for technical users who want full control and ownership, especially if you’re already on WordPress.
• Sellfy and Payhip are the smartest picks for digital creators selling downloads, courses, or memberships.
• Etsy is your go-to if your biggest problem isn’t your storefront — it’s getting traffic. Use it as a discovery channel alongside a standalone store.
• Square Online is the winner for sellers who operate both online and in person and need their inventory and payments unified.

Whatever you choose, the key is matching the platform to your actual needs — not just picking the most popular or cheapest option. Start by identifying what Big Cartel isn’t giving you, then choose the alternative that fills that specific gap.