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E-Commerce · head to head

Big Cartel vs Gumroad

Big Cartel logo

Big Cartel

E-Commerce

Straightforward pricing, no surprises

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gumroad logo

Gumroad

E-Commerce

Hosted storefront for selling digital products, memberships and courses on a per sale fee

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Big Cartel has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Big Cartel custom domain support is not included on the free Gold plan; it is listed as a Platinum-tier feature; Gumroad the fee is a flat percentage of every sale with no monthly plan to cap it, so a product that succeeds pays proportionally more forever, and past a certain monthly revenue a self-hosted cart plus a payment processor costs a fraction of it.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Big Cartel and Gumroad actually diverge.

Attributes where Big Cartel and Gumroad differ
AttributeBig CartelGumroad
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumtransaction
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Big Cartel

Nothing recorded that Gumroad does not also cover.

Only in Gumroad

  • Digital product delivery
  • Memberships and subscriptions
  • Merchant of record
  • No monthly subscription
  • Discover marketplace
  • Hosted checkout
  • Licence keys
  • Email to customers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Big Cartel

  • E-commerce store creationnot Gumroad
  • Physical and digital product salesnot Gumroad

Gumroad

  • An individual creator selling ebooks, templates or presets without wanting to run any infrastructurenot Big Cartel
  • A developer selling a small software product that needs licence key issuance and deliverynot Big Cartel
  • A writer or educator running a paid membership or course for an existing audiencenot Big Cartel
  • Anyone selling digital goods internationally who does not want to register for VAT across jurisdictionsnot Big Cartel

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Big Cartel

  • Custom domain support is not included on the free Gold plan; it is listed as a Platinum-tier feature
  • Abandoned cart recovery, product drop scheduling and Zapier integration are restricted to the top Diamond tier at $30/month
  • Platinum's paid billing starts automatically after a 7-day free trial rather than requiring an active opt-in to convert

Gumroad

  • The fee is a flat percentage of every sale with no monthly plan to cap it, so a product that succeeds pays proportionally more forever, and past a certain monthly revenue a self-hosted cart plus a payment processor costs a fraction of it.
  • Sales that come through the Discover marketplace carry a substantially higher cut, so marketplace-sourced revenue is materially less profitable than direct revenue and the two need tracking separately to know what the channel is really worth.
  • The storefront is a Gumroad-hosted page with limited layout and branding control, so the customer experience is recognisably Gumroad's rather than yours, and there is no template language to extend it.
  • Stored payment methods cannot be transferred to another platform, so migrating an active membership requires every subscriber to re-enter their card, and the churn that causes is the real exit cost rather than any contract term.
  • Acting as merchant of record means Gumroad, not you, is the party in the customer's bank statement and in the tax records, which simplifies compliance but weakens the direct customer relationship and limits what you can do with the transaction data.

Pricing, plan by plan

Big Cartel

Free
  • GoldFree
    • Free tier with limited features
  • Platinum$15/month
    • Custom domains
    • Physical and digital product sales
    • Shipping label printing
  • Diamond$30/month
    • All Platinum features plus abandoned cart recovery
    • Product drop scheduling
    • Password-protected products

Gumroad

On request
  • Direct Sales$undefined/mo
  • Marketplace Discovery$undefined/mo

Which should you pick?

Choose Big Cartel if

  • You want to start without paying.
Big Cartel review

Choose Gumroad if

  • You need digital product delivery.
  • You also want memberships and subscriptions.
Gumroad review

Questions people ask

Is Big Cartel or Gumroad better?
Neither clearly leads. Big Cartel starts at Free and Gumroad at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Big Cartel or Gumroad?
Big Cartel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Big Cartel and On request for Gumroad.
Does Big Cartel or Gumroad run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Big Cartel for free?
Yes. Big Cartel has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gumroad starts at On request.
What is Big Cartel best used for?
Big Cartel is most often used for e-commerce store creation, physical and digital product sales. Of those, e-commerce store creation and physical and digital product sales are not what Gumroad is typically brought in for.
What can Big Cartel do that Gumroad cannot?
Gumroad covers Digital product delivery, Memberships and subscriptions, Merchant of record, No monthly subscription.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Big Cartel: How much does Big Cartel cost?

Big Cartel offers a free Gold plan with limited features. Paid plans start at $15 per month for Platinum and $30 per month for Diamond. Both paid plans include a 7-day free trial and have no commitment.

Source
Gumroad: How does Gumroad charge?

A flat percentage of each sale rather than a monthly subscription, with a higher rate on sales it sources through Discover. Check the current pricing page for whether payment processing is included in or added to that percentage.

Big Cartel: What features does the Diamond plan add?

The Diamond plan at $30 per month adds abandoned cart recovery, product drop scheduling, password-protected products, Zapier integration with 7,000+ apps, and priority human support compared to Platinum.

Source
Gumroad: When does it stop making financial sense?

When your monthly revenue times the percentage exceeds what a hosted cart subscription plus standard processing would cost. That crossover arrives earlier than most sellers expect.

Big Cartel: Can I cancel Big Cartel anytime?

Yes, Big Cartel explicitly offers no commitment and allows cancellation anytime on paid tiers.

Source
Gumroad: Does it handle VAT on digital goods?

Yes. It acts as merchant of record and takes on calculating and remitting VAT and sales tax on digital sales, which is the main reason solo creators selling internationally choose it.

Gumroad: Can I move my subscribers elsewhere later?

You can export customer records, but not stored payment methods. Every active subscriber has to re-enter a card on the new platform, and some will not.

Gumroad: Can I sell physical products?

It is built for digital goods. Inventory, shipping and fulfilment are not what it is designed around, so a physical catalogue belongs on a store platform.

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