Software · head to head
Big Cartel vs Magento
The short version
- Only Magento 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; Magento magento Open Source is available under the OSL v3 license as a free self-hosted edition, but Adobe sells a separate proprietary Adobe Commerce edition with additional B2B, page builder and cloud features not included in the open source code
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Big Cartel and Magento actually diverge.
| Attribute | Big Cartel | Magento |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | open-source |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | Unknown | 2008 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Magento does not also cover.
Only in Magento
- Multi-store management
- Advanced product catalog
- Customer segmentation
- Order management system
- Inventory management
- Progressive Web App
- GraphQL API
- Security & compliance
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
Magento
- Magento Open Source is available under the OSL v3 license as a free self-hosted edition, but Adobe sells a separate proprietary Adobe Commerce edition with additional B2B, page builder and cloud features not included in the open source code
Pricing, plan by plan
Big Cartel
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Big Cartel review.
Magento
Free- Magento Open SourceFree
- Unlimited products
- Multiple storefronts
- Advanced marketing
- Adobe Commerce$20000/year
- All Open Source features
- 24/7 enterprise support
- Managed cloud hosting
Which should you pick?
Choose Big Cartel if
Nothing in the data separates Big Cartel from Magento on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose Magento if
- You need multi-store management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want advanced product catalog.
Questions people ask
- Is Big Cartel or Magento better?
- Neither clearly leads. Big Cartel starts at On request and Magento at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Big Cartel or Magento?
- Magento has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Big Cartel and Free for Magento.
- Does Big Cartel or Magento run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Magento for free?
- Yes. Magento has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Big Cartel starts at On request.
- What can Big Cartel do that Magento cannot?
- Magento covers Multi-store management, Advanced product catalog, Customer segmentation, Order management system.