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Software · head to head

Big Cartel vs Medusa

Big Cartel logo

Big Cartel

Software

Straightforward pricing, no surprises

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Medusa logo

Medusa

Software

Open source Shopify alternative

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Medusa 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; Medusa the managed cloud meters four separate resources: edge requests, emails, compute hours and database storage

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Big Cartel and Medusa differ
AttributeBig CartelMedusa
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2020

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 Medusa does not also cover.

Only in Medusa

  • Open source
  • Modular architecture
  • Multi-region support
  • Plugin system
  • Admin dashboard
  • Order management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Payment integrations

What people use each for

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

Big Cartel

No use cases recorded yet. See the Big Cartel review.

Medusa

  • Building a custom ecommerce backend on an open source headless platformnot Big Cartel
  • Running a self hosted or managed commerce API with a custom storefrontnot 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

Medusa

  • The managed cloud meters four separate resources: edge requests, emails, compute hours and database storage
  • The Develop plan at $29 a month applies a hard limit of 1,000 emails, so it stops rather than bills
  • Compute hours are capped at 600 on Develop and 800 on Launch
  • Edge request overage is $0.3 per million and storage $0.5 per GB month above the plan allowance
  • Background workers and priority support require the Scale plan at $299 a month

Pricing, plan by plan

Big Cartel

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Big Cartel review.

Medusa

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full source code
    • Self-hosted
    • Community support
  • Cloud$50/month
    • Managed hosting
    • Automatic updates
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Big Cartel if

Nothing in the data separates Big Cartel from Medusa on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Big Cartel review

Choose Medusa if

  • You need open source.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want modular architecture.
Medusa review

Questions people ask

Is Big Cartel or Medusa better?
Neither clearly leads. Big Cartel starts at On request and Medusa at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Big Cartel or Medusa?
Medusa has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Big Cartel and Free for Medusa.
Does Big Cartel or Medusa run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Medusa for free?
Yes. Medusa has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Big Cartel starts at On request.
What can Big Cartel do that Medusa cannot?
Medusa covers Open source, Modular architecture, Multi-region support, Plugin system.
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