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E-Commerce · head to head

Big Cartel vs SamCart

Big Cartel logo

Big Cartel

E-Commerce

Straightforward pricing, no surprises

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SamCart logo

SamCart

E-Commerce

The number one checkout platform

From
$79/month
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; SamCart no feature differentiation between CORE and PRO tiers, pricing tier based on expected transaction volume only
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Big Cartel and SamCart differ
AttributeBig CartelSamCart
Starting priceFree$79/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo

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

What people use each for

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

Big Cartel

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

SamCart

  • Increasing average order value through automated order bumps and upsellsnot Big Cartel
  • Recovering failed subscription payments with retry logic and dunning managementnot Big Cartel
  • Generating sales pages, emails, and ads with AI from product descriptionsnot Big Cartel
  • Sending cart abandonment recovery emails without customer re-entrynot Big Cartel
  • Migrating existing customer bases from competing platforms without data lossnot 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

SamCart

  • No feature differentiation between CORE and PRO tiers, pricing tier based on expected transaction volume only
  • Transaction fees of 2.9% plus $0.30 apply to all plans

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

SamCart

$79/month
  • CORE$79/month
    • All features included
  • PRO$199/month
    • All features included

Which should you pick?

Choose Big Cartel if

  • You want to start without paying.
Big Cartel review

Choose SamCart if

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

SamCart review

Questions people ask

Is Big Cartel or SamCart better?
Neither clearly leads. Big Cartel starts at Free and SamCart at $79/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Big Cartel or SamCart?
Big Cartel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Big Cartel and $79/month for SamCart.
Does Big Cartel or SamCart 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. SamCart starts at $79/month.
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 SamCart is typically brought in for.

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
SamCart: How much does SamCart cost?

SamCart offers two subscription tiers: CORE at $79/month and PRO at $199/month. Both plans include all features with no restrictions between tiers.

Source
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
SamCart: What are SamCart's transaction fees?

SamCart charges a transaction fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction on all payments processed through the platform.

Source
Big Cartel: Can I cancel Big Cartel anytime?

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

Source
SamCart: Does SamCart offer a free trial?

Yes, SamCart offers a 7-day free trial available for both the CORE and PRO plans, allowing customers to test the platform before committing to a subscription.

Source
SamCart: Does SamCart offer migration services from other platforms?

Yes, SamCart offers done-for-you migration services for customers switching from Kajabi, ThriveCart, ClickFunnels, Shopify, and Teachable. Specific pricing for migration services is not listed on the main page.

Source
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