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E-commerce & Retail · head to head

Big Cartel vs Spree Commerce

Big Cartel logo

Big Cartel

E-commerce & Retail

Straightforward pricing, no surprises

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Spree Commerce logo

Spree Commerce

E-commerce & Retail

Complete open source ecommerce solution

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Spree Commerce 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; Spree Commerce multi-vendor marketplace, B2B commerce and multi-tenant white label modules are Enterprise Edition only and licensed separately from the open source core

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Big Cartel and Spree Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Big Cartel and Spree Commerce differ
AttributeBig CartelSpree Commerce
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2007

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

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 Spree Commerce does not also cover.

Only in Spree Commerce

  • Multi-store support
  • Multi-currency
  • Multi-language
  • REST API
  • GraphQL support
  • Mobile-ready
  • SEO optimization
  • Flexible taxonomy

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.

Spree Commerce

  • Self hosting an open source Rails ecommerce storefront and APInot Big Cartel
  • Building a headless commerce backend behind a custom frontendnot Big Cartel
  • Running a multi vendor marketplace or B2B store on the Enterprise modulesnot 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

Spree Commerce

  • Multi-vendor marketplace, B2B commerce and multi-tenant white label modules are Enterprise Edition only and licensed separately from the open source core
  • Enterprise Edition pricing is quoted per customer depending on modules and scale, with no published rate
  • Support with guaranteed response times and a success manager comes only with Enterprise Edition
  • The free Community Edition is self hosted, so hosting, upgrades and Ruby on Rails maintenance are the operator's responsibility

Pricing, plan by plan

Big Cartel

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Big Cartel review.

Spree Commerce

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full platform access
    • Community support
    • All core features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Premium support
    • Custom development
    • SLA guarantees

Which should you pick?

Choose Big Cartel if

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

Big Cartel review

Choose Spree Commerce if

  • You need multi-store support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want multi-currency.
Spree Commerce review

Questions people ask

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

More on Big Cartel

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