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E-commerce & Retail · head to head

Big Cartel vs Squarespace Commerce

Big Cartel logo

Big Cartel

E-commerce & Retail

Straightforward pricing, no surprises

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Squarespace Commerce logo

Squarespace Commerce

E-commerce & Retail

All-in-one website builder and ecommerce platform

From
$14/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Squarespace Commerce the entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Big Cartel and Squarespace Commerce differ
AttributeBig CartelSquarespace Commerce
Starting priceOn request$14/month
FoundedUnknown2003

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Squarespace Commerce does not also cover.

Only in Squarespace Commerce

  • Website builder
  • Ecommerce platform
  • Mobile optimization
  • Email marketing
  • Analytics
  • Domain registration
  • SSL certificate
  • Customer accounts

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.

Squarespace Commerce

  • Running a store on a hosted website builder with managed hostingnot Big Cartel
  • Selling products, services and memberships from one sitenot 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

Squarespace Commerce

  • The entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • Digital content and membership sales carry their own fee, up to 7% on the lowest tier
  • The entry plan is limited to 2 contributors
  • Reaching a 0% transaction fee requires moving up from the entry plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Big Cartel

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Big Cartel review.

Squarespace Commerce

$14/month
  • Personal$14/month
    • Website builder
    • Free domain
    • Analytics
  • Business$23/month
    • All Personal features
    • Ecommerce functionality
    • Inventory management

Which should you pick?

Choose Big Cartel if

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

Big Cartel review

Choose Squarespace Commerce if

  • You need website builder.
  • You also want ecommerce platform.
Squarespace Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Big Cartel or Squarespace Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Big Cartel starts at On request and Squarespace Commerce at $14/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Big Cartel or Squarespace Commerce?
Big Cartel starts at On request and Squarespace Commerce at $14/month.
Does Big Cartel or Squarespace Commerce run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What can Big Cartel do that Squarespace Commerce cannot?
Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder, Ecommerce platform, Mobile optimization, Email marketing.
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Related pages

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